By Todd Von Ehwegen, Conservation Education Manager, Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board –
In a spring that has been very stubborn in arriving, good things come to those who wait!
One natural spring event that is about to unfold is the annual appearance of woodland wildflowers.
A few warmer days are all that is needed to get the show underway, as these delicate beauties will begin to push their way up through the forest floor. Their blooms will brighten area woodlands with splashes of vivid color against a dull brown blanket of dead leaves.
In addition to their beauty, these woodland wildflowers provide a glimpse into Iowa’s past, as many of them were used for food, medicines, and materials for Native Americans and early European settlers.
Iowa’s spring woodland wildflowers are called ephemerals, which means “short-lived.” These plants must emerge, bloom, become pollinated, and go to seed before the big woodland trees leaf out and block the sunlight.
Most woodland wildflowers are pollinated by insects and birds. Birds and mammals help spread the seeds, either by passing through their digestive system after being eaten, or attaching to their fur or feathers.
Two of the first flowers to emerge from the cold damp ground are hepatica and snow trillium. Hepatica’s purplish white flowers rarely rise more than six inches from the woodland floor. Because the shape and color of its leaves resemble a liver, it was thought to be useful in treating various liver ailments.
Snow trillium is named after its habit of often emerging before the winter snows have completely melted; and by the flower structure of three white petals. Astringent and antiseptic qualities of the root led to extensive use by various Native American tribes for treating open wounds and sores.
Following closely after these first wildflowers will be the appearance of bloodroot. Its white flower rises above a stem wrapped by one large basal leaf. The delicate petals may fall from the plant after only a day or two. A red liquid in the plant’s root was used as facial paint and as a dye by Native Americans.
A unique flower that resembles a white pair of pants hanging from a flower stalk is easily identified as Dutchman’s breeches. Its frilly fernlike leaves grow underneath an arching flower stalk. In early pioneer medicine this plant was used to treat urinary problems and as a poultice for skin disease.
Virginia bluebells grow in large stands in woodlands throughout Iowa. Their flared, bell-shaped blue flowers provide a dazzling display of color, sometimes appearing as a pool of water from a distance. This plant was considered to provide a general tonic for improving health of persons who were feeling poorly.
As April showers give way to the warmer days of May, the early spring ephemerals are succeeded by a procession of larger, longer lasting woodland flowers. One that is very recognizable is the May apple, called “nature’s umbrella” due to large rounded leaves that hang over a single white flower. May apple was used by pioneers and Native Americans for a variety of ailments, and has been studied in modern times as a possible cancer treatment.
Another May flower is Sweet William phlox, named after the sweet odor of its flower. It has slender blue-purple flowers that resemble the blades of a propeller. Phlox leaves were made into a tea to treat eczema and to “purify the blood.”
Columbine, or honey suckle, provides a bright red color to the May woodlands. These tubular flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds, moths, and butterflies that can reach into tubular segments to get the nectar stored there. This plant was used as a “love potion” by the Omaha and Ponca tribes.
A common ground cover in moist wooded areas is Virginia waterleaf, named after white spots on its leaves that resemble water stains. Clusters of purple or white flowers on this plant are favorites of many woodland insects seeking nectar. The tender young leaves of Virginia Waterleaf were eaten as greens.
Another very recognizable flower in May is Jack-in-the-pulpit. A unique large leaf forms a “pulpit” which encompasses a fleshy spike of tiny flowers – “a preacher named Jack.” In late summer the spike forms a fruit cluster of scarlet berries. In addition to a variety of medicinal uses, this plant was used for a cruel trick played by pioneer children. They would encourage an unknowing participant to taste the raw root, which produced a severe stinging sensation due to a concentration of calcium oxalate in the root bulb.
The season comes to a close with the taller wild geranium that blooms into June. Its showy five-petalled purple flowers provide a fitting grand finale to the spring wildflower show. The Meskwaki brewed a root tea of this plant to treat toothache.
These are just a sampling of the dozens of spring wildflowers that grace Iowa’s woodlands. The unseasonably cold weather has delayed things a bit, but the show is about to begin in earnest.
The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board has several areas that provide outstanding viewing for these gems of spring. They are highlighted on a spring wildflower viewing flier that can be downloaded from our website: http://www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us (click on outdoors, then “Recreational Experiences Close to Home); or call 641-423-5309 to request a flier or stop by the Lime Creek Nature Center to pick one up.
A good wildflower guide can greatly enhance your outing. Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands by Runkel and Bull has great photos of flowers as well as extensive information on the natural history and various uses of each flower by Native Americans and early settlers.