Published on: May 5, 2020
I've wandered around my property and neighborhood and made several trips to the Rail Trail since my last blog. The Spring Ephemerals are really exploding now. I saw the largest display of blooming Bloodroot I have ever seen on the steep western slopes of the Salt River at the high bridge (just past 11 mile road). There were many white and yellow Trout Lilies blooming among the Dutchmen's Breeches on the western side of the low bridge over the Salt River (just past 7 mile road). While this area has a lot of debris from the ice storms and floods last year and this winter, the blooms are still there (just harder to find). Spring Beauties are everywhere and the blue and white violets have sprung up along the trail. The Serviceberry (Shad) are blooming beautifully, but will soon be eclipsed by the emerging leaves and blooms of the cherries, maples, birch, poplar, elm, ash and even oak trees. Viburnum and Dogwood are also leafing out and many will have blooms soon. In my yard I am very impressed by the pink buds of the Judd Viburnum and the white buds already on the Doublefile Viburnum. My Kousa and Pink Dogwoods don't have many buds because they never set them before the early freeze last fall. The Red and Yellow Twig Dogwoods will have nice blooms, along with the Grey and Silky and Alternate Leaf Dogwoods. I have Marsh Marigolds blooming at the edge of the vernal pools from last weeks rain and my Trillium, Trout Lily (only one of hundreds) are blooming along with the Rue Anemone. The Bloodroot is blown already, but the Mayapple and Solomon Seal are up and ready to bloom as well as the False Solomon Seal and Jack in the Pulpit. I have Shooting Stars and Twinleaf and Golden Seal ready to bloom as well. The Wood Poppies and Virginia Bluebells are just starting to bloom and really look good with my not natives: Forget-me-nots and Primroses, Epimedium and Hellebores. It is very nice to have a blend of native and non-natives for color in the spring. I see that my Blue Flag Iris, Cardinal Flower and Golden Alexanders are up and growing as is the Woodland Phlox. Lots of Bellflowers, Arum and Coral Bells are showing their heads among the many woodland ferns. My Blue Cohosh has turned from deep purple to a lilac green and has tiny flowers on it and my bugbane is pushing through the leaves. My Wild Ginger is doing a nice job of spreading as well. If you don't have native plants in your garden, consider getting some from the Native Plant Sale at Chippewa Nature Center (if the sale can be held this year). Please don't dig from the wild as this can often kill the plant and destroy a native habitat. Solomon Seal and Mayapple are very vigorous and you can usually find a gardening friend to give you a start. Some folks are great at growing Jack in the Pulpit and can give starts of these as well. Seed exchanges can provide seeds for many natives.
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Published on: May 29, 2019
Well, the ups and downs of the weather certainly kept us and the wildflowers busy. Many of the Spring Ephemerals bloomed and were gone in record time due to record hot days when they started to bloom. Late Spring flowers were slow to come out but they are making an appearance now. The week of the 12th there were still a few Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches and we started to see False Rue Anemone (at Chippewa Nature Center) and Spring Cress (at both CNC and Pine Haven). Star Flowers made their quick appearance in time for the Szok Preserve walk with Little Forks Conservancy. Woodland Phlox and Wood Poppies as well as Virginia Bluebells bloomed beside the Blue Cohosh in my yard and many across the area. My tiny Rue Anemone and Spring Beauties put on a show with the Tall Red Trillium and the Large White Flowered Trillium. Wild Sarsaparilla bloomed when the Black Cherries started to bloom. The Alternate Leaf and Red Twig Dogwood are blooming along with the Black Haw Viburnum. My purchased Double-file Viburnum is also putting on a show. Along the rail-trail from 8 mile to 9 mile roads the Fringed Polygala or Gaywings was really spectacular over the holiday weekend. The first of the Wild Geranium and Canada Anemone are opening up as well as the small Wood Anemone and the Wild Strawberry. Of course, the Stitchwort and Winter Cress are blooming well and the Invasive Garlic Mustard seems to be everywhere. I just pulled 9 garbage bags of it out of the city property next to mine. I know that CNC and LFC are having pulls at their properties as well. Remember, pull the entire plant and do not compost it--it will spread from compost. My favorite weeks are the ones when the trees leaf out--so the last 3 weeks. As the tiny, perfect leaves of Oak, Maple, Ash, Birch and others emerge, it looks like a Monet painting--all subtle shades of gold, red, bronze and green. Now that they are getting bigger and the maple seeds and oak and ash and birch flowers fall to the ground, I know that summer is just around the corner. Soon the Meadow Rue and Black Eyed Susan will be blooming along with the Cattail and Blue Flag Iris. I already see the plants that will be the Jewelweed flowers in a few weeks. Cone Flowers, Sun Flowers, Cardinal Flowers and Lobelia as well as the Yellow Loosestrife will be dazzling our eyes. This is a grand time to live in Michigan. Enjoy!!! Published on: May 21, 2018
The ups and downs in temperature and precipitation have been a challenge the last week. The heat sped the early spring wildflowers to bloom and blow. Now you can find the seedpods forming on the Bloodroot, Marsh Marigold, Trout Lily, Dutchmen's Breeches, Goldseal, Hepatica, Spring Beauties and many of the Trillium. Early Spring flowers still on the trails are Woodland Phlox (Szok Preserve), False Rue Anemone, and Rue Anemone. Now blooming are the Starry False Solomon Seal, Smooth Solomon Seal, Jack in the Pulpit, Canada Mayflower, Star Flower, Gaywings, Wild Geranium, Wild Columbine, Red and White Baneberry, and Early Meadow Rue. Various violets: Yellow, White, Blue and Purple are also to be found, along with the Wild and Woodland Strawberries. Blue Cohosh and Mitrewort, as well as Tiarella, Virginia Bluebells, and Wood Poppy are also blooming in my garden--all purchased from the Chippewa Nature Center Wild Plant Sale in previous years. Don't forget to attend this year: this Thursday (24th) for members and Friday-Saturday(25th-26th) for the public. The sell responsibly propagated plants from Wild Type Nursery in Mason. Wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees will be available. Trees have been beautiful as well. The various Apples and Hawthornes, as well as introduced Crabapples followed very closely on the pre leaf blooms of the Serviceberries. Pin Cherries and Black and Choke Cherries are also blooming. The Wild Grapes are ready to bloom--just a little heat is needed. Most of the early Viburnum and Dogwood will also soon be in bloom. Look for the Canada Anemone and Wood Anemone to start covering the sides of the Rail Trail. The Canada Anemone looks especially good with the Wild Geranium when they bloom side by side. By early June the Blue Flag iris should be blooming in most of the ditches along the trail. All of the Buttercups will be blooming soon, from the relatively inconspicuous Crowfoot to the Showy Buttercup and the very numerous Marsh Buttercup. Most of the Bedstraws are also ready to bloom, starting with the Cleavers and Marsh Bedstraw and continuing into the Northern Bedstraw in Summer. The various Cinquefoils will also be showing up, creeping along the sides of the trail. Here are a few of the past week's sightings: Published on: May 10, 2018
Jeanne Henderson at Chippewa Nature Center led a Spring Wildflower walk on Wednesday. It was overcast and trying to rain, but we still saw spring wildflowers. There was an abundance of Spring Beauties and Dutchmen's Breeches. We saw the leaves and seed heads of the Bloodroot that finished blooming the day before. There were still trout lilies (both yellow and white) blooming, but many had already dropped their petals and made the seed pod. Mayapples are getting quite tall and you can see the flower bud in the cleft between the two leaves. There was also a lot of Cutleaf Toothwort and False Rue Anemone. There were leaves of flowers to come--so lots to revisit CNC for. One of the questions that came up was the difference between Rue Anemone, False Rue Anemone and Wood Anemone. They are so similar they can be easily confused. So here is my explanation: Rue Anemone has the smallest leaves and they are in alternate leaflets along the single stalk. The leaflets are petite and very rounded and gently 3-lobed, usually only two sets below the flowers. Each stalk can have many flowers on longish stalks. The plants are petite only 4-8 inches tall. Flowers can have from 5-10 petal-like sepals with numerous stamen and pistils and are about 1 inch across. False Rue Anemone have 9 3-leaflet leaves in whirls of 3 with multiple stalks on a single plant. The leaflets are deeply lobed and rounded. The flowers rise in clusters at end of stems or on stalks above leaf axils. Each flower is about 1/2 in wide and has 5 petal-like sepals with numerous pistils and stamen. The plants are more robust (many leaves and many plants together) and are 4-16 inches tall. Wood Anemone have a whirl of three compound leaves with 3-5 sharply toothed leaflets each. They are palmately divided, deeply cut and more pointed and longer than either Rue Anemone or False Rue Anemone. Each plant has one flower about 1 inch wide with 4-9 white to pink petal-like sepals and numerous pistils and stamen. The plant is 4-8 inches tall and colonizes readily, so is often seen in groups. All bloom in early to late spring along with lots of other white to pink many petaled flowers, like spring beauty, hepatica, bloodroot, and toothwort. Here are examples of the three plants in flower. Published on: Jun 12, 2017 As I was searching for new blooms along mile 9 and 12 of the rail trail, I noticed once again the layering of flowering times for wild flowers. The Canada Anemone and Wild Geranium are still blooming as are some of the more shaded Blue Flag Iris. Spiderwort is starting to bloom, adding to the blues on the side of the trail. Early Meadow Rue (shorter) and Tall Meadow Rue are opening their blooms as well. Both Foxglove Beardtongue (very tall) and Hairy Beardtongue (much shorter) are showing off. Occasional Golden Alexander and the smaller Buttercups appear as well as Common Cinquefoil and the ubiquitous Field Hawkweed adding yellow to the mix. The overwhelming visual of blooms are the introduced Oxeye Daisy and Dame's Rocket. These areas will have great shows of Joe Pye Weed, Boneset, Swamp and Common Milkweed, and Sunflowers later in the summer, but are pretty tame and green now since the other blooms are more spread out. Mile 6 through 8 will likewise have significant summer blooms with Bee Balm, Coneflowers, Sunflowers and Cardinal Flower as the weather stays warm. Along mile 2 between Sugnet and Dublin is a spectacular scene--the garden "wildflower" mix planted years ago on the north side of the trail still has Coreopsis (Tick Seed), Sweet William in multiple colors, some Gallardia and lots of Crown Vetch, American Vetch and Oxeye Daisy. There will be Sunflowers, Coneflowers and Monarda later in June and July. This is a contrast to the normal wildflowers on the south side of the trail, but there are nice clumps of Hairy Beardtongue, Common Fleabane and Vetch, just not the showy mass that garden planted cultivars can attain.
All along mile 2-5 are encroaching stands of Common Buckthorn and Autumn Olive. These are shading out the wildflowers and crowding out the native Witchhazel, Dogwood, Viburnum, Willow, Birch, Poplar and other shrubs and trees. Some of the introduced garden flowers and other invasive plants (like Spotted Knapweed and Garlic Mustard) are also pushing out the native wildflowers. The Wetland areas are seeing another invasive plant called Phragmites. This grass--is overwhelming ditches and drains and lowlands everywhere--look at the Mall area between ALDI and Meijer to see a large colony of it. We know, from Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) and Little Forks Conservancy (LFC) efforts, that removing the invasives can help bring back the native plants. The invasive plants colonize rapidly and crowd out and sometimes use chemicals to stunt or kill the other plants. Please help Wild Ones, LFC and CNC in their clean up efforts and encourage the County and City Parks to get rid of the invasive plants. You can also make sure your own property is free of these rapidly spreading plants by working with LFC. Meanwhile, keep looking for the native wildflowers! Published on: May 26, 2017
More rain and the rail trail is covered with white Canada Anemone and pink Wild Geranium blooms. Along the way, you can see the Canada Lousewort and Swamp Buttercups as well as plenty of Wild Strawberries. In pockets, especially at mile 8 above the Tittabawassee, you can see the cheery red and yellow of the Wild Columbine (Granny's Bonnet). In the parks, there are occasional patches of Red or White Baneberry among the Star Flower and Canada Mayflower. If you don't know what these look like, check out their pictures on the Flower section of this website. The Woodland Phlox is just about finished in the Woods of Pine Haven and in spots along the trail. Bee Balm and the various Cone Flowers will be sending up blooms before you know it. Fleabane and Hawkweed will fill the interim. At Chippewa Nature Center, in full swing of the Native Plant Sale today and tomorrow, the Wild Lupine and Yellow Lady Slipper are in evidence along with Wild Columbine. All of the various Ferns have unfurled and you can begin to distinguish between Sensitive Fern, Royal Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Ostrich Fern, Christmas Fern, Lady Fern and all the others. Another reason this is a great weekend to explore the parks and rail trail. Early Meadow Rue is blooming and Tall Meadow Rue is towering above the crowds of flowers. The Wild Clematis is clambering over all the plants that came up first, so the Bloodroot, Trout Lily, Hepatica, Wild Ginger and Dutchmen's Breeches are disappearing under the expanding carpet of green. The trees are fully engaged in leaf growth and the shrubs are showing their flowers. Alternate Leaf and Red Twig Dogwood are blooming boisterously, as are Arrowwood and Maple Leaf and Cranberry Viburnum. Ninebark is ready to bloom as are the Grey and Silky Dogwood. There are still stands of wonderful Apple and Hawthorne, but the petals are falling fast. The Wild Grape is ready to bloom with a few hot days. Originally Published: Apr 30, 2017 We took a stroll through Pine Haven (main loop--green route) on Friday and through CNC (Sugarbush, River, Oxbow and WoodDuck trails) on Saturday. Although the greater shade and cooler temperatures have some of the flowers a little behind the bloom on the Rail Trail, there is still plenty to see. At both, the Bloodroot is pretty much finished as is most of the Hepatica, but the Spring Beauties are amazing and there is still plenty of Dutchmen's Breeches to satisfy the need for blooms. Both show the emerging Nodding Trillium and Cut Leaf Toothwort, so more white flowers. Violets abound, from the Common Blue, Northern Blue and Marsh Blue to the Downy and Smooth Yellow to the lovely Canada White Violet, they are all showing off. Trout lilies are appearing everywhere as are the Early Meadow Rue, Winter Cress, Spring Cress and Swamp Buttercups. In the marshy areas, there are also Marsh Marigolds. I have been on a quest to find Rue Anemone and hit the jackpot! Leaves are up and starting to flower at Pine Haven and there are numerous sections with blooms at CNC. It differs from its more prevalent cousin, Wood Anemone, by having waxier and smaller, daintier leaves and by holding the flower up higher, but having overall fewer flowers. I also found Gold Thread at Pine Haven. This small flower is not common and is easy to miss. The distinctive leaves are the clue (it got its name from gold thread-like roots) since the flower resembles the anemones, hepatica and bloodroot. Dewberries are blooming along with the wild Strawberries, the wild Blackberries are growing quickly and the Blueberries are already in bloom, along with the Currants. The Bellworts or Wild Oats are blooming along with the true Solomon's Seal and the spreading, low blooming Wild Ginger.
Get out and enjoy the bounty we have in Midland County--and let me know if you spot one of these in a city or county park, so we can update the database with your information. Just comment on the blog or the individual flower here on the website. You can also contribute pictures. Let me know what you would like to see or read about wildflowers in the county. ALERT: Lots of invasive are apparent everywhere. Garlic mustard and Spotted Knapweed are in CNC and along the rail trail and beginning to appear in Pine Haven. Autumn Olive, Barberry, non-native Honeysuckle, non-native Phragmites grass, and Buckthorn are taking over everywhere. These will push out the native flowers and shrubs so take action when you see them--organize a weed pull, participate in the Little Forks Conservancy and CNC invasives pulls and work days. Let the city and county know when you find them in parks. Alert the hospital to the problems along the wellness trail. If you have these on your property, remove them and dispose of them according to DNR guidelines. For instance, never compost Garlic Mustard--It just roots from pieces and makes more Garlic Mustard. Published on: May 22, 2016
Chippewa Nature Center and Little Forks Conservancy hosted a walk in Szok Preserve at the Pine Haven Recreation area in Sanford. This is a lovely wooded trail with much of the same flora as the rest of Pine Haven. Jack in the Pulpit, Trillium, Canada Mayflowers and Bloodroot were in abundance. Because of it's location on the curve of the Salt Creek, the steep embankment held other wonders. Several large patches of wild blue phlox were enchanting. Sarsaparilla was just beginning to bloom and Early Buttercup as well as the more common Crowfoot were both in evidence. Water Hemlock was up but not ready to bloom yet. The Maple-leaved Viburnum were displaying their buds as well. Both Starry False Solomon Seal and true Solomon Seal were beginning to bloom. It is so much easier to tell them apart when you see the collection of buds at the end of the False Solomon Seal stem and the chandelier-like buds hanging from each leaflet on the True Solomon Seal. We had the added pleasure of hearing a very active Pileated Woodpecker both in voice and in hammering. CNC and LFC will host more walks in the different preserves in the coming weeks. I encourage you to join them. Get to know these jewels in our midst. Virginia Bluebells and Wood Poppy have been blooming steadily but will soon set seed and disappear from view with the coming of the warmer weather. Now is also the time to identify and remove Garlic Mustard, as it is blooming profusely. Don't Compost this--it will only aid in the spread. Put in black plastic garbage bags in your regular trash. It will be a bonus for the Methane Production at the Midland Sanitary Landfill. If you host a removal party at a local park or large property, you can call the city for a special pickup of your bags. (Be sure to emphasize that it is for refuse and not composting.) Every plant removed can prevent 6000 new plants from germinating this year! Published on: May 9, 2016
Dow Gardens has lots of wildflowers in the wooded areas and secret gardens. From Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches to Marsh Marigold, Mayapple, Spring Beauties, Trillium and Trout Lilies, they mix well with the native and introduced species of shrubs, perennials and trees. Pine Haven has lots of wildflowers along the trails: Bloodroot, Hepatica, Dutchmen's Breeches, Trout Lilies, Spring Beauties Canada Mayflower, Swamp Buttercup, Trillium, Canada Lousewort, Mayapple, Yellow and early Blue Violets, Wood Anemones. Step lightly and keep a lookout on the trails. Chippewa Nature Center has many colonies of Bloodroot, Mayapple, Dutchmen's Breeches, Trout Lilies, Hepatica, Trillium, Early Blue and Yellow Violets, Wood Anemone, Cut-leaved Toothwort, False Solomon's Seal, Spring Cress, Spring Beauties and many more. Stay on the trails to avoid damaging the emerging plants. All have many ferns unfolding, from the broad Sensitive Fern to the majestic Ostrich Fern and Royal Fern. At Averill Preserve the Pussytoes have started to bloom and everywhere the many Bedstraw varieties are ready to bloom. Early Meadow Rue has flower heads and Ginger is beginning to show it's magenta flowers under the uncurled spreading leaves. Mayapples are ready to bloom, Wood and Wild Strawberries are blooming. Soon more plants will send up flower spikes. Enjoy your trekking wherever you find yourself. |