Wildflowers of the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve - 23 April 2023

Glenda leading the group to a patch of Virginia bluebells

On Sunday, April 23, 2023, eleven hardy souls met in the cold spring afternoon to learn about and see wildflowers with Glenda Denniston, a charter member of the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Glenda also has been instrumental in restoring many beautiful spring wildflowers to the preserve. We walked through Bill’s Woods and stopped to see many wildflowers, some in bloom, some past bloom, and some just thinking about it. Glenda talked about her work and the work of the Friends and the UW staff and volunteers to purchase, transplant, start from seed, and grow the many species that we were able to see on this cold afternoon. Species (not all flowering) included Virginia bluebell, Virginia waterleaf, toothwort, twinleaf, rue anemone, false rue anemone, meadow rue, trout lily, downy yellow violet, common violet, wild geranium, Dutchman’s breeches, columbine, bloodroot, mayapple, bellwort, trillium, wild ginger, spring beauty, and hepatica. 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). Photo by Glenda Denniston

Glenda also described the many ways that species “get around,” how they disperse their seeds or corms. In fact, the seeds of almost all spring ephemerals that we saw - trout lily, violets, Dutchman’s breeches, columbine, bloodroot, trilliums, wild ginger, hepatica, spring beauty, and bellwort - are distributed by ants. An oddball is Jack in the Pulpit.  Glenda said, “It is fertilized by a small insect called a fungus gnat. These plants are either male or female, unlike most plants that have both male and female organs. Apparently, the scent of this plant tricks these gnats in entering “the pulpit” and they are unable to climb back up. If a fungus gnat enters a male Jack in the Pulpit, it thrashes around for a while and gets coated with pollen. In the male plant there is a little hole at the base and the insect can escape. If it then enters a female flower, that flower gets fertilized with the pollen, but there is no hole for it to escape. Too bad, little gnat! The fertilized flower produces the bright red berries we see in late summer. These are dispersed by squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and other small mammals (and a few humans).  Evolution is amazing!”  Although the day was cold and overcast, the beauty of wildflowers gave participants a hint that spring is really here.  ​

Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) at lower left and twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) at upper right.

Report by Signe Holtz; photos by Signe Holtz and Glenda Denniston