Wildflower Watch

Trillium Photo

White Trillium
Trillium grandiflorum

(Last information update May 7, 2008)

All flowers seen in or near Hamilton, Ontario
(43:17N, 79:93W) unless otherwise noted.

(Flowers that have been found blooming in May during past years.)

May 1 - 6, 2008

                      Following are the names of 62 native or naturalized species found blooming during the last week. In the list are 14 species that are new (N) for the year. Places searched included RBG's Hendrie Valley and Arboretum, the middle part of the Dundas Valley, the riverside trail in Brantford, and a property just west of the Hamilton Border.
               The White Birches are mostly finished blooming, even though I just saw them this week. I did manage to find one tree with pollen on the male catkins.
                       I was not as lucky with the Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla). When I found the plants in the Hendrie Valley, they had already finished blooming and were setting seeds already.

English Names * = Non-native N = New for 2008	Latin Names

	Anemone, Wood	Anemone quinquefolia
N	Baneberry, Red	Actaea rubra
N	Birch, White (Tree)	Betula papyrifera
	Bloodroot	Sanguinaria canadensis
	Butterbur *	Petasites japonicus
	Buttercup, Hispid	Ranunculus hispidus
	Buttercup, Kidneyleaf	Ranunculus abortivus
N	Celandine *	Chelidonium majus
	Celandine, Lesser *	Ranunculus ficaria
	Chickweed, Common *	Stellaria media
	Chickweed, Mouse-Ear *	Cerastium fontanum
	Cohosh, Blue	Caulophyllum thalictroides
	Coltsfoot *	Tussilago farfara
N	Cress, Mouse-Ear *	Arabidopsis thaliana
N	Currant, Wild Black (Shrub)	Ribes americanum
	Current, Garden (Shrub)	Ribes rubrum
	Dandelion, Common *	Taraxacum officiale
N	Dandelion, Marsh *	Taraxacum palustre
	Dandelion, Red-Seeded *	Taraxacum erythrospermum
	Dead-Nettle, Purple *	Lamium purpureum
	Dead-Nettle, Spotted *	Lamium maculatum
N	Elder, Red-Berried	Sambucus rasemosa ssp pubens
N	False Mermaid	Floerkea proserpinacoides
N	Geranium, Wild	Geranium maculatum
	Ground Ivy *	Glechoma hederacea
	Groundsel, Common *	Senecio vulgaris
	Henbit *	Lamium amplexicaule
	Hepatica, Sharp-Lobed	Anemone acutiloba
	Hyacinth, Grape *	Muscari botryoides
	Jack-In-The-Pulpit	Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum
	Marigold, Marsh	Caltha palustris
	Meadow-Rue, Early	Thalictrum dioicum
N	Medick, Black *	Medicago lupulina
	Mustard, Garlic *	Alliaria petiolata
	Pennycress, Field *	Thlaspi arvense
	Periwinkle *	Vinca minor
	Saxifrage, Early	Saxifraga virginiensis
N	Saxifrage, Golden	Chrysosplenium americanum
	Scorpion-Grass, Blue *	Myosotis stricta
	Shadbush, Common (Tree)	Amelanchier arborea
	Shepherd's Purse *	Capsella bursa-pastoris
	Speedwell, Slender *	Veronica filiformis
N	Speedwell, Wayside *	Veronica polita
	Spring Beauty, Narrow-Leaved	Claytonia virginica
	Spurge, Cypress *	Euphorbia cyparissias
	Storksbill *	Erodium cicutarium
	Strawberry, Field	Fragaria virginiana ssp.glauca
	Strawberry, Woodland	Fragaria vesca ssp. americana
	Tamarack (Tree)	Larix laricina
	Toothwort(Crinkleroot)	Cardamine diphylla
	Toothwort, Cut-Leaved	Cardamine concatenata
	Trillium, Red	Trillium erectum
	Trillium, White	Trillium grandiflorum
	Trout-Lily	Erythronium americanum ssp. americanum
	Trout-Lily, White	Erythronium albidum
	Violet, Common	Viola sororia
	Violet, Downy Yellow	Viola pubescens
N	Violet, N.White *	Viola odorata
	Whitlow Grass *	Erophila verna
	Wild Ginger	Asarum canadense
N	Wood Betony	Pedicularis canadensis
	Woodrush, Hairy	Luzula acuminata

              Below are Wild Flower Walks scheduled for the next few weeks. Contact Dean for more details if you are interested (contact information at bottom of page):

                     Monday, May 12 -     Webster's Falls
                     Monday, May 19 -     Rock Chapel
                     Sunday, May 25 -      Ruthven Park, Cayuga
                     Monday, May 26 -     Chedoke Rail Trail
                     Monday, June 2 -      Cherry Hill
                   - Dean Gugler

Photos from Fleur-Ange Lamothe

Photos of 2007

Photos of 2006

Notes and photos from Ron Hepworth


                FLOWERING DATES UPDATED TO MAY 06/08
                    (observed at Brantford, Ont.)
                          43.10'N--80.12'W

      SPECIES OBSERVED      NO.   FF     FF     PB     PB      LAG
                            YRS  2008   MEAN   2008   MEAN      IN
                                                            (DAYS)

  spicebush                  11 Apr    Apr 15 Apr    Apr 24   +4.5
  (Lindera benzoin)             21/22         26/27
  striped squill (garden)    17 Apr 17 Apr 15 Apr 23 Apr 25    0.0
  (Puschkinia spp)
  white squill               19 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr 22 Apr 24   -1.0
  (Scilla siberica alba)
  bloodroot                  22 Apr    Apr 17 Apr 20 Apr 24   -3.2
  (Sanguinaria canadensis)      14/15
  blue cohosh                13 Apr    Apr 17  ----  Apr 28   +5.5
  (Caulophylum thalictroides)   22/23
  periwinkle                 17 Apr 22 Apr 18  ----  May 5    +4.0
  (Vinca minor)
  heart-leaved willow         3  ---- (Apr 19)Apr 25(Apr 24)  +1.0
  (Salix eriocephala)
  early buttercup (Mohawk)    9 Apr 23 Apr 19  ----  Apr 27   +4.0
  (Ranunculus fascicularis)
  spring bluebell spp        16 Apr 19 Apr 19 Apr 25 Apr 27   -1.0
  (Scilla spp) (star-flowered)
  spring beauty              16 Apr 18 Apr 19  ----  May 3    -1.0
  (Claytonia virginica)
  pussy willow               17 Apr    Apr 20  ----  Apr 25   +3.5
  (Salix dicolor)               23/24
  Manitoba maple (FF/Pollen) 14 Apr    Apr 20 Apr    Apr 25   -2.2
  (Acer negundo)                18/19         21/22
  garden daffodil (in open)  14 Apr 18 Apr 20 Apr 23 Apr28    -3.5
  (Narcissus pseudo-narcissus)
  forsythia                  18 Apr    Apr 20 Apr    May 1    -2.5
  (Forsythia spp)               19/20         26/27
  wild ginger                18 Apr 23 Apr 21  ----  Apr 28   +2.0
  (Asarum canadense)
  purple cress               15 Apr 22 Apr 22 Apr 28 May 2    -2.0
  (Cardamine douglassii)
  yellow trout lily          18 Apr    Apr 22 Apr 26 May 2    -4.2
  (Erythronium americanum)      19/20
  early saxifrage             9 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 30 May 9    -5.0
  (Saxifraga virginiensis)
  hairy wood rush            12 Apr 25 Apr 24 Apr 28 Apr 28   +0.5
  (Luzula acuminata)
  red trillium               19 Apr    Apr 24 Apr 30 Apr 30   -0.3
  (Trillium erectum)            23/24
  Penn. sedge (Pollen/PB)    10 Apr 23 Apr 24  ----  Apr 30   -1.0
  (Carex pensylvanica)
  Dutchman's breeches        20 Apr    Apr 24(Apr 30)May 5    -4.2
  (Dicentra cucullaria)         20/21
  Euro. corydalis (garden)   17 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 29 Apr 30   -1.0
  (Corydalis bulbosa)
  cutleaf toothwort          19 Apr 21 Apr 25 May 1  May 5    -4.0
  (Dentaria laciniata)
  dandelion (in open)        26 Apr 22 Apr 25  ----  May 8    -3.0
  (Taraxacum officinale)
  field horsetail(Pollen/PB) 15 Apr 22 Apr 26  ----  Apr 30   -4.0
  (Equisetum arvense)
  weeping willow             13  ----  Apr 26 Apr    May 4    -7.5
  (Salix alba vitellina)                      26/27
  field strawberry           16 Apr 26 Apr 26  ----  May 14    0.0
  (Fragaria virginiana)
  Canada plum (garden)       20(Apr 28)Apr 27  ----  May 3     1.0
  (Prunus nigra)
  serviceberry               13 Apr    Apr 27 Apr 29 May 4    -3.2
  (Amelanchier arborea)         25/26
  marsh-marigold             16 Apr 23 Apr 27  ----  May 5    -4.0
  (Caltha palustris)
  white trout lily           19 Apr 21 Apr 27 Apr 30 May 6    -6.0
  (Erythronium albidum)
  coltsfoot (seeds open)     19 Apr    Apr 27 May 6  May 7    -1.3
  (Tussilago farfara)           25/26
  lesser celandine           17 Apr 23 Apr 27  ----  May 7    -4.0
  (Ranunculus ficaria)
  ground ivy                 20 Apr    Apr 27  ----  May 14   -0.5
  (Gleuchoma hederacea)         26/27
  wood anemone               14 Apr 24 Apr 28 May 5  May 7    -3.0
  (Anemone quinquefolia)
  Norway maple               15 Apr 21 Apr 28 Apr 27 May 7    -8.5
  (Acer platanoides)
  large-flowered bellwort    19 Apr 23 Apr 28  ----  May 7    -5.0
  (Uvularia grandiflora)
  white trillium             19 Apr 25 Apr 28  ----  May 8    -3.0
  (Trillium grandiflorum)
  sugar maple                 9  ----  Apr 29 Apr 26 May 5    -9.0
  (Acer saccharum)
  twinleaf  (garden)         18 Apr 25 Apr 30 Apr 29 May 3    -4.5
  (Jeffersonia diphylla)
  common blue violet         13 Apr 25 Apr 30  ----  May 12   -5.0
  (Viola papilionacea)
  prickly gooseberry         13 Apr    Apr 30  ----  May 12   -5.5
  (Ribes cynosbati)             23/24
  crack willow               11  ----  May 1  May 4  May 7    -3.0
  (Salix fragilis)
  dog violet                 16 Apr 29 May 1   ----  May 10   -2.0
  (Viola conspersa)
  grape hyacinth (garden)    15 Apr 30 May 1   ----  May 12   -1.0
  (Muscari botryoides)
  kidneyleaf buttercup       10 Apr 27 May 1   ----  May 13   -4.0
  (Ranunculus abortivus)
  yellow violet              19 Apr 24 May 1   ----  May 15   -7.0
  (Viola pubescens)
  smooth serviceberry        11 May 1  May 2  May 6  May 5     0.0
  (Amelanchier laevis)
  Euro. white birch (Pollen) 14 Apr 26 May 3   ----  May 8    -7.0
  (Betula pendula)
  sweet cherry spp            8 Apr 27 May 3   ----  May 8    -6.0
  (Prunus avium)
  cypress spurge             11 Apr 27 May 3   ----  May 18   -6.0
  (Euphorbia cyparissias)
  prairie smoke (garden)      9 Apr 27 May 3   ----  May 18   -6.0
  (Geum triflorum)
  European red currant       12 May 3  May 4   ----  May 12   -1.0
  (Ribes rubrum)
  toad trillium (garden)     19 Apr 27 May 4   ----  May 12   -7.0
  (Trillium sessile)
  red-berried elder          14 May    May 4   ----  May 15    0.5
  (Sambucus pubens)             4/5
  wood poppy (garden)        19 May 6  May 4   ----  May 15    2.0
  (Stylophotum diphyllum)
  jack-in-the-pulpit         20 May 1  May 4   ----  May 17   -3.0
  (Arisaema triphyllum)
  wild pear                   9 May 2  May 5   ----  May 8    -3.0
  (Pyrus communis)
  early meadow rue           16 Apr 27 May 5   ----  May 8    -8.0
  (Thalictrum dioicum)
  garlic mustard             16 Apr 29 May 5   ----  May 20   -6.0
  (Alliaria officinalis)
  blue beech  (pollen)       10 Apr 30 May 6   ---- (May 8)   -6.0
  (Carpinus caroliniana)
  hop hornbeam  (pollen)      8 Apr 29 May 6   ---- (May 9)   -7.0
  (Ostrya virginiana)
  redbud (garden)            10 May 5  May 6   ----  May 15   -1.0
  (Cercis canadensis)
  Virginia bluebells         20 May 3  May 6   ----  May 17   -3.0
  (Mertensia virginica)
  honesty                    16 Apr 30 May 6   ----  May 17   -6.0
  (Lunaria annua)
  buffalo currant            16 Apr 30 May 7   ----  May 12   -7.0
  (Ribes odoratum)
  pin cherry                  8 May 6  May 7   ----  May 12   -1.0
  (Prunus pensylvanica)
  forget-me-not              21 May 5  May 7   ----  May 20   -2.0
  (Myosotis scorpioides)
  yellow rocket              22 May 4  May 7   ----  May 22   -3.0
  (Barbarea vulgaris)
  toothwort                  14 May 4  May 9   ----  May 18   -5.0
  (Dentaria diphylla)
  dandelion (seeds open)     18 May 5  May 10  ----  May 22   -5.0
  (Taraxacum officinale)
  thyme-leaved speedwell     20 Apr 27 May 10  ----  May 22  -13.0
  (Veronica serpyllifolia)


  PROGRESS OF SEASONAL BLOOM COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE:  (DAYS)

  Mar 1-31    -3.1
  Apr 1-5    +12.5    May 1-5   -2.5
  Apr 6-10    +6.6  
  Apr 11-15   +4.8
  Apr 16-20   +0.9
  Apr 21-25   -1.8
  Apr 26-30   -4.7
    
  NOTE:FF = First Flowers/Pollen;PB = Peak/Mid Bloom;E = Estimate