Bike Trail Field Guide

Plants of the Ohio-Erie Bike Trail, Cedarville, Ohio
Spring Wildflowers -- April-May*

I. Woody Plants - Shrubs or Trees [For Wildflowers (herbs), Go To II., below)

A. Shrubs - woody plants without one distinct trunk; multiple woody stems
Flower parts fused into slender tubes with lips - Shrub Honeysuckles (Lonicera sp.)

B. Trees - woody plants with distinct trunk supporting branches

1. White flowers in hanging clusters

                        a.     Flower clusters appear after leaves are well developed; flower petals
                                small, separate; arranged symmetrically around a center point,
                                each flower with 4 petals - Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) Flowers
                                and familiar tent caterpillar webs.

                        b.     Flower clusters appear before leaves, giving the whole tree a
                                white appearance; flower petals fused into parts of different sizes;
                                bean-like flowers - Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

2. Rose-purple flowers clustered along branches before the leaves appear, and
setting the tree ablaze with color - Red Bud (Circis canadensis)

II. Wildflowers (Herbs) -- Flowers 1/2 Inch Across or Less [See III. for Larger Flowers]

A. Flowers White

1. Petals Four

a. Plants less than 6 inches tall, when flowering - Whitlow Grass(Draba verna)

b. Plants usually over 6 inches tall when flowering

1. Seed pods triangular in shape - Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

2. Seed pods rounded with a small notch Field Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense)

3. Seed pods elongated, or absent in early stages of flowering:

                                    a.     Stem leaves narrow, clasping the stem - Hairy Rock Cress
                                                                                                                        (Arabis hirsuta)
                                    b.     Stem leaves broad, slightly triangular, sharply toothed -
                                                                                       Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

4. Seed pods absent; tiny,narrow leaves whorled around the stem -
Cleavers (Bedstraw) (Galium sp.)

2. Petals five or ten

a. Succulent leaves - Wild Stone Crop (Sedum ternatum)

b. Leaves without hair- Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce), and Close-up
(Valerianella olitoria)

c. Petals five but notched deeply so as to appear as ten petals -- Chickweeds (Cerastium sp.)

B. Flowers Yellow

1. Small petals with prominent green center- Small-flowered Crowfoot
(Ranunculus abortivus)

2. Flowers violet-like - See below

C. Flowers Pink, Red or, Blue

1. Flowers Pink or Red - plants growing erect (not creeping); leaves are opposite:

                    a.     Pinkish-purple, stalked leaves layered on top of plant - Purple Dead Nettle
                                                                                                                (Lamium purpureum)
                    b.     Top leaves are green, stalkless - Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

2. Flowers Blue - plants creeping horizontally:

a. Four distinct petals, lower smaller than other three - Corn Speedwell
(Veronica arvensis)

b. Flowers with petals joined to form a tube with lips- Ground Ivy
(Glechoma hederacea)

III. Wildflowers (Herbs) -- Flowers More than 1/2 Inch Across

A. Flowers White

1. Petals five

a. Violet-like flowers with toothed, spoon shaped leaves- Field Pansy
(Viola kitaibelliana)

b. Leaves divided into groups of three; toothed margins - Wild Strawberry
(Fragaria virginiana)

2. Flowers daisy-like with pinkish-white "rays" surrounding a disk-like "head" of
tiny flowers -- Common Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) and Flower Close-up

B. Flowers Yellow

1. Flowers Dandelion-like or Daisy-like

a. Characteristic dandelion-like flower and fluffy seedhead;
basal leaves have "lion-like" teeth - Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

b. Flowers daisy-like with spoon shaped basal leaves - Golden Ragwort
(Pakera aurea) (formerly, Senecio aureus)

                        c.     Flowers as in "b." but with heart-shaped basal leaves - Round-leaved Ragwort
                                                                                                                   (Pakera obovata) (formerly Senecio obovatus)
                2.     Flowers not Dandelion or Daisy-like; petals five

a. Flowers violet-like; leaves/stems hairy (downy) - Downy Yellow Violet
(Viola pubescens)

b. Flowers have even sized petals with three-toothed green bracts extending
beyond petals - Indian Strawberry (Duchesnea indica)

C. Flowers Blue/Purple in color, violet-like

1. Flower stalks hairy; lower petal bearded - Northern Blue Violet
(Viola septentrionalis)

2. Flower stalks not hairy; lower petal unbearded - Common Blue Violet
(Viola papilionacea)

D. Flowers Pink or Red

1. Plants usually less than one foot tall, leaves slender - Spring Beauty
(Claytonia virginica)

2. Plants usually more than one foot tall

a. Leaves have 3-5 lobes; toothed margins - Wild Geranium
(Geranium maculatum)

b. Leaves have toothed margins; no lobes - Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Photo: Richard A. Howard Image Collection, courtesy of Smithsonian Institution)

3. Plants with long narrow hollow leaves; pink or white flowers - Field Garlic (Allium vineale)

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* Compiled by Janel Blackburn, Jared Mitchell, and John Silvius

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