Appreciate the trillium from a distance
Spring is here, and the city of Arcata Environmental Services Department would like to offer some tips for community members on how to harmlessly appreciate the beauty of native wildflowers growing in Arcata'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 is important that community members appreciate their beauty from a distance.
Picking these wildflowers has harmful impacts that can damage the plant, so it is unable to regrow in the future. Picking trillium also negatively impacts insects and animals who rely on the flower for food or protective cover. In order 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 or visit a nature website. iNaturalist or PictureThis
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. Be sure to only buy native plants from reputable nurseries and never remove the plants from the wild.
The city of Arcata 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.