Plants 0, Recreation 1

This is a charming little change in Parks' policy from allowing only passive recreation to now installing mountainbike trails in natural areas throughout the city. These pictures are from Cunningham Parks in Queens. I have a couple of issues, aside from how devastating this will be to ferns and wildflowers of the forest floor.

The propaganda (which, please note, was written by the mountainbike person doing this work), speaks of erosion:

"There's a common misconception that bicycles cause erosion damage to the trails. In response, a group of local mountain bicyclists decided to band together and educate themselves on the science of trail erosion and how bicycles could be ridden with minimal impact. Fueled with information provided by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the US Forest Service, a management plan began to take shape."

First, I would like to see the literature that supports the contention that mountainbikes don't erode trails. But that will never happen. You know why? It doesn't exist. You can, I imagine, minimize erosion, but there will always be erosion associated with mountainbiking.

Second, you want to see their answer to erosion? Look below...













That ditch off to the side? THAT is the result of their managment plan. These are placed every so often along the trails where there are slopes to encourage water (and thus water borne entities, such as soil) to pool. There is still plenty of erosion happening. What is no longer happening is the soils ending up on sidewalks and roadways when it rains. Now the soil settles into these little pools. So it keeps civic infrastructure tidy, but does nothing to retain the uppper soil layers. aka the seed nursery aka the bed of all future trees.


This is utterly awful. Acres and acres of destruction caused by all terrain vehicles - those off road motorized contraptions. Cops tell the drivers to go in the parks - these things are illegal on city streets. But see what happens when cops send these guys into the woods? This is a living graveyard. Once those trees die, nothing will take their place. Shameful. Why doesn't the Parks Department put in perimeter protection to keep these vehicles out? It's a cheap and easy solution, but there is obviously no will.

Scary Seton Falls Park

A little early for Halloween - scary but true story...

While monitoring vegetation in Seton Falls Park in the Bronx along Rattlesnake Creek approximately 100 yds from the falls area, I noticed 3 boys, about 13 years old, congregating nearby. When I asked if they needed some help, they responded with lewd and threatening comments, and then ran off. I was a little rattled, after all I was in a ravine, unseen (and probably unheard) from the street. About 10 minutes later, they returned to throw rocks at my head. Charming. At this point I ditched the field work and called the police as I promptly left the park. Once the two officers arrived, they drove around a bit to look for the kids, but no luck.

In the midst of the melee, I did come across new plant finds for the park: large-toothed aspen (Populus grandidentata) and the forb ditch stonecrop (Penthorum sedoides). Both are native, the latter is NYC-rare.

Orchids Found in SI

Today I went out with my pal Ray to root around along Staten Island's south shore...won't say exactly where...and we found two orchid species new to City records – large coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata) and bog twayblade (Liparis loeselii). Large coralroot lacks greenery - it has tawny brown stems and no leaves. This is because it does not photosynthesize. It is saprophytic, meaning it feeds off organic matter, like fungi. It is added in its nutrient intake by a short, stubby, branched root that resembles coral. Small white, purple spotted flowers appear in late summer.

As the name suggests, bog twayblade is found in wetland, open habitats. It has unremarkable yellowish-green flowers that are only 1/4” long that bloom in late summer.

Rare Plant Hunting

Today I romped around Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. I located NYS-listed rare plants Eastern gama grass (Tripsacum dactyloides) and common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) on an upland copse in Goose Creek Marsh. I noted something interesting – that the Eastern gama grass only appears ringing the upland perimeter of Phragmites, which is highly invasive. Where Phragmites was not observed, gama grass was also absent. T. dactyloides was noted as bearing seeds, but it was too early for the persimmon’s fruits.

Also found a patch of Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense). This patch was very small in both size and number of leaves (ramets). Given the undisturbed nature of the site and the seemingly high habitat quality, one would expect to find the plant extensively clonal here - aka a much larger patch. This population will be incorporated into my study of habitat quality using mayflower as an indicator species for forest quality.

New plant listings found and identified from this trip include: climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens), water plantain (Alisma subcordata), three-nerved joe-pye weed (Eupatorium dubium); these are all NYC rare and new finds for the borough. I also found the NYC willow herb (Epilobium coloratum) and the not rare but still cool tussock sedge (Carex stricta).

New shrub in Fort Tryon

Today I was in Fort Tryon Forest, northern Manhattan. Most people know the garden, but there is also a woodland that hangs over the Henry Hudson Expressway, just south of Inwood Hill Park.

This is one of those sites where there weren't a lot of existing records, because on a casual walk through I got 52 new listings. The most exciting was yellowroot (Xanthorrhiza simplicissima), because this species is new to City records. The shrub has deep green, pinnately divided leaves, that sprout in a tuft. It flowers in early spring, with many tiny purple flowers in drooping racemes. (And yes, it does indeed have yellow roots). The plant is not native to New York City, its range is south and east, from Pennsylvania to Florida.

Sand Sedge Spreading at Shore

The Jersey shore - our beloved shore. After I got back from my Avalon trip, I remembered having read something about an invasive sedge at the shore. Sure enough - I found the culprit (in print, not in person). Asiatic sand sedge (Carex kobomugi)

• How to recognize Asiatic sand sedge
• Learn more about Asiatic sand sedge

Avalon's Dunes

In our second installment of looking at plants in Avalon, NJ, we go from the garden to the dune, much more fun. I didn't walk on the dunes, mind you. Just along the designated pathways.
Dunes! Filled with grasses and forbs.
Maybe the most famous dune occupant, beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata). This is the species that is planted in rows whenever there is an effort made to save the beaches from erosion. Through its extensive root system, beach grass binds the loose sandy soils together. This stability allows other plants to colonize the dunes. Avalon has been preserving it's dunes for over 30 years. (They are allowing new development in the salt marshes, however, but that's for another day).
This is a neat plant, trailing wild bean (Strophostyles helvola). It's uncommon in New York City, but fairly common in NJ - because it loves these outer coastal plains. It's a ground-trailing vine in the pea family. This plant is very similar to pink wild bean (S. umbellata), which is rare in NY State.


Note the fruits are encased in bean-like pods.

Avalon's Gardens

I'm lucky enough to be able to spend Labor Day weekends down the shore in Avalon, NJ. (And, it is "down the shore", not "at the beach"). Between lying on the beach, under an umbrella and jaunts in the ocean, I, of course, walk the neighborhood and scout out plants. Here, I present "Avalon's Gardens: Dos & Don'ts".

A definite do! Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a great choice for the full sun and well-drained soils that dominate the yards in Avalon. This is a grass that you'd find occurring on its own in such a site. (Ignore the exotic boxwood and juniper flanking it).
A definite don't! Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) are highly invasive! And, what's with the cedar chip fetish?
Yam-leaved clematis (Clematis terniflora). Looks great, smells nice, invasive. A don't. This photograph was taken in someone's front yard. You know where else I saw this plant? Along the trees of the Garden State Parkway, for miles and miles.
Ah no! Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) - invasive! (And obnoxiously huge, no?)

To end on a positive note - a joe-pye weed(Eupatorium sp.). A definite do, and quite the looker. Its a great nectar plant for butterflies, and has interesting seedheads in winter.