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| Trillium and Japanese barberry. J. Schaeffer |
The forest floor in mid-April is awash with sunlight that will turn to shade as the canopy leaves reach their full size in another six weeks. A variety of delightful wildflowers take advantage of this ephemeral season. On a recent hike in the mature forest behind Sherwood House we found: trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple, bloodroot, violets and two kinds of fern emerging as fanciful fiddleheads. But along with these native plants we also noticed too many invasives: lesser celandine, garlic mustard, and Japanese barberry to name a few. The fast-growing invasives tend to crowd out native plants. Both of the accompanying photos show a lovely native plant growing beside an invasive--the best of plants and the worst of plants. Will both be back next year?
The park's Habitat Restoration Team works enthusiastically and perpetually to remove invasives, plant natives and restore a landscape disturbed by three centuries of agriculture, industry and suburbanization. Join them on May 7 and June 11 and every second Saturday, 9-12.
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| Budding garlic mustard, mayapple, emerging fern. J.Schaeffer |
