(Clockwise from left: Some of the first ramps to emerge in the Smokies this year (3/9); Early ramps in the Toe River Valley (3/11); A ramp plant sending up its flower bud in late April--the leaves will yellow and die before the plant blooms, usually in May-June.) Ramp season is upon us. Let’s not love them to death. Nothing breaks the winter doldrums like the pungent taste of these wild onions. Ramp season has arrived sooner than ever this spring and demand for ramps is on th

What will happen to the plants and flowers that are tricked into opening early during this shockingly warm February? I’ve heard this question a lot this winter. You’ve certainly seen the daffodils and cherry tree blossoms (on social media, if not in real life). The answer is complicated and filled with uncertainty: uncertainty about this spring’s flowers, and uncertainty about how species will react to an abruptly changing climate. Thanks to generations of naturalists (Henry