Spring arrives at Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island

Take a walk on the wild side of Black Hawk Park with LMQC Outdoor Blogger, Teri Stickler and her four-legged companion, Kaia. Teri and Kaia check out the woodland wildflowers along the trails of one of the Quad Cities’ oldest parks.

By Teri Stickler and her Samoyed, Kaia

Spring has just not sprung until the wildflowers show up on the forest floor and Kaia and I get to walk the trails of Black Hawk State Park.

Of course, many of the parks and natural areas will reveal spring’s beauty this time of year, but for us, we just cannot miss the opportunity to be present for the springing to life of these forested grounds.

Black Hawk is a literal encyclopedia of plants and animals, geography, and terrain to explore and relish. To witness the forest floor erupt with even the smallest and most delicate wildflowers is the reward and assurance of good things to come.

This spring, it seems nature has taken her good ole time before some of the earliest of plants came forth. But we wanted to get out and highlight what is there and do our best to encourage others to come wander and enjoy.

Just in case you can make it, Black Hawk Park will host its 45th Annual Stroll Through Springtime on April 30th from 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Call 309-788-9536 or email haubergmuseum@gmail.com for information.)

There’s a lot to walk at Black Hawk Park

Black Hawk Park has many fun and interesting walkable trails, some along the river and others in the deeply forested woodlands near Singing Bird Center. Our walk took us on the forested paths.

On this day Kaia and I had our own resident guide. A friendly, inquisitive red-headed woodpecker, who didn’t seem to mind following us for a bit, perching on a nearby branch, studying us, wondering what it was we were finding to be so interesting.

One of the first wildflowers we noticed was Snowdrop, Galanthus. This perennial has two slim linear leaves and one small white bell-shaped, drooping flower, with six petals. The inner petals have green markings. This is often one of the first flowers to push up through the snow.

We saw Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica, carpeting the forest floor, with its two narrow leaves and five white or pink petals with pink veins leading to the center. You’ll see Spring Beauty best on sunny days, as the flower tends to close when it is cloudy.

Often near and among the Spring Beauty was Hepatica, Hepatica Americana. Normally seen in early March, this year we found Hepatica showing themselves in April with their pink flowers, usually 8 petals, on hairy stems. The hairy stems are a dead giveaway for identification. It’s not until later that the liver-shaped leaves appear.

Early spring is also a good time to find Bloodroot, Sanguinaria Canadensis. This plant has but one eight-petal flower. Brilliant white with a deep orangish-yellow center and a unique leaf most often found curled around, hugging the stem.

If you come upon a plant with lacy green leaves and multiple white flowers all ‘hung in a row” and which appear to look like pantaloons hanging on a clothesline, you’re seeing Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria. I’m not sure one can look at this plant and not grin.

A beautiful three-leaf, three petal plant (commonly red in our area though they can be found white or even yellow,) is the Trillium, Trillium recurantum, or Prairie Trillium. The three leaves are often somewhat speckled or blotchy looking.

Reminder: Never pick the Trillium flower, as to do so kills the entire plant. Actually, it is illegal to pick any wildflowers.

Another plant with an interesting leaf is Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum Virginianum. The plant grows a ball of tightly packed flowers, bright white to lavender. The leaves look as though someone shook a paintbrush of white paint at the plant and splattered the leaves.

Wild Ginger, Asarum Canadense, sometimes called Canadian snakeroot, grows close to the ground. The leaves are heart-shaped and do a tremendous job concealing the reddish flower inside but take a moment to very carefully peek.

False Reu-Anemone, Enemion biternatum, has 5 white petals, yellow stamen, and deeply lobed smooth leaves. At first, the leaves reminded me of the Columbine in my yard though the flowers are nothing alike. I guess the ‘false’ in its name is apropos.

There’s even more to see throughout the year

All this is just a smattering of the many wildflowers you can find on your next walk. So many to see and learn. If no one ever taught you about spring wildflowers, it’s never too late to learn.

I must admit, my interest developed only after several guided nature walks in a class I took. After that, I was hooked. Unfortunately, these flowers are here in the spring and then, like Christmas, we have to wait a full year before they return.

For me, that often means I need to refresh and review what had been learned the year prior, but isn’t that also the fun? The walk, the discovery, the reacquaintance, the beauty, and the time spent outside?

When you go, and I’m betting you’ll make several visits in the next few months, stop by the Hauberg Museum in the Watch Tower Lodge where you can pick up an Interpretive Trail Guide.

While there you’ll be able to see some of the $3 million renovation of Watch Tower Lodge.

Links of interest (all links open in new tabs/windows)…

Black Hawk State Historic Site / Black Hawk State Park Links:

• https://www.blackhawkpark.org/index.php
• https://www.mapquest.com/us/illinois/black-hawk-state-historic-site-7838099
• Trail Map: https://www.blackhawkpark.org/docs/ParkMap.pdf
• https://www.blackhawkpark.org/education.php
• https://www.facebook.com/BHSHS.gov
• Looking at the Woodlands ecosystem at Black Hawk Park with local naturalist, Mr. Chuck
• Watch Tower Lodge Renovations newspaper article

Check out Teri and Kaia’s pictures …

By Teri Stickler and her Samoyed, Kaia

Spring has just not sprung until the wildflowers show up on the forest floor and Kaia and I get to walk the trails of Black Hawk State Park.

Of course, many of the parks and natural areas will reveal spring’s beauty this time of year, but for us, we just cannot miss the opportunity to be present for the springing to life of these forested grounds.

Black Hawk is a literal encyclopedia of plants and animals, geography, and terrain to explore and relish. To witness the forest floor erupt with even the smallest and most delicate wildflowers is the reward and assurance of good things to come.

This spring, it seems nature has taken her good ole time before some of the earliest of plants came forth. But we wanted to get out and highlight what is there and do our best to encourage others to come wander and enjoy.

Just in case you can make it, Black Hawk Park will host its 45th Annual Stroll Through Springtime on April 30th from 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Call 309-788-9536 or email haubergmuseum@gmail.com for information.)

There’s a lot to walk at Black Hawk Park

Black Hawk Park has many fun and interesting walkable trails, some along the river and others in the deeply forested woodlands near Singing Bird Center. Our walk took us on the forested paths.

On this day Kaia and I had our own resident guide. A friendly, inquisitive red-headed woodpecker, who didn’t seem to mind following us for a bit, perching on a nearby branch, studying us, wondering what it was we were finding to be so interesting.

One of the first wildflowers we noticed was Snowdrop, Galanthus. This perennial has two slim linear leaves and one small white bell-shaped, drooping flower, with six petals. The inner petals have green markings. This is often one of the first flowers to push up through the snow.

We saw Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica, carpeting the forest floor, with its two narrow leaves and five white or pink petals with pink veins leading to the center. You’ll see Spring Beauty best on sunny days, as the flower tends to close when it is cloudy.

Often near and among the Spring Beauty was Hepatica, Hepatica Americana. Normally seen in early March, this year we found Hepatica showing themselves in April with their pink flowers, usually 8 petals, on hairy stems. The hairy stems are a dead giveaway for identification. It’s not until later that the liver-shaped leaves appear.

Early spring is also a good time to find Bloodroot, Sanguinaria Canadensis. This plant has but one eight-petal flower. Brilliant white with a deep orangish-yellow center and a unique leaf most often found curled around, hugging the stem.

If you come upon a plant with lacy green leaves and multiple white flowers all ‘hung in a row” and which appear to look like pantaloons hanging on a clothesline, you’re seeing Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria. I’m not sure one can look at this plant and not grin.

A beautiful three-leaf, three petal plant (commonly red in our area though they can be found white or even yellow,) is the Trillium, Trillium recurantum, or Prairie Trillium. The three leaves are often somewhat speckled or blotchy looking.

Reminder: Never pick the Trillium flower, as to do so kills the entire plant. Actually, it is illegal to pick any wildflowers.

Another plant with an interesting leaf is Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum Virginianum. The plant grows a ball of tightly packed flowers, bright white to lavender. The leaves look as though someone shook a paintbrush of white paint at the plant and splattered the leaves.

Wild Ginger, Asarum Canadense, sometimes called Canadian snakeroot, grows close to the ground. The leaves are heart-shaped and do a tremendous job concealing the reddish flower inside but take a moment to very carefully peek.

False Reu-Anemone, Enemion biternatum, has 5 white petals, yellow stamen, and deeply lobed smooth leaves. At first, the leaves reminded me of the Columbine in my yard though the flowers are nothing alike. I guess the ‘false’ in its name is apropos.

There’s even more to see throughout the year

All this is just a smattering of the many wildflowers you can find on your next walk. So many to see and learn. If no one ever taught you about spring wildflowers, it’s never too late to learn.

I must admit, my interest developed only after several guided nature walks in a class I took. After that, I was hooked. Unfortunately, these flowers are here in the spring and then, like Christmas, we have to wait a full year before they return.

For me, that often means I need to refresh and review what had been learned the year prior, but isn’t that also the fun? The walk, the discovery, the reacquaintance, the beauty, and the time spent outside?

When you go, and I’m betting you’ll make several visits in the next few months, stop by the Hauberg Museum in the Watch Tower Lodge where you can pick up an Interpretive Trail Guide.

While there you’ll be able to see some of the $3 million renovation of Watch Tower Lodge.

Links of interest (all links open in new tabs/windows)…

Black Hawk State Historic Site / Black Hawk State Park Links:

• https://www.blackhawkpark.org/index.php
• https://www.mapquest.com/us/illinois/black-hawk-state-historic-site-7838099
• Trail Map: https://www.blackhawkpark.org/docs/ParkMap.pdf
• https://www.blackhawkpark.org/education.php
• https://www.facebook.com/BHSHS.gov
• Looking at the Woodlands ecosystem at Black Hawk Park with local naturalist, Mr. Chuck
• Watch Tower Lodge Renovations newspaper article

Check out Teri and Kaia’s pictures …