Beargrass (Yucca filamentosa) is now in flower in dry open woodlands, on rock outcrops, and along roadsides in the piedmont and mountains. For fruits to form, this plant requires the pollination services of a tiny moth (the Yucca moth). Unlike all but a few pollinators, the Yucca moth intentionally pollinates the flowers. After pollinating a flower, a female moth lays eggs in the ovary, the larvae hatch, and then feed on the developing seeds. Usually about 30 % of the developing seeds are eaten. In this plant-insect mutualism, the flowers get pollinated and the moth is rewarded not by pollen or by nectar (the usual floral rewards) but by seeds for its larvae. Look for the tiny cream-colored moths hanging out in the flowers during the day.
I had the opportunity to participate in the wildflower and bird pilgrimage in Asheville, NC the last weekend in April. It was wonderful! There were hikes in the woods, abundant wildflowers, and interesting people to share the fun. Yellow lady's slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) was just one of the many species we saw in bloom in the southern Appalachian mountains.
The flowers of Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum) are usually purple in color, but some plants have yellow or greenish flowers. Here, we see the purple and yellow flower morphs on adjacent plants. The flowers often have a faint spice-like odor, but you usually have to get your nose up close to the plant to detect it.
It's hard to resist taking a photo of bloodroot, especially when they've just emerged and are so fresh-looking with gobs of golden pollen. The flowers lack nectar, so it's pollen alone that attracts (and rewards) bees and flies that function as pollinators. If the flower fails to attract a pollinator within 3-4 days, the anthers curl into the stigma brushing pollen onto its surface, thereby self-pollinating the flower, a useful backup mechanism since low temperatures and wet conditions frequently reduce insect activity in early spring .
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