• Woodland wildflowers grow in the understory (near the ground while trees grow taller) of forests.
• These wildflowers require shade and cannot grow in full sunlight.

• Woodland wildflowers and ferns require moist soil.
• The shade keeps the soil cool and damp.

• The soil in these areas also contains layers of old leaves that acts as a mulch layer which helps keep the soil cool and moist.
• Mosses that grow in the same areas absorb water and slowly release the water, providing moisture for the surrounding wildflowers.

• Annual life cycle: some plants are considered annuals, completing their entire life cycle in in one growing season.
• Perennial life cycle: These plants die back at the end of each growing season and resprout each spring.

• In a deciduous forest where trees lose their leaves every fall, there are periods of time during the year that are more shady and periods of time that are less shady.
• Woodland wildflowers in these forests tend to leaf out and bloom before the trees have developed their leaves.
• This allows the wildflowers to use the sunlight while it is available to them.
• Trees tend to take up a great amount of water when they begin developing leaves, leaving the soil more dry in the later parts of the year.
• By leafing out, blooming, and producing seed early in the season, woodland wildflowers avoid competition with the larger and taller plants for sunlight and water.

• Many woodland wildflowers bloom in response to moisture and temperature.

• Woodland wildflowers have flowers with pollen and nectar used to attract pollinators, allowing these plants to reproduce.
• Some woodland wildflowers bloom early in the spring while many pollinators are inactive.
  • Some of these plants, such as trillium and wild ginger, have flowers that have a stinky smell to attract insects that are active early in the spring like beetles and flies.

• Many woodland wildflowers such as trilium, bloodroot, and wild ginger rely on ants to distribute or disperse their seeds.
• The seeds from these plants have a structure attached to the seed called an elaiosome which contains nutrients.
• Ants benefit from this structure as a nutrient source and carry the seeds back to the colony.
• After the ants have consumed the structure, they dispose of the seeds near the colony.

• In a pine forest, shade is continuous because pine trees are evergreen and do not drop their leaves.
• Many woodland wildflowers have thick evergreen leaves (stay on the plant throughout the year).
• These thick leaves allow the plant to begin photosynthesis early in the spring and continue until the first frost in the fall or winter. They also help protect plants from dry conditions.

• Many woodland wildflowers are active early in the year and complete their activity aboveground in a relatively short period of time.
• Most woodland wildflowers have underground structures called rhizomes, bulbs, or tubers where they store the sugars produced during photosynthesis.
• The underground structures of these plants are just as important as the aboveground structures.

• Light: select an area that is naturally shaded
  • Full shade or partial shade (1-2 hours of sunlight per day)
• Water: select an area that tends to receive a good amount of moisture
• Soil: select an area that has old fallen leaves and other old plant materials. If necessary, add a mulch layer of old leaves, twigs, and other plant materials.
  • These materials helps keep the soil moist and full of nutrients.

Alabama Cooperative Extension System

American Forests