It had been an unusual month of March for us. Between travel and unanticipated family responsibilities we had not hiked locally during the month. We had missed the start of the spring ephemeral wildflower season, one of our favorite hiking seasons of the year. So, as the first weekend of April promised nice spring weather, we targeted a return to the The Big Woods, an old growth forest. We had been there a little over a year ago and had noted the emergence of woodland wildflowers that had not bloomed yet – our timing should have been perfect for an outstanding display. We were not disappointed.

White Trout Lily

The Big Woods is an ideal habitat for spring ephemerals. It is comprised of centuries old American Beeches, Tulip-poplars, Red Oaks and White Oaks, with some very large Sugar Maples as well. The canopy is held well above the forest floor and the understory is wide open, allowing broad vistas across the rolling terrain.

The life cycles of the ephemerals are such that they appear early in the spring to cover the forest floor, capturing sunlight for photosynthesis before the trees leaf out and blanket the ground with shade. The spring flowers basically emerge, flower, get pollinated, set seed, and go into dormancy over about 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the species. Over the summer you may see some vegetative evidence of their presence, but for the most part their job is completed.

The Big Woods Trail winds through the forest and crosses several streams, with and without the assistance of bridges.

At first glance there appears to be a dusting of snow, but what you are seeing is the collection of white flowers of many species dispersed across the forest floor.

Perhaps the most photogenic setting is when the flowers are nestled in amongst the roots of the trophy trees.

There is literally a dizzying number of flowers along the trail. I’m like a carnival barker as we walk along the trail, excitingly calling out the different flowers that I’m seeing. The poor photographers have to cope with my Wild Flower Attention Deficit Disorder. Before I know it I have wandered too far, like the greyhound chasing the fake rabbit, and have to mosey back to the artists who are squatting down getting excellent photos of the species I pointed out 5 minutes ago.

Dutchman’s Breeches – below and in the title photo.

This is an out and back trail, which is good if you are like me and fear that you overlooked some outstanding finding along the way. Eventually the trail pulls up stream side, and has a marked crossing – all that is required is a Fred Astaire move across moss laden unsteady stones. The photographers carry the fragile cargo.

After the crossing the trail mirrors the winding stream for a few hundred yards, and the forest floor bounty is still noticeable.

It was in this area that we came across blankets of Rue Anemone as noted in an earlier photo. Their simple beauty makes them one of my favorite spring wildflowers.

The Big Woods Trail officially has three trailheads: West, central, and east. We started at the central one, which has a big parking lot, and headed east. 0.8 miles. As we turned around and headed back, we noted this bird’s nest under the eave of the signage at the east starting point.

Ironically, within steps of the this sign station the photographer captured this photo of an Eastern Phoebe collecting moss for its nest. Merlin, the bird App, tells me that they, the Eastern Phoebe, frequently nest “under eaves of buildings and other human-made structures”.

The return to our vehicle was uneventful – and still very rewarding. We continued to inventory the wildflowers, as the change in light sometimes reveals new findings.

When we started the walk I mentioned to the photographers that I hoped to find Twinleaf along the trail. It is another white spring wildflower but I had not seen it in a couple of years. Its scientific name is Jeffersonia diphylla and it is named for Thomas Jefferson. Sure enough, on this 1.6 mile hike I saw exactly one specimen. Its name “Twinleaf” comes from its matching set of leaves. It was not flowering yet.

Another glossy leafed plant that is prominent in April and May is Mayapple. They emerge in early April as a tightly wound digit, and then unfold their single leaf into an umbrella form. A little later in April a single large white flower will bloom, hidden beneath the leaf, followed by a light green, gumball sized seed capsule that develops in May. Hence the name, Mayapple.

There were numerous specimens of both Yellow and White Trout Lily along the trail. Both of these plants are very slow to mature, taking 5 years from seed germination till flowering age. Younger, non-flowering plants, will only have a single leaf while flowering specimens have two.

One of the more challenging flowers to identify for beginners is the relatively common Spring Beauty. The reason is that most field guides initially separate flowers by color and Spring Beauties have significant variation in color, ranging from white to deep pink. In addition, some flower petals will be rounded while others are pointed. But they will all have the telltale blade like leaves.

Spring Beauty has the longest blooming season of the ephemerals. That is demonstrated on this photo that shows the developing seed capsules that are aligned along the stem. New flower buds develop at the tip of the stem. In the Ohio River Valley they will flower from mid-March to mid-May.

Another flower that has color variation is Cutleaf Toothwort. It generally is a true white but one will see some that are a light periwinkle.

There is also a Narrowleaf Toothwort, on the left below, which as the name implies has narrower leaves that are less deeply toothed. A Cutleaf Toothwort is on the right for comparison.

Trilliums are very popular wildflowers and we noted two species at The Big Wood. The Sessile Trillium flowers have a faint rotten scent to them and they are pollinated by flies and beetles that are attracted to the smell.

The Giant Trillium was perhaps a day or two away from flowering.

Bloodroot is a fairly common wildflower and hosts one of the largest flowers, measuring 1.5 inches. Each plant has a single short lived flower that results in the large seed head noted in the second photo.

At The Big Woods Dutchman’s Breeches were abundant. Its look-a-like cousin, Squirrel Corn, was much less common. Their ferny leaves are similar and both have white flowers elevated on a stalk. To my eye Dutchman’s Breeches look like an extracted tooth, while Squirrel Corn has a heart shape.

Other species that we saw were: Rounded-leafed Violet, Star Chickweed, Common Blue Violet.

These early bloomers are certainly attractive to the pollinators. The insects travel from flower to flower, collecting nectar, and in the process transfer pollen from one flower to another, randomly mixing the genetics of propagation, to ensure another generation of beauty. The various species of pollinators seem to specialize and primarily visit flowers of certain species.

Odds and Ends: Though this was primarily a wildflower walk, the photographers noted some other interesting findings.

This unidentified plant emerged from the ground and grew through a hole in a leaf, which now constrains the spread of the plant.

This orange fungus beneath this twig caught our eye. It is called Witch’s Butter. It grows on decaying wood.

Texture of the Day – The “woven” bark of a mature Tulip-poplar tree.

And lastly, one of the surprising things in the spring wood is how dainty Buckeye leaves look when they first open. How did so much potential fit into that single bud?

In summary, our outing to The Big Woods was an exciting hike. It was fun to see so many species of spring ephemerals in such a short distance. Walking amongst the iconic old growth trees with a wide open understory is a special experience that is somewhat rare in this age of invasive species. There are about 4 weeks left in the Spring Ephemeral season so find yourself a mature forest and enjoy the show.

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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns and Ellen Burns.

Overview:

Location – 6301 Park Office Rd, College Corner, OH 45003

Parking – Large asphalt lot.

Facilities – None at trailhead. Formal indoor restrooms at Nature Center about 0.5 miles away.

Trail Conditions – bare dirt and embedded gravel.

Print Trail Map Link – https://www.hueston-woods-state-park.org/resources/hueston-woods-park-map.pdf

Benches – None.

Picnic Tables – None on the trail but numerous throughout the park.

Kids – Kids four and over should do well.

Dogs – Prohibited.

Paired Hiking Trails – There are a number of trails at Hueston Woods but we have not been on them.

Links:

https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/hueston-woods-state-park