5 Ontario wildflowers to spot this spring

The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and splashes of beautiful colour are beginning to pop up in parks.

Spring wildflowers bloom for only a short amount of time, and we’ve got our sights set on spotting as many as we can!

Here are five beautiful ephemerals you may find on your spring adventures:

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Ontario’s trilliums

Today’s post comes from Assistant Zone Ecologist Pilar Manorome.

Spring is probably my favourite season as it brings new life to our parks in the form of migrating birds and emerging spring ephemerals, giving our forests their long-awaited pops of vibrant colours and contrast.

Most people know of the White Trillium — also referred to as Wake Robin or Large-leaved Trillium — as Ontario’s provincial flower. This is the flower featured on many of our provincial documents, from health cards to driver’s licenses.

Here are the top five fun facts about this iconic Ontario species:

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April’s digital download

When you see a wildflower, does it put a little “spring” in your step?

Take a walk through your favourite park and see what blooming beauties you can spot!

This month’s FREE digital download features the aptly-named Spring Beauties.

Throughout 2022, we’re sharing a free downloadable graphic for you to use as wallpaper for your favourite devices. We’ve specially sized these images for your computers, tablets, smartphones, and Facebook covers.

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April’s digital download

We’re all familiar with the White Trillium — also referred to as Wake Robin or Large-leaved Trillium — as Ontario’s provincial flower.

But have you seen a Red Trillium?

You can find these jewel-toned beauties in the understory of rich deciduous or mixed forests.

Throughout 2021, we’re sharing a free downloadable graphic for you to use as wallpaper for your favourite devices. We’ve specially sized these images for your computers, tablets, smartphones and Facebook covers.

Continue reading April’s digital download

Chilling out by the lake: arctic-alpine disjunct plants along Lake Superior

Today’s post comes from Park Naturalist Lesley Ng of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.

Did you know there are blooming beauties which are adapted for the arctic tundra or alpine environments? In short, they like it cold!

And we don’t need traverse tundra or climb mountains to see them. We just need to take a spring hike along Lake Superior’s shoreline.

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Under the Volcano Trail at Neys Provincial Park

Today’s post comes from Grace McGarry and Meghan Drake, Discovery Program staff at Neys and Mark Puumala, Resident Geologist at the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Neys Provincial Park is a special place. It has so many qualities that stand out when compared to other parks.

One of these qualities is the park’s Under the Volcano Trail. This stunning trail is entirely along the coast of Lake Superior.

This trail has some interesting features waiting to be discovered. Let’s take a look at what makes this trail special.

To start, the name says it all. This trail takes you along the route of what was once an active volcano where the coast of Lake Superior is now!

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Orchids of the north: the life of the Moccasin Flower

When you hear the name “orchid,” you may automatically think of some bizarre or fantastically coloured flower from some remote and steamy tropical jungle.

But not all orchids hail from tropic climes.

If you’ve taken a hike in the woods in many of our provincial parks you’ve probably seen some native orchids.

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