The humble wood anemone

Once a year in early spring, and for a very short period of time, the forest floor turns into a carpet of tiny white flowers. They are one of the first flowers to open, and when the trees and bushes just start to wake up, they are already there. Millions of tiny blushed petals...

Anemonoides nemorosa

This tiny flower commonly known as Wood anemone can be found in shaded areas of deciduous forests. I have seen them growing in old parks as well, but it is easier to find them in woods where the wild plants are left alone.

The presence of wood anemones can indicate ancient woodland as it is a slow-growing species which spreads via rhizomes – horizontal underground stems.
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They seem to prefer lower temperatures and some moisture in the soil. As soon as it gets hotter, the flowers fade.
But even despite that, the little flower heads turn to the sun as if they were looking for some extra warmth.





They start with some pink blush on the petals when they are just about to open. Later, they are pure white. The leaves are dark green and stay closer to the ground, which makes a nice, contrasting background to the pure white flowers.





They seem to glow as soon as some sun hits them.

I knew where to find them and was hoping I was on time to take some photos. As I mentioned - they do not last very long.
But I did not expect to see violets among them! Another short lived, tiny flower with a mighty fragrance (one of my favourite flower fragrances too).





Tangled between blackberries.





Both flowers (violet and anemones) would spread deep into the forest, but I managed to catch some closer to the path I took.

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_{Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.}