Edna W. Spurgeon Woodland Reserve, An Old-Growth Forest Reserve In Indiana, Will Be In Full Bloom Soon And It’s An Extraordinary Sight To See
By Tori Jane|Published April 12, 2021
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Tori Jane
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Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Have you been searching for the ultimate spots for spring wildflowers in Indiana? Are you bored with state and national parks (we don’t know if that’s possible, honestly) and want to find somewhere to appreciate the brilliant color of the warming days without the inevitable crowds? This awe-inspiring woodland reserve in Noble County has plenty of blooming flowers to go around, and it draws the majesty out for the entire season.
The Edna W. Spurgeon Woodland Reserve is pleasant all year round, but in spring, it's like a certain type of magic happens.
Brilliant green grass sprouts from the ground and the trees pack their foliage back on day by day during the spring. The fresh growth on the branches is fragrant and attractive, contributing to a tranquil atmosphere.
The floor springs to life in March, when skunk cabbage pops up in clusters around the reserve.
The leaves are large and vibrant green, and they produce interesting-looking flowers you can't miss if you're looking for them. Speaking of flowers, during the spring months, Edna W. Spurgeon Reserve becomes a bit of a haven for them. Depending on what part of spring you visit, there are differing blooms at different points in time.
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For example, in mid to late April, you'll see a variety of early-season flowers like harbinger-of-spring, bloodroot, and Dutchman's breeches.
The lily is highly recognizable, with its intriguing star shape and brilliant warm colors. Look for them in singles, as they only ever bloom one flower per plant. Each lily you see represents its own plant; they're a spring favorite throughout the Hoosier state. There are also five species of violet that spring up right around this time, as well.
As May comes and goes, the rest of the spring bloom crew will appear, including blue phlox, anise-root, and even wild geraniums!
There are so many flowers at different times at Edna W. Spurgeon Reserve that we can't list them all here, so you might as well pay them a visit a few times to make sure you see them all.
The park is open to foot traffic only, and the public is welcome from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
There are 1.2 miles of hiking trails on the reserve, and if you choose to hike them, you'll be taken on a unique tour of some of the best spring wildflowers in Indiana.
There's more to it than just the wildflowers, of course - the reserve is also home to old-growth woodlands.
