Ramp

Saw the Easter bunny this morning.    The dog was slowly checking all of the access points under the deck.  I'm taller and could see over the top of the deck.  A puffy white scut surrounded by a brown hind end was hopping off toward the tall grass on the other side.  Figured the bunny had a busy day ahead.    I and the dog continued onto the swamp road.  Have walked it every month this year (so far).  I found some flag coming up in the swamp but that was about it.    However, in the woods I wiped aside some fallen leaves and there they were - ramp.  Ramp are one of the first plants I find in spring.  They aren't ephemerals like most of the woodland spring plants.  Ephemerals emerge, flower, and die off by the time the tree leaves make a canopy blocking the sun.  Ramp leaves will die back too but a tall stalk appears w/ a umbel of white flowers which eventually become blue-black seeds by fall.  Anyway, one of my favorite plants!  (If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I have a lot of fav plants.)