Wildflowers of Pelham Bay Park


wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), a NYC native spring ephemeral

Today was a great day to be in Pelham Bay Park. Spring ephemerals were everywhere! I counted 7 patches/populations of wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) (see above), lots of trout lily (Erythronium americanum) and the ubiquitous common blue violet (Viola sororia). Also observed something very interesting - insect visitors to native and exotic flowers. One of the largest patches of cut-leaf toothwort (Cardamine laciniata) had loads of insect visitors. It looked like a Liliputian JFK, with syrphid flies, cabbage whites, beetles (one of which may have been a click beetle), predatory wasps, solitary bees - amazing. Then, a few feet away, began a biological desert - acres and acres of periwinkle (Vinca minor). Walking through this exotic invasive (a fav of homeowners), I saw only 2 bumblebees and one wasp. That's it! Food for thought.

cut-leaf toothwort (another a NYC native spring ephemeral) with beetle visitor (look carefully)
Other plants seen - white bark of gray birch (Betula populifolia), far too much of day lily (Hemerocallis fulva) the popular exotic invasive that is smothering our lovely spring ephemerals, emerging leaves of white oak (Quercus alba) tinged with red, a cabbage white (exotic butterfly) laying eggs on garlic mustard (exotic, invasive plant), the beautiful spring azure (butterfly), a just emerging jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), the showy leaves of alum root (Heuchera americana) - finally, a native plant that is popular in the garden.

daylily invading (invaded really) forest understory

The most exciting find of the day was ramps (Allium tricoccum)...a native spring ephemeral and a new listing for our records!

ramps (Allium tricoccum) leaves - flowers emerge after leaves die back (another NYC native spring ephemeral)