Spring Ephemerals Walk at Daniels Run Park

Walk with a naturalist to explore native wildflowers at Daniels Run Park!

Join the city's Stewardship Coordinator and guest interpreter Fairfax Master Naturalist Katy Johnson on Saturday, April 18, for a late morning stroll to seek out special spring ephemerals.

What's a spring ephemeral?

Spring ephemerals are unique plants that only appear for a short time between March and May before disappearing below ground for the rest of the year. Native ephemerals provide important early spring forage for wildlife and pollinators, such as box turtles, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and lots of other insects.

Examples of spring ephemerals:

• Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
• Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum)
• Virginia springbeauty (Claytonia virginica)
• Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
• Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
• Round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana)
• Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
• Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
• Rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides)
• Star chickweed (Stellaria pubera)

Event details

We'll meet at the Daniels Run Trail trailhead on Tedrich Blvd at 9 a.m. and meander through the park at a relaxed pace. Expect an approximately 1-hour interpretive walk on unpaved trails to take in the serenity of spring and explore the amazing blooms in our woodlands.

Registration

All ages are welcome; however, this is not a dog-friendly event. Registration in advance is encouraged so we know how many people to expect before starting our walk through the park.