Guide to New England Plants @harmelinkplantfieldnotes - Tumblr Blog

Cladonia rangiferina

Cladonia rangiferina Common Name: Grey reindeer lichen

Observations: identification

This is a delicate branching lichen, forming a dense mat close to the ground. In wet conditions it is spongy but in dry conditions it crunches and breaks. The color is a soft icy grey-green. If you are unsure if the lichen you have found is reindeer lichen, check out this guide on basic lichen terminology to help with your search: https://namyco.org/lichen_basics.php -- for example, reindeer lichen would be described as a fruticose lichen because of its branching appearance.

#lichen #edible #evergreen #groundcover #native #perennial

Ilex opaca

Ilex opaca Common name: American holly

This is a mature holly tree, standing at about 30 feet tall - a big feat for a slow-growing plant. Despite its stature, this tree still has the signature bright green spiny leaves and scarlet berries of holly plants: You can also note that its leaves present an alternate arrangement.

#ornamentalplant #ornamentaltree #tree #evergreen #shrub #native

Buxus microphylla

Buxus microphylla Japanese Boxwood, Littleleaf boxwood

Essentially only two boxwood species used in the nursery trade, Buxus __ (English Boxwood) and Buxus microphylla (Japanese Boxwood). The difference in leaves is the primary indicator of identity, whether they are rhomboid like the English boxwood or round like the Japanese boxwood. You should also note its alternate leaves. The Japanese boxwood is a broadleaf evergreen native to Japan but very common in North American gardens.

#shrub #ornamentalplant #evergreen #nonnative

Solidago caesia

Solidago caesia Common Name: Blue-stemmed goldenrod, wreath goldenrod

A note on Identification: My first try identifying this plant using my field guide led me to believe it was Solidago (Euthamia) graminifolia, the lance-leaved Goldenrod. However, upon further inspection of online photos of the flowers I realized it was not a match (the Blue-stemmed goldenrod has visibly distinct petals). I highly recommend this webpage for distinguishing common goldenrods if you live in New Hampshire like I do: http://www.newhampshirewildflowers.com/goldenrod.php

#urbancommunity #native #wildflower

Epigaea repens

Epigaea repens Common names: Trailing arbutus, mayflower, ground laurel

It’s November and these appear to just be small green leaves poking through the dead fallen leaves. The leaves are about 3 inches long, bright green and leather-hard spreading across the ground. I found these growing along the road at the edge of the woods. Epigaea repens is a low-growing evergreen common to pine and mixed woods. In the early spring they produce white flowers, giving this plant one of its common names, Mayflower. The flowers are fragrant and result in small berries. Mayflowers are native to Eastern North America. This is a difficult plant to cultivate, it does not tolerate disturbances and is slow-growing.

#native #wildflower #urbancommunity #fragrant #aromatic

Verbascum thapsus

Verbascum thapsus Common names: Great mullein, common mullein, flannel plant, wooly mullein

Verbascum thapsus can be easily identified by its rosette of very fuzzy leaves. It is a biennial, and in its later stages of growth it can reach heights of 7 feet (in the form of a wooly, flowering spike)!

Native to Europe and Asia, Verbascum thapsus was introduced and naturalized in North America, widespread across the entire continent. It was likely introduced to the east coast 230 years ago! Its seeds were used by early settlers for fishing (to sting or poison fish).

#urbancommunity #nonnative #wildflower #herbaceous #biennial #medicinal #fishing

Rubus hispidus

Rubus hispidus Common names: bristly blackberry, swamp dewberry, bristly dewberry

Rubus hispidus is trailing thorny/prickly vine. It has compound leaves with three leaflets. Leaves are light or dark green to purple, serrated, and about 2 inches across (or less). The trailing stems can root at the tips, so they spread easily. They are known as a bristly dewberry because of its thorns. This plant is native to northeastern North America (and Washington). It is a woodland plant but is often found in disturbed sites. I found this plant on a rocky slope alongside a road.

#urbancommunity #herbaceous #perennial #native #edible

Sciadopitys verticillata

Sciadopitys verticillata Common Name: Japanese Umbrella Pine, kōyamaki

The needles of Sciadopitys verticillata are dark-green and flattened, 2 to 5 inches long. Its name refers to the whorls of needles that resemble the spokes of an umbrella. The texture feels nearly plastic, and small cones are situated at the terminal ends of the branches in the center of the whorls of needles.

Sciadopitys verticillata is native to Japan. It is an ancient endemic species that is considered a “living fossil” with no close relatives and its conservation status is currently listed as vulnerable. It is a slow-growing tree so it is planted less frequently in Japanese Forests as preference is given to faster-growing species. In its native habitat this tree can reach 90 feet tall, but in cultivation in the US it typically matures at 25 to 30 feet.

#ornamentaltree #tree #evergreen

Acer palmatum dissectum

(colors are dull because it is late autumn and the leaves are about to fall)

Acer palmatum var. dissectum Common Name: Lanceleaf Japanese Maple, “Crimson Queen”

The Japanese Maple is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to Japan, Korea, and China. This variety, dissectum, is a small, slow-growing, shrubby form of the Japanese Maple with a maximum mature height of 12 feet. Its colorful foliage makes it an attractive ornamental tree. “Dissectum” refers to the leaves of this tree which are deeply-cut and appear feathery.

#ornamentaltree #shrub #tree #nonnative

Taxus cuspidata

Taxus cuspidata ‘Nana’ Common name: Japanese yew

Caution: Poisonous!

This tree was planted in 1939, long before this cultivar arrived in the American nursery trade in the early 2000s. “Nana’ means small and refers to the small stature of this shrub in landscaping. This tree has a slow growth rate so it stays small for a long time, but in ideal conditions it is a medium-height tree reaching heights between 10 and 20 feet. This variety is native to Japan and the Russian Far East. Japanese yews are dioecious with males producing cones and females producing red berry-like fruits.

#tree #ornamentaltree #nonnative

Liquidambar styraciflua

Liquidambar styraciflua Common name: Sweetgum

The most distinctive features of this tree are its star-shaped leaves and its spiky gum balls that can be found littering the ground.

Native to North America from Connecticut to Florida. Its preferred habitat is low, moist woods or stream sides. Blooms from April to May but the flowers are not showy. The flowers turn into prickly spherical gum balls that fall to the ground and present a hazard to pedestrians if grown in urban areas. It is an attractive ornamental tree because of its broad shade canopy. The Sweetgum also has the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil.

#ornamentaltree #tree #medicinal #native

Viola tricolor

Viola tricolor Common Names: Wild Pansy, Garden violet, Johnny jump-up, Heartsease, and many more (how to remember: a violet in three colors)

My mom always calls these “Johnny jump-ups” whenever they spring up in our yard. We never planted them, but they come up every year in cracks around the front steps or between rocks. They have a wonderfully long bloom season, from April to September (although I still have some blooming outside and it’s the beginning of December!). Viola tricolor is actually a European wildflower, but it has become widespread in North America. It is one of the parents of the modern ornamental pansy cultivars. The wild pansy is commonly found in disturbed habitats and meadow landscapes and sometimes on rocky outcrops or sand fields.

#spontaneousurbanplant #edible #wildflower #nonnative #herbaceous

Hamamelis virginiana

Hamamelis virginiana Common name: Witch Hazel, American Witch Hazel

A shrub or small tree with stringy yellow flowers that bloom from October to December; I found this one blooming in November. Native to Eastern North America. Reaches a maximum height of 15 feet.

The leaves and bark of the Witch Hazel are used to produce an astringent for skincare or for calming skin irritation. Native Americans also used its flexible branches for making bows.

#medicinal #woodland #shrub #native

Fagus sylvatica

Fagus sylvatica Common Name: European Beech

This tree is a mature Fagus sylvatica, or European Beech. It is recognizable by its smooth, grey bark and its smooth, rhomboid, wavy-edged leaves (alternate-simple). There were also dried husks of beach nuts around the base of the tree. As indicated by its name, Fagus sylvatica is native to Europe and was introduced to the Americas in the mid-1700s by colonists and is now popular as an ornamental and shade tree. It is prized for its mature canopy of 35 to 45 feet in diameter. It can reach heights of 50 to 60 feet but is has a slow to medium growth rate of less than 12-24″ per year. It is an ideal choice for residential areas and parklands but may not withstand the stressors of the urban environment.

#ornamentaltree #tree #nonnative #edible

Spartina alterniflora

Spartina alterniflora Common Name: Smooth Cordgrass (How to remember Spartina alterniflora: A Spartan’s sword (blade) of grass and spirulina protein drink, an alternative flower (alterniflora))

What is a shoreline plant community without some grass? This appears to be Spartina alterniflora, aka smooth cordgrass, a medium height grass that I found growing in the sand and mud surrounding these tide pools.

I find it difficult to identify grasses, so I used a combination of methods: a plant ID app, a online New Hampshire-specific coastal plant guide ( “Life in New Hampshire Salt Marshes: A Quick-Reference Field Guide” (NH DES)), and features like its visible young seeds and leaf arrangement.

#shoreline #aquatic #grass #marine #native

Carya ovata

Carya ovata Common Name: Shagbark Hickory

The most noticeable feature of this tree, other than its towering height, were its giant leaves! It was the middle of October, so this hickory was displaying its yellow autumn colors. Upon closer inspection, they were actually compound leaves with five leaflets (”odd-pinnate” leaves). The leaves were the key identifier here, but it also helped that hickory nuts surrounded the base of the tree! Like I said, the tree itself was possibly between 150 to 200 years old according to the informational signs nearby that described the area’s history.

#shoreline #edible #tree #hardwood #native

Raphanus raphanistrum

Raphanus raphanistrum Common Names: Sea radish, Wild Radish, Jointed Charlock, White Charlock

This plant is easily recognized by its small white or yellow flowers with four petals at the ends of delicate stalks. The leaves are broad with a textured surface and wavy edges. It tends to form mounds, with stalks growing around a central root.

The leaves, flowers, and seed pods are edible! They can be cooked as strong-flavored greens (they have a very radishy flavor) and the dried seeds can be ground into a mustard powder. For more cooking tips with this plant check out this article from Galloway Wild Foods: https://gallowaywildfoods.com/sea-radish-identification-distribution-and-edibility/

#shoreline #nonnative #edible #wildflower #herbaceous #perennial

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