Crocus are blooming down on the banks of the Hudson River, which is usually a week or so behind higher and warmer elevations in New York City, like Broadway. I used to think this cultivar was 'Barr's Purple', but now I'm seeing it's 'Ruby Giant'. Funny, because it isn't ruby colored, it's purple, while 'Barr's Purple' isn't very purple, it's lavender. Here's a comparison.
Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' blooming along the Hudson River at 96th Street in Riverside Park
A small flock (at least three) of migrating red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator) stopped on the Hudson River Estuary at about 96th Street in Riverside Park. I have seen red-throated loons there in the past, but never these guys (and gals). Love the do.
One of at least three red-breasted mergansers spotted on the Hudson River at about 96th Street in Riverside Park.
It's officially spring and we have daffodils! I saw this bunch beginning to bloom last week. Still, they are not quite living up to their cultivar name — 'February Gold'.
As with most of the earliest blooming bulb specimens, this one is planted near a south-facing foundation which heats up in the winter sun and conducts warmth down into the soil, giving these bulbs a head start on their less fortunate peers — what we call a micro-climate in the trade.
'February Gold' daffodils near a south-facing foundation.
Now, get your mind out of the gutter, if it's there, I mean woody plants!
The first non-herbaceous plant to bloom here-abouts is the witch hazel — not our native Hamamelis virginiana (fall blooming) or Hamamelis vernalis (spring, but a little later), but the asian witch hazels, H. mollis and its cross with H. japonica, Hamamelis xintermedia. 'Arnold Promise' is one of the older and better cultivars of this cross.
Here's one I planted in the Briarwood section of Queens. It began blooming a week ago.
Hamamelis xintermedia in bloom in Briarwood Queens.
Purple crocus pop into bloom as we continue our current warm spell — although we're going back down to 19 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday! Here's a patch of 'Whitewell Purple' in the Briarwood section of Queens.
A word about crocus and squirrels — squirrels absolutely love many varieties of crocus. More than once, I've watched one of these furry fellows utterly destroy an entire swath in bloom by peeling off the petals to get at either the anthers (pollen as a protein source?) and/or pistil. They absolutely love Crocus vernus, but for some reason, they do not like Crocus tommasinianus — commonly referred to as 'Tommies' — they leave the many lovely varieties of this early blooming species alone. So if you have squirrels (or chipmunks) and you want to see your crocus in flower for longer than a pesky rodent's lunch break, plant Tommies, not the other species.
Crocus tommasinianus 'Whitewell Purple' in bloom in the Briarwood section of Queens.
As the snow cover is finally melting and we hit nearly 50 degrees, I spotted my first crocus of the season. Not surprisingly, it has exposure to the southern winter sun and is near a concrete foundation — which both provides thermal mass and conducts warmth down into the soil.
I'm also not surprised that it's yellow. Crocus flavus, a yellow species from Greece and Turkey is often included in C. vernus mixtures, in which C. flavus 'Golden Yellow' blooms before the purple and white selections.
My first crocus sighting this year, in the Briarwood section of Queens.