Spring Bloom Report

Spring ephemeral wildflowers and spring blooming shrubs and trees are a treat to look for along the trails. Watch this page for weekly updates on what has been seen by our staff! Please remember that these may be incomplete lists - we appreciate you sharing your updates with us.

Share your Portage Park District spring bloom observations with us!

4/19/24 update:
Peak blooms are being seen at many of the parks, with some species blooming sooner than usual. It's time to hit the trails!
Wood Anemone - Anemonoides quinquefolia - Seneca Ponds
Jack-in-the-Pulpit - Arisaema triphyllum - Dix Park
Cutleaf Toothwort - Cardamine concatenate - wooded trails
Marsh Marigold - Caltha palustris - Shaw Woods, Morgan Park, Towner's Woods, Headwaters Trail, Dix Park
Purple Cress - Cardamine douglassii - wooded trails
Pennsylvania Sedge - Carex pennsylvanica 
Brome-like Sedge - Carex bromoides - Shaw Woods
Early Blue Cohosh - Caulophyllum giganteum - Dix Park, HeadwatersTrail
Eastern Redbud - Cercis canadensis - most parks and trails
Spring Beauty - Claytonia virginica - common in all parks and trails
White-flowering Dogwood - Cornus florida - all parks and trails
Dutchman's Breeches - Dicentra cucullaria - Headwaters Trail
Yellow Trout Lily - Erythronium americanum - all parks and trails
Wild Geranium - Geranium maculatum - Dix Park, Headwaters Trail
Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica acutiloba - Shaw Woods, Morgan Park
Northern Spicebush - Lindera benzoin - most parks and trails
Golden Ragwort - Packera aurea - most parks and trails
Dwarf Ginseng - Panax trifolius - Morgan Park, Headwaters Trail
Early Blue Grass - Poa cuspidata
Jacob's Ladder - Polemonium reptans
Creeping Buttercup - Ranunculus repens - Shaw Woods
Red-berried Elder - Sambucus racemosa - Trail Lake Park, Dix Park
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis - Shaw Woods, Trail Lake Park, Morgan Park
Red Trillium - Trillium erectum - Morgan Park, Dix Park, Headwaters Trail
Large White Trillium - Trillium grandiflorum - Dix Park, Morgan Park, Shaw Woods, Towner's Woods, Headwaters Trail
Smooth Yellow Violet - Viola eriocarpa - Headwaters Trail
Halberd-leaved Violet - Viola hastata - Shaw Woods
Long-spurred Violet - Viola rostrata - Headwaters Trail
Common Blue Violet - Viola sororia - all parks & trails

4/12/24 update:
Cutleaf Toothwort - Cardamine concatenate - wooded trails
Marsh Marigold - Caltha palustris - Shaw Woods, Morgan Park, Towner's Woods, Headwaters Trail
Pennsylvania Sedge - Carex pennsylvanica 
Brome-like Sedge - Carex bromoides
Spring Beauty - Claytonia virginica - common in all parks and trails
Leatherleaf - Chamaedaphne calyculata - Towner's Woods
Purple Cress - Cardamine douglassii - wooded trails
Yellow Trout Lily - Erythronium americanum - all parks and trails
Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica acutiloba - Shaw Woods, Morgan Park
Early Blue Grass - Poa cuspidata
Creeping Buttercup - Ranunculus repens
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis - Shaw Woods, Trail Lake Park, Morgan Park
Common Blue Violet - Viola sororia - all parks & trails

4/5/24 update:
Cutleaf Toothwort - Cardamine concatenate 
Marsh Marigold - Caltha palustris 
Spring Beauty - Claytonia virginica 
Leatherleaf - Chamaedaphne calyculata 
Purple Cress - Cardamine douglassii
Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica acutiloba
Creeping Buttercup - Ranunculus repens
Skunk Cabbage - Symplocarpus foetidus
Common Blue Violet - Viola sororia