Wildflower Weekend 2022

2022 Wildflower Weekend & BotanyBlitz

For over 30 years the Kentucky Native Plant Society, in partnership with Natural Bridge State Resort Park, has held a Wildflower Weekend at the park, offering wildflower hikes, as well as evening presentations. In 2020, due to COVID-19, we were forced to cancel Wildflower Weekend for the first time ever. Last year, with the pandemic still disrupting in-person activities, we all participated in a virtual Wildflower Week.

This year we are incredibly excited to be going back to an in-person Wildflower Weekend, April 8th-10th at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. This year’s Wildflower Week will be a hybrid of in-person and online activities. The week prior to Wildflower Weekend, we will be hosting an online, week-long BotanyBlitz on iNaturalist from April 2nd-9th.

Wildflower Weekend 2022 at Natural Bridge SRP

KNPS’ 2022 Wildflower Weekend is scheduled for April 8, 9, & 10. The weekend will offer wildflower hikes Friday and Saturday, led by some of the best botanists in the state. These hikes will explore the region’s rich natural history and resources in the state park and the Red River Gorge. Friday evening there will be a campfire social gathering at the group campsite near the Middle Fork Campground to meet your fellow native plant enthusiasts. Our Saturday night the keynote speaker will be Mike Homoya, former Indiana State Botanist/Plant Ecologist and author of numerous excellent botanical field guides. His presentation is titled, “Rare Plant and Natural Communities along the Ohio River, from Cincinnati to the Mississippi River.”

We are still in the process of lining up folks for the wildflower hikes. We are also looking for folks to help the hike leaders so that we can allow for more people on each hike. If you are interested in leading or helping on a hike, please send us an email at WildflowerWeekend2022@knps.org.

This event is open to the public and kid-friendly. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for ages 13-17, and free for ages 12 & under.

As COVID-19 will still be a concern, we will be making every effort to minimize potential exposure for everyone:

  • Pre-registration: attendees will be able pre-register for the event as well as the guided hikes. This will better help us make arrangements for social distancing, as well as reduce crowding at hikes. Pre-registration will be opened online several weeks before Wildflower Weekend. Members of KNPS will be allowed to register before the registration is opened to the general public.
  • Meet-up locations for hikes: each hike will have a separate designated meeting point outside of the lodge, and we ask that everyone head straight to those outdoor locations rather than congregating together in the lodge lobby.
  • Social distancing: as much as possible, we will keep our group interactions outdoors. However for the Saturday evening presentations in the Woodland Center, we will reduce the number of chairs and spread them out so folks can easily socially distance.
  • Masks: in all cases, we will abide by the public health rules of our host, Natural Bridge SRP. To that end, we request that folks wear masks when indoors.

We appreciate your help in keeping this event as safe as it can be!

BotanyBlitz 2022 on iNaturalist

Leading up to Wildflower Weekend will be our week long BotanyBlitz, which will run from Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, April 9, and be hosted on the iNaturalist website. A BotanyBlitz is a community-science event that focuses on finding and identifying as many plant species as possible within a designated location and time period. At the end of the week, the observations of all participants will be tallied and awards given for Most Species Observed and Most Observations.

Beginning on Saturday, April 2, we are encouraging everyone to visit parks and natural areas throughout the Commonwealth, to find and photograph native plants (with an emphasis on those in bloom), and upload them to our BotanyBlitz project. Expert botanists and people with a keen identifying eye will be watching the observations roll in and can help with ID tips and tricks, so if you love wildflowers but aren’t always sure how to identify them, this project is definitely for you!

If you are interested in participating in this community science project but are unfamiliar with iNaturalist, we can help. On Saturday, April 2, at the beginning of the KNPS Wildflower Week BotanyBlitz, several iNaturalist tutorial hikes will be held at parks across Kentucky. These hikes will be lead by local botanizers who are also experienced iNaturalist users, who will demonstrate the basics of the app. Groups will then set out on an easy nature walk to practice uploading iNat observations, troubleshoot questions when possible, and of course, admire the wildflowers. We will open registration for these walks in early March. Members of KNPS will be allowed to register before the registration is opened to the general public. In the meantime, make sure to download the iNaturalist app and create a user account!

We have set up a page for Wildflower Weekend 2022 & BotanyBlitz 2022 where we will post the most current information about the events over the next several weeks. Be sure to visit the page and bookmark it!

If you have any questions about Wildflower Weekend or the BotanyBlitz, send us an email at WildflowerWeekend2022@knps.org Hope to see you in April.

iNaturalist Tutorial Hikes

Kick-off BotanyBlitz with an iNaturalist Tutorial Hike!

Have you ever struggled to identify plants outdoors or ever wanted a second opinion? The phone app iNaturalist is a great tool for all levels of plant and nature enthusiasts! It is an online social network for amateur naturalists and professional biologists around the world. Posts of plant photos, also known as observations, made on iNaturalist are not only informative for you, but for many professional biologists who use this app to track plant and animal species. The app will suggest plant identifications based on your photos and other users can help determine if that ID is correct.

As a lead-up to KNPS’s Wildflower Weekend and the 2022 BotanyBlitz, there will be kickoff tutorials at Taylor Fork Natural Area and Raven Run Nature Sanctuary on April 1st, followed by a number of iNaturalist tutorial hikes held across the state on Saturday, April 2nd. These tutorial hikes will led by experienced iNaturalist users. The hikes will be geared towards beginner iNaturalist users and will teach you how to make observations and navigate the app. You will need to have the app iNaturalist downloaded to your phone and an account created beforehand in order to participate and learn. Hikes will vary in length from 0.5 mile to 3 miles.

We will be asking folks to register for the hikes so hike leaders will know how many participants to expect. As we are still in the process of setting up the hikes, registration will open in early March and will be announced in the March Lady Slipper.

Hike LocationHike Leader(s)
APRIL 1ST
Taylor Fork Ecological Area, Richmond KYEKU Division of Natural Areas
Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington KYStaff of Raven Run and Floracliff nature sanctuaries
APRIL 2ND
Ashland-The Henry Clay Estate, Lexington KYHeidi Braunreiter
Cedar Sink Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park, Park City KYSteve Kistler, Janet Kistler, and Carol Friedman
Eagle Scout Trail, Nancy KYTyler Adams
Greenway Trail, Stuart Nelson Park, Paducah KYJeff Nelson & Bob Dunlap
Hematite Lake Trail, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Eddyville KYGage Barnes
Lilley Cornet Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station, Hallie KYEKU Division of Natural Areas
Pine Creek Barrens, Shepherdsville KYAlan Abbott
Red Maple and White Oak Trails at the Louisville Nature Center, Louisville KYLouisville Nature Center Staff
Sky Bridge Loop Trail, Red River Gorge, Pine Ridge KYBarbara Graham
St. Anne Woods and Wetlands, Melbourne KYDr. Maggie Whitson, Kendall McDonald, and Vanessa Voelker

lf you are already an experienced iNaturalist user and are interested in leading a tutorial hike in your area, please contact: WildflowerWeekend2022@knps.org.

Seven Species To Watch For During the Wildflower Weekend BotanyBlitz

By Vanessa Voelker, Botanist with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves

While you’re admiring the usual spring flora during the week leading up to Wildflower Weekend, here are a few infrequent to rare native plants to watch for across Kentucky. In past years, iNaturalist observers have helped to document new populations of these seven uncommon to rare native species in the state. With a little luck and a sharp eye, you may be able to help us document even more!

Spotted mandarin (Prosartes maculata, Special Concern)

Spotted Mandarin range in Kentucky

Blooming period: April

Where to find it: High quality mesic forests in the eastern part of the state. Most iNaturalist observations of Spotted Mandarin in Kentucky come from the Red River Gorge area, however it is known to occur in a number of counties throughout the Cumberland Plateau ecoregion.

What it looks like: This perennial species is in the Lily Family, and like its relatives, its leaves have parallel venation. When in bloom, Spotted Mandarin can be easily distinguished from its more common cousin Yellow Fairybells (Prosartes lanuginosa): both species have similar foliage and nodding flowers, but the blooms of Spotted Mandarin are white with purple speckles, while those of Yellow Fairybells are greenish-yellow.

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of Spotted Mandarin in Kentucky.

Sweet pinesap (Monotropsis odorata, Threatened)

Sweet Pinesap range in Kentucky

Blooming period: March-April

Where to find it: Scattered counties of eastern Kentucky. Sweet pinesap is usually found in upland woods with dry, acidic soil under oaks and pines, often in areas where Rhododendron species and Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) also like to grow.

What it looks like: If it seems familiar, you may be noticing its family resemblance to the more common Ghost Pipes (Monotropa uniflora) and Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys). Like its relatives, Sweet Pinesap lacks chlorophyll and is parasitic on underground fungi that associate with tree roots. It is an inconspicuous perennial that stands no more than 4 inches tall, sometimes not even rising above the leaf litter, and its flowers and fleshy stems are violet to rosy, covered by bracts that turn brown. The common name derives from the sweet, delicate fragrance of the flowers, which is described as being similar to cloves, nutmeg, or cinnamon. The lovely, unusual flowers and sweet fragrance make this species a real treat to behold, although you may actually smell Sweet Pinesap before you see it.

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of Sweet Pinesap in Kentucky.

False mermaidweed (Floerkea proserpinacoides)

Blooming period: April

False Mermaidweed range in Kentucky

Where to find it: This species is absent in most of Kentucky, and is restricted to the counties of the Cincinnati Metro area. On iNaturalist, it has been spotted at Gunpowder Creek Nature Park in Boone County, as well as St. Mary’s Cemetery and Lincoln Ridge Park in Kenton County. However, it might be found in any suitable habit in that area. Look for it in low woods near springs or small streams, as it prefers higher quality woodland habitats with consistently moist soils.

What it looks like: The first leaves to emerge are distinctively 3-parted. As the stem elongates, later leaves are 5- to 7-parted compound, and its 3-parted flowers are miniscule and greenish. Although it can be locally abundant, this diminutive annual is quite inconspicuous, and can be mistaken for a variety of dainty, similar-looking wildflowers, such as Catchweed Bedstraw (Galium aparine) and Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa). Check it out “hiding in plain sight” in front of Sessile Trillium in this observation from Grant County.

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of False Mermaidweed in Kentucky.

Forkleaf toothwort (Cardamine dissecta)

Blooming period: March-April

Where to find it: Forkleaf Toothwort prefers oak-hickory forests and rocky calcareous woods. In Kentucky, this species is found in the lower center of the state, with several populations having been observed on iNaturalist in the Mammoth Cave area. It is one of the less frequently encountered Toothworts, and there are currently only 14 observations of this species in Kentucky on iNaturalist!

What it looks like: Flowering stems have two highly dissected leaves, with lobe segments that are very slender and untoothed. The whole plant is hairless, and like related Toothworts, the flowers are white to pinkish with four petals. Forkleaf Toothwort may be most likely to be mistaken for the very common Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), which has three whorled stem leaves that are moderately dissected with coarsely toothed lobes.

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of Forked Toothwort in Kentucky.

Glade Violet (Viola egglestonii, Special Concern)

Blooming period: March-April

Glade Violet range in Kentucky

Where to find it: As the common name suggests, this species is at home in the dry rocky soils of limestone glades and barrens. In Jefferson County, this species has been spotted in open glade areas along hiking trails at McNeely Lake Park.

What it looks like: Glade Violet is a “stemless” blue violet: the lobed leaves and flower stalks arise from the base of the plant at ground level, rather than branching off of a stem. The flowers are blue-purple with a striped white throat. This species might resemble other lobed-leaf violets like Early Wood Violet (Viola palmata) or even Arrowleaf Violet (Viola sagittata), but its strict preference for dry, open glade habitats can help to distinguish it from similar violets that prefer shadier, woodland settings.

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of Glade Violet in Kentucky.

Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera, Endangered)

Blooming period: April-May

Carolina Silverbell range in Kentucky

Where to find it: Moist soils in wooded floodplains, forested streambanks and ravines, in the westernmost corner of the state. On iNaturalist in Kentucky, this species has been spotted in Land Between the Lakes, and on loess bluffs along the Mississippi River including at Metropolis Lake State Nature Preserve, just west of Paducah.

What it looks like: Carolina Silverbell is a large shrub or small understory tree. The simple, ovate leaves may not necessarily draw the eye, but while in flower this species is quite noticeable: the clusters of 2-5 white, bell-shaped flowers drooping from its branches are highly ornamental. This species is endangered in Kentucky, and any new observations of it would be a very exciting find during the BotanyBlitz.

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of Carolina Silverbell in Kentucky.

Nodding Rattlesnakeroot (Nabalus crepidineus, Special Concern)

Blooming period: August-September

Nodding Rattlesnakeroot range in Kentucky

Where to find it: Low woods near forested streams, uncommon in the state but scattered throughout. On iNaturalist, populations of this species have been discovered in Louisville area public parks such as Cherokee Park and Harrod’s Creek Park. In the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area, it has been spotted at St. Anne Woods and Wetlands in Melbourne and Devou Park in Covington.

What it looks like: Ironically, although Nodding Rattlesnakeroot blooms in late summer, it is far more likely to be observed in the spring. This species forms large, densely vegetative colonies, but plants without sufficient sun exposure don’t often don’t flower, and all or most of the plants in those colonies typically senesce by June. A cousin to Lactuca (lettuces), a lush colony of Nodding Rattlesnakeroot in April can look like a forest floor covered in salad greens. Although there are a few similar-looking Rattlesnakeroot species in the state, a key differentiating feature of Nodding Rattlesnakeroot’s spring foliage are its broadly “winged” petioles (leaf stalks). Because it is most visible during a narrow window of time early in the year, this species is somewhat overlooked throughout its range, so keep an eye out – you may be the next botanizer to make a new county record!

Click here to view all iNaturalist observations of Nodding Rattlesnakeroot in Kentucky.


Vanessa Voelker is a botanist with the Plant Conservation Section at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. Originally from central Illinois, Vanessa worked as a lab tech for the USDA before fleeing the lab for the woods and honing her skills as a botany technician in Missouri and Indiana before coming to Kentucky in 2020. When she isn’t in the field, Vanessa is active on iNaturalist (@vvoelker) and is always happy to help with plant identification and offer pro-tips for differentiating between tricky species.

Let the Earth Breathe

By Anne Milligan and Stephen Brown

Reviewed by Susan Harkins

Let the Earth Breathe book cover

When asked how to design a new garden, my favorite response is: Keep your camera with you everywhere you go. When you see something you like, take a picture of it. Later, match the looks you love to your property while considering sun, water, soil, and grading. It’s the best advice I can give because someone with no idea what to do needs a bit of inspiration before they can start buying plants.

If you’re thinking of restoring your property to nature—using native plants—and you need encouragement or inspiration, then Let the Earth Breathe should be one of your first resources. It will complement your stack of pictures because you’re following the authors on their journey while you start your own. This isn’t your ordinary gardening book with lots of information on culture, botany, and so on. The book does include a lot of information about the native plants they chose, but plant culture isn’t the focus of this book. Instead, this book chronicles one family’s journey back to nature.

The book starts with an introduction to the importance of using native plants and why you should avoid invasives. The rest of the book shares the route they took to return their new property to nature using native trees, shrubbery, and wildflowers. Throughout the book, you’ll see patches of gorgeous plants and some hardscapes. In fact, this book has inspired me to assess my yard for hardscape and that intention quality that appeases neighbors. Every fall and winter, I plan better paths but somehow that just hasn’t happened. After working my way through Let the Earth Breathe, I’ve decided that this is the year!

Their journey begins in 2010 when they put in a rain garden filled with native plants that love moist soils. Their reason for the rain garden was to help retain runoff. The book ends in 2016, but trust me, their journey has just started.

You gain the benefit of their decisions and as you turn each page, you get the joy of viewing beautiful swatches of their rebounding yard. So, back to what I said at the beginning—this book will inspire and encourage you. I know that I said, “Ooooo, I want to do that…” every time I turned a page.

Read how the authors did it knowing that you can do it too.  

You can purchase this book by visiting lettheearthbreathe.org.


Anne Milligan and Steve Brown

Anne Milligan is a former Clinical Social Worker, an artist, singer/musician, and landscape designer. She and her husband, author and historian Stephen A. Brown, live in Southeast Jefferson County. Their Kentucky native plants sanctuary has been featured in The Louisville Courier-Journal and the Louisville Magazine.


Susan Harkins is the Managing Editor of The Lady Slipper. In real life, she is a technical journalist with 35 years in the IT industry, but her passion is native plants. A long-time member of the Capital Area Extension Master Gardener Association, she enjoys using her publishing skills to share her love of Kentucky’s native flora and fauna.

Kentucky Native Plant Suppliers and Contractors

By Rachel Cook, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves

Are you a native plant nursery or contractor in Kentucky? Our website features a list of plant nurseries in our region that grow and sell native plants. The plant nurseries list has been extremely helpful and served as an important resource for native plant enthusiasts looking to grow their own native plants. We are working to improve this list to provide the most up-to-date information to our community.

This year we are adding contractors who work with native plants to this list. This will include landscape designers, invasive species removal specialists, habitat restoration specialists and more businesses that have a focus on native plants. We hope that updating and adding in related contractors that we can promote further habitat management and conservation throughout the state. This will serve as a the most complete collection of professionals in KY that work in plant conservation and restoration.

Moving forward, we plan to have this form featured on our website so that new businesses can send in submissions throughout the year. This will allow the list to be more readily updated and easy to navigate for both native plant enthusiasts and businesses.

If you are interested in having your business featured, we invite you to fill out this form on our website: https://www.knps.org/native-plant-supplier-form/.

If you have any questions, please contact KYPlants@knps.org or Rachel Cook at rcook@ky.gov.


Rachel Cook is a Botany technician at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. For any questions, she can be reached at rcook@ky.gov.

KNPS Native Plant Stewardship and Biodiversity Awards 2021

The Kentucky Native Plant Society recently began formally recognizing individuals by honoring their work with Native Plant Awards in association with the annual Kentucky Botanical Symposium. These individuals are recognized for their outstanding contributions in advancing KNPS’s mission: to promote education, preservation and protection of Kentucky’s Native Plants and Natural communities. The recording from the Kentucky Botanical Symposium awards session is included below.

2021 Native Plant Stewardship Award – Jeff Nelson and Liz Neihoff

The recipients of the 2021 Native Plant Stewardship award are Jeff Nelson and Liz Neihoff. Jeff and Liz are most deserving of this award for numerous reasons. First, they both have worked over the past 30 years on an inspiring restoration project in McCracken County, Kentucky, converting their 10 acre property from farmland to native woodland. The stewardship of their property serves as inspiration to the many small scale landowners across Kentucky and the Country. They have documented and shared many of the interesting native plants on social media that have been restored on their property, educating and inspiring thousands of people with their actions and knowledge of our native plants. Their dedication and perseverance in removing invasive species and promoting the return of native plants is notable and reminds us all even the actions of just a few can make an significant impact on restoring our native plants and communities. Beyond their own restoration projects, they serve as preserve monitors at Metropolis Lake SNP, helping out the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves in rare plant monitoring, invasive species management, and trespassing issues. They are also active in rare plant monitoring and surveying in western Kentucky, documenting rare grassland remnants and rare plants along roadsides in western Kentucky and working with folks to ensure they are protected. Last, their work with the Kentucky Native Plant Society, in particular Jeff’s work as website master, general IT guru, board member, membership chair has been instrumental in the success and advancement of the Kentucky Native Plant Society and its mission.

Where’s Liz? Jeff sometimes shares photos of their restored native woodland with Liz hiding somewhere in the background. We love trying to find Liz, and also enjoy her poetry that often accompanies their native plant posts.

Jeff Nelson was born in San Francisco, CA, and grew up in Sunnyvale, CA. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Liz Neihoff was born at home in rural McCracken Co, KY. She received a B.A. in Sociology from San Jose State University in San Jose, CA. Jeff, Liz, and their son Aaron moved from California to McCracken Co., Kentucky, in 1987. After building their house on their 10 acres, the family has spent the last 30+ years restoring the property from farmland to a native woodland. Jeff was employed as the IT Director of the Paducah Independent School District for 15 years, retiring in 2008.  Liz was self employed for many years as a gardener and landscape designer and has spent much of the past 30+ years removing exotic invasive species from their 10 acre restoration. They have been members of the Kentucky Native Plant Society since the early 1990s and Jeff has been on the Board of KNPS since 2017. Since 2019, they have shared responsibilities as Nature Preserve Monitors at Metropolis Lake SNP in McCracken Co. As lifelong amateur naturalists, Jeff and Liz love exploring Kentucky and learning about the rich diversity of the Commonwealth’s many ecosystems.

2021 Native Plant Biodiversity Award – Anne Milligan and Stephen Brown

The recipients of the 2021 Native Plant Biodiversity award goes to Anne Milligan and Stephen Brown for their work on converting their backyard “yarden” into a native plant oasis, starting a seed swap movement in the Louisville area, and chronicling their work in a new book and website.

Anne Milligan and Stephen Brown currently reside in semi-rural southeast Jefferson County, Kentucky. Anne is an oil painter and Stephen Brown is an author and historian. Over the past 12 years, they have transformed their yard into a native plant sanctuary and have inspired thousands of folks along the way. Many of you all know of Doug Tallamy’s work promoting native plants and gardening (https://homegrownnationalpark.org/tallamys-hub-1). We in Kentucky are just as proud of the work of Anne and Stephen, they are so inspirational and passionate about using native plants in our yards and serve as a reminder of how the power of just a few individuals can start a movement and inspire others to join them. Due to the tremendous success of their backyard native plant gardens, and realizing the amount of native seed they were producing, they decided to share their love of native seeds by starting Facebook groups and social media campaigns for native seed swaps in Jefferson county. This has been so inspirational to watch this movement grow as they brought together 100s of folks in the region to participate in their native seed swaps gatherings and start native plant restorations projects in their own yards. They have chronicled their work in a new book and non profit organization called Let the Earth Breath http://www.lettheearthbreathe.org/, and we encourage everyone to visit their website, read their book, and join in the native plant gardening and native seed swap movement.

http://www.lettheearthbreathe.org/

2021 KNPS Botanical Symposium Videos

“Coming Together to Discuss Current Botany Projects: Conservation and Collaboration in Kentucky and Beyond”

On Wednesday, December 8, KNPS held our second virtual Botanical Symposium. Close to 90 folks were able to attend online to hear and see several presentations about our native plants and plant communities. We know that there are many who would have liked to participate, but were not able to do so. Here are videos of all of the presentations.

Download a list of presenter contacts and links discussed in the presentations as a PDF.


Kentucky Native Plant Society and Office of Nature Preserves Updates: Current projects and opportunities.

Length 39:55


Plants of Concern: Monitoring Rare Plants of Southern Illinois
Chris Benda, Botanist and past president of Illinois Native Plant Society

Length: 24:36


Reversing Declines in Grassland Biodiversity
Brittney Viers, Quail Forever/NRCS Tennessee

Length: 32:55


Wetland Monitoring in Kentucky
Brittany White, Wetland Biologist, Division of Water

Length: 25:03


Update on the Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas Project
Dr. Joey Shaw, University of Tennessee

Length: 27:16