Spring 2004

In Search of
Spring Wildflowers
Wildflowers transform prairies and woodlands into springtime wonderlands. For the budding enthusiast, Into the Wild shares some insights into wildflower appreciation. Compiled by Allison Werner

Me Time, We Time Looking for wildflowers can be a relaxing solo adventure, an opportunity to leave the daily grind behind and spend some quality time alone. Botanizing is also a great activity for friends and family to do together—it's easy, fun for all ages, and free. Many preserves offer guided treks through their properties, with miles and miles of flower-lined paths to explore.
		Bloodroot. Photo by Pat Wadecki.
		Field Guides and Web Sites A Field Guide to Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-Central North America, by Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, by Lawrence Newcomb. The Illinois Native Plant Society. Detailed plant descriptions, with links to local botany groups and plant databases.
Prickly-pear cactus. Photo by Ron Dahlborg.
Botanizing or Wildflower Watching? "Botanizing," like "birding," can be a challenge and a game. People bring guidebooks and even technical identification keys to search for rarities or make lists of species in various preserves. "Wildflower watching" is just the relaxing and inspiring pastime of wandering through wild places to marvel at the beauty and diversity of thriving nature.
		Shooting star. Photo by Lynn M. Stone.
		Manners Matter Stay on the trail in Nature Preserves; it's Illinois law. In most Forest Preserves, visitors can venture off the beaten path, but sticking to deer trails and other informal paths saves a lot of trampling. Look but don't take. Feel free to snap a picture, but leave the flowers there for future viewing. It is illegal to remove plants and seeds from most preserves. Shoot your photos from footpaths and don't trample areas near showy plants in bloom. This will allow nearby plants to bloom later.
Showy Lady's slipper. Photo by Lynn M. Stone.
Persistence Pays "I have more failures than successes with wildflowers," admits nature photographer Mike MacDonald, who describes chasing wildflowers as an inexact science. "You just gotta go. Pick a place you love and go back a lot. It's unpredictable, and if you don't go back to the site every week, maybe every ten days, you'll miss something. The mystery is almost cooler than finding the flowers."
		Grass pink orchid. Photo by Donald Bolak.
		Beauty and the Burn Wildflowers thrive best in the growing season immediately after a burn, when the prairie or woodland is reborn. Wildflower seekers may want to call their forest preserve district to learn the locations of recently burned sites.
Marsh marigolds. Photo by Donald Bolak.

Where and When
Our wildflower season extends from March (for skunk cabbage) through October (for the gentians).

Many "spring ephemerals" bloom, set seed, and go dormant by the end of spring. Most of their growth occurs before the leaves in woodland canopies fully emerge and block out the sunlight.

Maple woods are at their height in late April through early May, with species such as hepatica and Dutchman's breeches.

Oak woods have a rich succession of blooms throughout the growing season, with many species blooming throughout summer and fall. Wildflowers such as trout lily and bloodroot thrive in April.

Prairies are a riot of color in May, but quiet down by mid-June. This brief "recovery period" ends with wildflower explosions in July, August, and September.

• Dry prairies are good for finding bird's foot violet (spring) and pale purple coneflower (summer).
• Moderately moist prairies offer species like hoary puccoon and prairie milkweed.
• Wet prairies boast wild blue iris and golden Alexanders.

Some wild places in which to search for wildflowers: