Bloomers Throughout the Year

These are the plants that begin blooming in February, March, or April. Some of these plants will bloom into late spring and early summer and sometimes they bloom early depending on the weather we have. To know what is currently blooming visit the Bloomers Page. We will add pictures as we collect them. You can click on any of the thumbnails to view a larger image.

Late Winter Bloomers

Skunk Cabbage
Symplocarpu foetidus

Arum family. Skunk Cabbage is the first bloomer at Cedar Bog and Cedar Bog is one of the best places in Ohio to you can see Skunk Cabbage. This is the only plant the burns both carbohydrate and fat for energy. This allows Skunk Cabbage to produce temperatures up to 60 degrees and melt the snow to be the first spring bloomer. Skunk cabbage is named for the rotten odor that it produces to attract wasps for pollination.
Blooms: February-May.
Native.

Early Spring Bloomers

Alumroot Heuchera americana Family: Saxifrage Location: Chip Path and Northern Areas. Fact: Native. Blooms: April-June.
Bishop's Cap Mitella diphylla Family: Saxifrage Location: Chip Path and Northern Areas. Fact: Bishop's Cap AKA Miterwort. This plant has tiny white or cream flowers that are shaped like a small cap or Bishop's cap. The common name "mitra" comes from the Greek, meaning "little cap". Native. Blooms: April-June.
Blue Cohosh Caulophtllum thalictroides Family: Barberry Location: Along the West Branch of the Creek. Fact: The flowers range in color from yellowish-green to a purplish-brown. The leaves look a lot like Early Meadow Rue or Tall Meadow Rue. The blue berries that it bears are poisonous. Native. Blooms: April-June
Swamp Buttercup Ranunculus septentrionalis Family: Buttercup Location: Swamp Woods Fact: Swamp Buttercup AKA March Buttercup. Native. Blooms: April-July.
Catbrier Smilax rotundifolia Family: Lily Location: Northern Areas Fact: Catbrier AKA Common Greenbrier. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Kidneyleaf Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Family: Buttercup Location: Swamp Woods Fact: Kidney-leaf Buttercup AKA Small Flowered Crowfoot or Small Flowered Buttercup. Native. Blooms: April-August.
Common Chickweed Stellaria media Family: Carnation Location: Northern Areas Fact: Common Chickweed AKA Starwort. There are several varieties of Chickweed: Common, Star, and Mouse-ear. Common and Star Chickweed both produce seeds that song birds, dove, sparrows, and quail eat. Mouse-ear Chickweed is named for its fuzzy leaves that resemble a mouse's ear. Not Native. Blooms: February-December.
Dame's Rocket Hesperis matronalis Family: Mustard Location: Parking Areas Fact: Not Native. Blooms: April-August.
Dandelions Taraxacum officinale Family: Aster Location: Parking and Chip Path Areas Fact: They even bloom in the bog. But did you know that that their name comes from the French dent de lion, meaning lion's tooth. This name refers to the shape of the leaf and not the yellow mane looking flower. Not Native. Blooms: March-September.
Common Fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Family: Aster Location: Parking and Chip Path Areas Fact: Native. Blooms: April-August.
Daisy Fleabane Erigeron annuus Family: Aster Location: Parking and Chip Path Areas Fact: Native. Blooms: April-August.
Corn Salad Valerianella intermedia Family: Valerian Location: Chip Path Areas Fact: Not Native. Blooms: April-July
Field Pennycress ???? Mustard family. Blooms: April-August Not Native.
Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata Family: Mustard Location: Throughout Fact: Not Native. Invasive. Blooms: April-June.
Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea Family: Carrot Location: Throughout Fact: It was once used to heal wounds, treat syphilis, and help fevers. Native. Blooms: April-June
Smooth Gooseberry Ribes hirtellum Family: Saxifrage Location: Woodland Areas Fact: Gooseberry is one of the vines that blooms in the Bog in the summer and later bears fruit. Native. Blooms: April-June
Prickly Gooseberry Ribes cynosbati Family: Saxifrage Location: Woodland Areas Fact: Gooseberry is one of the vines that blooms in the Bog in the summer and later bears fruit. Native. Blooms: April-June
Greek Valerian Polemonium reptans Family: Phlox Location: Central Area Fact: Easily confused with Jacob's Ladder which has much more substancial and stronger stems. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Hairy Rock Cress Arabis hirsuta Family: Location: Fact: Blooms: April-May. Native.
Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Family: Arum Location: Throughout Fact: Jack-in-the-Pulpit AKA Indian Turnip. It is called Indian Turnip because Indians gathered its large tap-root as food. However, this plant is not considered edible because it has large quantities of calcium oxilate crystals in the roots and berries. Jack-in-the-Pulpit produces dark red berries after it flowers. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Family: Buttercup Location: Throughout but Mostly in Swamp Woods Fact: Marsh Marigold AKA Cowslip. Actually a Buttercup and not a Marigold. Marsh marigolds can easily be confused with Lesser Celandine which is another early bloomer that loves marshy areas. To easily tell the two apart count the petals. Marsh marigolds have 5 petals, while Lesser Celandine has 5-9 petals. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum Family: Barberry Location: Southwest Swamp Woods Fact: Mayapple AKA Mandrake. The leaves, roots, and fruit are poisonous. Native. Blooms: April-June
Purple Dead Nettle Lamium purpureum Family: Mint Location: Parking and Chip Path Areas Fact: Purple Dead Nettle AKA Red Dead Nettle. This is a plant that you will recognize from your yard that blooms in the Bog. Not Native.Not Native. Blooms: March-November.
Round-lobed Hepatica Hepatica americana Family: Buttercup Location: Eastern-Central Woodlands Fact: Hepatica was named for its three lobed leaf. At one time it was believed that plants could be used medicinally based on their appearance, and plants with three lobed leaves like hepatica where assumed to have beneficial properities for the three lobed organ the liver. Heptatica petals can be white, lavendar, pink, or pale blue. Native. Blooms: March-June.
Rue Anemone Anemonella thalictroides Family: Buttercup Location: Central Woods Fact: Rue Anemone has leaves that are just like Meadow Rue leaves. This flower does not contain nectar, but instead uses its color to attract insects for pollination. The flower petals can be white, lavendar, pink, or pale blue just like Hepatica. Native. Blooms: March-June.
Shooting Star Dodecatheon meadia Family: Primrose Location: Northern Areas Fact: Shooting Star AKA Pride of Ohio. This was once called a Prairie Pointer by early settlers of the prairie. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Showy Orchis Orchis spectabilis Orchid family. This flower contains a syrup that is very rich in sugar. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Spice Bush Lindera benzoin Family: Laurel Location: Throughout Fact: This shrub is found throughout the bog. The bark and leaves have been used for teas through the years. Native. Blooms: March-April.
Spring Beauty Claytonia virginica Family: Purslane Location: Southern Woodlands Fact: The distinquishing mark of a spring beauty is the delicate pink vein that runs down the center of each white flower petal. The pink veins on the petals help guide insects to the pollen. These flowers use tubers underground to reproduce. Native. Blooms: March-May.
Spring Cress Cardamine bulbosa Family: Mustard Location: Swamp Woods Fact: Springcress AKA Bittercress. Native. Blooms: March-June.
Large Flowered Trillium Trillium grandiflorum Family: Lily Location: Central and Southern Woodlands Fact: This is the state wildflower of Ohio. Like all Trilliums it is comprised of threes: 3 green leaves, 3 white flower petals, 3 green sepals, and 3 stamens. This flower only grows in old growth woods and is a wonderful reason to preserve our old growth forests. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Bent Trillium Trillium flexipes Family: Lily Location: Central and Western Areas Fact: Bent Trillium AKA Drooping Trillium. This plant is similar to Bent Trillium. Nodding Trillium has pink anthers on its flower; Bent Trillium has white anthers on its flowers. Native. Blooms: April-July.
Dog Violet Viola labradorica Family: Violet Location: Throughout Fact: This violet is similar to the Sweet Violet, but it has no scent and the center is white with thin dark stripes. Native. Blooms: March-July.
Common Blue Violet Viola sororia Family: Violet Location: Throughout Fact: There are actually 80 distinct species of blue violet in North America. All reproduce from both runners and seed pods. The leaves of violets are high in vitamins and some people use them in salads or as cooked greens. They are a close relative to the pansy. The common violet is 2-8 inches tall. Native. Blooms: March-June.
Marsh Violet Viola cucullata Family: Violet Location: Throughout Fact: The Marsh Violet is 5-10 inches tall. The flower stem is taller than the leaves. The flower petals are darker toward the base and the lower petal is viened and shorter. Native. Blooms: March-June.
Virginia Spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana Family: Spiderwort Location: Parking Area Fact: One of several types of Spiderwort found in the bog. Native. Blooms: April-July.
Watercress Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum Family: Mustard Location: West Branch of the Creek Fact: You will find this bloomer floating or creeping along the creek that runs through the Bog. Not Native. Blooms: April-October.
Wild Blue Phlox Phlox divaricata Family: Phlox Location: Fact: Wild Blue Phlox AKA Wood Phlox or Wild Sweet William. This bloomer can easily be confused with Dame's Rocket. An easy way to tell the difference is to count the petals. Dame's Rocket has 4 petals to each flower since it is a Mustard. Phlox have 5 petals. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis Family: Buttercup Location: Central Areas Fact: This flower considered for our National Wildflower because the flowers resemble the talons of a Bald Eagle. This is a favorite of Hummingbirds and long-tongued moths because of its long nectar tubes. Native. Blooms: April-July
Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum Family: Geranium Location: South Woodlands Fact: Wild Geranium AKA Crane's-Bill because its seed pods look like the long bill of a crane. Its genus name Geranium comes from the Greek "geranos" which means "a crane". Native. Blooms: April-June
Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana Family: Rose Location: Upper Meadows Fact: This is the original Strawberry plant that was used to make the cultivated variety. It propogates using runners. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Wood Anemone Anemone quinquefolia Family: Buttercup Location: South Woodlands Fact: Wood Anemone AKA Mayflower or Wind flower. Native. Blooms: April-June.
Yellow Rocket Barbarea vulgaris Family: Mustard Location: Parking and Chip Path Areas Fact: Yellow Rocket AKA Winter Cress. Not Native. Blooms: April-August.