ephemerals
Things quickly passing
Ephemerals are things that last only briefly.
In botany, ephemerals are plants with very short life cycles—desert wildflowers that bloom for days after rain, or spring woodland flowers that complete their growth before the tree canopy closes.
The term extends to anything transient: The artist worked in ephemerals—ice sculptures, sand mandalas, chalk drawings.
See also ephemera, the singular-looking noun for collectible paper items.
Temporary, soon departing
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- impermanentNot meant to last
- short-livedLasting only briefly
passing · fugacious · vanishing · momentary · fading · dissipating · evaporating · volatile
Uncultivated flowering plants
- trilliumsThree-petaled spring wildflowers
- bloodrootSap-staining native wildflower
- hepaticaSpring-blooming woodland plant
- crocusesEarly-blooming perennial flowers
snowdrops · anemones · bluebells · woodland · vernal · mayapples · jack-in-the-pulpit · toothwort
Aquatic insects, extremely short-lived
- rainbowsMulticolored atmospheric arcs
- mistFine airborne moisture
- fogLow-lying cloud cover
- dewdropsCondensed overnight water droplets
frost · mushrooms · fireflies · snowflakes · sakura · cicadas · auroras
Easily broken or damaged
- tenderSoft or sore
- frailWeak and breakable
- daintyDelicately small and pretty
- gossamerFilmy, delicate material
wispy · ethereal · diaphanous · gauzy · translucent · delicate · feathery · insubstantial
transient
Temporary, soon departing
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- impermanentNot meant to last
short-lived · passing · fugacious · vanishing · momentary · fading · dissipating · evaporating · volatile · flitting
wildflowers
Uncultivated flowering plants
- trilliumsThree-petaled spring wildflowers
- bloodrootSap-staining native wildflower
- hepaticaSpring-blooming woodland plant
crocuses · snowdrops · anemones · bluebells · woodland · vernal · mayapples · jack-in-the-pulpit · toothwort
mayflies
Aquatic insects, extremely short-lived
dewdrops · frost · mushrooms · fireflies · snowflakes · sakura · cicadas · auroras
fragile
Easily broken or damaged
gossamer · wispy · ethereal · diaphanous · gauzy · translucent · delicate · feathery · insubstantial · papery
ephemeralsperennials
Flora regrowing annually
evergreens · bristlecone pines · old-growth trees · ancient trees · sequoias
ephemeralspermanents
Chemical hair-curling treatments
eternals · perpetuals · constants · immortals · fixtures
- ephemeral streamsChannels wet only briefly
- spring ephemeralShort-lived woodland wildflower
- ephemeral beautyLoveliness brief in duration