Green For St Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2026

Last month loads of bright yellow flowers were telling me they are winter hardy plants that bloom their hearts out. Now today, their leaves are looking up to gather energy from the sun for photosynthesis.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) native to Europe and Asia Minor, growing from a bulb, blooming at about the same time as Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis). This plant enjoys a location that provides sun in early spring with shade later provided by deciduous trees. Though this plant enjoys spreading, it is an extremely slow process, and I would not call it invasive.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.