Dwarf Hawthorn - Crataegus uniflora

Crataegus uniflora is one of the easiest to identify Hawthorns, but it is also the easiest to overlook. Once you've seen them, the leaves are hard to mistake.

As the name implies, this is a small shrub. In my opinion, it's probably the cutest of the native Ohio shrubs. Height is typically less than 18 inches, with many flowering specimens being less than a foot tall.

I've seen Crataegus uniflora growing in both sun and shade. It is most common on calcareous soils, but I've also seen it growing on low pH shale based soils. Watch for it as you check out the spring wildflowers in Southern Ohio.

Photos taken May 23, 2009 in Adams County, Ohio.

Potato Dandelion - Krigia dandelion

Potato Dandelion basal leaves begin to emerge in early winter, but are most noticeable at this time of year. At a glance, the leaves resemble young Trout Lily leaves and can easily go unnoticed. It’s hard to predict where you might encounter this rare plant, except to say that it is most likely to be encountered in dry soils. There are very few known occurrences of the plant in Ohio, but it’s liable to grow in any soil type from sand to heavy clay and in sunlight conditions ranging from open field to thick woodland.
Photo taken March 17, 2010 in Adams County, Ohio.

As the season progresses, the leaves begin to elongate and develop lobes. The amount of sunlight received by the plant seems to influence the lobe development. As sunlight increases, the lobes tend to narrow and elongate.
Photo taken March 24, 2010 in Adams County, Ohio.

The mature leaves bear little resemblance to the late winter growth.
Photo taken May 5, 2009 in Adams County, Ohio.

In early May, a single flower will open at the top of a long stalk.
Photo taken May 5, 2009 in Adams County, Ohio.

Carolina Whitlow Grass - Draba reptans

This winter annual could win ribbons at the fair in the smallness category. This is a mature plant and represents a typical size. Those logs laying beside it are actually small grass stems.

A leafy central stalk is typical for this plant.

It's not unusual for each plant to bear just a single flower . The Draba cuneifolia in the lower center, a tiny plant in its own right, dwarfs the even tinier Draba reptans. These two species are often found growing in the same site.

Draba reptans is currently at the tiny rosette stage, but will be blooming within the next couple of weeks. Watch for it in open rocky sites in Southern Ohio.

Photos taken April 16, 2008 in Adams County, Ohio.

Wedge Leaf Whitlow Grass - Draba cuneifolia

Leaves of young Draba cuneifolia don’t show the characteristic dentate margins. Unless you have eyes in your knees, you won’t be able to identify these tiny winter annuals from a standing position. Photo taken on 3-12-10 in Adams County, Ohio.

Older plants are more easily identified. Photo taken on 3-16-08 in Adams County, Ohio.

The small flowers are hard to see from above. The best way to find the blooming plants is to get close to the ground and look horizontally across the surface. Photo taken on 4-30-05 in Adams County, Ohio.

Photo taken on 4-19-06 in Adams County, Ohio.

Blooms are very short lived. Seed pods emerge soon after the flower opens. Photo taken on 4-19-06 in Adams County, Ohio.

These plants are typically found on dry, bare soil in areas with abundant sunlight. Photo taken on 3-12-10 in Adams County, Ohio.

Leavenworthia uniflora

This is the time of year to be searching for the rosettes of the uncommon Leavenworthia uniflora. Look for the tiny plants growing in shallow, calcareous soil in Southern Ohio. Photo taken on February 18, 2011 in Adams County, Ohio.

Plants should begin blooming within the next few weeks. This is a typical full sized plant. Photo taken April 5, 2010 in Adams County, Ohio.

When growing conditions are perfect, you may find robust specimens such as this. This plant has more than a dozen flower buds clustered in the center of the whorl. Photo taken on March 25, 2010 in Adams County, Ohio.

Gray Goldenrod - Solidago nemoralis

GRAY GOLDENROD - Solidago nemoralis

Photos taken on September 9, 2009 in Adams County, Ohio.

Deerberry – Vaccinium stamineum

DEERBERRY – Vaccinium stamineum

Photos taken May 29, 2009 in Adams County, Ohio.