Indian Plum Blooms, Winter Slinks Away

Paradise Valley, Washington — The Indian Plums are blooming in Ravenna Park, according to a well-placed Seattle source, Zach Andre.  Indian Plums in cooler areas like Paradise Valley are also springing to life.  The annual phenomenon illuminates forests up and down the Pacific Coast from northern California to British Columbia, driving winter from the forest and lighting the way for other native upstarts.   

“The buds began to enlarge on the Winter Solstice,” observed Shirley Doolittle, proprietor of Tadpole Haven Native Plants, a Paradise Valley nursery.  “They can tell as soon as the days lengthen by even a few minutes.”

Doolittle recommends that the public take notice of the dangling, greenish-yellow blossoms as a first step in preparing for Spring.  Paying attention to this particular natural transformation in heretofore dark forests will tend to result in other observations as well, such as the emergence of the native Trillium. This observational practice causes citizens to step off sidewalks and paths, and may cause localized anarchy in parks and natural areas.  This is no reason for alarm, she says, noting that people can use this event as a way to affirm that humans are part of nature, too. 

“This can improve psychological health for sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.),” she stated, adding that quests for connections with nature are especially important in wintertime, when most people avoid damp and chill in favor of artificially warm built environments.  “Go play outside.”

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