Sunday, April 24, 2016

Spring wildflowers 2016

Spring Wildflowers are in full bloom around Kalamazoo. 

Two sunny weekends in a row made it easy to enjoy them.  Last weekend, Russ Forest in Cass County was full of people walking, wading in the stream, and riding horses.  There were more flowers than human.  The Spring Beauty were so prolific, I could see their tiny flowers from the highway without slowing down.

Dowagaic Woods had fewer people but more flowers.  We saw everything from hepatica to bloodroot to trillium in bloom.  It felt like the season for ephemeral wildflowers had been compressed by the previous week's snow and that weekend's unseasonable warmth.
The Kalamazoo Nature Center had their Earth Day celebration this Saturday and their timing was perfect.  Dutchman's Breeches, Blue-eyed Mary, Marsh Marigold, Squirrel Corn, and Spring Beauty were all in flower.