Bloom and autumn color compass
Autumn colors

The beginning of fall color

With the first cooler nights, the leaves begin to change color: Delicate yellows and soft orange tones emerge, giving the forest a touch of gold. The green canopy begins to change and slowly prepares for fall. Walkers and nature lovers can observe the first changes in the colorful splendor - a quiet start to the colorful spectacle.

Wild garlic

Dormant phase of wild garlic

In summer, autumn and winter, wild garlic rests deep in the soil. The bulbs gather strength and energy for the next spring, protected from outside influences. The forest shows no sign of the sea of green leaves and white blossoms of wild garlic, yet the plant is ready to awake once more and herald the spring with its fresh green and pungent scent. A hidden cycle that returns year after year.

Corydalis

Withering and retreating into the ground

After the intensive blooming period, the corydalis slowly begins to fade. The blossoms wither and the entire plant retreats back into the soil. The above-ground parts die and disappear, while the tubers store nutrients underground. 

 

Enchanting corydalis hotspots

  • in Thamsbrücker Grund (accessible via Betteleichenweg - section between Betteleiche and Kammerforst)
  • World Heritage Trail on the descent into the Long Valley
  • in the Long Valley
Liverwort

Fades blossoms and seed formation

The blossoms of the liverwort begin to fade and prepare to form seeds. The bright colours give way to a subtle brown, and the delicate petals fall off. The plant now focuses its energy on producing seeds that will restart the cycle again next spring. Interestingly, the ssed of the liverwort contain a structure known as a "elaiosome," which is made up of fat and various sugars. Ants carry the seeds with the sweet appendage back in their nests, thus playing a vital role an their dispersal. 

 

Enchanting liverwort hotspots:

Wood anemone

Fading flowers and seed formation

After a few weeks, the flowering period of the wood anemone begins to fade. The petals fall off and the plant now concentrates on the formation of seeds. In this phase, the wood anemone slowly begins to withdraw again and releases the nutrients into the roots and rhizomes to prepare for the coming dormant phase.

 

Enchanting wood anemone hotspots:

Spring snowflake

Dormant phase of the spring snowflake

Outside of their blooming season, the spring snowflakes remain in a quiet dormant phase. Deep in the soil, the bulbs lie dormant, storing energy for the next spring. From the surface, nothing is visible, but beneath, the plants are preparing for their next phase of flowering, when they will once agian herald spring with their delicate white blooms. A hidden cycle that becomes visible in its full beauty for a brief time year after year in Hainich.