Tri-State Outdoor News

Every season has beauty but none quite like the long-awaited beauty of spring that bursts with color and song. The silence of winter is replaced with a calming chorus of frogs. The active birds fill the yard with song and movement.

Our woodland habitat gives us many opportunities to see native plants in bloom during spring. The redbud trees splash bright color in the woods with tiny flowers of pink that cover the branches all around. The flowers on the sassafras trees have a wonderful buttery color that is enhanced by surrounding dogwoods. By looking up into the canopy from ground level you may not be able to fully appreciate the flowers of a yellow poplar or tulip tree. View the flowers from the side or get a glimpse down into the flower and you will see that the lime green tulip shaped flowers are filled with vivid orange and yellow. One tree not to miss in full bloom is the black locust. Locust trees bare prickly branches that you will painstakingly want to avoid but the trees are definitely worth seeking out. In spring the locust tree is draped with clusters of sweetly scented white flowers that hang throughout the branches.

The trees are just the beginning of what spring has to discover and they are pretty easy to spot. The wildflowers, and all the little things that frequent them, are much more challenging and fun to find.

Going in search or on a “hunt” to see spring flowering plants can be a fun experience for the whole family. It can inspire ideas for the garden and a love for nature. There are many inexpensive guidebooks to choose from that can be helpful in your search. Small instant pocket guides are perfect for anyone just starting out and for children. Whether you take a drive or a hike through a park or stay in your own backyard you might want to bring along guides for birds and butterflies too. The trees and flowers are an important part of their habitat. You never know what you may encounter nesting and breeding activities or possibly the fascinating process of metamorphosis.

Columbines are at the top of my list for spring flowers. The wild columbine has delicate red and yellow flowers and it is an exceptional native perennial for Tri-State gardens. There are many garden varieties of columbines that come in an array of color and shape combinations from solid to bicolor with single or double flowers. Columbines are a must for me in our gardens. They look nice in flowerbeds and in and along the wooded areas. Columbines are a great overall plant. They do well in poor or rocky soil and that saves time amending any soil challenges. In our woodland gardens the plants seem to be fine in sun or shade.

I use some as cut flowers; they look beautiful in bouquets. After blooming columbines produce petite seed pods that are as delicate as the flowers. The attractive foliage extends through summer/ and the base of the plant creates a little mound or clump. The leaves are divided/ lobed and appear in threes. Columbines are great nectar plants for butterflies and hummingbirds – sure to bring a lot of visitors to a garden. They provide seeds for the birds to enjoy making columbines an ideal plant to include in a bird feeding station
There are many native flowers to look for in spring. You can find woodland phlox with its soft lavender flowers in moist areas throughout April and May. Daisy fleabanes, buttercups and Indian paintbrushes can all be found this time of the year. Be sure to watch for hummingbirds on the flowers of the Indian paintbrush. Buttercups are a cherished nectar plant for the American copper butterfly. The orange of the butterfly stands out against the bright yellow flowers. Don’t miss the tiny common checkered-skipper getting nectar from the small flowers of the fleabanes.

If you don’t want to venture out on your own in search offspring bloomers check the DNR’s recreation guide or website www.dnr.IN.gov for guided wildflower walks at parks in your area. Please never remove plants from the wild without proper permission – adopt a look don’t dig approach.

Another great way to celebrate spring is to join Wesselman’s Nature Society in an Earth Day celebration at Howell Wetlands in Evansville. The event will be held Saturday April 18. You will discover activities that the entire family will enjoy planned around recycling, sustainability, conservation and environmental science. For more information call 479-0771 or visit www.wesselmannaturesociety.org.

Howell Wetlands is a wonderful place to view native wildflowers and to observe birds and butterflies. WNS also offers wildflower tours that I highly recommend.

So before you jump into garden work this spring take time to take in nature’s beauty.