I love early and late bloomers. Hellebores, epimediums, lungworts, euphorbia polychroma, bleeding hearts are some of my favorites season openers.

Don't forget some of the smaller bulbs. Scilla, chionodoxa, crocus and muscari can all be tucked in among perennials for early color. Most spread around a bit, making nice drifts.

Ted

Pasque flowers (Pulsatilla spp.)
Botanical tulips (Species tulips)
Large Flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
Fritillarias
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucularia)
Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata, syn. Dentaria laciniata)
Virgina Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Hepatica (H. acutiloba, H.americana)

There's also hyacinth,peony,lilac, and certain clematis that bloom in spring.

Blooming right now in our woods: Hepatica, Trillium, Rue Anemone, Large Flowered Bellwort, Bloodroot.

In my garden: Tulips, Pulmonaria, Fern-Leaf Bleeding Heart.

I had Scilla and Hyacinth, but they didn't come back this year for some reason.

Linda

Many of the woodland plants are very early spring bloomers, but many of them also go dormant so choose the site carefully. I enjoy my daffodil, trillium, jack in the pulpit, epimedium, plumonaria, bleeding heart, crocus, grape hyacinth which have all bloomed or are in bloom now. I have three variety of iris which bloom in succession over a 8 week period - the first is just finishing and the second is about to start. They are all less then 4 inches tall, sorry but I don't know the names.

Bloodroot and wild ginger are both VERY early. I would also recommend trillium, merry bells (sessile bellwort), prairie smoke (geum), and creeping phlox - all of which are blooming like mad in my garden right now. Actually, the bloodroot is nearly done! Oh yes, Siberian squill is also lovely!

-Marie

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!!! I'm noticing many of these plants are shade lovers and unfortunately the majority of my yard is full sun. Somehow I forgot to state that in my initial post. I'll look up all the plants posted above to see if they will work, but does anyone have any suggestions for sun loving plants?

Thanks, you guys are always so helpful!

The ones I mentioned are in a full sun area, and do quite well.

How about a rhododendron? This one was new last season. I moved it to a new location very early this spring. It's leaves are semi-evergreen and stay on all winter. It blooms very early in the spring.

I planted tulips last fall, and my plan is to plant 100 more this coming fall.