[simage=2162,400,y,center]

While many Marion County residents are enjoying hunting for morels among other outdoor pursuits, spring rains and warm weather have also brought another reason for appreciating the out of doors–spring wildflowers are in bloom. Marion County Naturalist Marla Mertz says that local woods, grasslands, ditches and fencerows offer abundant opportunities to observe and appreciate wildflowers. One particularly beautiful and rare flowering plant that Mertz has seen this spring at both Roberts Creek and Cordova Parks is the Showy Orchis, one of Iowa’s 32 species of wild orchids.

[simage=2164,400,y,center]
[simage=2165,400,y,center]
[simage=2166,400,y,center]
[simage=2163,400,y,center]