Trout lily competition

Do trout lilies bloom earlier at the Heard Nature Sanctuary than at the Oak Point Nature Preserve? When the Heard's February eNewsletter arrived this morning proclaiming the blooming of the trout lilies I got a bit crazed. I love trout lilies!

If these happy harbingers of spring are actually blooming less than twenty miles north, shouldn't they be blooming at Oak Point? It was irrational, but I needed to know RIGHT NOW. Dragging my just-out-of-the-shower walking buddy along to Willow Springs Trail, I spotted no sign of trout lilies. Nada. I wanted to show my friend this wondrous arrival. But, no.

So is the Heard tooting its trout lily horn too early? Is Oak Point a late bloomer? This photo is from exactly two years ago at Oak Point:

Last year I found trout lilies on the Willow Springs Trail in mid-March:

My photos of the Hoot Owl Trail trout lilies at the Heard in 2011 in late February, and a bit earlier in 2012, were posted on 365project.org.

Oak Point trout lilies:

2014

February 22, 2012

February 22, 2012

I won't have a chance to check out the Heard Hoot Owl Trail trout lilies this month, but I'll keep looking for my favorites on the Willow Springs Trail at Oak Point.

Why? Because I need to be amazed, I guess.