Harbinger of Spring

Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) is in the carrot family family (Apiaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 2,635 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in March.

Nationally it blooms mainly from March to March, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Harbinger of Spring: observations by month (U.S.)

About Harbinger of Spring

Erigenia bulbosa, also known as harbinger of spring or pepper and salt, is a perennial plant in the carrot family (Apiaceae). E. bulbosa is the only species in the genus Erigenia (Nutt.). This plant is known as harbinger of spring because it is one of the earliest blooming native wildflowers of rich forests in the mid-latitude United States. It is found as far north as central New York and southern Wisconsin, west to the western Ozarks,...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Harbinger of Spring by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (carrot family)

Wild CarrotDaucus carota

Poison HemlockConium maculatum

Common CowparsnipHeracleum maximum

golden AlexandersZizia aurea

Purple SanicleSanicula bipinnatifida

AniserootOsmorhiza longistylis

Wild ParsnipPastinaca sativa

Pacific SanicleSanicula crassicaulis

Photography tips

• Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
• Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
• Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
• Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.

FAQ