Sure, spring is a good two weeks behind schedule. But then again, we’re on Mother Nature’s timeline.
Regardless of the muddy backyards and too-slow-to-emerge buds and backyard flowers, the woods have plenty of springtime action if you know where to look.
There, under the leaves and along stream beds, spring is slowly sprouting. Don’t believe us? Head out to one of our county parks or a Cleveland Metropark and take a look for yourself.
If you want to know what to look for, grab a guidebook. Or consider a hike with a knowledgeable volunteer or park worker who will show you the emerging trillium and hints of coltsfoot popping up.
Cleveland Metroparks (clevelandmetroparks.com) is a good place to start for a schedule of planned spring wildflower walks. Another good place is the Geauga County Park District (geaugaparkdistrict.org). Or, you can take a hike through any nearby woods and look down. You’ll be surprised to see that spring has, indeed, arrived.
Here’s what to look for in the upcoming months, courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks:
In April….The race is on. Ephemeral spring wildflowers bloom and are pollinated before the leaves of trees shade the forest floor. Early in the month hepatica highlights the grey-brown of the forest floor with purple even before new leaves appear. Soon to bloom are the yellow of trout lilies among the whites of squirrel corn and Dutchman’s breeches; by the end of the month white and purple trillium come into bloom. Westside reservations bloom before the east, providing those willing to travel a brief extension of this fleeting season.
In May… A walk along a river in a floodplain forest one can be rewarded with blankets of Virginia bluebells and wild hyacinth intermixed with yellows of golden-alexanders and golden ragwort. These botanical gems come and go quickly and can easily be missed. These perennials grow and quickly die back storing energy underground in roost and tubers waiting for the following spring to begin the cycle again. Seeds of these spring wildflowers are dispersed in many ways, but the association of many with ants carrying them underground is truly awesome.
Happy Hunting.
