Join Eric Comley in the woods, and learn all about the elusive Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata), a rare plant in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Many spring wildflowers can be quickly spotted by their bright, colorful, and conspicuous floral displays, but you may find it’s easier to detect this small and discreetly camouflaged species with your nose!
Join horticulturist Jesse Dahl from The Arboretum and State Botanical Garden of Kentucky in Lexington on a tour of their native flowers in bloom.
David Taylor with US Forest Service takes us on a guided hike along Indian Creek Road in the Red River Gorge. David will cover wildflowers, ferns, and some invasive species to look out for! He’ll also highlight a few upland ridgetop wildflowers of interest.
Clay Hill Memorial Forest is a 325 acre nature preserve and home to a myriad of Kentucky native spring wildflowers. With over five miles of trails, we are open to the public from dawn until dusk. The Trout Lily trail was named because of the numerous trout lilies that cover the forest floor including the steps along the way. To catch Trout Lily trail at the peak of the blooming season is an awesome sight.
Trilliums are an unforgettable genus of spring wildflowers with their three leaves, petals and sepals, habitat preferences, interesting floriferous smells, and pollination and seed dispersal strategies. Join Tara Littlefield and family as they explore Kentucky’s Trillium diversity across Kentucky.
Dr. Rick Boyce from Northern Kentucky University’s Research & Education Field Station takes us on a tour of the wildflowers in bloom at St. Anne’s Woods & Wetlands in Campbell County. Renowned ecologist Lucy Braun described this natural area in 1916 as “the best depression forest on the Ohio River floodplain.”
Join Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves botanist Tony Romano for a tour of spring flowers and flora in a rare glade and barrens habitat complex. We’ll explore plants adapted to thin soils, fires, and grassland openings.
