Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are a sure indication that spring has begun and have been popping up around the park where invasive groundcover plants have been removed. This "true blue" flower is a spring ephemeral. It has a very short emergence period; it develops in late winter or early spring, blooms, and returns to dormancy as the trees in the woodland habitats it lives in begin to leaf out. The early blooming period of spring ephemerals is an important food source for pollinators at the start of the season. This photograph was taken on April 9, 2022, in the James River Park System in Richmond, Virginia, for a photojournalism class assignment on feature photographs.
Photograph by: Leah Purdy
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 55-200 mm, f/5.6 , 1/420 sec.
Photograph by: Leah Purdy
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 55-200 mm, f/5.6 , 1/420 sec.