Spring wildflowers are in bloom at Lake Metroparks

By Mimi Vanderhaven

He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…

Why waste time plucking petals from blooms, when you can head out to the trails and fields of Lake Metroparks to view the majestic blanket of spring wildflowers in their natural habitat?

Mimi recently caught up with parks biologist Megan Hart for some insights into what, when and where Mimi readers can expect the annual floral kaleidoscope to unfold.

“The severity of winter, early warmth of spring, and longer days of sunshine trigger flowers to begin their bloom cycle,” explains Megan. “Spring wildflowers, which last from mid-April to late-May or early-June, are on a shorter timeline than others, as they have to emerge, grow and bloom before trees leaf out and restrict sunlight to the forest floor.”

Here’s a short list of the native flowers you’ll see on any given stroll through nature this spring: bloodroot, Virginia bluebells, spring beauties, squirrel corn, yellow rout lilies, wild geraniums, mayapples, jack-in-the-pulpits and large white-flowered trillium, which is Ohio’s official state wildflower.

“Right now, I recommend walking along Old Seeley Road, which has been closed to road traffic, at Indian Point Park in Painesville, as well as Hogback Ridge Park in Madison Township,” adds Megan. “Both offer ideal viewing of flowers, specifically Virginia bluebells.”

For a more detailed list, check out the Ohio Wildflower Bloom Report at OhioDNR.gov, which is updated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources every Friday, now through mid-May.

More than just a pretty face, spring wildflowers are also essential for butterflies and bees to thrive.

“Instead of cutting flowers from the parks to bring home, which we discourage, we suggest people think about buying native plants from local farm stores to plant in their yard,” she says.

Lake Metroparks encourages you to binge walk your parks this year. Try out the Spring Wildflower self-guided hikes with a checklist of flowers and their bloom dates. To download, visit goto.lakemetroparks.com/bingewalk.

Lake Metroparks provides more than 4 million visitors with countless recreational and educational experiences at diverse facilities, including an agriculturally themed park, a nature center, education and wildlife rehabilitation center, two golf courses, more than 60 miles of trails and six parks on Lake Erie’s shoreline. Visit LakeMetroparks.com for details.