written by Grant Fessler, originally published on his website, gcology.net
On the overcast morning of Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, I made my way to one of the Quad Cities most prized natural areas, Black Hawk Historic site. As I descended from Black Hawk Road to the parking lot on the Rock River floodplain, I saw a group of people chatting amongst themselves. A wave of nervous excitement washed over me. These folks were here to be led on a wildflower walk by me and my friends in celebration of Earth Day! I was surprised and elated to see the relatively large turnout despite the chilly 40-degree temperatures.
After some introductions and dissemination of handouts (see my Black Hawk wildflower booklet here), we set forth to explore the spring flora of the park’s steep, rocky bluffs and rich woodlands.
I was joined by two co-leaders, my good friends Rob Liva, of QC Wild Ones, and Sam Chavez, of the QC chapter of the Illinois Native Plant Society.
At the trailhead, Rob took a moment to share about the ecological restoration efforts that he has been involved with at the site. He painted a picture for folks of how healthy Illinois woodlands should look and what we can do to steward them. The eastern Rock River bluff portion of the park has been regularly burned over the past decade, and thus is one of the best examples of healthy dry and dry-mesic oak woodland in the QC region (be sure to visit the bluff top in late summer and early fall for a show of yellows and purples from all the sun-loving savanna plants there).
Upon entering the woodlands, we were immediately greeted by an uplifting display of Redbud (Cercis canadensis) flowers! They lined the sides of the path, almost creating a purple tunnel for us to walk through. Carpets of green and white emerging from the recently burned woodland floor redirected our eyes towards the ground. I introduced the group to several of the spring ephemerals there, including Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), Prairie Trillium (Trillium recurvatum), and White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum).
As we made our way down the Rock River trail, Rob, Sam, and I continued to point out plants and answer questions. A particularly relevant question, “What makes a plant native?” prompted a great group discussion. Rob and I shared our perspectives on native, non-native, and invasive plants and why it is important to manage invasives for the sake of preserving and protecting biodiversity.
The group then made its way up the bluff and over the pedestrian bridge to the North side of the park. This is where the dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve called Black Hawk Forest resides. Sam and I took a moment to explain the significance of the site and the state nature preserve system before entering the woods.
The trail dropped us into a broad ravine with a stream running through it. A diverse array of spring flora carpeted the ground in most places. The group got to see Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), Canada Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), False Rue-anemone (Enemion biternatum), Narrowleaf Wild Leek (Allium burdickii), and Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica), among others.
We continued to follow the trail through the rich woodland. Little did anyone know, however, that we were almost at the grand finale! Our final stop was in the southeast corner of the preserve along the stream there. Upon reaching the destination, we were greeted by a swath of bright blue! People were quickly drawn towards the patches of Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) growing on the stream terrace.
The bright blue beauties were quite the showstopper! After the getting our fill of the Bluebells, we moseyed back to the parking lot and concluded our Earth Day celebration.
I want to thank to everyone who showed up for the hike! It was great to meet so many new people and see some familiar faces. I hope folks had an enjoyable time despite the cold spring weather and grew their appreciation for our local flora. Another big thanks and shout out goes to the entire QC Wild Ones team for organizing and advertising the event!
If you are interested in attending events like this in the future, keep an eye on the Wild Ones and QC INPS sites and consider becoming a member. I will share updates with those who subscribe here, as well.
Attached below is a downloadable PDF of the spring wildflower booklet I made for Black Hawk Forest.
For more resources and stories on the flora of the Quad Cities Region, visit Grant’s website gcology.net