“The budding twigs spread out their fan, to catch the breezy air…” William Wordsworth, “Lines Written in Early Spring”

Driving down for our turkey hunt in South Florida last week, it felt as if spring was a destination. It almost seemed that there was a seasonal line of demarcation and its crossing was signaled by the blooming redbud trees alongside Highway 45 somewhere between State Line and Mobile.

Motoring south, I had the feeling that we were arriving late for the party, a party that had yet to begin back at home in East Central Mississippi; however, the annual season of rebirth was bursting forth in South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

We were driving into the green, into the awakening, and taking it all in made me smile. Green, any shade of green, has always been my favorite color but especially the vibrant budding greens of new growth in spring.

I couldn’t wait to get to our destination in South Florida as the flora of the swamp has always been a highlight for me during my turkey hunting expeditions in the Sunshine State. This trip proved to be no exception.

After establishing our base camp, I made my way down to the lake near our campsite to take in the view and, as in times past, I was left in awe. As a viridiphile, a person who loves green, I felt almost overstimulated.

The last time that I checked, there were 20 shades of green within the Crayola Crayon color spectrum. I loved the challenge of trying to incorporate all those greens into the backgrounds of my dinosaur coloring books as a child. The swamp covers all those shades of green and then some. God’s palette isn’t limited.

Amongst all the stunning green hues in the swamp it is usually easy to spot the astounding and colorful beauty of two of my personal favorite marsh plants—the Blue Flag Iris and the Bromeliads, which are also known as airplants.

The brilliant purple of the Blue Flag Iris is a showstopper for me. Without fail, I always stop to photograph the first one that I see in the swamp and that didn’t take long on this trip.

As I made my way down to my listening spot on the water during my first afternoon in the swamp, the purple and yellow of a Blue Flag bloom caught my eye and I stopped to capture a few photos to send to my friend Dudley Phelps of Mossy Oak Nativ Nurseries.

While the plant itself isn’t edible and is, in fact, toxic to humans and animals, its roots have long been used medicinally by Native American Indian tribes to ward off rattlesnakes.

Apparently, the scent of the roots rubbed on the skin is, in effect, a snake repellent. While I must admit that I have, as of yet, not tested this theory, the blooms of the Blue Flag are always a highlight of my days in the swamp.

After spotting my first iris, I set my sights on finding the perfect Bromeliad to photograph. These quirky plants are also prolific in the swamp, however, based on their size (and color), some are more photogenic than others.

According to a 2023 article by Deanna Butler in “Florida Seminole Tourism” (floridaseminoletourism.com), the Bromeliads are unique as “…they do not need any soil to grow. Water and nutrients are absorbed directly through the leaves, and any roots they have merely anchor them.”

This fact garners the species their other name—airplants. These botanical gems are members of the pineapple family and are easy to spot growing on the sides of cypress trees in the swamp with their green, pink, red, and purple foliage.

After a week away from home chasing longbeard Osceolas in the swamp, I was ready to be back home on the farm. As we drove through the familiar landscapes of East Central Mississippi, it quickly became evident that spring had made its migration northward in our weeklong absence.

The front pasture, which was brown when I left, had begun its transition to green. The redbuds had blossomed along the fence line and the oak leaf hydrangeas were alive with brilliant green buds in the flower beds next to the garage. Life sprang abundant.

In the words of Charlotte Brontë, “Spring drew on…and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.”

Here’s to the greens of spring and the hope that new life brings, to turkey hunting, crappie fishing and the majesty of God’s creation, and here’s to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.