Photos from the Neighbourhood... Some Plants!
Yellow Flag Iris was first introduced to North America during the 1800s as an ornamental plant and has since spread to many waterways. It has been planted in wastewater ponds because it is known to absorb heavy metals. Click here for more information.
|
The Choke Cherry Tree is beautiful in bloom, flowering to develop small berries that are edible but very sour.
Click here to learn more! The common Lilac is known as a garden shrub but often escapes and grows wild. Click here to learn more!
|
This is the Staghorn Sumac in fall, Did you know that it has compound leaves, meaning each leaf is composed of several leaflets? Click here to learn more!
The White Trillium is the Provincial flower of Ontario. Click here to learn more!
|
Alder, Alnus rugosa. These small shrub-like trees are found mostly along the creek. The only deciduous tree that has a cone.
Apple, Malus spp There are a number of apple trees along the creek path. Balsam Poplar, Populus balsamifera. These trees produce the cotton that fills the air like snow in the early summer. Black Ash, Fraxinus nigra.One of the commonest of the trees along the creek bank, produces paddle shaped seeds or samaras. Cedar, Thuja occidentalis. Well recognized. Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana. A shrub like tree growing in all areas of the park has white blossoms in early spring and long stalks of sour cherries that make good jelly. Elm, Ulmus americana. One medium sized elm stands at the junction of the creek trail and the bridge to Glenwood Road. This is an important addition to the park since the American Elm has been in such danger from the Dutch Elm disease. Hazelnut, Corylus americana. This is another shrub found at the top of the hill beyond the footbridge. Highbush Cranberry, Viburnum trillium. Not really the cranberry you eat with turkey but the fruit is similar in shape and colour. Maple. Several species of maple are found in this area. Manitoba Maple or Box-elder, Acer negundo, has a compound leaf rather than the characteristic maple leaf Mountain Maple, Ace spicatum. A small, shrubby tree with a more rounded leaf and a characteristic flower spike. Silver Maple, Acer saccarinum. Leaves are more sharply divided. Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum, This is the Maple for syrup and our Maple leaf. Mountain Ash, Sorbus decora. There are many of these trees throughout the Finger Park. The bright orange-red berries are a favorite of the birds. Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia. This shrub is identified by its wax like leaves. Found in the wooded section along the trail between the creek and Parkwood. Oaks, Quercus spp. There are several varieties of oaks in this area well distinguished by their distinctive leaves. Pin Cherry, Prunus pennsylvanica. Flowers and fruit in a cluster rather than the stalks of the chokecherry Redosier Dogwood, Cornus stolenifera. A low shrub, identified by its outstanding red twigs Greenosier Dogwood, Cornus racemosa. A similar shrub but with grayish green stems. Red Pine, Pinus resinosa. A recent [2004] planting of over 200 seedlings will hopefully dominate this area affirming the name Pinewood. Red, White and Pink Honeysuckle, Lonicera spp. Serviceberrry, Shad bush or Saskatoon , Amelanchier spp. The first white blossoms of the spring. Found mainly on the rock outcrop off Parkwood. Great berries if you can get them before the birds do. Staghorn Sumac, Rhus thyphina. The tree that adds the bright fall colours with its composite leaves and bright red furry fruit clusters. Trembling Aspen, Populus tremuloides. The thin, flattened leaf stem is the reason these leaves tremble in the breeze, giving the tree its name. White Birch. Betula papyrifera. One of the most familiar of trees found in several areas of the park. Willow, Salix spp. Small pussywillow varieties are found along the creek side along with several larger willows near the south end |
Elm (above)
Hazelnut (above)
Red Osier Dogwood (above)
Serviceberry (above)
|
Bracken Fern, Pteridium aquilinium. The most prominent fern in the area. Has a woody stem with an umbrella frond. Turns brown with the first frost.
Fungi or Mushrooms. There are numerous varieties and this link will provide you with ample information.
Horsetail Equisetum spp. Long green and brown spikes found along the creekside. This plant, also known as scouring rush, was used by early settlers to scour their pots and pans since its stem is very rough due to the high amount of silicone in it.
Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia Struthiopteris. This is the "Fiddlehead " fern found on the west side of the bank right along the path. Another smaller patch exists in the low ground north of the wooden footbridge. A very large frond.
Sensitive Fern, Onoclea sensibilis. Triangular leaves, very unfernlike. Dies early in the first frost leaving brown fertile spikes.
Spinulose Woodfern, Dryopteris spinulosa. A less prominent fern in this park. Delicate fronds.
A variety of Mosses and Lichens are also found on the rock outcroppings and damp places throughout the area.
Fungi or Mushrooms. There are numerous varieties and this link will provide you with ample information.
Horsetail Equisetum spp. Long green and brown spikes found along the creekside. This plant, also known as scouring rush, was used by early settlers to scour their pots and pans since its stem is very rough due to the high amount of silicone in it.
Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia Struthiopteris. This is the "Fiddlehead " fern found on the west side of the bank right along the path. Another smaller patch exists in the low ground north of the wooden footbridge. A very large frond.
Sensitive Fern, Onoclea sensibilis. Triangular leaves, very unfernlike. Dies early in the first frost leaving brown fertile spikes.
Spinulose Woodfern, Dryopteris spinulosa. A less prominent fern in this park. Delicate fronds.
A variety of Mosses and Lichens are also found on the rock outcroppings and damp places throughout the area.
Purple Aster, Aster spp. A tall, very distinct flowering pant with purple composite flowers. Bee Balm, Minarda didyma. Probably a garden escape. Purple or dark red thistle-like flowers. Beggar's Tick, Bidens frondosus, Bidens vulgatus, Bidens tripartitus & Bidens cernuus. A nuisance for dog walkers in the Fall. Blue eyed Grass, Siyrinchium montanum. As the name suggests this is a small grass-like plant that blooms with a single delicate blue flower. Blueberry, Vaccinium spp. Everyone will recognize this plant especially with its berries. Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare. The common thistle with a prickly stem. Bunchberry, Cornus Canadensis. A small low-lying plant with a whorl of six leaves beneath 4 showy white bracts that look like petals. Has a cluster of red berries. Burdock, Arctium lappa. Large rhubarb like leaves. Actually has a very pretty flower before it turns into the bur that all dog owners hate. Canada Thistle, Cirsium arvense. Identified by its small, clustered thistle flowers. Cattails, Typha latifolia. A few swampy spots along the creek give rise to the cattails. Climbing False Buckwheat, Polygonum scandens. Vine-like plant with small white flowers Clover, Trifolium spp. Several species are found along the cultivated lawn areas. Common Buttercup, Ranunculus acris. Common Plantain, Plantago major. A low-lying plant with a whorl of broad leaves and a long spiked flower stem. Common Speedwell, Veronica officinalis. A creeping ground cover with tiny blue flowers at the end of its stem. Creeping Bellflower, Campanula rapunculoides. A fairly tall plant with bell shaped flowers on one side of the stem. Leves are heart shaped at the bottom and more lance shaped at the top of the stem. Curled Dock, Rumex crispus. A tall rather rough plant with wavy leaves and large clusters of brown, heart shaped seeds. Daisy Fleabane, Erigeron strigosus. A tall plant with flowers like a daisy only smaller flowers. Daisy, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum. The common white daisy. Dandelion, Taraxicum officinalis "The official cure for all diseases". Who can't spot these ubiquitous foreigners? Dogbane, Apocynum androsaemililolium. An almost shrub like plant with pale pink bell shaped flowers striped inside. Stems have a milky juice when broken. Dogtooth Violet, Adder's Tongue, Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum. One of the first spring flowers to carpet most of the East bank of the creek with its yellow flowers. English Plantain, Plantago lanceolata. Similar to the common plantain but with narrow lance like leaves. Evening Primrose, Oenotheria biennis. A tall plant with large yellow, four petal flowers. Fireweed, Epilobum angustifolium. A few of these plants appear in this park. Tall with pink flowers in a spike similar to loosestrife. Flat–Topped White Aster, Aster umbellatus. A typical aster with cluster of flowers at the top of the stem. Forget-Me-Not, Myosotis scorpiodes. Another easily identified flower with its pinkish blue petals. Ginseng, Panax quinquefolia. A very common plant with large horse chestnut-like leaves. Common along the creekside. Goldenrod, Solidago app. Several varieties of this well known plant are found in the park. Hawkweed, Devil’s Paintbrush, Hieracum aurantiacum [orange] H.pratense [yellow]. A very common bright composite flower found on lawns and grassy areas. Heal-all, Prunella vulgaris. A short plant with violet, hooded flowers in a dense terminal cluster. Hyssop, Blue Giant, Agastache foeniculum. Along the creek, a member of the mint family, Square stem, distinctive odour. Iris, Iris spp. Another possible cultivated escape. Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema stewardsonii. Easily identified but rare in this woodlot. Japanese/Chinese Lanterns, Physalis alkekengi. Joe-Pye-Weed, Eupatorium maculatum. A strange name for this tall plant that grows in abundance in this area. Hairy stem and an umbrella-like arrangement of purple flowers. Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris. Only a couple of clumps of this early yellow flower appear in this area. Mayflower, Wild lily-of-the-Valley, Maianthemum canadense. A small early spring plant with a white spray of flowers and heart shaped leaves. Mullein, Verbascum thapsis. A tall plant with wooly leaves and a terminal club of dense yellow flowers. Narrrow-Leaf Meadowsweet, Spirea alba. Like the name suggests this is a small bushy plant similar to the cultivated Spirea. Nightshade, Solanum dulcamra. A vine like plant with purplish petals and yellow beak-like anthers. Northern Bush Honeysuckle, Diervilla lonicera. Not really a bush but rather a low [30 –60 cm] plant with the typical honeysuckle flower. Pale Smartweed, Polygonum lapathifolium. A low plant with tiny whitish-pink tight flowers in clustered spikes. Long narrow leaves. Pineapple Weed, Matricaria matricariodes. A small plant with feathery leaves and a tiny bud-likeflower. When crushed it emits a pineapple odour. Found largely along the sandy roadsides. Pink Lady’s-Slipper, Cypripedium acaule. There is one patch of these lovely flowers in this area. [It is on the other side of Parkwood and because of its uniqueness I have included it here]. Policeman's Helmet/Himalayan Balsam, Impatiens glandulifera. Grows 1 to 2 m tall with showy pink flowers. Very attractive to bees. Can be found along the trail off of Parkwood Drive towards the creek. Purple Loosestrife, Lytham salicaria. A newcomer to this area but spreading quickly. A very pretty plant but also very aggressive with its strong meshed root system and profuse seed production. This plant should be controlled or it could take over the area choking out other vegetation and clogging the waterway. Purple Vetch, Vicia americana. A small vine-like plant that climbs with twining tendrils. Purple clusters of personate flowers. [personate i.e. look like snapdragons]. Queen Anne’s Lace, Daucus carota. This lovely lace-work flower is a close relative of the garden carrot. Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Another plant well known to allergy sufferers. Red Raspberry, Rubus spp. Common throughout the park. A nice source for a quick snack as you travel the pathways in the summer. Red Trillium, Trillium undulate. This variety of the trillium family is most abundant on the east side of the creek bank about halfway through the North-South path. Rough Bedstraw, Galium asprellum. A low-lying plant with small white flowers and a very rough stem. Sheep or Common Sorrel, Rumex acetosella. Silvery Cinquefoil, Silverweed, Potentilla argentea. As the name suggests in French, five leaves in a palm like arrangement. Yellow flowers. Sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus. A softer form of thistle with dandelion-like leaves. Spotted Touch–Me-Not, Imaptiens capensis. This tall plant grows profusely along the North- South path. Translucent stems, the juice of which is supposed to cure the itch of mosquito bites. A great amusement is to touch the ripe spring-loaded seedpods and see them shoot open. Yellow spotted personate flowers. Spurge, Euporbia cyparissais, A greenish plant with numerous needle-like leaves. Found on a rocky spot almost at the Jane Street entrance. Common St Johnswort, Hypericum perforatum. A tall plant with yellow flowers, 5 petals. Starflower, Trientalis borealis. As the name implies, this plant looks like a fallen star with its two white flowers on stalks above a whorl of shiny leaves. Tall Meadow Rue, Thalictrum polyganum. As the name suggests, this is a tall delicate plant with foamy white flowers. Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare. This plant has fern-like leaves, a tight button-like yellow flower and a very distinctive aroma to the leaves. Toadflax, Butter and Eggs, Linaria vulgarism. Yellow and orange flowers like snapdragons. Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quenquefolia. A large climbing vine with bright green shiny leaves. White and Blue Violets, Viola spp. Easily identified spring flower. White Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum. Along with the red trillium, this species is also found in this area but not as abundantly. Wild Mustard, Brassica spp. Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana. Found mostly in the more open areas and along the edge of the rock outcropping. Hard to find many berries. Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. Tall plants with heavily dissected fern-like leaves and dense white flowers crowning their top. . Yellow Goats Beard, Tragopogon pratensis. A very tall plant that quickly forms a very large dandelion like globe of seeds. |
Bee Balm (above)
Beggar's Tick (above)
Bull Thistle (above)
Climbing False Buckwheat (above)
Daisy Fleabane (above)
Evening Primrose (above)
Fireweed (above)
Forget-Me-Not
Heal-all (above)
Marsh Marigold (above)
Northern Bush Honeysuckle (above)
Pineapple Weed (above)
Purple Vetch (above)
Queen Anne's Lace (above)
Rough Bedstraw (above)
Spotted Touch Me Not (above)
Tansy (above)
Toadflax (above)
Wild Mustard (above)
Yellow Goat's Beard (above)
|