Orchids are beautiful, striking, colorful and fragrant. They’re found in flower arrangements, at florist shops and in Longwood Gardens’ annual Orchid Extravaganza! But did you know that orchids can also be found in our region’s natural areas?

The blooming of ephemeral flowers is one of the early signs that spring has finally sprung, and warmer weather is—hopefully—here to stay. However, not all spring ephemerals are a welcome start to the season. Don’t let the sweet buttercup appearance of lesser celandine fool you. This early, sprouting invasive species grows vigorously, quickly forming large mats and outcompeting native ephemerals before they even have a chance. Lesser celandine can wreak much havoc in its short lifecycle which makes early detection and control key to protecting our native nectar sources of spring.

We’re looking forward to the 4th Annual Bike the Brandywine coming up on September 28th and if you haven’t registered yet, now’s the time!