| Tips for viewing Ohio’s spring wildflowers |
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Do a little research of the area you are going to visit. Knowing its background and what flowers you might expect to see can enrich your experience. |
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Take a camera to record the different blooms you see along the trail. |
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Keep a list of the spring wildflowers you see this season then next year, see how many new ones you can add to the list. |
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Bring a magnifying glass for an extra close up view of the flowers. |
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Keep your eyes open for wildflower pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, ants and hummingbirds. |
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If the weather is good, consider packing a picnic lunch. |
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Spring weather can be unpredictable, so be prepared for sudden climatic changes. |
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Have fun and remember, no matter how pretty a bouquet they would make, leave the wildflowers unpicked for others to enjoy! |
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 Ohio’s wildflower season is right around the corner, and the first to pop up through the wintry landscape is skunk cabbage. Named for its unappealing scent, skunk cabbage is generally found in bogs and moist woodlands.
With an intriguing ability to generate an intense amount of internal heat, the bog-dwelling plant literally melts its way to the top to become Ohio’s first spring wildflower. Appearing in late February or early March, skunk cabbage can now be seen dotting marshy woodland floors.
Skunk cabbage emerges as two pointed stalks, cupping together to form a protective shell around a knob-shaped cluster of tiny cream-colored flowers. Roughly five-inches tall, the shoots are a mottled reddish-purple with blotches of yellow and green, giving it the appearance of a speckled Easter egg.
Some of the best places to see skunk cabbage and many of Ohio’s other colorful spring wildflowers include: Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County, West Branch State Park in Portage County; Caesar Creek State Park in Warren County, Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County, and Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County.
Wildflowers take their cue to bloom directly from the sun. As daylight hours increase, so do the variety and numbers of blooms. Another early bloomer is the snow trillium a three-petal posy surrounded by dark green leaves most abundantly found in the woodlands of southern Ohio.
Harbinger-of-spring and hepatica also pop their heads above the soil in March. Part of the parsley family, “harbingers” grow only about three inches high and are frequently overlooked during woodland walks. Hepatica, on the other hand, feature showy three-part blooms on a slender stalk.
The end of March brings the spring beauty. This white and pink striped flower holds its blossoms for as long as three weeks and is frequently found growing along roadsides and in lawns.
By April, dozens of wildflower species are nodding their pretty heads in Ohio's fields and forests. Among the most common are trout lilies, Virginia bluebells, may-apple, cut-leaved toothwort, and a variety of wild violets.
To learn about Ohio State Parks spring wildflower hikes visit the events calendar at ohiostateparks.org
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