Spiegel Grove is home to a variety of wildflowers that bloom from late winter through spring. The grounds crew does not start mowing until after the wildflowers have finished blooming so that visitors can enjoy the beautiful blooms.
Some of the varieties that can be found are:
Snowdrops
Among the first blooms spotted at the Grove, these blooms are resistant to deer and rabbits. Their stalks are 3 to 6 inches tall, and their flower is bell-shaped with three white, veined, drop-like petals that cover three shorter white and green petals at the flower’s center.
Winter Aconite
These are another of the first blooms at the Grove, found from January through march. The yellow flowers are honey-scented and members of the buttercup family.
They are not native to North America but originated in Europe and have been naturalized here. Like snowdrops, they are resistant to deer and rabbits. These often bloom next to Boffin’s Bower, the gazebo-like structure behind the home.
Trillium
White trillium are Ohio’s state wildflower. They typically bloom from April to June. These flowers have three whorled leaves followed by three white, pink, maroon or reddish-brown tapered petals. These have been spotted near President Rutherford and First Lady Lucy Hayes’ tomb.
Siberian Squill
This blue flower blooms from early April through early June. It has six petals with a dark blue stripe down each petal. It has a very fragrant smell, and bees are its primary pollinators.
Siberian Squill are considered an invasive plant, brought to North America as a decorative plant. They are resistant to deer and rabbits.
Virginia Bluebells
These trumpet-shaped flowers bloom from early April to early May. The flowers are pink when young and then turn purple and blue.
Virginia bluebells prefer damp soil and tend to grow along streams and in low-lying wooded areas. At Spiegel Grove, they often can be found by Boffin’s Bower, among other spots on the grounds.
These flowers rely heavily on bumblebees for pollination, but moths, hummingbirds and butterflies also visit this flower. Native Americans used bluebells to treat whooping cough and tuberculosis. 
Spring Beauty
This flower has five white petals with distinctive pink lines in each petal. It blooms from late March through early May.
It is an important source of nectar because it is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. Insects disperse its seeds. Native Americans used to collect the root tubers of this plant for food.
The root tubers can be boiled or roasted and taste like potatoes or boiled chestnuts. The stems and leaves can be eaten in a salad.
For more wildflowers, including pictures and information, please see the wildflower booklet the Sandusky County Parks District put together on Spiegel Grove.