An early colorful sign of spring

Winter aconites are among the earliest plants to flower in the region. These blooms were photographed on March 19 in Liberty, NY. The flowers are native to Europe and Asia, and are hardy enough to stand up to early spring snows. The flowers are about an inch in diameter. According to www.botanical.com, all parts of the plant are poisonous, and in earlier centuries, warriors in India used the juice of the plant to fashion poison spears, darts and arrows.