A floriferous terminal bud had been covered with two thick keeled dark red scales, which are still present at the bottom of the shoot. The inner scales are leafy. Upon opening of the bud, they elongate up to 5 cm (2 inches) and become bright pink. The bud has produced a shoot with two leaves and a peduncled loose raceme of greenish glabrous flowers, whose obovate petals are larger than sepals. The two lateral vegetative buds of smaller size are just starting to open. Photo taken in western Massachusetts