Van Zoeren Woods to Happy Boots

2012 03 27  Van Zoeren Woods, a  Zeeland township park (34 acres) was our destination for this very cold windy, morning.  To get to this park we traveled through some beautiful farmland, this barn picture was taken along the way.

We found the park with no problem, but where to park was a bit of a question.  We just parked near the sign.

It was 9 a.m. and 36 degrees with a brisk wind blowing.  We started to see wildflowers as soon as we got to the trail.

 Yellow Trout Lily

False Rue Anemone


Then a surprise!  Marie found Large-flowered Trillium blooming.  This is about 6 weeks earlier than average for this plant to bloom here in west Michigan.

Large-flowered Trilllium

Then she spotted this Jack-in-the-Pulpit fully open!  There were many, many, Wild Leek leaves everywhere.  The leaves show first on the Wild Leek then the leaves die back and the plant blooms later in the spring.

Wild Leek leaves

 Mayapple was up but not yet blooming.

Bloodroot done blooming.

 Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Close up of the green flower of the Blue Cohosh plant.



 Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Fumitory Family.  Each flower is about 3/4 " long and has the form of a pair of pants upside down on a clothesline.

 Dutchman's Breeches

 Squirrel Corn (Dicentra Canadensis) Fumitory Family.  Squirrel Corn flowers are heart shaped.

Here I lifted my head up from the flowers and took a look around the woods.  It's a nice little woods, they are planning on making a paved trail, some paths were being worked on.

           Bug

      This I think is a fungus called Scarlet Cup.

We also saw Cut-leaved Toothwort blooming for the first time this year, lots of first here in Van Zoeren Woods.

We visited Van Zoeren Woods for about three hours then went down to Allegan County to Happy Boots Corner.  Oh the Marsh Marigold, beautiful.

Marsh Marigold like a burst of sunshine.

 More Marsh Marigold

Marsh Marigold is usually one of the early bloomers and they are so pretty.  Then we found a flower blooming that again surprised us, Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus) Aster Family. 

 Golden Ragwort blooming

Golden Ragwort buds  The first year we came across this plant we couldn't figure it out because we would see these purplish buds, but out comes a golden flower!  

 We also saw violets, this one was a very soft purple color.

 Different kinds of buttercups.

            Ferns unfurling

This is Dwarf Ginseng (Panax trifolius).


Don't forget to look around at these fun and interesting woods.

Allegan Forest


After about an hour and a half at Happy Boots Corner we hopped in the car and drove along 133rd Avenue.

133rd Ave. Allegan County Michigan

 The patch of White Trout Lily was back.  Some Yellow Trout Lily too.

A nice bunch of violets...Then to home.  A wonderful day.

Large-Flowered Trillium Blooms at Aman Park Ottawa County Michigan

May 3 2011  Aman park is covered with Large-Flowered Trillium, a native perennial wildflower of Michigan, a member of the Lily family.  This park (331 acres) is along M-45 just east of the Grand River in Ottawa County about 6 miles west of the city of Grand Rapids.

                                    Large-Flowered Trillium

Also ready to bloom are hundreds of  Virginia Bluebell also a native perennial plant, this one is part of the Borage family.

     The Virginia Bluebell were just starting to open.

               Blue Cohosh through Marie's hand lens

Even though it was quite cold (42 degrees) my sister Marie and I spent 4 1/2 hours among the wildflowers at Aman Park.  Wildflowers were blooming! 

Some of the wildflowers we saw blooming, Bloodroot, Yellow Trout Lily, Large-Flowered Trillium, Virginia Bluebells, Spring Beauty, Round-Lobed Hepatica, Wild Ginger, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Dutchman's Breeches, Squirrel Corn, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Toothwort, Blue Cohosh, Early Meadow Rue, False Rue Anemone, various violets, Wild Blue Phlox, Large-flowered Bellwort, Purple Cress, and Buttercups.  Wow that's a few.  I probably missed some.

Wild Ginger

The Shad (Serviceberry) are blooming, so is Spicebush. 

We found some young Paw Paw trees at the north end of the park with new growth on the stems, flower buds I think.

                                                Paw Paw

Back at the car we enjoyed a cup of coffee and piece of cake then went to see wildflowers at Riverside Park in Robinson Township.  Riverside Park was flooded. 

                                                   Riverside Park Ottawa County