Solomon's Seal is a native that blooms in April and May |
The
ballet score Appalachian Spring won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1945, and
remains one of the most inspiring works in American history.
But
composer Aaron Copeland didn’t have mountains or forests in mind when he
started working on the orchestral suite in 1942.
He
initially called the score “Ballet for Martha” for the ballet’s choreographer
and lead dancer, Martha Graham.
Graham
suggested the name the day before the ballet premiered.
Copeland
once said “I gave voice to that region without knowing I was giving voice to
it.”
Shooting Stars are spring superstars |
And he
was often told he’d brilliantly captured the beauty of the Appalachians in his
music.
As far as I'm concerned, it really doesn’t
matter that this region wasn’t the original inspiration for his masterpiece.
Every time
I hear Appalachian Spring I can't help but envision the beauty of the mountains.
Especially
this time of year.
Diverse and dramatic
The
mountains that surround me make up one of the most biologically diverse areas
of the world with more than 1,600 flowering plants.
Here,
visions of violets signal spring is on the way. The Halberd-leaf Yellow Violet
is usually the first flower I see.
The
humble violet has been celebrated in myths and literature from ancient times, a
symbol of modesty and simplicity. Longfellow wrote that it “lurks among all the
lovely children of the shade.”
Shakespeare
described the violet as “forward” as it trumpets the awakening of the earth
following winter. He also writes the violet is “sweet, not lasting. The perfume
and suppliance of a minute; No more.”
So we
should gather our Halberd-leaf Yellow violets while we may.
Along with the
other violets that grow along my trail, including the Confederate, Common Blue, Pale
and several other varieties.
Trillium heaven
A couple of years ago, according to folks in the know, a very warm winter caused many
wildflowers to go into a tizzy.
Apparently a number of species flowered up to three weeks early and because of the warmth, the
bloom period was very short. Trilliums also appeared early and were quickly
devoured by hungry deer.
At that time I was new to the mountains, so I didn’t know what I was missing.
This spring has
been an entirely different story.
Trilliums
are members of the Lily family and are among the showiest of springtime
wildflowers. The local natives sport three distinctive leaves and when they
bloom, the flowers have three petals.
Stinking Benjamin |
American
Indians used the plant as an eye medication and women boiled the roots to make
a love potion. Mountain folk say if you pick a trillium you will bring on a
rainstorm.
Wake
Robin, a favorite that I did see last year, is back with its deep burgundy blooms. Apparently
that is the “nice” name because I’ve learned it is also known as Stinking
Benjamin or Stinking Willie because of the putrid smelling flower. Early
herbalists used it to treat gangrene.
Painted Trillium |
The
white and pink trilliums nearby are beautiful, too. But I’ve become partial to
the Painteds.
Every
time I see one, I hear music.