Late Winter or Early Spring?

Late winter, or for that matter early spring, in the Southern Appalachians has two faces. Some days are honey colored, soft, and carry the feeling of spring, that silken feeling on the skin of warm spring air. The next day, there's nothing between you and the North Pole but a barb wire fence. It can catch you out. You go out in the morning, and it is so sweet, birds singing, the sun giving everything a pre-spring glow, and by mid afternoon the skies have clouded over, a raw wind that seems to carry a straight razor has sprung up, and there is a fine snow spitting out of a leaden sky. You, of course, are in a short sleeve shirt, light trousers, and no hat. You really deserve it, though, if you are over 20; you should have seen it enough times to know. If I go out for the day at this time of year, I carry a warm coat with me just in case. Of course, I have seen this for over a half century.

The Creasy Greens are coming out, those famous greens that Mountaineers pick every winter. If you want to look them up, they are Barbarea verna or Barbarea vulgaris. My uncle called the former "Sweet Creases" and the latter "Boar Creases", the idea being that they were only fit for boars to eat. He actually called them something else, alluding to having unmarried parents, but this is, after all, a family blog, and Uncle Carl was rather free with Ancient Anglo Saxon Expletives. We won't go there.

Creases, called Early Yellow Rocket (B. verna) and Garden Yellow Rocket (B. vulgaris) on the USDA pages (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BAVU for Boar Creases) are a member of the Mustard family, and have the fiery mustard oil common to the family. Boar Creases have a bit more of the bitter oil, making them taste bad to some. In the words of Uncle Carl "Some folks like 'em. Them folks over on Sodom (Sodom Laurel Creek, Madison County NC) love 'em, but I cain't stand 'em". I have to agree with Uncle Carl; I cain't stand 'em neither.

Another cress that is coming out is the Bitter or Pepper Cress (Cardamine hirsuta). It is a tiny cress, and like Creases, is a winter annual, a plant that sprouts in the winter, makes a rosette of leaves, and in spring throws up a stem that bears the flowers, and finally seed pods. This one already has flowers, tiny white ones that are often hidden in the grass. Both these Mustards are introduced from Europe years ago, the settlers not knowing what native plants to eat, and have become a part of our flora and also our local culture.

A number of other small things are out now, including the Ivy Leaved Speedwell. It too is an introduction; seems that our locals are a little more timid. Wise, more likely; frost can happen here up to May 15, so they are probably very wise.

It is cold tonight, and will likely be freezing tomorrow. It will get warmer though. Spring is more a progression than a discrete date.

Bye now. Look for these winter annuals to see if you can find them in your neck of the woods.

Alex