The first flower to emerge after a long winter on the Canadian prairies is the crocus. Indigenous people called it "the ears of the earth," believing that the crocus blooms so early in order to listen for the arrival of Spring.
The crocus is the official floral emblem of the Province of Manitoba where I grew up. Fifty/sixty years ago when I was a kid, it was still possible to find little patches of wild crocuses growing in rural areas. But they were rare and it was always a special treat to see them.
The reason wild crocuses were so rare, both then and even more so now, is that they will grow only on unbroken virgin prairie. Not a lot of that left anymore! Once land is cultivated, the wild crocuses disappear. In my childhood, there were really only two places one might still spot wild crocuses -- occasionally in roadside ditches or on land belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The CPR was the railway which opened the West to settlement in the 1880s and so its landholdings were acquired before extensive cultivation occurred. And of course, railway land was not used for agriculture.
One Spring when I was about 8 years old, my older brother let me tag along with him and his pal who said he knew where there were lots of crocuses. In a circuitous route, we biked out to the edge of town and then hiked up and down gullies and crawled through a barbed wire fence in order to reach "the secret spot."
The secret spot was a hillside on CPR land leading down to a tiny creek. Wild crocuses grew as far as the eye could see, absolutely blanketing the area. With the flowers' muted blossoms and fuzzy stems, it looked like a huge wave of grey-mauve smoke rolling along low to the ground. The sight was breath-taking and I will never forget it. What a privilege it was to have seen it!
My brother and I were never able to find that spot again, of course. Like Brigadoon, the crocus hillside magically appeared to us only once and then disappeared forever!
39 comments:
but what a wonderful memory, eh?
Wonderful memory, amazing adventures are the magic of life.
Your Manitoba crocus arrives on the prairies with such a lovely story attached to it. It is a very pretty shade of mauve.
It closely resembles the wild Pasque flowers that grow on the Commons around where I live, but they are a very dark shade of purple resembling more the colour found on your profile gloves.
They are so gorgeous! It's a shame they can't be found much anymore. I glad you were able to see the secret spot.
Nice to see those spots of color pooping up.
Around here we get the daffodils blooming about now to tell us Spring is on the way.
great story from the first nations. our crocus have yet to bloom; when they do, they will look like your final 2 pix.
That's a lovely memory to share. At the house we lived in until I was eight years old, there was a little patch of dark purple crocus that appeared on the lawn in early spring. I'm guessing they were transplanted by a squirrel or something from the flower bed, but it was still a very spring-like thing to enjoy. -Jenn
Hello Debra, I practically grew up exploring the woods and fields, and observed that while one may occasionally find carpets of flowers, the conditions have to be just right, and very often the same spot won't work year after year. That makes such sights, such as your crocuses, a privilege indeed. The exceptions are invasive weeds like garlic mustard that seem to increase every year!
--Jim
It is so sad when we lose the beauty of nature to development or should I say thoughtless greed. Probably more so in the states where personal profit is enshrined in virtue. I lived in Connecticut back when it was dotted with hundreds of small dairy farms which were much more lovely than the malls and McMansions that replaced them. Thankfully there are still crocuses somewhere!
I love crocus for the season you state. First to bloom. I shared my first crocus in a post as you saw about a week ago from here under my maple tree. My mother has then blooming all over her lawn. Have no idea how..as she didn't plant them.
I enjoyed that story.
Crocuses are magical, the wild ones even moreso.
I love those memories of rare or fleeting moments that seem like dreams. I've got one that I've never tried to write about because I'm afraid that trying to describe it would only destroy it.
Blessed spring equinox, darlin. It's sad that civilization is taking away all the beauty of nature.
'clusters of crocus, purple and gold'...
I cannot remember the rest of the lyrics.
I have wild crocuses in my backyard in the spring. I always delay my first lawn mowing because of them. I have purple and white on several spots on the lawn. I'll have to take pictures this year.
Lovely memories, gorgeous flowers! Happy Vernal Equinox!
Crocuses look lovely. I love that kind of wild flowers. I'm no longer enthusiastic about spring though. As a child I loved it because of Easter and my birthday. Not so much anymore: it means summer is coming and with it hotter temperatures and too much daylight.
No wild crocuses here in Bja Arizona, alas. The fleabane daisies are popping out in my yard, but little else; it's continued to be horribly dry here. (note that picture is from 2019...)
We got less than half the normal rain last year here in Tucson (only 4.17 inches all year and a *quarter* of that fell on one day in July) and so far this year is doing no better. We normally get some in March but we've gotten less than a half inch so far.
2020 sucked for more than just the damn pandemic.
The part about finding that wonderful crocus place is that country kids thought of it as a cool adventure. I love that. Looking for crocuses. Poem title.
I also found a remote hillside near the small Manitoba town I grew up in that boasted a carpet of crocuses each spring. Then there were the pussy willows, blue harebells, white and yellow asters, orange prairie lilies, cowslips, yellow lady-slippers and wild prairie roses, both pale pink and dark pink ones, to discover as spring gave way to summer. How lucky was I to have been a free-range girl with a bike?!
This is a breathtaking flower. Like the current crocus, but not.
I remember seeing those when living in Europe, and also the snow drops as first sign of spring. Theo Thunderbutt and this human cat are sending love :)
There was a big field behind my house growing up, and you'd see wild flowers here and there. Some of them were purple, but I don't know if they were crocuses or not. Since you say wild crocuses are rare, then I would guess probably not. It was a big field but not a prairie!
What great memories! It is sad the wild crocuses don’t grow any more though. Progress...
What a delightful story. I planted some crocus last fall and they are coming up. I am enjoying them as the first harbingers of spring.
I have not idea crocuses were called "the ears of the earth". How wonderful! I wonder what stories they tell, when their ears first prick after winter.
Happiest Spring Equinox, Debra!
That is a wonderful memory to see all those flowers all blanketed in one spot. And to call them the ears of the earth, I love that. I have a fond memory of a cold winter in England and the very first flower I saw in early Spring was the crocus. Such a welcome sight!
I like the idea of a pretty little crocus looking for signs of Spring. How lucky you were to see them.
What a lovely memory! Thank you for sharing it. I'm pleased to learn that Manitoba's provincial flower is the wild crocus.
I had no idea there was so much behind the humble Crocus! I love those little flowers. For me, they mean 'Spring'.
XOXO
Such a lovely post, Debra, with beautiful flowers, stories, and memories.
I'll never look at a crocus the same. The ears of the earth is such a sweet, gentle name. Can't wait to tell the Grand Girls next time they visit.
too soon gone
the Ol'Buzzard
"the ears of the earth" I love that so much!
What a very sweet story from your childhood; thank you for sharing.
When I think of crocus (I don't know that I've ever seen one) I think of the book Runaway Bunny; the mama bunny mentioned crocus in the story.
Those are wonderful pictures and bring back memories
We used to have wild crocuses on our native pasture land when I was a kid. They were the first flower of spring and buffalo beans were the sign of summer.
crocuses are such beautiful flowers.
That sounds so magical!
SPLENDID BEAUTY dear Debra :)))
i don't think i saw exactly this one because the upper shape resemble but furry stem no way .
it must be breathtaking sight when you saw this lovely bloom in abundance
thank you for beautiful memory sharing my friend!
What a beautiful memory Deb!
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