The Aconites Are Here!

In Gilmer County (across the street in our neighbor’s yard), the aconites are blooming. Our friends have a great colony of these in front of their house. It is a great place to plant them – close to the house so that one can observe the colorful display. It is a welcome relief from the dullness of winter.

Aconites are one of the earliest of our spring flowering bulbs to flower, and they can be sometimes seen blooming in the snow. Members of the buttercup family, they are very easy to grow in sun or part shade, reaching only 3-5 inches tall.
Blooming time is February and March with bright golden-yellow cup shaped flowers. The flowers consist of showy sepals surrounding small, nectar-producing petals and are borne one per stem. Their leaves are deeply divided with one dissected leaf just below the flower almost like a frilled collar.

The weather service is forecasting for tonight-cold temperatures and snow. These bright yellow blooms indicate that the snowdrops and crocuses cannot be far away.