Warmth and rainy days have accelerated the eye-catching emergence of spring ephemerals that thrive in our woodlands and along rural roadsides. Ephemeral means short-lived, which is a perfect word to describe these wonderful, often overlooked wildflowers of our county.

I first became acquainted with ephemeral wildflowers more than three decades ago at the West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve and Orchard Lake Sanctuary, where they will be at peak bloom in another week or two. If you want to see them anywhere in our county, now is the time to start looking. Just head to a woodland soon for they will only last a few weeks after emerging.

Spring ephemerals appear in early spring and disappear when tree canopies fill out and shade the forest floor. They are already approaching peak bloom in the southernmost woodlands of Oakland County. In the northern part of our county, they are just getting started. I photographed most of the images on April 19 and 21 at Tenhave Woods in the City of Royal Oak and at the Bloomer Unit of the Ortonville State Recreation where ephemerals add dramatic splashes of color to the woods.

RED TRILLIUM: These eye-catching beauties of the forest, also known as “Stinking Bengamin,” are emerging in healthy woodlands. Bend over and sniff one and you will discover how they got their nickname. Their pungent odor attracts beetles and flies, while most sweet-scented flowers are pollinated by butterflies and honeybees.  

BLOODROOT: I try not to have favorite wildflowers, but perhaps this is a top contender. Bloodroot is one of the most well-known and iconic flowers of our woodlands. The sap in the stem and root is bright red, thus the well-deserved name.

YELLOW TROUT LILY: These beauties with mottled leaves sometimes cover hundreds of yards or even acres of the forest floor. As for the fish related name, it has spots that resemble the markings of a brook trout. Their flowers and young leaves are edible and I have snacked on them in my woods.

SPRING BEAUTY: The name is just perfect! This woodland beauty is short lived, but so eye-catching for those who take the time to walk slowly, stop often and look about. The flower petals almost look like a painting with delicate pink stripes against a background of white.

DAFFODILS: Daffodils are usually planted in gardens but sometimes they randomly appear in woodlands. They are not native to North America but appear frequently in gardens and wild landscapes across the county. These tall eye-catching naturalized flowers thrive in my woodland and have expanded their range by a process known as bulb division.

MAY APPLE: These flowers are named after their month of emergence and have a solitary white flower that will appear under their umbrella-like leaf cover. That will be followed by their fruit; which you should not consume.

Spring wildflowers won’t last long. In another two months, summer flowers will reach for the sky and the meadows behind my old barn and come alive with incredible beauty. That’s when things get really exciting and deer feast on the blooms; a reminder to me that I live on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.

Jonathan Schechter is the Nature Education Writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way, trails and wildlife on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.

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