Garlic mustard best to eat right now

A view looking down at the top of a garlic mustard plant (Alliaria petiolata).  Notice the flower buds and their resemblance to its domesticated cousin, broccoli.  Garlic mustard is even better to eat than broccoli because it's free!  This stage is the best time to eat it, pick the tender broccoli-like tops and upper leaves.  Take care that nobody's sprayed it with herbicide.

This plant was growing in West Lafayette (before I picked it and ate it).  March 28, 2012.

Link to Alliaria petiolata:

Kerria japonica

The bright yellow flowers on Kerria japonica shrubs are noticeable right now, having been planted here and there all over town.  This row of Kerria japonica is along the west side of Dauch Alumni Center at Wood St. on the Purdue campus, March 24, 2012.

Link to Kerria japonica:

Link to Kerria japonica:

Link to Kerria japonica:

Forsythia

Forsythia began blooming today.  These shrubs at the east end of the pedestrian bridge were blooming at dawn this morning and weren't in bloom yesterday.  A little earlier than previous years.  Picture taken March 14, 2012.

Link to Forsythia here in 2011:

Link to Forsythia here in 2010:

Link to Forsythia here in 2009:

Spring beauty flowering today

Here's a spring beauty (Claytonia virginica).  This is in Scifres-Maier Woods, part of Celery Bog Park.  The first spring beauty flower I've seen this year.  I walked through the woods for several minutes before I spotted this lone flower, the rest of the Claytonia population here is mostly not yet flowering.  Picture taken March 13, 2012.

Link to previous post on Claytonia virginica:

Daffodils

 I noticed this group of daffodils had sprouted out of the ground Feb. 19, 2012. 

Here is the same group of daffodils on March 1, 2012.  The green sprouts had survived a period of subfreezing temperatures without apparent damage.  

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I noticed them flowering for the first time Monday morning March 12, 2012.  These daffodils are on the south side of the Pharmacy Building on the Purdue campus. 


Link to previous post on daffodils (Narcissus sp.):

Link to another post on daffodils flowering:

Cornus mas is flowering

Cornus mas is flowering.  This is one of two small trees planted along the trail in McAllister Park, just south of the old canal widewater.  Picture taken March 11, 2012.

Link to previous post on Cornus mas:

Link to another post on Cornus mas:

Senecio vulgaris

Senecio vulgaris flowering just west of Lilly Hall on the Purdue campus.  I didn't expect to find this flowering this early but here it is.  I even saw one flowering head already had gone to seed, the white seed pappi had replaced the yellow florets.  Senecio vulgaris is sometimes called common groundsel. Picture taken March 9, 2012.

Link to Senecio vulgaris:

Link to pappus:

Veronica polita

Veronica polita just beginning to show its tiny blue flowers.  At Canal Road near Harrison Bridge.  I have been looking for this for several days now and this is the first day this season I have seen it flowering. Picture taken March 4, 2012. 


Link to previous post on Veronica polita:

Link to Veronica polita: