Tolleston Dunes in the IDNP is one of my favorite trails. It strikes a nice balance between the trails that line the lake front which are dominated by living dunes and interdunal wetlands, and those furthest from the lake that follow the Little Calumet river which feature richer soil with little sand. The Tolleston Dunes trail, as shown in the image above, is still quite sandy but the dunes have stabilized and support a mature forrest ecosystem. It is one of the three trails in the park where you can find Lupine in abundance, along with lots of Birdsfoot Violets, which makes for a very Blue landscape this time of year.
I visited this trail in late April and the Birdsfoot Violets, which have been blooming for a couple weeks now, are easily found in patches along the first third of the trail. I really enjoy the orange contrast in the middle of the flower, and they way it appears to be sticking it’s tongue out at you.There are big patches of Lupine all over this trail. Only a few of them had started to bloom. On this particular day the Bracken Fern were coming up strong, but had not yet crowded everything else out. I was able to get many shots from low vantage points where the Lupine were nicely framed by the ferns.Of course Blue was not the only color present in the floral landscape. There were plenty of vibrant Yellows mixed in with the Blues. There were the occasional Wood Betony and plenty of Horary Puccoon.White flowers were out as well, including plenty of Wild Strawberry. False Solomon’s Seal were just beginning to show, in about a week they will be on full display.Right at the beginning of the trail there is a nice big patch of Purple Deadnettle. A member of the mint family, I see it pretty commonly through out the park. It is not native to the region, though I do not know if it is considered invasive or not.And then there are the Bracken Fern’s. Soon much of the park will be awash in these plants. I have noticed that they all tend to grow to about the same height, and when they spread their leaves it creates a low canopy of green which blocks the sunlight from reaching the ground. I like this phase because you can watch as the ferns emerge and slowly uncoil. First the main stem, and then the leaves unfurl.
