WET HABITAT
Most of the tagged plants in this wet habitat have been planted as part of our native plant collection program. (See the map for plant locations.) A couple like the shagbark hickory along the spur trail and the nannyberry along the main trail were growing here eight years ago. The brush piles testify to our efforts to cut back on the gray dogwood and Asiatic honeysuckle to make room for more diversity.
The two large alders to the left of the spur trail appear tree like rather than the multi-stem shrub form we normally see along stream banks. These plants were purchased from a nursery and they are probably a horticultural variety for customers that want a very fast growing tree. The leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark are typical of the shrub form of our two common species.
To the left of the spur trail, just before the bridge, we have a grouping of more than two dozen winterberry shrubs. When mature and covered with red berries, this group should present a beautiful autumn scene. Since these are seedling shrubs, some of the plants will be non-fruiting males, not necessarily in the 50/50 split common with humans. This species makes a good landscaping plant and does well in well-drained soil, as long as it gets enough sunshine. If you are interested in winterberry for landscape use, pay extra and get a nursery grown clone which you know will have copious fruit.
To the right of the spur trail, we have a grouping of chokeberries, both red and black species. There is also an edging of chokeberry to the right of the main trail. This plant (of the rose family) has pretty white flowers in the early spring and brilliant red foliage in the fall. In the same locations, we have some spicebush plants. Rub the leaves to bring out the fragrance. This plant is host to the spice bush swallowtail butterfly, another reason to include it in your native plant garden.
In our efforts to have all of NY’s native woody plants, we have had to include some southern species that have trouble with our winters. Along the main trail left, we have two sweet gum trees; they did well for a while, died back severely in winter of 2009, but have since come back. Summer-sweet, (Clethra) seems to be doing okay, although I have only seen it growing wild on Long Island and in the New Jersey pine lands. The Sweet bay (Magnolia), right on the spur trail, also seems to be doing okay (although badly browsed by deer last winter).
Recent additions along the main trail are two high bush blueberry shrubs. In addition to their delectable fruit, this shrubs of this species have very pretty bell shaped flowers in the spring and nice red foliage in the fall - a good multiuse plant.
Although most of the plants here are usually associated with wet lands, many will do well in well-drained soil. They just need help in getting started and in fighting competition. So if you like them, give them a try in your garden.
The spur trail continues up the hill to the willow pond. The hillside has well-drained and fairly rich soil. We have planted herbaceous (non-woody) plants like violets, trillium, bloodroot, hepatica, wild ginger, Solomon’s plume, bellwort, et cetera, plus 18 species of ferns along this trail. None are marked but it will be fun (and a test of your powers of observation) to find as many as you can.
Ed Miller, Curator, the Native Plant Collection. Revised February 2013
The two large alders to the left of the spur trail appear tree like rather than the multi-stem shrub form we normally see along stream banks. These plants were purchased from a nursery and they are probably a horticultural variety for customers that want a very fast growing tree. The leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark are typical of the shrub form of our two common species.
To the left of the spur trail, just before the bridge, we have a grouping of more than two dozen winterberry shrubs. When mature and covered with red berries, this group should present a beautiful autumn scene. Since these are seedling shrubs, some of the plants will be non-fruiting males, not necessarily in the 50/50 split common with humans. This species makes a good landscaping plant and does well in well-drained soil, as long as it gets enough sunshine. If you are interested in winterberry for landscape use, pay extra and get a nursery grown clone which you know will have copious fruit.
To the right of the spur trail, we have a grouping of chokeberries, both red and black species. There is also an edging of chokeberry to the right of the main trail. This plant (of the rose family) has pretty white flowers in the early spring and brilliant red foliage in the fall. In the same locations, we have some spicebush plants. Rub the leaves to bring out the fragrance. This plant is host to the spice bush swallowtail butterfly, another reason to include it in your native plant garden.
In our efforts to have all of NY’s native woody plants, we have had to include some southern species that have trouble with our winters. Along the main trail left, we have two sweet gum trees; they did well for a while, died back severely in winter of 2009, but have since come back. Summer-sweet, (Clethra) seems to be doing okay, although I have only seen it growing wild on Long Island and in the New Jersey pine lands. The Sweet bay (Magnolia), right on the spur trail, also seems to be doing okay (although badly browsed by deer last winter).
Recent additions along the main trail are two high bush blueberry shrubs. In addition to their delectable fruit, this shrubs of this species have very pretty bell shaped flowers in the spring and nice red foliage in the fall - a good multiuse plant.
Although most of the plants here are usually associated with wet lands, many will do well in well-drained soil. They just need help in getting started and in fighting competition. So if you like them, give them a try in your garden.
The spur trail continues up the hill to the willow pond. The hillside has well-drained and fairly rich soil. We have planted herbaceous (non-woody) plants like violets, trillium, bloodroot, hepatica, wild ginger, Solomon’s plume, bellwort, et cetera, plus 18 species of ferns along this trail. None are marked but it will be fun (and a test of your powers of observation) to find as many as you can.
Ed Miller, Curator, the Native Plant Collection. Revised February 2013