First wildflowers of the season at Charleston Lake Provincial Park — 18 April, 2026

This hike turned out to be full of surprises! I was thrilled to see so many spring ephemerals already up and and the hepaticas blooming in brilliant white and rich purples. We were disappointed that some ice damage to the floating bridge on Tallow Rock Bay Trail prevented us from scouting out the newest backcountry sites, but hope to return when the bridge is repaired. If you are looking for an excellent wildflower guide for the Eastern Ontario region, I highly recommend Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (by Lawrence Newcomb). It has helpful and clear illustrations and allows you to search the index for both common and scientific names of species. As always, if you see something I have mis-identified or something I haven't IDed that want to point out, please mention it in the comments! Thanks for joining me!