This week marks the official beginning of spring and with spring comes the blooming of flowers.   Though this month has been a bit cold and snowy, April should bring blooms from the serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea),  Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), dogwood (Cornus florida), and tulip poplar (Linodendron tulipifera) trees.  While these trees are often planted as ornamentals for their beauty, they have some other unexpected uses.  For example, buds from redbud trees are pickled and eaten like capers and serviceberry fruits are baked into pies and pastries.  The dogwood tree is a particularly popular tree in Virginia as it is the state flower.  In addition to these flowering trees, spring beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) and dutchman’s breeches  (Dicentra culcullaria) are two native Virginia woodland flowers which we may see on our upcoming lab hike.  To learn more about Virginia flowers and where to find them visit http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway/general/bloom.asp. 

--Anna Greenlee