The first wildflowers appear in late February and March in the damp forests of the Pacific Northwest. Look for trillium, Indian plum, red flowering current, salmonberry.

Towering trees may be the dominant feature of damp Pacific Northwest forests. But in spring, it’s the flowers of the forest floor that draw interest. Some flowers begin blooming as early as February and March, before the deciduous trees have leafed out. Others appear in April and May, thriving in the shade of the dense tree canopy. Many are beautifully delicate with striking shades of color. Below is a sampling of some of the first flowers to be seen in early spring.

Indian Plum or Osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis)

One of the first heralds of spring, flowers of this shrub open in delicate hanging white clusters as early as February. The new leaves unfold at the same time in soft spring green bundles of lance shaped blades reaching upward. They can be seen in damp forest openings, along streams and – conveniently for wildflower flower watchers -- on trail borders. Native Americans used the straight, thin stems for making arrows.

Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Also called Western Wake-robin, these early bloomers come out beginning in March. In places they carpet the forest floor. Members of the lily family, their distinctive three-petal white flowers are large and surrounded by three broad leaves. The flowers turn to pink as they age. The range of these springtime favorites is large: from British Columbia to California and east to the Rocky Mountains.

Red flowering current (Ribes sanguineum)

The hanging rose-colored flower clusters of this forest shrub begin brightening Northwest forests in March and April. Many tiny individual flowers make up the three-to-four-inch long clusters. They often bloom before the lobed, slightly rough-textured leaves begin to appear. These plants are members of the gooseberry family.

Star-Flowered Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina stellata)

White flowers like little stars grow atop stems up to two feet tall. Flowers collect in loose clusters of a few flowers each above the long, broadly lance-shaped leaves. They grow in forests throughout the region beginning in early spring.

Yellow Wood Violet (viola glabella)

These violets can spread their cheery yellow flowers across large swaths of the forest floor. Their heart-shaped leaves add a welcome spring green to the ground left dull after winter. The plentiful flowers grow close to the ground. They range in Pacific forests from British Columbia to California.

Fairy Bells (Disporum hookeri)

These members of the lily family have white bell-shaped flowers, hanging generally in pairs beneath their pointed oval leaves. Stamens extend visibly from the open petals. Petals are typically less than an inch long. Plants grow to three feet high, often bending gracefully to catch maximum light in the dense shady forests where they thrive. They grow from British Columbia to Northwest Oregon.

Fairy Lanterns (Disporum smithii)

These flowers are similar to Fairy Bells, but their petals appear more closed, like lanterns. Like their bell-shaped cousins, their leaves clasp the stems, but are more lance-shaped. Flowers, as well, are slightly longer. The two species share the same damp forest habitat.

Fairy Slipper Orchid (Calypso bulbosa)

These beautiful inhabitants of the deep forest begin blooming in April. Stems bear a single rose-colored orchid with distinctive purple-speckled bulbous lip. Over the lip is a hood and elongated petals. They hide in damp, mossy spots shaded by conifers. The short (to eight inches) stems have a single basal leaf. Also called Calypso Orchids, these flowers have a broad range, extending from Alaska, through Canada and much of the north and western U.S.

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)

These thorny shrubs produce edible berries in summer, but the striking deep rose flowers are among the first spring blooms along streams and forest trails. They’re particularly common along the Pacific Coast. They begin appearing before the leaves have fully emerged. When they do unfold, leaves are three-lobed and toothed. The plants are related to raspberries.

Many more spring flowers await in Pacific Northwest forests and meadows. The field guides listed below can help in finding and identifying them. The book Oregon’s Best Wildflower Hikes: Northwest Region by George Wuerthner (Westcliffe Publishers) can point enthusiasts toward outings.

Related articles on Pacific Northwest wildflowers and flowering shrubs:

Columbia River Gorge Wildflowers

Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Hikes

Pacific Northwest Flowering Shrubs

For additional hiking guides see related articles:

Oregon Hiking Guide Books

Washington Hiking Guides

References and Field Guides:

Pacific Northwest Wildflowers by Damian Fagan (Falcon Guide)

Lewis Clark’s Field Guide to Wildflowers of Forest & Woodland in the Pacific Northwest, by Lewis J. Clark (Harbour Publishing, BC, Canada)

Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest by Elizabeth L. Horn (Mountain Press Publishing Company)