Spring Wildflower Walk

Event Summary

Explore Ryerson's Woods, south of Iowa City, with the Iowa Native Plant Society. Ryerson's Woods contains beautiful spring woodland wildflowers. All ages are welcome. The dirt trail loop is 1.15 miles and has some steps. Please clean your shoes or boots before coming to avoid contaminating the site with unwanted invasive plants. Brenda Nations (Iowa City Sustainability Coordinator) and UI Biology Emeritus Professor Diana Horton will lead a spring wildflower walk and assist with plant identification. Refreshments will be provided by New Pioneer Food Coop. Ryerson's Woods is a wooded, 49-acre Iowa City park bisected by a deep ravine and several tributaries. 219 species have been documented, including 198 vascular plants, of which 91% are native, and 21 species of mosses and liverworts, all native. There are at least 10 rare/infrequent species, including Wild Sarsaparilla and Spikenard, Purple Cress, two Sedges, Spinulose Fern, Purple Rocket, and a moss Helodium blandowii, and 8 fern species, including Maidenhair Fern, Northern Lady Fern, Dissected Grapefern, Rattlesnake Fern, Southern Bladder Fern, Spinulose Fern, Sensitive Fern, and Interrupted Fern. Garlic mustard is virtually nonexistent. The only significant management issue is alien Honeysuckle species that are invading from the perimeter of the park where they were planted. The site is dominated by deciduous woodland with White Oaks, Bitternut and Shagbark Hickories, Red Elms, Hackberry, Ironwood, and Chokecherry and Missouri Gooseberry, as well as considerable deadfall, a consequence of the straight-line wind storm of 1998. The ravine system is remarkably pristine and supports extensive colonies of Wild Sarsaparilla, Maidenhair Fern, and Interrupted Fern. Both the upland and the ravine support a spectacular spring flora with abundant Large-flowered Bellwort, Anise Root, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Mayapple, and Geranium, and carpets of Toothwort, Spring Beauty, Dutchman’s Breeches, White Trout Lily, Bristly Buttercup and Southern Bladder Fern. Iowa City acquired Ryerson's Woods in 1985. The vegetation of the site was the subject of UI student, Sophia Krajewski's, Honors Thesis in 2010. In 2011, based on the results of her research, the Iowa City Department of Parks and Recreation nominated Ryerson's Woods to be designated a Biological State Preserve. The Iowa State Preserves Advisory Board is expected to make a decision on April 29, 2014. Directions: Take Riverside Drive south, past the Iowa City Airport. Ryersons Woods is directly south of the Johnson County Fairgrounds, on right (west) side of the road. If coming from out of town, take Hwy 218 south to exit 89, turn north onto Riverside Dr.; Ryersons is on left side of road. Location and trail map: http://www.icgov.org/?id=1042 There is a posted trail map at the park, but if you want a paper map, please print one from this website.

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Special Events