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Spring is moving right along and most of Ohio is awash in the wondrous beauty of many kinds of spring wildflowers. We’ve hit peak across the state; in some places, wildflowers are beginning to fade as the forest canopy begins to fill in overhead. Though we may be coming to the end of this year’s spring wildflower season, there’s still plenty of time to soak in spring’s bounty of beauty. |
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The summer-like weather we’ve been experiencing has moved blooming along, but this weekend’s cooler and overcast forecast means there’s still time to visit your favorite preserve and discover what’s still blooming. A bonus for nature enthusiasts, this is also a wonderful time to grab your binoculars and keep your eyes on the ground and the sky as spring migration of colorful warblers and other birds has begun. |
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Our featured wildflower species for this week is the globally rare Lakeside daisy (Tetraneuris herbacea). How lucky are Ohioans as our state harbors one of the best populations of this bright yellow flower on the planet. It’s a federally threatened species that only grows in a handful of locations in the world, Ohio’s Marblehead Peninsula being one of them. In early May, you’ll be greeted by a carpet of yellow when you visit Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve. The flowers are blooming now and will peak later this month. Looking for a great day to visit? The division will be hosting its annual Lakeside Daisy Open House at the preserve on May 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with staff on site to answer questions (BONUS: Visitors will be welcome to enter the permit-only area of the preserve to marvel at glacial grooves!) |
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Our featured Spring Wildflower location is in northeast Ohio this week. The 477-acre Eagle Creek State Nature Preserve, located in Portage County, offers 3 miles of hiking trails. It certainly rates as one of Ohio’s best spots for wonderful wildflower watching. Preserve manager Adam Wohlever reports dozens and dozens of native wildflower species are currently in bloom. Keep an eye out for trilliums such as red and large-flowered, dwarf ginseng, Canada mayflower, foamflower, sessile bellwort, numerous violets, wood anemone, wild geranium, and hispid buttercup. The explosion of trilliums in spots is especially impressive. The preserve protects a variety of habitat types from bottomland forests to sphagnum bogs. |
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South RegionIf you’ve been following the Wildflower Bloom reports, you won’t be surprised to learn that Ohio’s southern region continues to lead the way in new bloomers and diversity of colors. Some newer faces to this week’s report include Virginia waterleaf, appendaged waterleaf, sweet cicely, cucumber-root, wild stonecrop, heart-leaved alexanders, lyre-leaved sage, Meehan’s mint, green dragon and more. Our wild orchids continue to shine and are looking great across the region with large yellow and pink lady’s slippers leading the charge, but also keep an eye out for showy orchis, large whorled pogonia, and puttyroot. Sadly, trilliums and other species in bloom since mid-April are all fading fast. |
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There are many great spots to see the latest flush of wildflowers, but our top picks include Davis Memorial, Desonier, Lake Katharine, Miller, Rocky Fork Gorge – Etawah Woods, Shoemaker, and Scioto Brush Creek state nature preserves. For those who prefer a vast forest to visit, check out Shawnee State Forest in Scioto County. |
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Central RegionThe spring wildflowers of central Ohio continue to put on a show. Take a walk in the woods and you’re sure to see dozens of species showing off their beautiful blooms: drooping trillium, wild ginger, mayapple, Jack-in-the-pulpit, ragworts, violets, dwarf larkspur, wild columbine, miterwort, shooting star, and bear corn are just a sampling of what is still blooming. Virginia bluebells, marsh marigold, large-flowered trillium and others are beginning to fade in some spots as they peak in others. We’ve also said goodbye to all the early spring bloomers (toothworts, trout-lilies, bloodroot, hepatica), but they’ll be back next spring. |
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Looking to enjoy wildflowers along some of the prettiest trails? Consider visiting Blackhand Gorge, Christmas Rocks, Clifton Gorge, Davey Woods, Gallagher Fen, Cedar Bog, and Shallenberger state nature preserves. State parks such as Alum Creek, Cowan Lake, Delaware, John Bryan, and Malabar Farm are also great spring wildflower sites. |
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North RegionJust as we reported last week, Ohio’s northern counties are still experiencing an explosion of color and blooms. The earliest wave of species are gone but there’s plenty of flowers to still enjoy including bluebells, marsh marigolds, squirrel corn, trilliums, Dutchman’s breeches, wood anemone, dwarf ginseng, blue cohosh, Jacob’s ladder, buttercups and more. Wildflowers such as Canada mayflower, Solomon’s seal, bellworts, waterleafs, and mayapple are not far behind. In cooler, shaded haunts you may luck into trout-lilies, hepatica, and bloodroot still blooming, but once again these species have largely finished. And did we mention— Lakeside daisies are blooming up on the Marblehead Peninsula with peak conditions not far off! We can’t mention enough how amazing it is to see these rarities up close and in person. Prime northern areas for wildflower hunting include Augusta-Anne Olsen, Collier, Eagle Creek, Goll Woods, Johnson Woods, Kendrick Woods, and Lawrence Woods state nature preserves. Wooded state parks like Beaver Creek, Harrison Lake, Mohican, Pymatuning and Van Buren offer additional wildflower viewing opportunities. |
