Wildflowers

The meadows near the Vista Trail lookout are filled with native flower species such as Canada goldenrod, which blooms in mid to late summer, turning the meadow bright yellow. The area directly in front of the lookout has been planted with a native flower garden, which includes species such as the bright purple New England aster.

Jack-in-the-pulpit is a carnivorous plant that gets its name from its uncommon flower structure. The spadix (jack) is found inside the spathe (pulpit) and in the fall a bunch of bright red berries are produced. Find these plants in moist woodlands in the park.

Mayapple is an easily identifiable wildflower. This plant grows to be about 12-18 inches high with huge green leaves with a width up to 1ft. Each flowering plant produces one white flower under the cover of its leaves in the spring and the namesake “apple” later in the season. You can find Mayapple growing in the brush of forests of the park.

The white trillium is Ontario’s provincial flower. Its showy three-petal blooms are short-lived, appearing for just a few weeks in the spring. The petals turn pale pink as they age and eventually drop off. The plant’s seeds are dispersed with the help of ants. The seeds have a nutritious fleshy part that is attractive to ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their colony, remove the fleshy part, and discard the rest, leaving the seeds to sprout.