In Search of Spring Flowers in the Arboretum

It’s the time of year when the trees are in blossom and forest ephemerals are flowering and making the most of the available light before the tree leaves cast the forest floor into shade.

Mid-week the Arboretum suggested a walking route that would take visitors past as many of the seasonal flowers as possible … Saturday, your intrepid correspondents took notebook, GPS unit and cameras to enjoy the flowers for ourselves and to save you the trouble of going out at all (it’s going to be heavy rain as you read this on Sunday).

As usual, clicking on any of the thumbnail photographs further down the page will open the images up to full size in a gallery – hovering over thumbnails will reveal captions.

Map of the Trail:

The numbers are identified in the list below the map

On the map above, the numbers refer to the following locations and plants:

1. Start east of the Conservation centre – go down hill to the Dale’s Field
2. Canada Plum (beside a bench)
3. Trout Lily in small clump on right side of trail
4. Quarry (flooded in spring/early summer
5. Yellow violets and Jack-in-the-Pulpit
6. Blossom Corner
7. Magnolia loebneri (two specimens on south side of Blossom Corner)
8. Chines Pear Tree
9. Amelanchier sp. (Serviceberry)
10. Chalet Pruche
11. “The Copse” – collection of native flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs in front of the Sugar Shack
12. “Birch Alley” – bridge half way down over seasonal stream.
13. Join the Orange Trail, turn left. Note “branchery” in field opposite. Look for birds.
14. Detour 50m south into return loop of Canada 150 trail to admire large tree in forest clearing covered in gorgeous catkins – Cherry Birch or Black Birch (Betula lenta)
15. Turn left (south) onto the Yellow Trail
16. Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) or Hobblebush
17. Cohosh plants
18. Sanguinaria (Bloodroot)
19. Spring Beauty
20. Red Trillium
21. Trout Lily
22. White Trillium in several large patches on west side of trail
23. Scout Hut on west side of Quarry
24. Cohosh (two species side by side)
25. Return to Main Trail, turn left to Conservation Centre and car park.