Walking with wildflowers

LMQC’s outdoor blogger, Teri Stickler, and her faithful companion Kaia, are off on another adventure again … this time checking out the new wildflowers springing up all over the Quad Cities.

By Teri Stickler and her Samoyed, Kaia

For Teri, there’s nothing quite like a little nose nuzzle after an early-April hike.

It’s happening again. 

That once-a-year event … when Mother Nature welcomes spring and presents her ephemeral gifts of color and fragrance.  This magical time draws Kaia and me, like Homer’s sirens, into our local forests and woods to be present at just the right time to experience the emergence of blooms that come only once a year. 

Kaia and I have a few places where we are all but guaranteed to come upon spring wildflowers.  Four of our favorite spots are Blackhawk State Historic Site, Rock Island, Devil’s Glen Park, Bettendorf, Smith’s Island, Pleasant Valley, and, just a little bit of a drive down the road, Wild Cat Den State Park, Muscatine. 

In search of Skunk Cabbage and other delights

There is another spot where a most unique plant emerges each spring, but unfortunately, it is not accessible to the public.  That plant is named Skunk Cabbage and grows only in the most specific environment and climate.  This perennial plant precedes most others with an early appearance, often in mid to late March. 

Its flowers appear first, then come the huge, cabbage-like leaves.

Kaia and I were able to find the delicate and welcoming Common Snowdrop flower early.  When we first came upon the brave little plant, it was mid-March when but only one plant had popped up.  We took a few photos and returned the next day to see if any more had arrived, only to find it had snowed and our gorgeous snowdrop was drooping under the wet snow.  It was every bit as welcoming as it had been the day before though, and it made us happy to see spring trying its best to arrive.

Looking for other signs of spring

Around the same time of year, expect to find Bloodroot.  Emerging early, Bloodroot will have soft white petals wrapped in a most unique and interesting leaf.  As the leaf (blanket) unwraps, a gorgeous white petaled blossom is revealed. 

And no, it is not red and does not resemble blood.  Only the reddish sap, especially in the root, will have that color.

Once Bloodroot blooms, one can expect a whole plethora of native wildflowers.  The Prairie Trillium (red), with its trinity of three leave and three petals all on a single stem, can, if you’re lucky, be seen blanketing an entire floor of the woods.  Devil’s Glen Park is the perfect location to witness this. 

Just remember, take only photos and memories.  Never pick wildflowers.  In the case of the trillium, to pick the blossom is to kill the entire plant.

When immersed in a sea of trillium, you’re likely to be amid a canvas of  Wild Geraniums as well. Having set its blossoms the year prior, this plant fills the woodland with a multitude of pink blooms against a backdrop of deep green leaves. This find is guaranteed to put one in a good mood.

The Hepatica, sometimes called liverwort because of its three-lobed, liver-shaped leaves, generally displays blue or lavender blooms on a hairy stem.  This hairy feature is helpful when trying to differentiate the hepatica from other plants with similar blooms.

The journey is as fulfilling as your discoveries.

Once you begin this adventure, your walk may slow, but your heart will be filled with beauty and contentment.  Kaia and I find ourselves returning year after year, trying to remember what we saw and learned the year prior and searching, often daily, for any new arrivals upon which to feast our eyes. 

Besides, remember that “Getting out and Moving Quad Cities” does not always mean hurrying, trying to get somewhere fast, or racking up lots of steps.  It can simply mean taking the time to see, hear, and feel the world and absorb its calm and beauty.

There are so many wildflowers to discover and learn.  Kaia and I try to rediscover, review, and then add to those we have come to know. 

Another flower, quite unique and found in our Midwest woodlands, is Wild Ginger.  First to emerge will be two tightly wrapped leaves that, when open, resemble an ace of spades shape.  Once the leaves open, a tiny, fuzzy little ball will begin to show tight to the ground, so this is no time to hurry on by. 

“Whoa up” a moment and take a deeper look. You may need to tenderly part the leaves to witness what eventually becomes a single deep maroon blossom.

The many benefits of blossom-hunting

The more often you take these walks, the more you’ll see and the more you’ll learn to recognize.  We find, yes, both Kaia and I, that each discovery brings joy.  Just another benefit of time spent in the woods and forests.

Other flowers you are almost guaranteed to come upon, though not an all-inclusive list, will likely be the Trout Lily, Dutchman’s Breeches, Jack in the Pulpit, Virginia Spring Beauty, Virginia Bluebells, Virginia Waterleaf, and Mayapple.  Once you start this annual journey, you’ll look forward to it year after year. 

And, if you are anything like me (I cannot speak for Kaia on this,) I find I may need to refresh my knowledge each year with some of the flowers, whereas others are like well-known good friends, recognizable immediately as we meet again.

For woodland wildflower watchers, the Iowa DNR has a great resource to track when flowers bloom all season long so you can plan to hit your favorite paths throughout the spring and summer months.

Check out the photos from Teri and Kaia’s most recent adventure …

By Teri Stickler and her Samoyed, Kaia

For Teri, there’s nothing quite like a little nose nuzzle after an early-April hike.

It’s happening again.

That once-a-year event … when Mother Nature welcomes spring and presents her ephemeral gifts of color and fragrance.  This magical time draws Kaia and me, like Homer’s sirens, into our local forests and woods to be present at just the right time to experience the emergence of blooms that come only once a year.

Kaia and I have a few places where we are all but guaranteed to come upon spring wildflowers.  Four of our favorite spots are Blackhawk State Historic Site, Rock Island, Devil’s Glen Park, Bettendorf, Smith’s Island, Pleasant Valley, and, just a little bit of a drive down the road, Wild Cat Den State Park, Muscatine.

In search of Skunk Cabbage and other delights

There is another spot where a most unique plant emerges each spring, but unfortunately, it is not accessible to the public.  That plant is named Skunk Cabbage and grows only in the most specific environment and climate.  This perennial plant precedes most others with an early appearance, often in mid to late March.

Its flowers appear first, then come the huge, cabbage-like leaves.

Kaia and I were able to find the delicate and welcoming Common Snowdrop flower early.  When we first came upon the brave little plant, it was mid-March when but only one plant had popped up.  We took a few photos and returned the next day to see if any more had arrived, only to find it had snowed and our gorgeous snowdrop was drooping under the wet snow.  It was every bit as welcoming as it had been the day before though, and it made us happy to see spring trying its best to arrive.

Looking for other signs of spring

Around the same time of year, expect to find Bloodroot.  Emerging early, Bloodroot will have soft white petals wrapped in a most unique and interesting leaf.  As the leaf (blanket) unwraps, a gorgeous white petaled blossom is revealed.

And no, it is not red and does not resemble blood.  Only the reddish sap, especially in the root, will have that color.

Once Bloodroot blooms, one can expect a whole plethora of native wildflowers.  The Prairie Trillium (red), with its trinity of three leave and three petals all on a single stem, can, if you’re lucky, be seen blanketing an entire floor of the woods.  Devil’s Glen Park is the perfect location to witness this.

Just remember, take only photos and memories.  Never pick wildflowers.  In the case of the trillium, to pick the blossom is to kill the entire plant.

When immersed in a sea of trillium, you’re likely to be amid a canvas of  Wild Geraniums as well. Having set its blossoms the year prior, this plant fills the woodland with a multitude of pink blooms against a backdrop of deep green leaves. This find is guaranteed to put one in a good mood.

The Hepatica, sometimes called liverwort because of its three-lobed, liver-shaped leaves, generally displays blue or lavender blooms on a hairy stem.  This hairy feature is helpful when trying to differentiate the hepatica from other plants with similar blooms.

The journey is as fulfilling as your discoveries.

Once you begin this adventure, your walk may slow, but your heart will be filled with beauty and contentment.  Kaia and I find ourselves returning year after year, trying to remember what we saw and learned the year prior and searching, often daily, for any new arrivals upon which to feast our eyes.

Besides, remember that “Getting out and Moving Quad Cities” does not always mean hurrying, trying to get somewhere fast, or racking up lots of steps.  It can simply mean taking the time to see, hear, and feel the world and absorb its calm and beauty.

There are so many wildflowers to discover and learn.  Kaia and I try to rediscover, review, and then add to those we have come to know.

Another flower, quite unique and found in our Midwest woodlands, is Wild Ginger.  First to emerge will be two tightly wrapped leaves that, when open, resemble an ace of spades shape.  Once the leaves open, a tiny, fuzzy little ball will begin to show tight to the ground, so this is no time to hurry on by.

“Whoa up” a moment and take a deeper look. You may need to tenderly part the leaves to witness what eventually becomes a single deep maroon blossom.

The many benefits of blossom-hunting

The more often you take these walks, the more you’ll see and the more you’ll learn to recognize.  We find, yes, both Kaia and I, that each discovery brings joy.  Just another benefit of time spent in the woods and forests.

Other flowers you are almost guaranteed to come upon, though not an all-inclusive list, will likely be the Trout Lily, Dutchman’s Breeches, Jack in the Pulpit, Virginia Spring Beauty, Virginia Bluebells, Virginia Waterleaf, and Mayapple.  Once you start this annual journey, you’ll look forward to it year after year.

And, if you are anything like me (I cannot speak for Kaia on this,) I find I may need to refresh my knowledge each year with some of the flowers, whereas others are like well-known good friends, recognizable immediately as we meet again.

For woodland wildflower watchers, the Iowa DNR has a great resource to track when flowers bloom all season long so you can plan to hit your favorite paths throughout the spring and summer months.

Check out the photos from Teri and Kaia’s most recent adventure …