78 Nebraskaland • April 2026
N e b r a s k a h a s s o m e v e r y t a l l
wildf lowers, including goldenrods,
b o n e se t s a n d su n f l owe rs. Mo s t o f
those statuesque spec ies, however,
bloom in the summer or fall. Most early
wildflowers grow and bloom low to the
ground. That makes sense for a couple
of reasons. First, they don't have much
t i m e fo r g row i n g b e t we e n f ro z e n
ground and f lowering time. Second,
morning frosts occur frequently in the
early spring and soil holds heat much
better than air. Hugging the ground
i s a s m a r t s t ra te g y fo r p ro te c t i n g
sensitive leaves and flowers.
T h e s h o r t s t a t u r e o f s p r i n g
wildf lowers can make them hard for
hikers to find. Like an Easter egg hunt,
wildf lower hiking in the springtime
takes patience and perseverance.
I'm always anxious to find and
photograph the first wildf lowers of
the season. For years, though, I had a
hard time getting images I was happy
with. Photographed from above, the
f l owe rs a l w ays l o o ke d s m a l l a n d
i n s i g n i f i ca n t. K n e e l i n g d ow n a n d
getting closer helped a little, but the
real breakthrough for me was getting
myself and my camera right on the
ground with the flowers.
From a low angle, photos of spring
wildflowers can capture the majesty
of those plants which, while short in
stature, rule the early season prairies
and woodlands of Nebraska. I also
love photographing them with a wide-
angle lens to show both the f lowers
and the world around them. While I'm
lying there, I often see some of the first
bees, butterflies and other pollinators
of the year as well.
Try it! You don't even need a fancy
c a m e ra . Mo s t c e l l p h o n e c a m e ra s
work just as well close to the ground
as they do at head height. Lie down,
get comfortable and admire the tough,
beautiful blossoms of early spring.
THE LAST STOP
GET LOW
By Chris Helzer
Carolina anemone (Anemone caroliniana) is a spring wildflower that often grows only 3-4 inches tall. With my camera on the
ground, it looks much more prominent than if I'd photographed it from above.
CHRIS HELZER
