Spring time flowers are out in full force UP North. We have a trio of beauties today, starting with White Trilliums captured by Judy Byykkonen. This time of year these pretty wildflowers blanket the woodland floors in the wild and are actually a protected flower. Picking them causes serious injuries to the plant, which prevents them from producing food for the next year’s growth and can kill the plant which is why they are endangered and a protected species. You can find them to purchase in nurseries, though, if you’d like to plant them in your own garden. Judy’s Trilliums were planted by a previous homeowner and she nurtures them by clearing away other plants that may choke them out, otherwise she said they just grow beautifully there without any other care.

The next beauty, a Downy Yellow Violet, was found and photographed by Kathy Erkkila Ptaszel out near Freda on the Covered Road. They have a “hairy” heart shaped leaf, which helps to identify them also. From what I found on the Internet, they are eaten by a variety of woodland critters, from the flowers, seeds and even the stems. Humans use them primarily as ornamental, they can also be eaten, but excessive consumption may have undesired effects. I think I’ll just stick to looking at them, then.

And last but not least, Gladys Collins photographed these Bleeding Hearts in her flower garden. These flowers get their name from the puffy, heart shaped pink flowers that dangle from the stems. Underneath the heart shaped flower, a white petal protrudes that resembles a “drop” forming, thus the name “bleeding heart”. They flower for several weeks, but will disappear for the rest of the summer if they’re exposed to too much sun or heat. The roots stay alive though, so the Bleeding Heart will come back regrowing in the fall or the next spring. Flowers are amazing bursts of beauty!

We wrap things up today with Copper Harbor Vitality and a video of Canyon Falls Spring Run. Canyon Falls is located south of L’Anse and is an easy hike from the roadside park. It is often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the U.P”, due to the gorge that it carves out along the Sturgeon River. It’s worth the hike to view, especially in the Spring when the waters are really flowing, but just be aware that the mosquitoes and black flies are flowing well this time of year, too!

Hi
The flower pictures make me realize that spring
flowers come much later in the UP.

There are evidently a lot of waterfalls that I
haven't visited. Part of the Canyon Falls looked
familiar, though, because it was featured in one of
my old calendars.

The flowers are so pretty....would the Bleeding
Heart flower again if you Dead Headed it?
Columbines do that...I thought "one flower and
done"..someone told me to dead head it, and it
would flower again, and it worked!! I wonder if
this would too.....

cool vid.

A pleasant set that warms the cockles
of one’s heart and tonight I think I’ll watch
Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Beautiful pictures. I just love
spring and the reappearance of
these beauties and others.

Good to know about the colombines,
Donna. Mine are beautiful right
now.

I need some more color in front of my house but I'm still waiting for the annuals go on sale a bit more. They are SO expensive.

I just came across the FB page of this fellow from Thunder Bay. He appears to be a photographer that does daily ride alongs on a Tug Boat working the area. He even got a great shot of the distressed MICHIPICOTEN during its close call today.

Working On Thunder Bay

Thanks for sharing those, D.A.
Those pictures are great. I'm so
happy the crew members are all
safe and that the Michipicoten
made it safely to port.