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What is in flower in Ohio — spring woodland

Nothing on this chart is in flower today. The ground is dormant, which is itself a season.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Spring woodland Skunk CabbageSymplocarpus foetidus · Where: seeps, wet woods and stream edgesIn flower — peak Feb 25 Harbinger-of-springErigenia bulbosa · Where: rich woodland slopesIn flower — peak Mar 15 BloodrootSanguinaria canadensis · Where: rich woods, often on slopes above a creekIn flower — peak Apr 5 Spring BeautyClaytonia virginica · Where: woods, and old lawns that have never been sprayedIn flower — peak Apr 10 Cutleaf ToothwortCardamine concatenata · Where: rich woodsIn flower — peak Apr 12 Dutchman's BreechesDicentra cucullaria · Where: wooded slopes and rocky woodsIn flower — peak Apr 14 Trout LilyErythronium americanum · Where: rich woods, in coloniesIn flower — peak Apr 14 Virginia BluebellsMertensia virginica · Where: floodplain woods along riversIn flower — peak Apr 20 Wild Blue PhloxPhlox divaricata · Where: open woods and wood edgesIn flower — peak May 1 Large-flowered TrilliumTrillium grandiflorum · Where: rich, undisturbed woodsIn flower — peak May 3 Jack-in-the-pulpitArisaema triphyllum · Where: moist woodsIn flower — peak May 5 Wild ColumbineAquilegia canadensis · Where: rocky slopes, cliffs and open woodsIn flower — peak May 12 May ApplePodophyllum peltatum · Where: woods and shaded edges, in large coloniesIn flower — peak May 10 Wild GeraniumGeranium maculatum · Where: woods and shaded roadsidesIn flower — peak May 15 Golden RagwortPackera aurea · Where: wet woods, seeps and ditchesIn flower — peak May 15 Garlic Mustard ✦Alliaria petiolata · Where: every disturbed woodland in the state · Not native to OhioIn flower — peak May 5
In flowerTodayThe pale tick inside a bar is that plant's peak. ✦ marks a species that is not native to Ohio. Hover a name for where to find it.

The spring ephemerals do their whole year in the six weeks between the ground thawing and the canopy closing. Everything on this list is racing the leaves overhead, and once the trees are out most of it has flowered, set seed and gone back underground until next March.

Why this group has its own gauge

It peaks in the last week of April and is over by June, which is the sharpest season on the bloom chart. The chart above carries 16 species, sliced out of the full 54-row bloom chart.

The rows on this chart
Species In season Peak Where
Skunk Cabbage 5 February – 25 March 25 February seeps, wet woods and stream edges
Harbinger-of-spring 25 February – 5 April 15 March rich woodland slopes
Bloodroot 20 March – 25 April 5 April rich woods, often on slopes above a creek
Spring Beauty 15 March – 10 May 10 April woods, and old lawns that have never been sprayed
Cutleaf Toothwort 25 March – 1 May 12 April rich woods
Dutchman's Breeches 28 March – 1 May 14 April wooded slopes and rocky woods
Trout Lily 28 March – 1 May 14 April rich woods, in colonies
Virginia Bluebells 5 April – 10 May 20 April floodplain woods along rivers
Wild Blue Phlox 10 April – 25 May 1 May open woods and wood edges
Large-flowered Trillium 15 April – 25 May 3 May rich, undisturbed woods
Jack-in-the-pulpit 15 April – 1 June 5 May moist woods
Wild Columbine 20 April – 10 June 12 May rocky slopes, cliffs and open woods
May Apple 25 April – 30 May 10 May woods and shaded edges, in large colonies
Wild Geranium 25 April – 10 June 15 May woods and shaded roadsides
Golden Ragwort 25 April – 5 June 15 May wet woods, seeps and ditches
Garlic Mustard 15 April – 1 June 5 May every disturbed woodland in the state

Where this sits

The full picture is on Ohio flower bloom times, which carries every group on one chart. Each mark on the breadcrumb strip at the top of the site links to the page for its own group.