The First Real Blooming Wildflower of 2014 (other than Skunk Cabbage)

March 31 2014 My sister Marie, and I went for our weekly outing to wherever we want, within reason.  We headed for Allegan State Game Area, planning to walk the Swan Creek foot trail.  Here in Michigan we have had a long, cold, snowy winter so as we suspected there was too much snow to hike this several mile trail.

We made many stops - starting with Hamilton and the park there with the beautiful wood railroad trestle over the Rabbit River.  Always a cool sight to see, and a crew came along the tracks to make repairs.  We would have stayed and watched but we had places to go.

On down the road we went to Happy Boots Corner near M-40 and M-89 in Allegan County.  We have been stopping here for several years now, it's just a bit of wet woods along the road, and it is public land.

Here we did find Skunk Cabbage blooming, okay that's nice but just wait until later in the day!  It is a beautiful Skunk Cabbage.

 We wandered a bit here.  We saw several green cotyledons of various plants coming up, most too small to identify.  I like this place. 
Back in the car we traveled past dams and crossed several bridges.  We ended up in Otsego, Michigan and stopped at the township hall for information and a map.  Marie talked to three very helpful people there, and came out with a nice map. 
We visited two of their parks and their library.  The Otsego library has a wonderful children's section, with a bridge and a large tree filled with birds, bats, spiders and other creatures.  It also includes a "house" complete with a roof, windows, and door!  I'd like to take my granddaughter there but it's 55 miles from home. 
We drove too a site where a dam had been removed and work was being done there too.  I really don't know much about Otsego, but it seems like a nice place.

On our way home we visited Allegan, stopping in at their library.  It was the first warm day that we have had in a long time so we walked on the boardwalks here in Allegan.

 It was getting on in the day but we decided to check on one more special place, 133rd Avenue.  This section of 133rd Avenue has a south facing slope so it catches the sun.  It is a dirt road and has lots of wildflowers.  This is what it looks like.

 I wasn't seeing any green, - none, zip, zero.  My lip starts to drop but then wait - I spot the old leaves from last years hepatica!  Marie backs up, I pick my lip up and jump out of the car to get a closer look.  And there just for us is our favorite spring wildflower, Round-Lobed Hepatica!  Life is good.

Van Zoeren Woods to Happy Boots

2012 03 27  Van Zoeren Woods, a  Zeeland township park (34 acres) was our destination for this very cold windy, morning.  To get to this park we traveled through some beautiful farmland, this barn picture was taken along the way.

We found the park with no problem, but where to park was a bit of a question.  We just parked near the sign.

It was 9 a.m. and 36 degrees with a brisk wind blowing.  We started to see wildflowers as soon as we got to the trail.

 Yellow Trout Lily

False Rue Anemone


Then a surprise!  Marie found Large-flowered Trillium blooming.  This is about 6 weeks earlier than average for this plant to bloom here in west Michigan.

Large-flowered Trilllium

Then she spotted this Jack-in-the-Pulpit fully open!  There were many, many, Wild Leek leaves everywhere.  The leaves show first on the Wild Leek then the leaves die back and the plant blooms later in the spring.

Wild Leek leaves

 Mayapple was up but not yet blooming.

Bloodroot done blooming.

 Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Close up of the green flower of the Blue Cohosh plant.



 Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Fumitory Family.  Each flower is about 3/4 " long and has the form of a pair of pants upside down on a clothesline.

 Dutchman's Breeches

 Squirrel Corn (Dicentra Canadensis) Fumitory Family.  Squirrel Corn flowers are heart shaped.

Here I lifted my head up from the flowers and took a look around the woods.  It's a nice little woods, they are planning on making a paved trail, some paths were being worked on.

           Bug

      This I think is a fungus called Scarlet Cup.

We also saw Cut-leaved Toothwort blooming for the first time this year, lots of first here in Van Zoeren Woods.

We visited Van Zoeren Woods for about three hours then went down to Allegan County to Happy Boots Corner.  Oh the Marsh Marigold, beautiful.

Marsh Marigold like a burst of sunshine.

 More Marsh Marigold

Marsh Marigold is usually one of the early bloomers and they are so pretty.  Then we found a flower blooming that again surprised us, Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus) Aster Family. 

 Golden Ragwort blooming

Golden Ragwort buds  The first year we came across this plant we couldn't figure it out because we would see these purplish buds, but out comes a golden flower!  

 We also saw violets, this one was a very soft purple color.

 Different kinds of buttercups.

            Ferns unfurling

This is Dwarf Ginseng (Panax trifolius).


Don't forget to look around at these fun and interesting woods.

Allegan Forest


After about an hour and a half at Happy Boots Corner we hopped in the car and drove along 133rd Avenue.

133rd Ave. Allegan County Michigan

 The patch of White Trout Lily was back.  Some Yellow Trout Lily too.

A nice bunch of violets...Then to home.  A wonderful day.

Still Cold In Michigan

March 29 2011  Marie and I spent 3 hours in the deep wet woods of Aman Park, where no trails go.  What is it about these shallow wet areas that are so inviting?  We stopped to listen for Spring but didn't hear it.

We did see, then heard a Barred Owl.  When I imitated its "Who cooks for you, all" we heard a deer snort back at me.  Such fun.  Still cold though and not many plants are coming out of the frozen ground.

                                                                     Ice

                            Swampy woodlands at Aman Park
We checked often for Spicebush which blooms soon with little yellow blossoms.  We found it but not yet open.

                                                      Spicebush will soon bloom yellow.

        Wild Leek pushing through the sandy mud near Sand Creek in Ottawa County.
We saw the garden escape, Snow Drops blooming, there at Aman.  I did find Hepatica barely open and so furry.

   Going by its leaves left from last year, it is Sharp-Lobed Hepatica.

Leaving Aman Park just after noon we traveled 10 miles by car to Hager Park if we could have flown like a bird it would have been 4 miles.  Hager Park is an Ottawa County Park here is some info about the park -

This popular 104 acre family park has a full array of recreational opportunities including extensive picnic areas and nature trails. The mature hardwood forest is well known for its spectacular spring wildflowers in April and May. A highlight of the park is the Age of Discovery community-built playground which overlooks a terrain map of the United States.

 This is an aerial view of the terrain map of the U.S. at Hager Park, notice the green mounds for the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains, lines of rock represent the Mississippi  River and the Colorado River, the states are outlined too. 

                                                       At Hager Park

                                                   Larch springing out

                                                      Hager Creek

                                                  Wildlife in Hager Creek
We walked at Hager for about 2 1/2 hours, how do we do it?  It was 41 degrees very sunny with blue skies.  The last picture is of the Grand River as we crossed it on the M-45 bridge near Allendale.