I am curious about Obolaria virginica or Virginia pennywort. It’s a spring wildflower, but it comes up early, really early. I first noticed this patch on February 4th, and the plants appeared to have been there more than a week.
How will they survive the cold? This morning when I woke up it was 7°, and it’s supposed to by 9° tonight.
The purple in the leaves is a flavonoid pigment called anthocyanins in the epidermal (outermost layer) cells. The production of anthocyanins is related to light exposure. More light. More purple. It’s like sunscreen. The anthocyanins protect this forest-floor, shade-loving plant from harsh UVs. This time of year, the canopy is largely open, so on sunny days, there’s lots of light.
Anthocyanins absorb visible and UV light. This energy is converted to…yes…heat. Anthocyanins reduce ice nucleation (fancy for ‘formation’) in plant tissues.
I’m worried about my pennywort, and I’m hoping to get out to see how it’s doing on Sunday or Monday, but, for today, I’m hoping the anthocyanins are doing their job and protecting this pretty wildflower from the freezing weather.
Check out my Observations page to track the pennywort with me.
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