Guelph Hiking Trail Club - Post 5 - flowers, mushrooms, animal tracks

Starkey Hill Interpretive Trail Highlights

Something for all seasons: flowers, mushrooms, animal tracks

Flowers
In springtime this is a good spot to look for early bloomers such as trilliums (Ontario’s provincial flower), bloodroot, hepatica, trout lilies, coltsfoot, violets, spring beauties and, in boggy areas, marsh marigolds.

Why do spring flowers grow particularly well along this stretch of trail? One reason is that, unlike conifers, the trees here are deciduous (lose their leaves in autumn), which allows sunlight to reach low-growing plants in springtime. In summer, when the forest canopy is in full leaf and the ground is more heavily shaded, taller, more light-competitive plants like false Solomon’s seal and burdock come into their own. In autumn, look for goldenrod and white and purple asters along the trails. Admire, take photos, but please don’t pick.

Trillium (photo Bob Fanning)

Trillium
(photo Bob Fanning)

Dutchman's Breeches
(photo Tim Johnson)

For an excellent photo gallery of common Ontario wildflowers, go to: http://www.wildflowersofontario.ca/

Mushrooms & Fungi
Starkey’s woods are also full of seasonal mushrooms and other fungi that sprout on trees and logs, grow on the forest floor, and hide among fallen leaves. Caution: don’t pick or eat. Many mushrooms are poisonous, some deadly. (All mushroom and fungi photos courtesy of Tim Myles).

Deer Mushroom

Funeral Bells
(deadly poisonous)

Turkey Tails

Fly Agaric
(poisonous)

Animal tracks
Even in winter, when the ground is snow-covered, Starkey has secrets to reveal. Look for the tracks of rabbits, mice, raccoons, squirrels, deer and other forest inhabitants. How many can you spot?

The Starkey Hill Interpretive Trail is jointly managed by the Guelph Hiking Trail Club and the Grand River Conservation Authority

Grand River Conservation Authority

Back to Interpretive Trail Map

Privacy Policy

Guelph Hiking Trail Club is a charitable organization Registration#11894 9395

PO Box 1, Guelph, ON, N1H 6J6