Mayapple - Podophyllum peltatum. We got this wildflower from our local gardening club a few years ago. We saw huge colonies of mayapple a few weeks ago when we went to the mountains. I can only hope that ours will eventually turn into a large patch like that. Interestingly, the flower will turn into a fruit early summer. It looks like a small green apple, but apparently has a lemon flavor. I think I'll pass on trying it.
Columbine - Aquilegia candensis. I have two varieties of this growing in the garden, a salmon colored (pictured) and a pink. Both were transplants my mother gave me. They have done exceptionally well in our soil. Maybe a little too well. This wild flower can be a little pesky and will spread like mad if you don't forget to remove the seed heads. One of our flowerbeds was overrun with it this Spring - I transplanted some and actually threw some away. My mother-in-law has some growing at her house that it a dark purple. I MUST have some (hint, hint).
Jacob's Ladder - Polemonium reptans. This is another transplant from my mother. It grows well in the shade. A lot of folks consider it a weed, but I'm encouraging it to spread where I have it planted. Apparently there are quite a few varieties of this plant - didn't know that.
Trillium - Trillium spp. We have three varieties growing in our yard, all were already established when we moved here. This plant grows all over North America, we saw several different species in the rain forests in Washington State several years ago. We have the common white trillium (T. grandiflora) , but the deer got to those before I could get a picture. We have this little patch of red trillium (T. sessile), it came up in an area of the yard that used to be wooded that we cleared and planted grass. It literally comes up right in the middle of the yard now- we have to mow around it. I'm too scared to try and move them, apparently trillium are very finicky. This species is also called toadshade - I like that!
We also have a few of the yellow trillium (T. luteum). The blooms on these have a lemon odor, and the leaves are bicolored.
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