It’s that exciting time of year, when the temperature is fickle but the days are growing longer. Soon, we’ll be talking about the spring equinox and anxiously awaiting the weekend in March when we finally set our clocks forward – trading that precious hour of sleep for some extra light.

Despite it still being winter, I can feel the buzz of anticipation, not in the cool air, but determinedly starting to push its way out of the ground. It’s a great time to look down in wonder at what’s popping up out of the cold earth. In fact, it tends to be our smallest plants and critter friends that start to signal spring first. Here are some things to look out for while awaiting spring to do its thing.

Snowdrops: These pretty little white flowers often seen in January and February are a truly wondrous sight. You tend to find them in broadleaved woodlands where there is more light in the winter without foliage cover, and damp soil.

While you may see a bee or two visit these flowers on an unseasonably warm day, they actually do not naturally spread by pollination, because they bloom before many of our pollinators emerge. Instead snowdrops spread naturally through a process called bulb division, by which plant bulbs naturally produce offsets, or baby bulbs, next to the parent bulb. Sometimes these bulbs can take several years to grow, but under the right conditions, snowdrops will slowly spread this way. Next time you see a pretty carpet of snowdrops, take a moment to appreciate the magic that’s happening under the soil’s surface.

Primroses: No doubt you will have seen brightly coloured primroses potted up in cheerful arrangements at your local grocery store. These are a feast for the eyes in a spring display, but did you know the subtler, creamy coloured variety are actually native to the UK?

That’s right, these hardy little flowers have been here for a long time. In fact, seeing them bloom in a woodland means that wooded area is likely to be very old, possibly even classed as ancient woodland. As a native species, these flowers are an important part of the kinds of habitats and environments we have in the UK. For example, the nectar of this plant is a particular favourite of our brimstone and small tortoiseshell butterflies.

If you happen to see any creamy coloured primroses when out for a stroll, the ecological record service would love to hear about it. Snap a photo, and make a quick note of where you are and the date, and send that to records@staffs-ecology.org.uk. The more precise details you can send the better. This allows the record officers to look at where you found the primrose and compare the location to maps in our archive and better determine the age of the woodland. Primroses can also be spotted on grassland and farmland, usually from December to May.

Daffodils are similar to primroses, in that we see them commercially almost everywhere in springtime, but true wild daffodils indicate a much older, wooded place with other native plants. Daffodils usually flower from March to April, but this year, many are already in bloom, promising warmer weather to come soon. The trick to identifying native daffodils is their colouring and height. They have narrow, grey-green leaves and a familiar daffodil flower, but with pale yellow petals surrounding a darker yellow trumpet. The wild variety is also relatively short and forms clumps, carpeting the ground.

Wild daffodils were once wide-spread across our woodlands and grasslands, but now only exist in more isolated pockets around the UK. So it’s very important that we protect our special places where flowers like this can be found. There are lots of little ways we can help look after sensitive places where these plants grow that don’t cost us a thing. Simple actions like sticking to the footpaths in a woodland, keeping your dog on a lead (and on the path with you), and encouraging children to enjoy nature in a considerate way, all make a massive difference in ensuring these things are here for us to continue to enjoy for many years to come.

Want to learn more about wildlife? Check out our Wildlife Explorer! It’s a great hub of information to help you identify different species of plants, insects, fungi, and much more.