Woodland Wildflowers & Reports

Woodland wildflowers

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Forestry

TREEmendous fun awaits Iowa State fairgoers Aug. 13-23

Stop by the DNR building near the west entrance of the fairground. 

Don't miss the daily Tree-via at 5 p.m. on the Courtyard Stage. This year's trivia categories celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our nation.

Pick up the 2026 State Forest Nursery Seedling Catalog at the forestry booth located behind the popular fish aquarium (celebrating its 100th anniversary) and close to the gate leading to the courtyard. 

Take a selfie with Smokey Bear on Aug.14, Aug. 18 and Aug. 21. 

2026 Courtyard Schedule 

Woodland wildflowers
Find fleeting beauties of spring

Wildflowers are enticing treasures for wilderness lovers each spring. 

Just like the weather, wildflowers can be unpredictable. Get an up-to-date list of woodland wildflowers in bloom in your inbox.

Sign up for Wildflower Bloom Reports

This is the last report of the season. Thanks for going wildflower exploring with us.

Iowa’s woodlands come to life with patches of color in early spring as native wildflowers start to bloom. Looking for wildflowers can be a fun, unique spring activity for kids and is a great way to spend time outdoors as a family.

Wildflower Weekly Report
Report DateAreaDescription of Woodland Wildflower Blooms
5/18/2026Northern Iowa

The wildflower peak has passed, but there are many great things to see in Allamakee and Clayton counties woodlands all year around.

 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit, red columbine, blue phlox, bristly buttercup, nodding trillium, and cut-leaved toothwort are blooming in Emmet County.

 

Wild geranium and mayapples are blooming at Tosanak Recreation Area in Floyd County. Mayapples are blooming at Mathers Woods.
 

5/18/2026Central Iowa

False Solomon seal, dwarf larkspur, columbine, and Virginia waterleaf are blooming at Fort Des Moines Park in Polk County.

 

False Soloman’s seal and dog-tooth violets are blooming in Buena Vista County Park.

5/19/2026Southern IowaSweet cicely, aniseroot, mayapple, and green dragon are blooming in Appanoose County. Cat mint leaves are up.
5/18/206Western Iowa

Look for leaves of ramps, bedstraw, raspberry, stinging nettles, and Jacob’s ladder at Moorehead Park in Ida County. Violets, dandelions, sweet William, buttercup, lilac, honey suckle, Virginia waterleaf, sweet cicely, and columbine are blooming.

 

Woodland phlox, bluebells, ginger, Virginia waterleaf, columbine, sweet cicely, honeysuckle, and bedstraw are blooming at Martin’s Access in Cherokee County. Look for raspberry and Jacob’s ladder buds  and lily of the Valley leaves. Woodland phlox and Virginia waterleaf are blooming at Redtail Ridge. Virginia waterleaf, columbine, buttercup, phlox, honeysuckle, and bedstraw are blooming at Silver Sioux.

The weekly woodland wildflower report is broken down by four regions.

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Which wildflowers will you discover this week?

One of the most encouraging signs of spring, the first wildflowers seem to bloom overnight. Get outside this spring and see what you can find!

Early spring wildflowers are commonly called ephemerals, which means “short-lived.”  They utilize a short time window when sunlight bathes the forest floor before tree leaves emerge to shade them out. It's a smart ecological adaptation and pretty, too. 

Wildflowers can be found by simply walking, or biking along trails, on a hike through a local or Iowa state park or just driving slowly along a county road. It's illegal to pick wildflowers in public conservation areas, so take a photo or sketch your finds and leave the plants untouched.

Spotting secretive wildflowers is a refreshing, unique spring activity for the whole family. Get outside this spring and see what you can find. Please take only pictures and leave the flowers for others to enjoy!

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Common Spring Wildflowers

Wildflowers come in countless varieties and yet can be so fleeting. They sprinkle wild landscapes with color and send subtle fragrances into the nearby air. 

Look for these common Iowa spring wildflowers.

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Helpful Resources

Ready to increase your wildflower activities and knowledge? These resources can help!

Wildflower Books & Guides

  • Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands by Sylvan Runkel and Alvin Bull
  • Iowa Trees & Wildflowers: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Plants by James Kavanagh
  • Wildflowers of the Midwest: Your Way to Easily Identify Wildflowers by Stan Tekiela
  • A Peterson Field Guide To Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-central North America by Margaret McKenny and Roger Tory Peterson
  • Wildflowers of the Midwest: A Field Guide to Over 600 Wildflowers in the Region by Don Kurz
  • Wildflowers of Southeastern Iowa -Volume 1 Spring by Don Weiss

Online Resources

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Fun Family Outdoor Activities

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Tick Safety & Protection

  • More than a dozen tick species are found in Iowa, but three are most common: Blacklegged (deer tick), dog tick (wood tick), and the lone star tick.  Ticks are active March through November in Iowa.
  • Prevention is best. Protect yourself from ticks by:
  • Wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants tucked into socks
  • Wearing light colored clothes, which makes finding ticks easier.
  • Using repellent containing DEET
  • Adding permethrin repellents on clothing per label
  • Checking for ticks while you're out and once you're home  
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How to Remove Ticks

  • If you find yourself outdoors without tweezers and need to remove a tick:
  • Use fine weight fishing line, thread or floss tied into a simple overhand knot.
  • Gently tighten the knot around the head of the tick.
  • Slowly pull the ends of the line to tighten the knot and pull out the tick.
  • Always check your body and hair after spending time outdoors and remove ticks as soon as possible.
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