Virginia bluebells en masse

Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica, seem to love to group around the base of a tree. While they wilt by late May, leaving big pale green foliage all around, they are a magnificent early spring arrival, heralding warmer days ahead.
 
For more about bloodroot and native plants for the Midwest, especially those that do well in shade/moist areas, see the "book" on this website, Gardening with Native Plants in Shady Evanston.