Boston Flora

Tag: Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast

  • Wednesday, April 6, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Spring Wildflowers: Ephemeral Beauty with a Purpose

    Carol Gracie, author of Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast, will speak at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, on Wednesday, April 6 from 7 – 8:30 as part of Grow Native Massachusetts’ public lecture series. Doors open at 6:30 and the lecture is free.

    Our native spring wildflowers evolved in the once contiguous forests that stretched the length of the East Coast and west to the prairies. Their flowering coincides with increased sunlight and warmth before the forest canopy leafs out, and their associations with the early-flying insects of spring are remarkable. Come learn about the life cycles of selected species in detail— and why many populations are in a marked decline due to human activity. By understanding their evolutionary relationships to forest habitat, we can better protect these ephemeral beauties on all lands, and integrate them into our woodland gardens.

    Carol Gracie is a botanist and highly-skilled photographer. In addition to Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History, she has authored several field guides. Her botanizing in South and Central America has led to seven tropical plant species and one genus being named for her.

  • Saturday, April 12, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Northeast Wildflowers to Brighten Your Spring Garden

    Learn about the importance of native wildflowers and how to bring them into the garden setting, on Saturday, April 12 from 10 – noon at the Berkshire Botanical Garden, at a talk and book signing with author Carol Gracie. Wildflowers brighten the New England woodlands in spring and are more than just a delight for the eye and a lift for the winter-weary spirit. Each has a role in the environment and often has interesting interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers. Learn about the fascinating life histories of some favorite spring wildflowers. Topics include adaptations for early blooming, medicinal and other uses, the origin of wildflower names, pollination and seed dispersal. A book sale and signing of Carol’s beautiful newly published Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History will follow the talk.

    Carol Gracie is a naturalist and photographer with a degree in plant studies from Lehman College of the City University of New York. She is retired from The New York Botanical Garden, where she headed the Children’s Education Program and the Foreign Tour program and taught in the Continuing Education Program. In 2006 she co-authored (with Steve Clemants) Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States. Her latest book, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History, was published in March of 2012.

    $25 for BBG members, $30 for non-members.  Sign up at www.berkshirebotanical.org or call 413-298-3926, x 15.

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  • Sunday, April 28, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History

    The Ecological Landscaping Association, New England Wildflower Society, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Massachusetts Audubon Drumlin Farm, and Tower Hill Botanic Gardens will co-sponsor Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History, with author Carol Gracie, on Sunday, April 28, from 1:30 – 3:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  The wildflowers that brighten our woodlands in spring are more than just a delight for the eye and a lift for the winter-weary spirit.  Each has a role in the environment, with often interesting interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers.  Topics will include adaptations for early blooming, medicinal and other uses, the origin of wildflower names, pollination and seed dispersal, and the latest scientific research on the ecology of these beautiful plants.  Following the lecture and book signing, enjoy an optional docent-led walk through Garden in the Woods in its early spring glory.  $15 for members of a sponsoring organization, $18 for nonmembers.  Register by calling 617-436-5838, or visit www.ecolandscaping.org.

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