I was surprised to see the fist Bluebell leaves (no flowers yet, of course) emerging along the alluvial riverfront soils. Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica) is also known as Virginia cowslip and a few other names I've never heard (lungwort oysterleaf, Roanoke bells). It's one of 40 species in its genus in the larger family Boraginaceae, which includes plants called bluebells all over the world.
Virginia bluebells are native to moist areas in our woodlands, an we find them only on the first and second-tier floodplains.
Butterflies are the most common pollinators because of the flower shape.
