As of July 18, 2019, April was designated Native Plant Month in Ohio. This was the first U.S. state to have an entire month dedicated to Ohio’s native plants highlighting the many benefits they provide to the state’s economy, our health and of course to pollinators.

Perhaps April was chosen because it is the month when Ohio is gifted with a display of ephemeral spring wildflowers. Ohio is one of few areas in the world to have these plants. They bloom for a short time and then most, if not all the growth, dies back after storing food in their roots and bulbs for next year’s show.

Observant visitors to the Columbus Park of Roses in the spring can find several spring ephemerals such as Virginia Bluebells (shown here), Spring Beauties and Trillium.

The Columbus Park of Roses is also home to 34 species of native trees and at least 10 species of native shrubs. In fact, there is a self-guided tour of the native trees in the gardens accessible via smart phones (parkofroses.org/visit/).  

In addition, many perennial forbs – herbaceous, non-woody, broadleaf plants that are not grass-like – bloom throughout the year in the gardens. These can be found in the Herb Garden, the Perennial Garden and in the Native Beds currently under renovation on the west side of the shelter house. Many of these plants are identified with a sticker on the identification plate.

Take time to notice the wealth of native plant life in the Columbus Park of Roses. If you want to learn more, an excellent resource for information is Ohio Native Plants .