Jason E. Andersen

Happy April Fool’s Day! No practical jokes here, only spring-oriented fun fact snippets.

Bonus Fun Fact: The pasque flower is the earliest blooming wildflower in Iowa. Pasque flowers (Anenome patens) begin to bloom in late March through early April, often underneath snow cover. They are a rare flower, usually only found in dry tallgrass prairie remnants (like those in the Loess Hills).

Incidentally, the wife unit and I are going to participate in a pasque flower hike this weekend. It will be Sunday morning up around Pisgah, Iowa, on the Loess Hills State Forest Pisgah Unit. If you’re interested in joining us, you can find more details on the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/7222477097793809.

Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: The name April is believed to come from the latin word aprilis which means to open, as in, the opening of spring flowers.

Bonus Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: An alternate common name for the pasque flower is the April fool.