Hepatica Hill, Allegan County Michigan, March 25 2022

 Hepatica Hill never disappoints!  

It was a cool yet sunny day.  A great day to be outside.  We did see a few Hepatica sort of blooming. The plants were curled up against the cold, but still catching some of that warm sunshine.  They grow on this south facing hill along the Kalamazoo River.

We also drove along 133rd Avenue, nothing blooming there, yet.

Then a stop at New Richmond Bridge Park and a walk.

Hepatica Hill March 22, 2021

 

Marie and I made a trip to Hepatica Hill today and found Hepatica blooming!  It was a beautiful day, sunny and in the 60's.  We really weren't expecting the Hepatica to be blooming.  But at the exact same time we each saw the pretty blue flowers.  Such fun.  These beautiful little wildflowers blooming on the south facing side of a hill in Allegan County.

This is what the hill looks like, so we have to stop and look for the hepatica.

     They are just such happy little wildflowers!

We also stopped at Happy Boots.  We saw Skunk Cabbage and some buds of Marsh Marigold.  Then we drove along 133rd Avenue and saw Spring Beauty blooming! 

                         Spring is here in Michigan!
 

Hepatica April 3 2019

 Our first stop on Wednesday April 3, 2019  was Schutmaat Park on the Rabbit River in Hamilton, Michigan. 

Our second stop was New Richmond Bridge Park on the Kalamazoo River located at the historic village of New Richmond  -  Allegan County, Michigan.

 

 
Our third stop was our very own Happy Boots. 

 

 We saw Skunk Cabbage.

 Marsh Marigold Buds

 

And a surprise, Golden Saxifrage!  We have found it here before but not this early in the year.

We saved our special Hepatica Hill for last, hoping that the sunny day would warm the Hepatica and tempt them to bloom.  They were blooming!  What a sight to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

The First Hepatica March 18 2019

We visited Hepatica Hill in Allegan County on Monday, March 18 2019.
It was 39 degrees, the ground was snow covered in places.
This south facing hill along the Kalamazoo River was just plain brown. 

We saw green and purple hepatica leaves from last spring, and we found a few new tiny buds.  We took our time walking here, looking closely for an early glimpse of spring...

It was a nice enough day, cool with sunshine and blue sky.  We are just too early to find this favorite spring ephemeral blooming, we weren't expecting anything to be blooming yet.

Then Marie calls out, hmm, what did she see?  She had found it!  The one and only Round Lobed Hepatica blooming on this day!  It was nestled in a bed of green moss, so perfect!  Unbelievable!   

Thanks again to Mark Cassino for sharing this special hill with us.

     Kalamazoo River

We also saw....

 

 
We stopped at Happy Boots to take a peek at Skunk Cabbage.

 

   Happy Boots, Happy Spring

Next time a different kind of adventure from our trip to Moab, Utah!

April 20 2018 Hepatica Hill in Bloom!

April 20 2018 Happy Boots and Hepatica Hill
This was the first warm day this spring and still there was snow on the ground in places.  The temperature was in the low 40's when we started out but later in the day we saw 55 degrees and sunshine.
First stop Happy Boots, a swampy woods in Allegan County, filled with wildflowers.

    Skunk Cabbage

     Marsh Marigold

     Trout Lily in bud

    Round Lobed Hepatica

 A jumble of Round Lobed Hepatica just starting to bloom

    Spring Beauty

We saw this red mite, I saw a Garter Snake, a unidentified butterfly, a few other bugs, and Water Striders.

Water Strider with shadow, Sand Creek Allegan County.

      Happy Boots

After two hours enjoying Happy Boots we were off to Hepatica Hill.  Hepatica Hill is a location that was shared, several years ago, from Mark Cassino (CalArti: A Photographer's Journal)

Here it is Hepatica Hill!  I know it doesn't look like much, until you look closely.
Then you start to see them everywhere!

 Hepatica!  Each one is special, a difference in color from deep purple, blue, pink, even white, some with just a few petals and some with many petals. 
They look very delicate, perched on such a rough and scoured hillside.  So colorful among the dry brown leaves.

 

Well that was probably enough for one day, but after spending almost two more hours at Hepatica Hill, we stopped in at Silver Creek County Park to check on the Trailing Arbutus.  But we found none blooming.

 

We also drove down 133rd Avenue, but found little blooming.  Some Spring Beauty, Hepatica, a Dandelion, and Trout Lily in bud.

It was a great day to be outside, and fun to see my favorite spring wildflower.  Hepatica