Spring ephemerals to watch for include spring beauties (left) and trout lilies. Photo: Shelly Stusick.
By Emily Cook
Notes of spring are becoming readily apparent. Birds have returned to provide a chorus in the early morning hours, and spring peepers make their unmistakable call as the sun begins to set later each day. Sleepy trails become popular once more as nature-lovers begin to take advantage of the warmer and longer days.
If you take to the outdoors in the coming weeks, I encourage you to open your eyes to something else ⸺ the little arms of green that are beginning to drive themselves up through the forest floor, pushing against last year’s fallen leaves. These special wildflowers are spring ephemerals, the first flowers to make an appearance post winter. Their blooms are brief but powerful and a sure sign that a new season is here to stay.
Before venturing out, I invite you to take a moment to set the scene for identifying Michigan’s spring ephemerals. If it helps, briefly close your eyes and envision your favorite forest trail. Perhaps beech trees tower over you as warbler song fills the space. Maybe you can even hear the waves of Lake Michigan nearby. It’s a warm late-April or early-May day, so you don’t need a heavy coat for the first time in months. Take a deep breath and smell the fresh air and new plants growing.
One wildflower you are likely familiar with is the trillium. A favorite among many, it needs little description. At first glance trilliums may all look the same, but there are 38 different species in North America ⸺ mostly found in the mid and eastern portion of the U.S. and Canada. Their colors and size vary greatly and can confuse even the best botanist. They are all members of the lily family, and if you take a closer look at the ones scattered along your favorite trail, you will see their signature blend of white and pink blooms and large “leaves of three.”
Another of the first ephemerals of spring can often be found fighting for the open areas where sunlight shines into the forest. Spring beauties ⸺ with their light pink, star-shaped flowers ⸺ only grow to be about 6 inches tall, but like trilliums, a forest carpeted with them makes for a stunning sight. Another name for spring beauties is “fairy spud” because their tiny underground tubers can be prepared just like potatoes. Despite this, it’s best to leave them be as removing wildflowers can be a great disruption to the balance of a healthy ecosystem.
You might spot a yellow flower growing among the trilliums and spring beauties. On a breezy day, the blooms on this new plant will “nod.” With its green and brown mottled leaves, it can be identified as the trout lily, one of my personal favorites. These markings are why it has the name it does, because of its similarity to a brown or brook trout. In the warm sun of late April, the trout lily’s petals are folded all the way back toward the stem, giving it a unique, undeniable look.
Canada violets are another favorite. Fragrant and white, their bright yellow centers often match the trout lily blooms. If you look closely, you will see the five white petals are tinged a light purple. It’s a sharp contrast to the dark green, heart-shaped leaves. In the forest, our native violets grow taller than the ones you find serving as a ground cover in your backyard. Also keep an eye out for downy yellow violets, aptly named because of their soft, fuzzy petals.
As you continue hiking through your favorite forest, the towering beech trees may have transitioned to oaks. The glacial moraines unique to our state provide an interesting landscape, one you can see well as the budding trees have not yet leafed out.
One more unique spring plant may catch your eye. Like many species it is named for its appearance. The white blooms of Dutchman’s breeches look like tiny pairs of pantaloons hanging upside down. They’re unmistakable once you know what to look for. While commonly found in forests like where you are, if they end up in cattle fields they can cause animals that consume them to drunkenly stagger around from the toxic and narcotic substances in them. This is why they are sometimes called “Little Blue Staggers.”
These are just a sample of the many spring plants that will soon be covering northwest Michigan. There are plentiful online resources where you can find images of native species. Also, phone apps like “Picture This” can be an excellent guide and point you in the right direction when attempting to identify a species while exploring.
We are very lucky to have a handful of natural areas in Manistee, southern Benzie and slightly beyond that seem to explode with wildflower diversity each spring. While not a comprehensive list, the following locations are great options for getting your ephemeral fix:
- Arcadia Dunes C.S. Mott Nature Preserve (Southern Benzie) – gtrlc.org – Hike the trails to see trilliums, trout lilies, spring beauties, and plenty of ramps
- Pete’s Woods (Southern Benzie) – gtrlc.org – One of the most popular wildflower hikes in the region. The short trail off Swamp Road, south of Joyfield Road, includes nearly every spring ephemeral listed here, and more.
- Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary (Manistee) – michiganaudubon.org – This Audubon property includes 70-plus acres with trails on the east side of Lakeshore Drive. Attractions at property owned by Lake Bluff Farms on the west side of Lakeshore include views over Lake Michigan and two Michigan Champion Trees, a giant sequoia and a sycamore maple.
- Magoon Creek Natural Area (Manistee) – visitmanisteecounty.com – Invasive species removal efforts have been underway here for years, allowing the forest to transition into a more balanced, healthier ecosystem.
- Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary (Newaygo) – fs.usds.gov – The only wildflower sanctuary in the Huron-Manistee National Forest system, diverse habitat types allow for an incredible array of different wildflowers to grow. Read the May 2022 Freshwater Reporter story: “May bursts with blooms at Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary”.
Emily Cook is a resident of Arcadia where she lives with her husband and two collies. She is a conservationist by training and a writer and artist when the time allows. She explores the nearby nature trails and Lake Michigan beach as much as possible.
To read more by Emily Cook, click HERE.
