Please don’t pick the Pacific trillium
Spring is here, and the Arcata Environmental Services Department is offering some tips for community members on how to harmlessly appreciate the beauty of native wildflowers growing in the city’s natural spaces.
When visiting the Arcata Community Forest, one of the first promising signs that winter is passing is coming across the beautiful white clusters of Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum). These simple, elegant flowers are ephemeral bloomers, which means they flower for a short period of time and go dormant until the next year. While Pacific trillium are beautiful, they are also fragile. Touching or picking trillium can injure or even kill this native wildflower, so it’s important that community members appreciate their beauty from a distance, the city of Arcata press release said.
Picking these wildflowers have harmful impacts that can damage the plant so it is unable to regrow in the future. Picking trillium also negatively impacts insects and animals that rely on the flower for food or protective cover.
To ensure trillium blooms in the Arcata Community Forest for generations to come, the Environmental Services Department has a few tips for flower lovers on how to appreciate wildflowers without harming the plants:
• Take photos. A photo can last a lifetime, and it is a great way to appreciate floral beauty without touching the plant.
• Make some art. Sketching, drawing, painting or even felting a native flower is a fun way to get creative and keep a piece of nature inside your home.
• Download a nature app. Apps such as Inaturalist or Picture allow users to identify and share photos of the plants in the wild.
• Plant a native plant garden. Planting native flora is a great way to keep nature close to home, and native plant gardens benefit native insects, birds and mammals. Not only are native gardens good for the environment, but once established they are often lower maintenance than ornamental gardens, as they are well equipped for the local climate. The press release reminds folks to be sure to only buy native plants from reputable nurseries and never remove the plants from the wild.
The Environmental Services Department encourages all community members
to get outside and take a safe stroll through the Arcata Community Forest to admire the trillium while they are in bloom. For more information, email eservices@cityofarcata.org or call 707-822-8184.