Redbud and a Pansy

The Redbuds are showing their colors, although not yet at full power. It may be my anxious anticipation that makes them seem so, but Flowering Dogwoods look to be ready to burst into flower any day. The images at left illustrate what the Redbud and Flowering Dogwood looked like at the start, and end, of this period. In the Wetlands, willows are showing fresh green leaves.

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gd_3_16_09eufpA small patch of tiny flowers that can easily be overlooked are in bloom just to the right of the path as you approach the Red Wolf Exhibit in Explore the Wild. These flowers are in the viola family and appear to be European Field Pansy (Viola arvensis), an introduced species, but still, quite pleasing to the eye. You may have to bend down to appreciate them, each flower is only about 3/8 of an inch across. Some the Leather Leaf Viburnum around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop is also in bloom.

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