• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Contact Us
The Land Between

The Land Between

Explore - Learn - Inspire

  • The Charity
    • What We Do
      • Programs and Projects
      • 7 Pillars-Program Areas
    • How We Operate
      • Honouring the Treaties
      • Reconciliation and Restoration
    • Transparency & Accountability
    • Our Partners & Supporters
    • The TLB Visitor’s Centre and Store
    • Meet the Team
  • The Region
    • A PRIORITY PLACE IN CANADA
    • Geography
    • Natural Habitats
    • Wildlife
      • Snakes, Turtles, and Skinks
    • Culture
    • The Creative Economy
    • Explore TLB
      • Trails & Paddles
      • Cultural Journeys
      • Parks & Reserves
  • Caring For Nature
    • Stewardship and Restoration
      • Snapping Turtles and Your Lake
      • Natural Shoreland Garden Workshops and Resources
      • The Natural Edge Shore Re-naturalization Site Visits
      • Shoreland Naturalization
      • Habitat Health Check-Ups
      • Incentives & Securement
    • Living in the The Land Between: A How-To Series
    • Civics
    • Community Climate Change Adaptation
    • Report a Species
  • Volunteer With Us
    • Phragmites Fighters
    • Snake Supervisors
    • Nightjar Surveys
    • Backyard Whippoorwill Challenge
    • Backyard BioBlitz Program
    • Birding in The Land Between
      • Bird Resources
      • Beginner Birding Centre
      • Aerial Insectivores
    • Turtle Guardians
  • Learning Centre
    • Species At Risk in The Land Between
    • Nature Connectedness and Behaviour Change
    • Research Results
    • Indigenous Knowledge
  • Program Areas
    • Supportive & Sustainable Economies
    • Biodiversity of the Land Between
    • Climate Change, Food Security, & Indigenous Ways of Knowing
    • Community Action/Science & Conservation
    • Civics and Municipal Policy
    • Sustainability & Living in the Land Between
    • Healthy Waters: Blue Lakes & Wetlands
    • Turtle Guardians
  • Current Efforts
    • Updates
    • Special Efforts
    • Newsletter: The Skink
    • Events
  • Community Board
  • News & Blogs
    • Newsletter: The Skink
  • Events
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Become a Friend of TLB
    • Sponsor
    • Shop
  • Backyard BioBlitz Home
  • Amphibians
  • Birds
  • Fish
  • Fungi
  • Reptiles
  • Trees and Shrubs
  • Wildflowers

Wildflowers of The Land Between

Backyard Community Science Program

Below are seasonal lists of wildflowers that we have highlighted to look for in every season! This is not a comprehensive list of all the species that you can find, but it should help you identify some common and even rarer species. Click on the buttons below to explore the our highlighted species for each season.

Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

PLEASE NOTE: the Summer, Autumn and Winter pages are currently unavailable because they are under construction.

How to help wildflowers on my property

Wildflowers are beautiful additions to any landscape; however, how we mange our communities effects their ability to survive and provide us with pretty flowers. One way that you can do for wildflowers is to reduce the frequency of lawn mowing! In cottage country many of us have lawns that are much more diverse than the city! Wildflowers are already on your property, you just need to give them the chance to grow. Next, the best way to provide habitat is to naturalize as much of your property as possible - allow wild spaces to remain! For example, consider growing a native shoreland garden, allowing leaves and deadfall to remain in woodlands, and planting native gardens instead of foreign ornamental ones. In addition, refrain from picking flowers (especially on plants that have very few - like trilliums) because this inhibits the plants reproduction and in some cases can cause severe damage!

Spring Wildflowers

Spring is an exciting time for all beings in the Land Between! The longer and warmer days means that the snow starts to melt and many species are emerging from their winter strongholds. Search through the gallery of images below and click the picture to find out more information! Take a look to see if you recognize anyone!

Report a Species
Wildflower Protocol and Data Sheets

Activity Sheets

Download and print our activity sheets to have some extra fun learning about and searching for wildflowers during your Bioblitz!

Word Scramble and Colouring Sheet
Draw a Wildflower Sheet

Featured Spring Wildflowers: species your are likely to find!

Blue Cohosh

Blue Cohosh

Large Flowered Bellwort(2)

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Trillium

Trilliums

Carolina Spring Beauty

Carolina Spring Beauty

Large Flowered Bellwort

Large-Flowered Bellwort

Trout lily

Trout Lily

Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman's Breeches

Marsh Merigold

Marsh Marigold

Common Wood Sorrel

Common Wood Sorrel

Field pussytoes

Field Pussytoes

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Fringed Polygala

Fringed Polygala

Strawberries

Wild Strawberry

More information about our featured species!

Blue Cohosh

Blue Cohosh

(Caulophyllum thalictroides or giganteum)

Appearance: Grows between 1-3 feet tall. When the plant first emerges it is thin and purplish is colour. As it matures is bushes out and becomes green as it matures.

Leaves: Trifoliate leaf structure (one "leaf" is made of three leaflets that grow from the end of the stem). The left and right leaflets are smaller with a larger centre leaflet. All usually have a few teeth.

Flowers: Have six petals which are all either yellow or purple.

Habitat: Moist shady areas, woodlands

Blooming/fruiting time: Flowers April to May. Has blue berries which ripen in August.

Pollinators: Bees, damsel bugs and flies, but usually self pollinate

Tips to spot them: On spring forest walks keep an eye out for a grouping of strange purple stems.

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Carolina Spring Beauty

(Claytonia caroliniana)

Appearance: Small plant with a height of 3-10 inches

Leaves: Slender green leaves grow close to the ground and are tapered at both ends.

Flowers: Small white flowers with five petals and pink-purple veins running out from the flower's centre.

Habitat: Forest floors and forest edges

Blooming  time: Typically April to May

Pollinators: The Carolina Spring Beauty is pollinated by a variety of insects; however there is a bee species called the Andrena erigeniae (spring beauty miner bee) which is a specialist of this flower and relys on its pollen solely within the Land Between Region.

Tips to spot them: Like other spring ephemerals, the Carolina Spring Beauty grows for the short period of time between snow melt and deciduous trees growing their spring leaves. Thus, the time to view them is short! Find a location in or around a forest and start your search - they are one of the few plants blooming at this time (Trout Lilys like the same habitat) and are often found growing on leave covered ground!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Carolina Spring Beauty
Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman's Breeches

(Dicentra cucullaria)

Appearance: Flower stalks can reach about 10 inches tall with leaves typically spreading out about 14 inches.

Leaves: Small trifoliate leaf structure (one "leaf" is made of three leaflets that grow from the end of the stem).  Each of the leaflets is made of several thin finger-like sections.

Flowers: Groups of peculiar looking white  (or on rare occasion pink) flowers grow side-by-side along a tall stalk (peduncle) at the top of the plant. The flowers grow in a bolded U or V shape which resembles an upside down pair of pantaloons (as the name suggests), open clam or dragon's head.

Habitat: Moist, rich shaded (or partially shaded) soils or rocky areas in woodlands and forests

Bloom time: April and May

Pollinators: Bumblebees

Tips to spot them: They are typically easy because they colonize entire fields. They are hard to miss!

Fun Facts: The seeds of Dutchman's Breeches are spread by ants (this interaction is known as myrmecochory)! Why exactly do the ants do this? In exchange for their seed distribution services, each Duchtman's beard seed offers a taste pouch of nutritious food to the ants (this pouch is called an elaiosome). The ants carry these seeds back to their nests where they consume the elaisome and then discard the seed when they are finished. The seed is now in a new location with lots of nutrients provided from the waste products of the ant nest! Cool!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Field Pussytoes

(Antennaria neglecta)

Appearance: Has short leafy portion that is close to ground, but flowering body typically grows up to 10-15cm tall.

Leaves: Small soft/fuzzy silver/green spade or ovular shaped leaves grow out radially from center and are very close to the ground.

Flowers: Small groups of fluffy white ovular globes at the end of long stems. Resemble the appearance of cat paws.

Habitat: Sunny meadows, fields and open spaces in many different soil types

Bloom time: April, May and June

Pollinators: Mainly bees and flies. It is also one of the only hosts for the American Lady Butterfly! Keep an eye out for fuzzy black caterpillars on leaves!

Tips to spot them: They are typically easy to spot because they colonize entire fields. They are hard to miss!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Field pussytoes
Fringed Polygala

Fringed Polygala

(Polygaloides paucifolia)

Appearance: They grow to a size of about 3-6 inches.

Leaves: Whorled-like leaf arrangement (multiple leaflets extend radially from stem). Leaves can be ovular or tapered at both ends.

Flowers: The Fringed Polygala has very unique flowers! in the centre you find a tubular petal that ends in a fringed filaments. To each side you will find one petal, which together resemble wings. Flowers are usually purple-pink; however on rare occasion can be white.

Habitat: Dry to moist soils of forests/woodlands (appear to be more common in coniferous forests

Bloom time: Typically May-July, but late bloomers can sometimes be found in August

Pollinators: Various pollinators

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Jack-in-the-pulpit

(Arisaema triphyllum)

Appearance: As part of the Arum family they have the appearance of a lily. Typically reach up to 2 feet in height.

Leaves: Large trifoliate leaf structure (one "leaf" is made of three leaflets that grow from the end of the stem).

Flowers: Long cylindrical green lily like flower green with burgundy stripes on the inside. In autumn a cylinder of many red berries forms.

Habitat: Rich, moist, shaded soils

Bloom time: April to June

Pollinators: Fungus gnats (tiny flying insects)

Tips to spot them: Find an area that matches their habitat and scan the ground carefully for their leaves (look similar to trillium leaves). The first one will be the hardest to spot, but then it becomes much easier!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Large Flowered Bellwort(2)
Large Flowered Bellwort

Large-Flowered Bellwort

(Uvularia grandiflora)

Appearance: Plants grow 30 inches in height and about 12 inches in spread.

Leaves: Large-Flowered Bellwort as thin, slender, smooth leaves that often curl inwards. Leaves also have a waxy glaucous blue-green coating.

Flowers: Each stalk can have one dropping flower at the end. Flowers consist of 6 narrow and slender "petals" (technically tepals because there are not quite petals) that are often twisted into a spiral

Habitat: Rich, moist, calcium or limestone or neutral soils in woodlands

Bloom time: Late April to late May

Pollinators: Various bee species

Tips to spot them: Find an area that matches their habitat and scan the ground carefully for their leaves (look similar to trillium leaves). The first one will be the hardest to spot, but then it becomes much easier!

Fun Fact: Large-Flowered Bellwort also has a symbiotic relationship with ants! Bellwort's seeds have fleshy packets of nutritious food attached to them (elaiosomes) which ants bring back to their nests and consume. Once they have finished eating the packets, they discard the seed outside the nest, effectively distributing the plants seeds!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Marsh Marigold

(Caltha palustris)

Appearance: Typically 12 inches tall and wide in the Land Between, but in some areas can become much larger.

Leaves: Thick, waxy kidney shaped leaves.

Flowers: Plants are covered with bright-yellow, five-petaled flowers, with light veins and resemble a buttercup (they are in the same family). Petals are rounded at the tip.

Habitat: Wetlands, shorlands, wet woodlands and wet soils

Blooming time: Late April-June

Pollinators: Various insect species

Tips to spot them: Search along the side of wetlands, streams, brooks, and other water bodies. Plants are relatively close to the ground and grow in a thick cluster. Once blooming they are hard to miss — nothing else in wetlands look like them!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Marsh Merigold
Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

(Symplocarpus foetidus)

Appearance: They are part of the Araceae family with flowers reach a height of 4-6 inches with and larger leaves that can reach over 20 inches long and 15 inches wide.

Leaves: Large green leaves appear towards the end of April and remain until August. Leaves are typically low to the ground.

Flowers: Eastern Skunk Cabbage has very strange spathe flowers that curl around its spadix leaves an smallish opening. Flowers are mainly red-burgundy in colour and may have green speckles

Habitat: Wetlands, along sides of brooks or streams and wet soils

Blooming: March-April

Pollinators: Various fly and bee species

Tips to spot them: Walk along the edge of reed/cattail stands scanning carefully for their red flowers or leaf spirals. Do not forget to check in areas that still have some ice or snow! The Land Between is in the northern limits of their range so they may be hard to find.

Fun Facts: Eastern Skunk Cabbage is super cool... or should I say HOT. In spring they are one of the first wildflowers to appear because they literally melt the snow or ice around them! They do this by special using a special chemical pathway (cyanide resistant cellular respiration) that allows them to heat the air surrounding them to temperature up to 35°C! These high temperatures not only allow them to heat melt snow, but also help their skunk-like odour to travel through the air to attract pollinators.

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Wild Strawberry

(Fragaria virginiana)

Appearance: Small plant typically between 10-20cm tall.

Leaves: Small ovular trifoliate leaves (one "leaf" is made of three leaflets that grow from the end of the stem) with jagged edges. Red runners (vine like growths) travel between plants.

Flowers and fruit: Small white flowers with five petals and a bright yellow center. The fruit is small, bright red and usually smaller than a quarter.

Habitat: Open and meadow-like areas with sandy or well-drained soils

Blooming/fruiting time: Bloom-April to June, Fruit-June

Pollinators: Various bee species

Tips to spot them: Search along the side or roads and dirt roads for their red runner vines. Their small white flowers are early bloomers and are often one of the first you will see in the spring

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Strawberries
Trillium

Trilliums

(most common:Trillium erectum & Trillium grandiflorum)

Appearance: The Land Between has three different trilliums: red, white, nodding and painted. They are spring ephemerals, meaning that they bloom and typically disappear before trees grow their leaves.

Leaves: Three large, tear-drop shaped leaves that come out of same node on steam .

Flowers: Easily identifiable, all trilliums have three large petals which curl back slightly when they are fully opened. The petals range in color from burgundy-red to pink to white.

Habitat: Woodlands with well drained soils

Blooming: Late April to May

Pollinators: Few pollinators are seldom witnessed on the plant

Tips to spot them: Search along the side or roads and dirt roads for their red runner vines. Their small white flowers are early bloomers and are often one of the first you will see in the spring

Fun Facts: Trilliums are Ontario's provincial flower! These beautiful flowers are tempting to pick, but please refrain from doing so because it can take the plant over a year to recover, if they do at all (this is because they only have a very short amount of time 2-3 months to gain all the energy they need to survive over the winter). These plants are extremely slow growing and usually take close to a decade to flower for the first time!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Trout Lily

(Erythronium americanum)

Appearance: Small plant with large speckled leaves. Mature plants can reach up to 15cm in height.

Leaves: Large smooth teardrop maroon/brown leaves with green speckles. Their appearance resembles a trout.

Flowers: Bright yellow nodding lily flowers with six petals which often curl backwards. Large anthers can be seen pointing downwards.

Habitat: Moist woodlands, moist open areas near woodlands and steam sides

Blooming: March to May

Pollinators: Usually bees, but sometimes beetles and flies

Tips to spot them: This beautiful plant is only visible for a short period of time and plants must be many years old before they flower! Rather than looking for the flower scan the ground its speckled leaves!

Trout lily

Fun Fact: Like other slow growing woodland spring ephemerals, the Trout Lilly takes many year to flower for the first time (4-7 years). Another fun fact the Trout Lilly has a symbiotic myrmecochory relationship with ants (WOW another plant that needs ants)! Trout Lilly seeds have fleshy packets of nutritious food attached to them (elaiosomes) which ants bring back to their nests and consume. Once they have finished eating the packets, they discard the seed outside the nest, effectively distributing the plants seeds!

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

Common Wood Sorrel

Common Wood Sorrel

(Oxalis montana)

Appearance: Small plant typically between 10-20cm tall.

Leaves: Small ovular trifoliate leaves (one "leaf" is made of three leaflets that grow from the end of the stem) with jagged edges. Red runners (vine like growths) travel between plants.

Flowers and fruit: Small white flowers with five petals and a bright yellow center. The fruit is small, bright red and usually smaller than a quarter.

Habitat: Open and meadow-like areas with sandy or well-drained soils

Blooming/fruiting time: Bloom-April to June, Fruit-June

Pollinators: Various bee species

Tips to spot them: Search along the side or roads and dirt roads for their red runner vines. Their small white flowers are early bloomers and are often one of the first you will see in the spring. They look similar to the Carolina Spring Beauty, but have very different leaves.

Return to top of page     Return to Spring Wildflowers     Report this species

  • Home
  • The Charity
  • The Region
  • Store
  • Donate
  • Become a Friend of TLB
  • Sponsor

The Land Between is a National Charity #805849916RR0001.
Your support helps us celebrate, conserve, and enhance this important region.

The Land Between
P.O. Box 1368
Haliburton, ON K0M 1S0
705-457-1222
info@thelandbetween.ca

We respectfully acknowledge that The Land Between is located within Williams Treaty 20 Mississauga Anishinaabeg territory and Treaty 61 Robinson-Huron treaty territory, in the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. The Land Between respectfully acknowledges that these First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.

Graphic logo for The Sknik newsletter

Newsletter Signup

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2022 The Land Between