Flowers are an integral part of the arboretum - especially in the spring when the forest floor is carpeted with flowering plants before the trees throw their leafy shadow on the ground.
Flowers of the temperate forests
In the mixed deciduous forest of the Arboretum, herbaceous plants and wildflowers are in a perpetual race against the trees. Once the canopy is fully grown, the life-giving sunlight will no longer penetrate and our beautiful spring blossoms will disappear. Thus, our spring flowers are very fast growing and come into flower early in the spring before their sunlight is gone. This means that their life cycle is rapid and short lived. Often these flowers are referred to as “spring ephemerals”, the term ephemeral meaning “short-lived”. Most of these plants are around only for a couple weeks, and if you go out even just a week too early or too late, you will miss them altogether. Some flowers like Trout Lilies and Spring Beauties have all but disappeared even before the end of spring, with only their perennial underground tissues surviving into the next year.
Spring Beauties
The temperate forests of Southern Canada are constantly changing. Also referred to as a seasonal forest, this area is characterized by four distinct seasons. In the winter, much of the life seems to come to a halt, awaiting the melting snow and longer days of spring. Despite the cold temperatures and skeleton-like trees of winter, many of our plants and wildflowers rely on this season’s freezing temperatures in order to survive. Freezing triggers growth in many species, and without it, seed and flowers may not develop for many of our flora.
Purple Trillium
With an abundance of sunlight and moisture in the spring, life seems to once again emerge from the cold, dark winter months. Life has begun again, seemingly from nothing, but nature always seems to surprise us. Take a walk through any forest stands during the months of April and May and you will be amazed at the total diversity of flowers which “pop” up around the woods.
A handout describing spring flowers is available from the office.