First sign of spring

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First sign of spring

March 8, 2015 by Mike Powell

I can’t identify this tiny flowering plant, but it is blooming now in the garden of one of my neighbors. Despite the large mounds of snow throughout my townhouse neighborhood, I can’t help but hope and believe that spring is not far away.

Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon 50D, flower, Runnymeade, signs of spring | 15 Comments

15 Responses

on March 8, 2015 at 2:28 pm | Reply Sara Rall

Your lovely blue flower is a Speedwell, Veronica sp. probably bird’s eye or germander speedwell, but there are other possibilities. Did you notice the blue pollen?
- on March 8, 2015 at 6:44 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for the help with identification, Sara. I’ll have to check out the pollen and see if it is blue.
on March 8, 2015 at 2:31 pm | Reply Cornel Ap.

In Europe it’s called Ivy-leaved Speedwell – Veronica hederifolia L.
- on March 8, 2015 at 4:51 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much for assistance with the identification, Cornel. I looked at photos of the Ivy-leaved Speedwell and it looks very similar to the plant in question. There seem to be several other kinds of Speedwell that also looked similar, like Veronica persica, which has a leaf structure more like the one in my friend’s garden. Whatever it is, I am very happy to see a small amount of color after a long, gray winter..
  - on March 8, 2015 at 6:05 pm Cornel Ap.
    
    I noticed many flowers of Speedwell since February and yes, it is a great joy to see these signs of Spring.
on March 8, 2015 at 2:47 pm | Reply mike585

Lovely!
on March 8, 2015 at 4:44 pm | Reply afrenchgarden

I thought it looked like a Speedwell too but I was surprised it would come up with snow around. We have lots growing through our grass at the moment and the bees love it. Amelia
- on March 8, 2015 at 6:46 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  The area where the little flowers are located does not have snow right now, but a few days ago it was covered with about six inches of snow.
on March 8, 2015 at 5:29 pm | Reply svtakeiteasy

What an attractive flower!
on March 8, 2015 at 8:41 pm | Reply judysbirds

A great sign of spring, and a gorgeous photo, Mike!
- on March 8, 2015 at 8:56 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  hanks, Judy. It was nice to get my macro lens on my camera and search for something to shoot. These little flowers really are tiny. There is a shot here that shows this compared with a dime. http://uswildflowers.com/detail.php?SName=Veronica+persica
on March 9, 2015 at 7:06 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

I know how small these beauties are Mike, so I imagine you were on your hands and knees when you got this shot!
- on March 9, 2015 at 7:41 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I definitely was, Allen, but it was worth it to get a shot of some flowering vegetation.
on March 9, 2015 at 8:25 am | Reply nliakos

After this long winter I am so looking forward to the daffodils, my favorite flowers. The little speedwell is a wonderful harbinger of spring! Thanks for brightening my day.
on March 9, 2015 at 11:30 am | Reply krikitarts

That’s a lovely little thing! Our daffodils and crocuses are just starting to peek through, but we really have to look hard. They’re not very photogenic yet, but I plan to see what I can do.