What the heck is that strange plant coming up this spring?

 By Bruce Blake, RPG Conservation Chair

As we are getting into the early spring months of March and April, we will start to see some strange plants poking up in the forest preserves and woodlands. Some of the woodland natives can’t wait for the snow to be gone. When visiting our woodlands, please stay on the trails: respect nature. Don’t disturb the plants so that you and others can enjoy them. Probably the first native plant you might be seeing is Symplocarpus foetidus, or Skunk Cabbage. Yes, this plant does have an odor to attract pollinators. It also creates heat to melt snow around itself.

NPS/Gordon Dietzman

Another plant you may see coming up through the snow is Sanguinaria canadensis, or Bloodroot. Sanguinaria is from the Latin sanguis, meaning blood. The root of the plant will ooze red. Native Americans used it for red coloring and dye.

As the weather starts to warm and the sunlight increases, you may start to see Podophyllum peltatum, or Mayapple or Mandrake. The Latin name comes from the word Anapodophyllum, which means “duck foot leaf.” The leaf is shaped like a duck foot. The fruit it bears can be bitter, but it is edible. The root is poisonous, but an extract from the root called Etoposide is used to treat small-cell carcinoma. Harry Potter fans may recognize this as a plant that screams violently when you pull it out of its pot.

Other natives you will start to see could be Polemonium reptans, or Jacob’s Ladder. Jacob’s Ladder refers to the Biblical story of Jacob being given a ladder to climb to heaven. The leaves are arranged opposite each other in a pattern that resembles a ladder.

You may also find large colonies of Erythronium albidum, or White Trout Lilies. These short plants cover the ground in numbers, then mysteriously disappear in a few weeks. You will never know they were there. They are perennial, which means they come up every year. Like most spring ephemerals, they take advantage of the full sun in early spring before the trees leaf out and shade them.

This next plant is called Dentaria lacinata, or Cutleaf Toothwort. The name Dentaria comes from the little white “teeth” that are on the rhizome. It was once believed that because of these “teeth,” the root could cure toothaches. 

 

Another woodland forb you may find is Claytonia virginica, or Spring Beauty. These plants are very small and delicate, sometimes not more than 3 or 4 inches tall. Their energy is stored in what’s called a corm, which comes to life in spring.

Illinoiswildflowers.info

Of course, what flower do you think of when it comes to spring? Mertensia virginica, or Virginia Bluebells! Bluebells can form large colonies. If you go to Starved Rock State Park in spring, you can see acres of Bluebells covering everything. Once the plant flowers, it disappears until next year.

The plant shown here is called Trillium recurvatum, or Purple Wake Robin. Easy to identify, it has three leaves and three petals. It was used by Native Americans to treat wounds and sores.

One of my favorite spring plants is Arisaema triphyllum, or Jack in-the-Pulpit. A pulpit is an enclosed platform that is used to deliver sermons. The word triphyllum refers to the Greek word for “tri” (three) and phylum (leaf): three leaves! Native Americans used this plant to treat snakebite, ringworm, stomach gas, and rheumatism. Do not try this yourself; it could be poisonous if used incorrectly.

Later in April the Geranium maculatum, also called Wild Geranium or Cranesbill, will start to bloom. The light pink flowers look stunning. When they are pollinated, the seed heads look like a pointed crane. The heads have a spring mechanism that propels the ripe seeds out.

Another native to look for is the Ziza aura, or Golden Alexander. The aura comes from the Latin word for gold.

The Dodectheon meadia, or Shooting Star, can be found if you look for it closely. The Dodectheon is in the Primrose Family. Dodectheon means twelve gods. In Greek mythology, the primrose was under the protection of the twelve gods.

These are just a few of the many native plants that grow in our local community. Many of our native plants can only be found in special areas that have been saved from farming and land development. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, The Morton Arboretum, local Park Districts, and other groups have tried to preserve habitat for these natives that once spread across our state. The River Prairie Group supports their efforts to help restore these areas. We work with many groups to restore native plants and the pollinators--insects and birds--that survive on them. We usually have volunteer work groups that meet to do this restoration, but, because of the pandemic restriction on working with groups, we have not yet been able to safely get together. If the situation improves so that we can work together safely, and you are interested in volunteering, please send me an e-mail at rllnstns1@aol.com.