Woodland Wildflowers & Reports

It's wildflower season - get out and explore. Find emerging elegant patches of early spring color as native wildflowers unfurl their gentle blooms. Their dazzling show of spring color is only a limited engagement, so take time to see the flowers before they are gone.

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Nature's Calendar

In the world of phenology, there are year-to-year variations in when certain plants emerge and bloom, or when certain animals migrate and mate. One year, bloodroot may bloom earlier than the previous year—or later. These shifts are influenced by short-term weather patterns and long-term climate trends.

Topography also plays a role in plant phenology. On a south-facing hill, where there's more sun exposure and the soil warms earlier in the season, plants tend to bloom sooner than those on the north-facing side of the same hill. Even plants of the same species can be days or even weeks behind their relatives growing on the sunnier slope.

Which wildflowers will you discover this week?

Wildflowers are enticing treasures for wilderness lovers each year. One of the most encouraging signs of spring, the first wildflowers seem to bloom overnight.

Early spring wildflowers are commonly called ephemerals, which means “short-lived.”  They utilize a short time window when sunlight bathes the forest floor before tree leaves emerge to shade them out. It's a smart ecological adaptation and pretty, too. 

Wildflowers can be found by simply walking, or biking along trails, on a hike through a local or Iowa state park or just driving slowly along a county road. It's illegal to pick wildflowers in public conservation areas, so take a photo or sketch your finds and leave the plants untouched.

Spotting secretive wildflowers is a refreshing, unique spring activity for the whole family. Get outside this spring and see what you can find. Please take only pictures and leave the flowers for others to enjoy!

Common Spring Wildflowers

Wildflowers come in countless varieties and yet can be so fleeting. They sprinkle wild landscapes with color and send subtle fragrances into the nearby air. 

Look for these common Iowa spring wildflowers.

• Bloodroot
• Common blue violet
• Dutchman’s breeches
• Jack-in-the-pulpit
• Rue anemone
• Shooting star
• Snow trillium
• Speckled Phlox (wild sweet William)
• Spring beauty
• Virginia bluebells
• White trout lily
• Wild columbine
• Wild geranium

Bring Your Camera

Spring colors are popping up across Iowa. Here are easy wildflower photography tips:

• Avoid full, direct sunlight which can wash out colors. Early and late times of day yields dramatic side lighting.
• Overcast days are best with soft and even light that contrasts nicely against saturated or delicate wildflower colors.
• Moisture can help give photos interest. Shoot during light mist, or after a light rain. Droplets on leaves and flowers add interest.
• Get down low for better flower photos. People are used to standing eye-level views.
  • For more dramatic photos, change the perspective and get down to flower level.
• Wear old clothes or bring something to lay on to get down on a knee or your belly to create more interesting images taken from a ground-perspective.

Resources

Ready to increase your wildflower activities and knowledge? These resources can help!

Wildflower Books & Guides

• Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands by Sylvan Runkel and Alvin Bull
• Iowa Trees & Wildflowers: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Plants by James Kavanagh
• Wildflowers of the Midwest: Your Way to Easily Identify Wildflowers by Stan Tekiela
• A Peterson Field Guide To Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-central North America by Margaret McKenny and Roger Tory Peterson
• Wildflowers of the Midwest: A Field Guide to Over 600 Wildflowers in the Region by Don Kurz
• Wildflowers of Southeastern Iowa -Volume 1 Spring by Don Weiss

Online Resources

• Celebrating Wildflowers - Just for Kids(U.S. Forest Service)
• Native Woodland Flowers for the Home Garden (ISU Extension)
• Iowa’s Spring Wildflowers (Iowa Association of Naturalists)
• Wildflowers of the United States Database
• Iowa Native Plant Society
• Native Plants Database (Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund)
• Leave Wildlife Babies in the Wild
• Nature BINGO

Fun Family Outdoor Activities

• A Poem's Hunt
• Animal Signs Hike
• Birding Guide in Iowa
• Create Your Own Nature Journal
• Habitat Scavenger Hunt
• Look for Nature Hunt

Baby Wildlife - Leave them alone!

If you see wildlife babies on their own, let them be. Their parents know best, and most wildlife leave nests or dens well in advance of being able to care for themselves. Although broods or litters may become widely scattered during this fledgling period, they still remain under the direct care and feeding of their parents.

Not only is taking in wildlife illegal, it can often doom the creature you're trying to save. If you see injured, sick or wildlife in need, reach out to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Tick Safety & Protection

• More than a dozen tick species are found in Iowa, but three are most common: Blacklegged (deer tick), dog tick (wood tick), and the lone star tick.  Ticks are active March through November in Iowa.
• Prevention is best. Protect yourself from ticks by:
• Wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants tucked into socks
• Wearing light colored clothes, which makes finding ticks easier.
• Using repellent containing DEET
• Adding permethrin repellents on clothing per label

• Checking for ticks while you're out and once you're home  

  How to Remove Ticks

• If you find yourself outdoors without tweezers and need to remove a tick:
• Use fine weight fishing line, thread or floss tied into a simple overhand knot.
• Gently tighten the knot around the head of the tick.
• Slowly pull the ends of the line to tighten the knot and pull out the tick.
• Always check your body and hair after spending time outdoors and remove ticks as soon as possible.