Every spring the forest floor comes alive as wildflowers take advantage of a unique phase in the forest annual cycle. The wildflowers must use the sun’s light and warmth to produce leaves, flowers, seeds, and store energy for next year before the leaves on the trees emerge and block out the sun. Most will then become dormant for the next nine months.

Watch for spring wildflowers in March, April and May. When hiking, please stay on the trail to avoid trampling the plants, and please do not pick the flowers.

Preserving These Treasures
The Champaign County Forest Preserve District manages its forests to ensure continued survival of these wildflowers. This includes removal of plants such as honeysuckle and garlic mustard, non-native plants that compete with these wildflowers for space and sunlight.

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