Early April in Clifton Gorge.

 Thursday I went to Clifton Gorge again. It was cold and bright. This is the best time for early spring wildflowers. Trilliums and trout lillies are not yet blooming, and still early for dutchmans breeches and squirrel corn, but bloodroot, purple cress, and Hepatica are all blooming now, a lot.

 

Hepatica nobilis

Birds Nest Fungus (Cyathus sp.)

Little Miami River, upstream from foot bridge

Little Miami River, downstream from foot bridge

I walked all the gorge trail, all the way until it becomes John Bryan State Park. The river is very high now. We have a lot rain recently, and near the Blue Hole I could see flooding happened Wednesday after a really big storm.

I start to walk home, and happen I see it, snow trillium (Trillium nivale), FINALLY! This wildflower is really rare in Ohio. We only know this flower from 23 areas in the state, and they are also rare in these areas. I saw one first, close to the ground, and I became really excited. Then happen I saw two more, and more, and more, and I cried. This one low rock has more than 20 snow trilliums, and this is only area I find them in Clifton Gorge. Most are finished now. and flowers still now are really old and breaking. They are still very pretty and cute. They like thin soil on limestone rock. They are also really fragile, they don't like to move. So happen no people know how to grow them. This is a really special day for me. I came three times to Clifton Gorge this year before I found snow trillium, and I only found it because I decided to walk all the way to John Bryan.

 

I also was really excited for see Smooth Rockcress for the first time. It is not blooming not yet, but it is really easy for identify this early in this area. It likes bare limestone rock, and it grows two years. First year it is only a circle of leaves on the rock, but the second year it makes a flower stalk with spear shape leaves. When it grows the top of the flower stalk curves, I think it protects from late snow and frost. I saw many smooth rockcress, and all curved this way. This plant if you want to learn about it, you need to use three different names: Boechera laevigata, Borodinia laevigata, and Arabis laevigata. I think Arabis is the old genus, and happen people can't decide if Borodinia or Boechera is right. They are all the same plant species.

Certain, my favorite flower is Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), and happen I saw many. I saw many many, enough that happen I stopped taking pictures. This is the first time I see bloodroot together in big groups. They make me cry.

Dutchmans Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Trillium sp.

Dutchman Breeches and Squirrel Corn start to bloom now, but there are many many plants not yet blooming. Toadshade are more close now, and also I saw other Trillium but happen I don't know which, Drooping or Large Flower. I will know when happen they bloom.

Happen I saw one plant I don't know. I think it is something in lily or orchid family, but I can't find it in US Wildflower Database. If you know please tell me. It is in soft wet sand in sun.

Edit: Happen my friend Kendra told me this is Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica). It is not native and I am happy I only saw one, because happen it can become invasive. I also saw close to the footbridge some Burning Bush (Euonymous alatus) and more and more this plant becomes invasive in Ohio. There is not a lot either plant, so happen can remove both and control now.