Above: Winter Aconite in yard near the Duck Pond in Madison, Wisconsin (3/13/21).
Winter Aconite - Eranthis hyemalis (spring ephemeral)
Winter Aconite is not native to Wisconsin or North America but it can naturalize under the the right conditions. A member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) is one of the earliest bulbs to bloom in spring.
Native to Asia Minor and Europe, Winter Aconite grows 3-6″ tall.
Hyemalis: Latin for "winter-flowering".
Er: Greek for "Spring" and anthos: Greek for "flower" - so named for its early flowering
There is a nice article about Winter Aconite by Elizabeth Winpenny Lawson (click here)
For more information on the Winter Aconite, visit Wikipedia.
Or, visit the UW-Madison Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension website page about Winter Aconite.
Winter Aconite
Eranthis hyemalis
Above: Winter Aconite that has escaped and naturalized near Ho Nee Um Pond on March 09, 2023.
Above: Winter Aconite in yard near the Duck Pond on March 25, 2020
Above: Winter Aconite botanical illustration by William Curtis circa 1787.
Above: Winter Aconite 1907 botanical illustration by F. Edward Hulme.
Above: Winter Aconite 1905 botanical illustration.
Above: Winter Aconite 1885 botanical illustration by Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé.
Above: Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) 1913 botanical illustration.