Celandine poppies and Virginia bluebells along the Johnson Trail. Paul Feldker, Clifftop.

By mid-March our blufflands will cast off the doldrums of winter drabness and begin to color its landscape with every imaginable shade, as wave after wave, from spring to first frost, of native wildflowers come into bloom.

The first flowers to blossom are called spring ephemerals, and their life strategy is a race against time. With the earliest spring woodland warm up, spring ephemerals will sprout, grow stems, produce flowers, and go to seed all before the forest trees leaf out and shade the forest floor. By June, the ephemerals will have died back to underground roots, leaving no trace that theirs was the earliest splash of colors to grace our woodlands.

Seven species of spring ephemeral wildflowers are very common in the bluffs and can be readily seen at Salt Lick Point Reserve, White Rock Nature Preserve, Stemler Woods Nature Preserve, and Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve, all open to public hiking.

Bloodroot (Sanquinaria canadensis) is a low-growing plant with eight-petaled, large, three-inch across, white flowers, with bright yellow stamens. The flowers only last one or two days. Bloodroot, which can be found along the moist creek hollows of the bluffs, was given its name for the red juice of its stems and roots. Native Americans used it for a fabric dye and paint, and taught this to the early French settlers who exported the roots back to France via the Mississippi. On the East Coast, Bloodroot is also known as “Indian Paint.”  Early settlers also boiled the roots to make a cough medicine. Today, bloodroot is grown commercially for use as an anti-plaque additive in toothpaste and mouthwash.

Spring beauties. Paul Feldker, Clifftop.

Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) will begin to bloom on the moister north slopes and in the ravines of the bluff woods in March. The four to six inch plant, with two grass-like leaves, has beautiful five-petaled, one-half inch wide, pinkish-white flowers, with dark pink veins. Amerindians and our first European settlers ate the corms. These “fairy spuds” reportedly taste like radishes when eaten raw; if boiled, like chestnuts. In some parts of the country, Spring Beauties are called “Quaker Ladies.” Wild turkeys love them and will scratch the soil to dig up the treats.

Virginia bluebells. Paul Feldker, Clifftop.

Between Columbia and Valmeyer, swathes of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) bloom along the talus slope at the foot of the bluff cliff face. During the 19th century, Virginia Bluebells were thought to cure respiratory ailments and were known as “Lungwort.” Pockets of dense, expansive colonies of the two-foot tall-stemmed plants also occur along streams and creeks and in low, shaded areas. The more westerly aspect of the bluff line in our area creates a less sun-filled, and so more moisture-retentive and slightly cooler, microclimate in which the bluebells flourish. The tubular-shaped intensely blue flowers age slowly into lavender-pink shades and are among the most dramatic blossoms in the springtime bluffs. Often likened to bits of sky fallen to earth, bluebells delight the eye with their early spring exuberance.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), also called “White Hearts” in the West, or “Soldiers’ Caps” in some parts of the East, carpet many areas of our bluffs.

The eight-inch perennial, with finely cut, gray-green, fern-like leaves sports beautiful white, yellow-tipped and double-spurred flowers that look like upside down leggings. All parts of the plant are toxic and can kill cattle and horses.

Celandine Poppies. Paul Feldker, Clifftop.

Celandine or Wood Poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum) are among the most beautiful spring ephemeral flowers in our blufflands. The foot tall plant has highly segmented and toothed leaves. The bright yellow flowers are two inches wide with four petals. Both native Americans and early settlers extracted a yellow die from the plant’s roots. The plant was widely believed to be a cure for liver problems and associated jaundice during the 1800s. Folklore has it that Celandine Poppy seeds were a common medicinal carried by physicians in early America. A Eurasian cousin to our Celandine Poppy is still used as a herbal remedy for liver trouble in Russia and East Asia. Celandine Poppies like wet feet and can be found in large colonies at the base of the bluffs or along creeks and deep ravines. They are often found growing and blooming with Virginia Bluebells, and, taken together, the brilliant yellows and heavenly blues is a wondrous sight to see.

Dwarf Larkspur (Delphinium tricorne) are scattered about throughout the bluffs.

The foot tall plant, with hand-shaped leaves, sports blue-to-violet loosely clustered flowers, with five showy sepals, four pointed upward and the fifth a downward spur.

Larkspur is extremely poisonous to cattle and horses, and in some parts of the country the plant is called stagger weed. Despite larkspur’s known toxicity, the plant was used during the Civil War to make a lotion to kill human parasites such as lice and mites.

Woodland or Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata) is perhaps the most commonly seen early bloomer in our area, widely growing along rural wooded roadways in the county. The foot tall plant lofts clouds of sky-blue, five-lobed flower clusters. Pioneer medicine called for a tea of the plants leaves to help purify your blood. The plant is also known as Wild Sweet William, attributed to an 18th century ballad where Sweet William boards a ship and says goodbye to his beloved black-eyed Susan.

If you are interested in a guided tour to see these early spring flowers and learn more about wildlife in our bluffs, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, the Salt Lick Point Stewardship Committee, Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society, HeartLands Conservancy, and Clifftop co-hosted an interpretive hike on Saturday, April 7th.

Clifftop, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area bluff lands. 

A version of this article appeared in the March 16 2012 edition of the Monroe County Independent.

© 2011 all content rights reserved, Clifftop NFP.

Tom Rollins, Thomas Rollins Photography

Chris Evans, River-to-River CWMA, Bugwood.org

Canada geese are very much family creatures.  They mate for life.  Flocks, often numbering 30-100 individuals, are made up entirely of extended family members, with brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins all in the gaggle, led by the eldest patriarch at the head of the distinctive V-formation.

The establishment of wetland refuges and the increase in corn-producing acreage over the last half-century have encouraged new generations of geese to stay year-round rather than migrate to Canada for the breeding season.  Our upland sinkhole ponds and lakes and the wetlands in the bottoms now host permanent resident geese flocks.  Even during breeding season their extended family linkages are at work.  The geese practice a gang brood or “crèche” system — a kind of day care — wherein one pair of adult geese will watch over and train 10-20 little gosling relatives.

Not a loud trumpeting, but the soft refrain of “fee bee, fee bee”  sounding near house and barn is another reminder that spring is near.  Eastern Phoebes, calling their name, are one of the earliest migratory songbirds, often appearing in mid- to late-March.  Phoebes have a great affinity for human-built structures, which offer protective overhangs found in nature at steep stream beds and rock outcroppings in the woods. So long as human landlords are willing, phoebes will nest under eaves or even on top of porch lamps.  Their rental payments are made in insect-eating currency as both phoebe parents strive from spring through fall to raise two broods of four to six chicks each time.  Just as voracious an insect eater as the better-known Purple Martins, phoebes are more drab in appearance.  The seven-inch long birds are brownish gray above, darkest on their head, wings and tail, mostly white below with a buffy olive wash along their breast sides.

Far less drab are the early spring warbler migrants, Northern Parula and Pine Warbler.  Both winter just south of our area and begin to push north in March; both will breed here as well as farther north.  Northern Parulas are tiny little birdlets — four and one-half inches long — and often stay hidden high in the trees as they search for and devour insects, mites and spiders. The cheerful song — a rising, buzzing upward song often ending with a tickle-up tschriiiip — is a location clue for the person focusing binoculars high on the tree tops while trying to ignore the ache that grows and grows (and known among birders as warbler neck).  But patience is well rewarded with a view of this bird’s jewel-like colors: deep blue-gray upper parts extending on the head and sides of the throat, a greenish upper back spot, two white wing bars, bright yellow throat and breast, decorated, on the males, with red and black breast bands, all set off with white belly and undertail feathers.

Johnny Dell, Bugwood.org

Sometimes easier to see are Pine Warblers which will come to bird feeding stations early in spring when their insect foods are less readily available. These aptly named birds nest in pine groves.  Slightly longer than five inches, pine warblers have olive green upper parts, yellow breast and throat, white belly and undertail feathers and two white wing bars.

While songbirds migrate along broad fronts, other migratory birds follow more constricted pathways, perhaps best described as highways or rivers in the air.  Among these are the shorebirds, some of the greatest-distance migrants known, which begin to travel to and through our area in March and April. Our rich bottomlands provide rest and refueling stops along the migratory journey up the Mississippi River flyway.  Pectoral sandpipers, sometimes called “grasspipers”  because they pause to eat and gain strength in wet fields and mudflats as they travel from South American wintering grounds to breeding areas along the Canadian and Alaskan north coasts.  Flying along the same highway are many other shorebird species, making their way from continent to continent by taking advantage of our rest stop area.  Our resident shorebirds — Killdeers — of course, have little need of actual “shores,” and nest in fields, near roads and farmsteads.

Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Service, Bugwood.org

Just about the time that Killdeers begin to call in spring, Mourning Cloakswill be the first butterflies out and about in the bluffs on our first warmer days in March.  They are Illinois’ longest living butterfly, with a lifespan of one year.  Their four inch wingspan, dark brown color with a purplish cast, and slow, fluttery flight pattern make them easy to spot.  They are among the earliest breeders, mating in March or April.  After mating, females lay eggs on the branches of our numerous hackberry or elm trees.  Shortly after, the adults die. The butterfly larvae feed on new tree leaves and by June or July metamorphose into adult Mourning Cloaks, which overwinter, hibernating in hollow logs or in tree holes.  And then, on a warm March day, they awaken, search for mates, and begin the cycle all over again.

Paul Feldker, Clifftop

Spring beauties will begin to bloom on the moister north slopes and in the ravines of the bluff woods in March.  The four to six inch plant, with two grass-like leaves, has beautiful five-petaled, one-half inch wide, pink flowers striped in deeper shades of pink.  Amerindians and our first European settlers ate the corms. These “fairy spuds” reportedly taste like radishes when eaten raw; if boiled, like chestnuts. Wild turkeys love them and will scratch the soil to dig up the treats.

John D. Byrd, Mississippi State Univ., Bugwood.org

Bloodroot will bloom in March.  The low-growing plant has eight-petaled, large, three-inch across, white flowers, with bright yellow stamens.  The flowers only last one or two days.  Bloodroot, which can be found along the moist creek hollows of the bluffs, was given its name for the red juice of its stems and roots. Native Americans used it for a fabric dye and paint, and taught this to the early French settlers who exported the roots back to France via the Mississippi. Early Virginia settlers also boiled the roots to make a cough medicine. Today, bloodroot is grown commercially for use as an additive in toothpaste and mouthwash.

Pen DauBach, Clifftop

Cleft phlox also blooms in March.  A short, mat-forming plant, with five-petaled, deeply notched, light blue flowers, it clings to the limestone ledges of the bluffs. Large swaths of cleft phlox on the bluff face above and south of Prairie du Rocher can be easily seen from Bluff Road and, if the light is right, give the appearance of patches of blue sky fallen to earth, further beautifying our unique bluff lands.

Pen DauBach, Clifftop

© 2007 all content rights reserved, Clifftop NFP.