Explore the Adirondacks:
Spring Wildflower Walk
18 May 2014
On 18 May 2014, VIC Naturalist Michelle Berrus led a wildflower walk from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM to learn more about spring ephemerals -- perennial woodland plants that sprout from the ground early each spring, then quickly bloom and seed before the canopy trees overhead leaf out. This strategy allows these plants -- known as spring ephemerals -- to take advantage of the full sun hitting the forest floor early in the growing season. Once the leaves are out and the forest floor is deep in shade, the leaves wither away leaving just the roots, rhizomes, and bulbs underground. The spring ephemerals have appeared relatively late this year in the Adirondacks, because of the cold weather in April and May. They don't last very long, so we were happy to discover and identify most of the ephemerals that bloom on VIC trails.
We also identified and discussed other wildflowers blooming or in bud. Our walk took us to the Heron Marsh Trail, the Loggers Loop Trail, and the Boreal Life Trail. We observed the following shrubs and wildflowers in bloom or bud:
| Painted Trillium | Hobblebush |
| Purple Trillium | Trout Lily |
| Clintonia | Leatherleaf |
| Cotton Grass | Canada Mayflower |
| Goldthread | Wild Sarsaparilla |
| Trailing Arbutus | Indian Cucumber-root |
| Smooth White Violet | Bog Rosemary |