Written by: Maggie Ross
On May 18th, thirty nature enthusiasts gathered for a delightful day on the fifth annual Spring Ephemerals Hike at Jay Cooke. The goal? To explore, learn, and appreciate the beauty of spring ephemerals and other wildflowers blooming along the park’s scenic trails.
Though the afternoon started off a bit chilly, it quickly warmed into the perfect spring day. Maggie kicked things off with a recap of her “Spring Ephemerals 101” talk from April, setting the stage for what we’d be seeing. Susan followed with a quick overview of the trail, pulling from her ten years of visiting the area. She talked about how incredibly diverse the plant life is here and why it’s such a great spot for spotting wildflowers.
Curiosity was in full bloom as participants asked thoughtful questions about spring ephemeral ecology, what makes these plants so unique, and the challenges they face. Once we hit the trail, the wildflower show did not disappoint! From the beloved yellow and white trout lilies to Virginia spring beauty, cutleaf toothwort, and Dutchman’s breeches, the trail was alive with classic spring ephemerals.
It was a leisurely and collaborative walk, with participants pointing out blooms and helping each other identify different species. James led us on a bonus detour at the end to find a patch of moschatel he remembered from years past, tucked under a cedar—a real treat!
Other wildflowers we encountered included sessile-leaf bellwort, large-flowered bellwort, wild ginger, nodding trillium, and marsh marigold. We also spotted some later-emerging plants like wild sarsaparilla, starflower, and Canada mayflower that were about to flower—a reminder that there’s still more to come and a great reason to return soon.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this special hike. It was a great day to enjoy spring and good company on the trail.
Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers 