Spring flowers in Duluth: Where they are … and where they aren’t
Bloodroot along the Superior Hiking Trail 5/15/2011
The woods of Duluth are starting to fill in with flowers, like bloodroot (above). Warm spring sun is finally reaching the forest floor, and the wildflowers are responding in kind, sending their leaves and flowers up for a brief but raucous period of color, pollination and photosynthesis.
I had a great flower walk on Sunday off of Skyline Drive on the Superior Hiking Trail by Bardon Peak. Photos and directions are on my blog.
Then this morning I thought I’d find another field of flowers in the woods of UMD’s Bagley Nature Area. It’s a sugar maple forest just like Bardon Peak. But there were virtually no wildflowers, just one lone wood anemone. What’s up with that?
More places around Duluth you could look for spring wildflowers:
- Superior Hiking Trail between Keene Creek and Haines Road.
- Jay Cooke State Park
- Hartley Nature Center ski trails
Any other suggestions, all you nature geeks out there?
Piedmont Ski Trail has a lovely patch of bloodroot, I have also seen spring beauty out there, bellwort and other spring ephemerals.
Magney-Snively section of the SHT has dutchman’s breeches, bellwort, yellow ladyslippers and adoxa, hepatica, wild oats, spring beauty, nodding trillium, large-flowered trillium, etc, etc.
I hear the nodding trilliums are about to bloom along Chester Creek.
Duluth is pretty ripe with good places to find some incredible wildflowers.
Marsh marigolds along the Western Waterfront Trail (behind Munger Inn)
Mary’s marsh marigolds by the Munger … my new favorite tongue twister.
They are not abundant yet, but I did see the above marigolds today near the Munger Inn. MaryK speaks the truth!
Marigolds keep the rabbits at bay!
Though not in Duluth, the ‘Summer Trail’ in Jay Cooke is awash in wildflowers–we counted 7 varieties. It was a great day for a hike and picnic lunch today!
Finally warm enough to get out and not fight a chill, thanks for the reminder! I’ll post some photos!