Mailing Address:
2045 Morse Road,
Building C-3
Columbus, OH 43229-6693
(614) 265-6561

For general information about the
Division of Natural Areas and Preserves,
e-mail your questions here.

Ohio's Spring Wildflowers

The best displays of Spring Wildflowers can be seen at: Clifton Gorge Eagle Creek Fowler Woods Gahanna Woods Goll Woods Howard Collier Lake Katharine Lakeside Daisy More about wildflowers

Spring is a wonderful time for a walk in an Ohio woods. From late March through early June, our woodlands come alive with beautiful wildflowers.

They need to grow, flower and set seed quickly, because once the trees leaf out, the sunlight that powers all this activity will be obscured by the dense canopy, leaving these wildflowers in deep shade.

Every woodlot in the state has its share of spring glory, but the numbers and diversity of plants will depend on the past history of the woods (has it been grazed or heavily lumbered recently), the weather, and the soil.

This introduction to spring wildflowers is only a sample of the treasures to be found in Ohio’s woods and forests. The best way to learn about them is to experience them for yourself. Your state nature preserves are a great place to start your search.

Harbinger of Spring	Hepatica	Dutchman’s Breeches	Squirrel Corn	Spring Beauty
Mayapple	Large-flowered Trillium	Wild Blue Phlox	Wild Ginger	Bloodroot
Cut-leaved Toothwort	Jack-In-The-Pulpit	Virginia Bluebell	Common Blue Violet	Eastern or Wild Columbine

The Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) is one of the earliest wildflowers to appear in the woods. Its cluster of tiny white flowers with dark reddish-brown anthers is responsible for its other common name, Pepper-and-Salt. The plant, which rarely reaches 10 inches in height, rises from a small tuber, as you might expect from the "bulbosa" in its scientific name. Look for the bract at the base of the flower cluster which looks like a smaller version of the one or two finely divided leaves coming off its stem.

Another early riser in the spring woods is Hepatica. There are actually two species, determined by the shapes of their three-lobed leaves. Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) has lobes with rounded points. Sharp-lobed Hepatica (H. acutiloba) has lobes with sharp points. The two types do hybridize, so it may not be easy to tell exactly which one you are seeing. The three-lobed leaf is also responsible for another of this flower’s common names, Liverleaf, referring to the human liver’s three lobes. For early observers, it was only a short jump from that similarity to the conclusion that this plant could be used to ease liver ailments. The belief that plants which resemble a body part will have a beneficial impact on that part is known as the "doctrine of signatures." The hepatica leaves you see in early spring are actually last year’s leaves which have turned a deep wine red during the winter. New leaves will begin to unfurl toward the close of the flowering season. Hepatica flowers come in various shades of blue and pink, as well as white. The colorful part of the flower we think of as petals are actually sepals, leaf-like appendages which in a normal flower form a green cup beneath the true petals.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) are always a hit with children. It takes a dull imagination indeed not to see a row of white pantaloons hung out to dry! The unusual shape of this plant’s flower is due to the inflated spurs of its two outer petals which together form a distinctive V. This trait is reflected in the genus name Dicentra which is Greek for "two-spurred." The fragrant flowers cluster on a delicate stem which arches above the feathery leaves. Without the tell-tale flowers, Dutchman’s Breeches can be easily confused with its close relative Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) which has very similar leaves.

The double spurs of Squirrel Corn, however, have round tops which make the flower look more like a heart than a pair of pants. Squirrel Corn also blooms slightly later than Dutchman’s Breeches. Its common name comes from the plant’s tuber which resembles a kernel of corn in size, color and shape. Whether or not Squirrels actually gather them is another question!

Although small in size, Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) makes up for it with sheer exuberance. As many as fifteen flowers can rise from one little tuber. In favorable conditions, Spring Beauty can multiply rapidly, covering large spaces with its pink flowers. Look closely at those flowers. Some of them really are pink. Others are actually white with dark pink veins which, from a distance, seem to color the entire flower. Each plant also produces two thin, grass-like leaves. The scientific name of the genus it belongs to honors John Clayton, an early American botanist.

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is another children’s favorite. It is also called Umbrella Plant for its large, distinctive leaves, and Mandrake from the resemblance of its root to that of an unrelated Old World Plant. Mayapple first appears as a green, pointed spear thrusting up out of the woodland floor. As it grows taller, the wide leaves unfurl. A colony of the plants can cover the ground when in full leaf. The large, white flower is hidden beneath the leaves.

If you look closely, you will find that some Mayapple plants have two leaves and others, just one. Only plants with two leaves will bear a flower, which is found where the leaf stems join. All parts of the plant are poisonous except for the fruit (the "mayapple") which is edible only after it ripens into a soft, yellow globe about the size of a very small plum. For a different view of this plant, get down to ground level and look beneath the leaves of an extensive colony. It’s like being in some strange tropical forest. 

If there is one flower that symbolizes spring in the woods, it is the Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum). Designated the state wildflower of Ohio, this showy flower exhibits the pattern of threes in leaves petals and sepals that is found in all trilliums ("tri-" equals "three"). The flower is almost pure white when it first opens, but turns pink as it ages. A wooded hillside covered with them is a spectacular sight. Their habit of clustering appears to be due to ants.

Seeds of Large-flowered Trilliums have a light-colored crest called a "strophiole" on the outside. Ants are attracted by it and will carry the seeds back to their nest where they eat the strophiole. The seeds are discarded nearby. Baring any ill luck, the seeds will sprout the next spring, but it will be at least six years before the new plants produce any flowers. No matter how attractive you find them, trilliums are best left in place for others to enjoy (as are all wildflowers), for a picked trillium soon wilts, and the root from which it grew will most likely die without the leaves to feed it, meaning there will be one less trillium to enjoy next spring.

Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata) is one of the most widespread of our spring wildflowers. Also called Wild Sweet William, it produces a cluster of blue, slightly fragrant blossoms at the top of a sticky stem. If you look closely at an individual flower, you will see that the five petals are united at the base to form a tube. The pollen-producing anthers are hidden inside, which means that an insect trying to get at them must have a fairly long tongue. The outer edge of the petals is notched. In another variety which is found from Illinois westward, the petals are not notched. On the basis of such close observations is the science of botany built. Garden phlox is the showy first cousin of this genus.

Although you might not think of it as a wildflower, Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is an important part of our spring show, and it does have a flower. You will have to work to find it. though, for it lies on the ground at the base of the plant, where the stems of the two, broadly heart-shaped leaves meet. It’s a strange-looking flower, not at all showy, or even attractive to most eyes. Its goal is to attract ground-dwelling beetles that will crawl into the flower and pollinate it. That may account for its dull red color resembling rotting meat, and its jug-like shape. It has no true petals, but does sport three long spurs around the opening, giving it the appearance of a rather spindly star. The root of this plant has a strong ginger-like odor and has been used as a substitute for that spice.

More typical of woodland wildflowers is Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). Its pure white blossom opens at the top of a smooth stem. The single, deeply lobed leaf folds around it, which may help protect the fragile blossom from late frosts. So delicate is the flower that a heavy rain will easily knock its petals off.

Delightful though the flower may be, it is the juice of this plant that attracts the most attention. Acrid and orange-red, it has painted many a design on children’s hands, and is the reason for both the common and scientific names (sanguinarius is Latin for "bleeding"). Indians used the juice as dye for clothing and baskets, as war paint, and as insect repellant.

If you had a toothache in the old days, you’d look for this plant, the Cut-leaved Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata). The "wort" part of the name comes from an old English word meaning "plant." Thus it is the "Tooth Plant," named for the tooth-like projections found on its underground stems which means, according to the doctrine of signatures, that it must be good for tooth problems. You can probably think of several other plant names that contain "wort". Now you know what it means. The three leaves found in a whorl above the middle of the stem are deeply lobed, and each lobe is sharply toothed. The white or pink flowers are clustered at the top of the stem. The four petals of each blossom are arranged in a cross shape, which is typical of plants found in the mustard family.

Here’s a flower that cannot be mistaken for anything else! Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) is part of an unusual genus which includes Skunk Cabbage. Characteristic of the genus is the hood-like "spathe" (the "pulpit") surrounding the upright greenish "spadix" (Jack). The tiny flowers, which are either male or female, are clustered on the spadix, males at the top, females in a band around the bottom. Together with its large, palmately divided leaves, the plant can reach a height of 3 feet.

The varying stripes of purple against the green spathe give the plant an elegant look, but country cousins often put it to a very inelegant use when their obnoxious city relatives arrived. While showing them around, they would offer them a bite of Jack-in-the-Pulpit root, which tastes fine at first, but soon produces a burning sensation caused when sharp calcium oxalate crystals in the plant become imbedded in the mouth and throat. The torment can last for hours. The root is edible, however, if properly prepared by first drying and then boiling. Indians used it as a form of flour, giving rise to another of its common names, Indian Turnip. This is one plant that is as noticeable in the fall as in the spring, thanks to the tight cluster of bright red berries it produces.

Another native wildflower which has made the leap into domestic gardens is Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica). The tight cluster of flowers at the top of the stem begin as pink buds which turn blue as the bell-shaped flowers open. Anyone who has ever used litmus paper to test for acidity will recognize this color change.

The buds are slightly acidic; the blossoms, basic. Another name for this flower is Virginia Cowslip, "cowslip" meaning what we would today call "cow pie." The connection comes from this plant’s preference for moist ground which, after settlement, would often be used for pasture. Although time has softened the original meaning of the word, it still hardly seems fitting for a flower that can put on such a spectacular show when it covers the ground with a haze of blue.

For rich color, it’s hard to beat the Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia). Although the flowers are small, each plant produces a lot of them, and there are a lot of plants. This is one native species that has adapted very well to the present state of things, thriving in remnant woodlots, along roadsides and in back yards. The blossom is made of five petals. The lower one carries a distinctive spur which projects from the back of the flower. The two side petals have tufts of hair inside the blossom. Common Violets actually produce two kinds of flowers.

The familiar blue to purple flowers we see in the spring are joined later in the season by pale versions which stay near or below the ground and never open. This allows them to self-fertilize and produce copious quantities of seed—an insurance policy against the chancy success of the more visible blooms. The leaves and flowers are edible and contain lots of vitamins A and C. This is one wildflower that is numerous enough to withstand some conservative harvesting, but be careful where you gather it. You don’t need any pesticide or lawn fertilizer with your vitamin C!

One of the last of our spring wildflowers to bloom is the Eastern or Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). Found in rocky woods and on ledges, usually on calcareous rock such as limestone or dolomite, these showy flowers mark the transition from spring to fall in Ohio woodlands. The hanging, red and yellow bell-like flowers are made of five petals with long spurs which project upward. To the imaginative, these five spurs resemble doves drinking from a dish, and gave rise to the common name "columbine" from "columba" which means "dove."

The genus name Aquilegia means "eagle," and also comes from the spurs of the flower which, with their slight crook at the end, resemble an eagle’s talons. That small knob at the end of each spur is where the nectar is stored. This means that only long-tongued creatures can reach it, most probably hummingbirds—an assumption strengthened by the flower’s main color, red being especially attractive to these tiny birds. Interestingly, the European Columbine found in many gardens has short spurs and, in its native form, a blue color, both traits being attractive to bees. Europe has no hummingbirds.