Spring Wildflowers in Hungary
March 30, 2014
Photographer: Monika Landy-Gyebnar
Summary Author: Monika Landy-Gyebnar
Shown above are photos of my favorite early spring wildflower, a protected local subspecies of pasque flower. They were taken on a calm, moonlit night in mid March. The pasque flower's scientific name Pulsatilla vulgaris originates from the Latin pulsare referring to the bell-shaped flower's movements even in the lightest breeze. These tiny purple flowers begin to grow as soon as the snow melts. Silvery hairs protect the flowers from the cold nights of early spring. Pulsatilla's leaves grow much later, as the flowers begin to grow seeds and disappear when the heat of summer arrives.
The meadows near my home in Veszprem, Hungary are full of the hairy buds after the snows of winter disappear. On warm sunny days, mason bees and bumblebees feed on the nectar of the flowers. At night, they're only visited by photographers. The silvery moonlight and the silvery hairs of the dark purple flowers seemed to be in harmony on this early spring evening. Photo taken on March 14, 2014.