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Nature lovers usually welcome April with its abundance of springtime blossoms. This year, as we endure the effects of our global pandemic, April can seem like "the cruelest month," as described by poet T.S. Eliot. Those who long to enjoy the outdoors freely, especially alongside other enthusiasts, may appreciate a virtual or actual trip to Nachusa Grasslands.
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Even if you can't travel to Nachusa, you can still enjoy photos of the native spring plants blooming in Nachusa's prairie, woodland and oak savannas on the Friends of Nachusa Grasslands What's in Bloom? web page.
You can also check out our Spring Photo Gallery. Nachusa's prairie, savanna, and woodland beauties await you!
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Where to Find April Blooms
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As Governor Pritzker's "Stay at Home" Executive Order lists hiking as a permitted Essential Activity, Nachusa Grasslands is open, and the public can hike in the non-fenced areas. Social distancing six feet apart is required.
The Visitor Center bathrooms and Headquarters Barn are locked, so plan accordingly.
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Although the species pictured below can be found in many locations throughout the preserve, the flowers are grouped by the recommended hikes where they have definitely been seen in prior years. There are no bison in these units, so everyone is welcome to explore. Feel free to walk along the "two–tracks" or off the trail, scanning the landscape for blooming flowers.
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Trailhead Map
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Stone Barn Savanna: 250 acres of oak savanna, restored prairie, wetlands, and sandstone cliffs accessed from a pedestrian gate at the west end of Stone Barn Road 2 miles northwest of the Visitor Center
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Spring Beauty
Claytonia virginica
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Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
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Toothwort
Dentaria laciniata
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Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum (atrorubens)
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Red (Prairie) Trillium
Trillium recurvatum
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Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
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Thelma Carpenter Prairie: 60-acre remnant and restored prairie up the hill from Carthage Road 2.4 miles northeast of the Visitor Center
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Clear Creek Knolls: 300 acres of hill remnants, restorations, and a creek crossing east of Lowden Road 1.4 miles north of the Visitor Center
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Shooting Star
Dodecatheon meadia
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Pussy Toes
Antennaria plantaginifolia
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Big Jump Prairie: 350 acres of prairie, woodlands, creek, cliffs, and crop fields 2.6 miles north of the Visitor Center west of Lowden Road
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Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
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Birdsfoot Violet
Viola pedata lineariloba
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