Buzz and Blooms

Early Spring Ephemeral Garden

Spring Butterflies and Bees: First Flight

Spring, the season of gradual transformation, heralds the arrival of new life. The first woodland wildflowers paint the forest floor with vibrant colors. Next, queen bumblebees emerge, a sign of the season’s awakening. Soon after, butterflies will join the chorus of life, adding to the symphony of spring. This season invites us to slow down and appreciate the intricate relationships between pollinators, native plants, and the habitats they depend on.

This Mining Bee, a first flight bee, enjoys the rich-nectar of the Parsley Hawthorn tree flower, also one of the first blooms of spring.
Mining Bee (Andrena) on a Parsley Hawthorn tree

Spring is a season of new beginnings. Solitary bees emerge from their underground nests. At the same time, migrating butterflies take flight and hummingbirds return to nectar-rich flowers. While pollinators race to gather nectar and pollen, native trees and spring ephemerals provide some of the year’s most essential food sources during this brief period of abundance.

A Purple Phacelia is one of spring's first blooms attracts honey bees, bumblebees, and tiny mason bees
Mason Bee (Osmia) on Purple Phacelia

Whether you’re tending a pollinator garden, or hiking a woodland trail, I hope these seasonal observations inspire you to discover something new. Every bloom, bee, and butterfly contributes to the unfolding story of spring.

This season, take your time, look closely, and see what you can discover. Nature always has another story to tell.

To learn more about spring pollinators and their habitats, visit Spring Pollinators: First Buzz of Spring.