What to See This Week

Striped maples have begun to leaf out and flower. Striped maples are an understory tree that have a limited natural range in Ohio and are listed as endangered in the state. They have distinctive stripey bark.

All around The Arboretum you will notice unmistakable blooming redbuds. Redbuds are members of the legume family and have pea-like flowers and heart-shaped leaves. 

Several yellow wildflowers have begun blooming in the Woodland Garden and other forested areas. Pictured here is the downy yellow violet, the one species of yellow violet you are likely to run into at The Arboretum.

Wood poppy is also blooming. There is a large patch of them in the Woodland Garden but they can also be seen in the Bird Watching Garden. They have a longer bloom period than some of the short-lived spring ephemerals and the flowers eventually mature into a very fuzzy seed pod.

Last week we focused on trout lily leaves but several plants have bloomed since then. This is yellow trout lily, the species seen throughout the Woodland Garden. Trout lilies don’t bloom for the first several years after sprouting so if you see any single leaves check back over the next several years for a flower!

The Arboretum also has white trout lily located in a large colony just a short distance from the parking area for the Aesculus Collection. 

Jack-in-the-pulpit is a unique spring wildflower just starting to come up now. It is a member of the arum family and has the distinctive flower structure associated with the family, consisting of a spathe and spadix.

Trumpeter swans are some of the biggest birds you can find in Ohio. They have an average wingspan of about 8 feet. This pair was seen at Dutch Fork Wetlands and they were hard to miss.