Botany on the Byways: Pasque flower

Pasque flowers are blooming on the byways! Pulsatilla patens is a harbinger of spring, as they appear in dry prairies and woodland openings in late March and early April. In fact, the common name is derived from the Hebrew word "pasakh" as it blooms during Passover. The short stalks sometimes even emerge when snow is still on the ground. Keep up close to see the  soft, silvery hairs that cover the entire plant.

If you'd like to see these little flowers with blue, purple, and sometimes nearly white petals, head to Harrison, Monona, Woodbury, and Plymouth counties on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. Brent's Trail and the Pisgah unit of the Loess Hills State Forest are great places to find pasque flowers. Their range also includes Shelby County on the Western Skies Scenic Byway and all counties on the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway (O'Brien, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Clay).

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