Spring Wildflowers in Aman Park, Ottawa County Michigan

May 6, 2013  It was a perfect spring day, sunshine, warm temperatures, few bugs, and lots of wildflowers!  Aman Park is in Ottawa County Michigan, it has steep hillsides to Sand Creek far below.
This time we walked to the southern bridge in the park and followed along the creekside trail.  There were many oohs and ahs from my wildflowering buddy - my sister Marie, and me.  We spent 5 hours at Aman admiring everything.

 Sand Creek at Aman Park

 Large-flowered Trillium

One of the many hillsides covered with trillium.

We saw several different types of violets, all so pretty in their own way.

Virginia Bluebells

 

The Virginia Bluebells were just starting to open, soon these will cover Aman Park near the creek.

Many trees were flowering, below is the creamy white flower of Flowering Dogwood.

The Paw Paw trees had fuzzy buds...there are numerous Paw Paw trees at this park.

 Buttercups have shiny yellow flower petals...

 



 For the first time this year, we saw Wild Geranium blooming...



 Just a few Dicentra,

                                            Squirrel-corn

                                            Dutchman's Breeches

I know dandelions are known as nasty little invaders but how can you not think they are pretty?

 Common Dandelion


A lovely group of Large-flowered Bellwort, these are at the northern bridge in Aman. 

 Sand Creek

Spring Beauty were everywhere, at times making the forest floor look pinkish-white.

Spring Beauty

We saw a few trillium that had various abnormalities...

 



 We found many other wildflowers blooming but after 5 hours at Aman we moved on to Grand River Park.

 

Hayes Pond at Grand River Park in Ottawa County, Michigan

 Some trails were still totally flooded near the Grand River.

In a field 500 feet from the Grand River we saw signs of how high the flood waters had been.  See the red arrows pointing at the debris caught in the trees, the debris was more than 4 feet off the ground!   

 

 Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Marsh Marigold 

 

We saw some wildflowers and had another enjoyable walk.