ParkTalk Podcast

S22 Episode 04: Wildflower Walks

Nature Center Manager Angelique Harshman takes us on a spring wildflower walk in the woods at Knoch Knolls Park. Learn about what to look for and what makes these flowers unique.

Bluebells and mayapples at Knoch Knolls Park

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Quotes from the episode:

“One of the flowers we see here is Dutchman's breeches. It has feathery, fern-y leaves, with a bit of a blueish tinge to them. And the flower stalk pokes up above those leaves and they look like upside-down pants. They are white at the top and then the waist area of the pants is kind of a yellow color.”- Angelique Harshman

“Here are some wildflowers that you'll also find in the lower grove and they are called trout lilies, because if you look at the leaf, it's speckled just like a trout. This is one where it will take 8-10 years before there are two leaves and then, once there are two leaves, there's enough energy for the plant to send up a flower. And it's a beautiful white flower with yellow pollen that looks like a star shape and bends down.” – Angelique Harshman

Trout lily blossom with two speckled leaves

Enjoy your own wildflower walks this spring, summer and fall

Join one of the upcoming nature walks at Knoch Knolls Park – check the current Program Guide or the Knoch Knolls Nature Center program page for the latest updates.

Try taking a walk on your own at these locations at the Naperville Park District:

• Knoch Knolls Park – Explore the trails, both paved and unpaved, which take you through the woodlands and prairie. Stop in at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center to pick up a Spring Wildflower Guide, talk with one of our staff, and view the interpretive signs throughout the park to see photos of common wildflowers.
• Seager Park – Follow the trails through the woods to see what's growing there. The interpretive signs at the park picture some of the typical flowers found both in the woodlands and in the detention basin that has been planted with native plants.
• Pioneer Park – Observe wildflowers in woodlands, wetlands and prairie, all at one park. Interpretive signs illustrate flowers in these habitats.

Check these resources to learn more about native wildflowers found in northern Illinois:

Apps:

• iNaturalist
• Audubon Wildflowers ($)
• Flower Pedia ($)
• PlantSnap Plant Identification ($)

Websites:

• The Morton Arboretum Bloom Report - www.mortonarb.org/news/bloom-report-march-25%E2%80%93%E2%81%A0april-1-2021
• Chicago Botanic Garden – Budburst https://budburst.org/
• Plant Identification – various groups to join on Facebook
• Directory of Wildflowers – University of Illinois Extension, http://extension.illinois.edu/wildflowers/directory.cfm
• US Wildflower's Database of Wildflowers for Illinois, https://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=IL
• VPlant – A Virtual Herbarium of the Chicago Region, http://vplants.org/portal/
• Wildflowers of Illinois http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/

Identification Guides:

• A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America
• A Guide to Enjoying Wildflowers by Donald and Lillian Stokes
• Common Backyard  Weeds of the Upper Midwest by Teresa Marrone
• Newbomb's Wildflower Guide, A classic field guide for quick identification of wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and vines by Lawrence Newcomb
• Kane County Wild Plants & Natural Areas by Dick Young
• Peterson First Guides to Wildflower of Northeastern and North-central North America by Roger Tory Peterson
• Pollinators of Native Plants: Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants by Heather Holm