We were heading north, trying to turn back the calendar on the Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Season, which we had largely missed in our Northern Kentucky home base. With the changing seasons, one can move forward or backwards by changing latitudes, gaining or losing a week by traveling 100 miles north or south.
I had selected the Adirondack Trail due to the reported presence of Marsh Marigold, a plant uncommon in Kentucky.
As we pulled into the parking area I experienced park envy, with the well maintained Pawpaw Camp Picnic Area nestled in a basin and surrounded by mature deciduous forest.
The trailhead for the Adirondack Trail arises from this area. Initially the trail is dirt and gravel and passes through a wood containing massive Cottonwoods and Tulip-poplars, and featured some of the Spring Ephemerals that we were hoping to see.
The presence of the Cottonwoods high on this ridge was a marker that this was a wet woodland. Soon we transitioned to the boardwalk that allowed the walker to enjoy this unique, wet habitat.
It was here that we saw three of the notable plants of this wet ecosystem:
Marsh Marigold – as its flower shape suggests, it is actually a member of the buttercup family rather than the marigold family. It flowers from April through June. Handling of the plant can cause a rash. Perhaps due to habitat loss, it is becoming less common in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Skunk Cabbage – it is an unusual and rare plant, but here it was abundant. It is the first wildflower to bloom in the midwest, doing so from mid-February to late March. At the time of our mid-April visit, its flowers were spent and the plant was identified by its large hosta-like leaves. They occurred both as isolated plants and in large swathes mixed in with the Marsh Marigolds. To learn more about Skunk Cabbage and see what this unique flower looks like, please use the link at the end of this article.
Purple Cress – found in moist woods, it is called “purple” for the coloration of the round leaves at the base of the plant. Like many cresses, it is edible as a salad green.
Also noted in this wet area were a few specimens of the likewise rare Jack-in-the Pulpit.
The plant consists of a single compound leaf and a spathe, which is the “pulpit”, a modified leaf that envelops the “Jack”, a spadix that is really a tubular cluster of tiny flowers.
The trail paralleled a creek as in dropped down the grade. Two more Skunk Cabbage plants can be seen in the photo below.
After leaving the forested wetland boardwalk, the trail enters a more formal garden area, Dogwood Pond, where the paths were paved. Both the photographer and I commented on the formality of the area, and how it reminded us of some British gardens that we have visited. After our outing I learned that Hills and Dales Park was designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers landscape architects – noted for their planning of New York’s Central Park, the excellent Louisville Park System, and many other formal gardens and parks. Undoubtedly they are the most famous American landscape architects.
The landscaping here was more formal and featured its namesake, the Dogwood, which were flowering beautifully.
Also featured were some British Bluebells at peak bloom.
Despite its formality, this small pond hosted an abundance of wildlife.
Dropping below the dam and the paved walkway, the trail became bare dirt and gravel and again featured mature deciduous trees where we walked through dappled sunlight on this glorious weather day.
The trail was wide and not busy.
Trailside a number of spring wildflowers were noted:
Woodland Phlox, Virginia Bluebells, Dutchman’s Breeches, Solomon’s Seal, and Roundleaf Ragwort.
We continued on the trail until we came upon this backside view of the John Patterson Memorial. Patterson was a co-founder of National Cash Register Company (NCR), one of the corporate icons during Dayton, Ohio’s manufacturing heyday. In 1903, he enlisted the Olmstead Brothers to develop Hills and Dales as a company park on his private property. Patterson believed that outdoor recreation and exercise were the pillars of good health and wanted to give NCR’s 5,000 employees a venue to get outdoors. The Olmstead Brothers continued to improve the park through 1918, when Johnson gifted the park to the City of Dayton.
Even from the back we enjoyed the Art Deco architecture.
As we left the park we stopped to get a photo from the front.
Odds and Ends:
The Pawpaw trees were at peak bloom and their flowers frequently were at eye level, allowing for easy study and appreciation. Their brownish-maroon color is quite unique in the natural world.
Many other wildflower species were noted along the trail, including this Bloodroot with its formed seed pod. It would have flowered in early April.
Hills and Dales Park is considered a birding hotspot as was evidenced by the number of people with binoculars targeted on the tree canopy and checking their Merlin Bird ID apps. They told us that the park is particularly good for warblers, but I have also read that five species of woodpecker have been seen there. This White-throated Sparrow cooperated for this photo.
Several specimens of Blackhaw Viburnum were in full flower in the understory on the woodland edge. The flowers will be followed by berries that start yellow, turn pink, then finish a blueish black when ripe in the late summer.
And of course we have to feature unique fungi when we find them. These Dryad’s Saddle mushrooms were on a rotting log. They are edible.
Plant of the Day – Nodding Trillium. In my experience these are one of the rarer trilliums. The flowers are typically white but may be white with a splash of maroon, or least often, entirely maroon. The stem of the flower arches down such that the flower is typically hidden beneath the leaves.
In summary, our trip north to Hills and Dales Park was a tremendous success as we were able to enjoy several of the spring ephemerals species that we had missed during our wet spring in Kentucky. In addition, we were able to see Marsh Marigold for the first time. Lastly, we found a mecca of Skunk Cabbage that is easily accessible for study and appreciation. Put it in your calendars for late February or early March of next year – to see the first wildflower to bloom in 2026. The Five Rivers Metroparks of Dayton and the surrounding communities continue to impress us with the quality of their parks that are free to all.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.
Overview:
Location – 2471 Deep Hollow Road, Oakwood, Ohio.
Parking – Large asphalt lot.
Facilities – bathrooms at parking area.
Trail Conditions – a mix of bare dirt and gravel, boardwalk, and paved trail. The first section and around the Dogwood Pond is basically an “all-persons” trail, but below the dam of the lake the footing is more challenging.
Print Map Link – https://www.metroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/HillsDales-ParkMap.pdf
Benches – several noted over the course of the trail, especially around Dogwood Pond.
Picnic Tables – at the parking area.
Kids – kids 4 and over should do well here.
Dogs – Welcomed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – none.
Links:
The Nodding Trillium is a new one for me. Sounds like a really good day in the woods.
Of course every day in the woods is a good day. We have seen Nodding Trillium very sporadically. Closer to home we had noted it at California Woods on the Trillium Valley and Moon Ridge Trails (that is what the search function at Footpaths tells me anyway).