Mayapples

We moved to our current home in 2013, when the girls were two and four years old. It was a great age to be outdoors with them, exploring our new landscape.

One of my favorite early memories was walking in our small stretch of woods and discovering the plants that made their appearance each spring. A new one for me was the Mayapple.

Mayapples emerging - photo courtesy UW-Madison Horticulture

If you haven’t seen this Wisconsin native plant, it is a surprise at each stage of its growth. A sturdy stalk sprouts up, looking like a tiny, unfurled green umbrella against the brown leaves from the past fall. Next, the leaves spread out, shading the land around them with their wide spread. Soon after, a bright white appears, tucked under the leaves - a small present waiting to be found. The flowers are fragrant and we have often stopped to watch various pollinators stop by to grab some nectar. The pollinated flowers grow the plant’s namesake: a small green fruit that looks like a tiny apple will take the place of the flower in the summer.

Mayapple colony - photo courtesy Cathy Caldwell

A word of caution as you head out to see the Mayapples in action: all parts of the plant are toxic. Unless you’re a turtle - native turtles will eat the fruit and then help to spread the seeds as they digest and travel.

While there are no books about Mayapples that I know of, there are a host of picture books about spring flowers. This week, try out “When Spring Comes” by Wisconsin author/illustrator Kevin Henkes.