What's in Bloom

McDonald Woods: Red baneberry (Actaea rubra), rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides/ Thalictrum thalictroides), wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), white spring cress (Cardamine bulbosa), Pennsylvania bitter cress (Cardamine pennsylvanica ), purple spring cress (Cardamine douglassii), brome hummock sedge (Carex bromoides), Penn sedge (Carex pensylvanica), long-beaked sedge (Carex sprengelii), redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea), crinkleroot (Dentaria diphylla), toothwort (Dentaria laciniata), shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia), white trout lily (Erythronium albidum), spotted geranium (Geranium maculatum), false rue anemone (Isopyrum biternatum), starry false Solomon's seal (Maianthemum stellata, syn. Smilacina stellata), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), blue phlox (Phlox divaricata), Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), early buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis), swamp buttercup (Ranunculus septentrionalis), American black currant (Ribes americanum), early meadowrue (Thalictrum dioicum), white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), prairie trillium (Trillium recurvatum), nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium), dog violet (Viola conspersa), downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens), common blue violet (Viola sororia), golden Alexander (Zizia aurea).

Prairie and Skokie River: Spring prairie plants are colorful, but small, so look carefully and you will spot yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) along river banks and in wet areas. Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), sedges (Carex spp.), shooting star (Dodecatheon media), strawberries (Fragaria virginiana), prairie smoke (Geum triflorum), downy phlox (Phlox pilosa), Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans), golden ragwort (Senecio aurea), starry false Solomon's seal (Smilacina stellata), and golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) are along the pathways and hillside.