Plants of New England @plantsofnewengland - Tumblr Blog

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata ◘ Porcelain Berry

Plant community: Spontaneous Urban Growth

Native region: x

Height: 15′-20′

Spread: 15′-20′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium, well-drained soil in sun or shade. Adapts well to most soils, including sandy or rocky ones. Does not grow well in wet, poorly drained soils. Best flower and subsequent fruit production occur in full sun. Needs a support structure upon which to grow.

Hardiness zone: 4 to 8

Flowers: Clusters of non-showy, greenish flowers appear in the leaf axils in July.

Leaves: Features mostly 3-lobed, deep green leaves up to 5" long.

Fruit: Flowers give way in fall to showy clusters of rounded-to-oval, pale lilac-blue fruits (around 1/4" diameter). These mature to brighter and deeper shades of amethyst to porcelain blue.

Wildlife Benefits:

Birds and other small animals will eat the berries. Seeds may be dispersed by the animals that feed on these berries.

Susceptible to insects such as the Japanese beetle, which may eat the foliage.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b270

https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/ambr.htm

#spontaneous urban growth #vine #berries #lobed #opposite

Panicum dichotomiflorum ◘ Fall Panicum

Plant community: Spontaneous Urban Growth

Native region: North America

Height: 6″-4′

Habitat: Grows in full or partial sun in moist to mesic locations. It tolerates different kinds of soil, but prefers a fertile loam, clay loam, or silty loam. Can be found in disturbed areas of prairies and savannas, glades, gravel bars along rivers, fields, vacant lots, areas along railroads, and waste areas. This grass prefers open disturbed areas that are not too sterile and dry.

Hardiness zone: x

Flowers: The central culm (hollow stem) and secondary culms (if any) terminate in airy panicles of spikelets about ½–1¼' long and half as much across. Panicles may be conical or pyramidal in shape. Flowers from summer through fall; seed heads later turn purple-brown.

Leaves: Has smooth, slender leaf blades that are green on top and red-purple underneath.

Wildlife Benefits:

Small seed eating birds and ducks eat the small seeds. Fall Panicum produces a large number of seeds. After the first frost, the seeds fall and the sites are used as feeding and loafing areas for ducks, coots, and wading birds. It provides browse for deer and rabbits, who prefer the tender foliage of young plants.

The caterpillars of Hesperia sassacus (Indian Skipper), Poanes hobomok (Hobomok Skipper), Polites themistocles (Tawny-Edged Skipper), and Wallengrenia egremet (Northern Broken-Dash) feed on the foliage.

Sources:

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/fall_panicum.htm

#spontaneous urban growth #grass

Allium schoenoprasum ◘ Chives

Native region: Balkans, Siberia, Asia Minor

Height: 1′-1.5′

Spread: 1′-1.5′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Hardiness zone: 4 to 8

Flowers: Has attractive, spherical, clover-like clusters of pale purple flowers subtended by papery bracts that appear in spring and summer on stems often rising above the foliage to 18" tall.

Leaves: Has thin, tubular, grass-like, dark green leaves which typically grow in dense clumps to 12″.

Fruits: Produces 3 lobed capsules containing 3-6 shiny, black seeds.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=j270

#grass

Dactylis glomerata ◘ Orchard Grass

Native region: x

Height: 15″-18″

Habitat: Grows well on different textured soils ranging from clay to gravely loams and on shallow to deep soils. Does not grow well in saline soils and areas with high water tables. It has the ability to establish and persist in areas that receive as little as 11 inches of annual precipitation.

Flowers: Has a distinctive tufted triangular flowerhead 10–15 cm long, which may be either green or red- to purple-tinged (usually green in shade, redder in full sun), turning pale grey-brown at seed maturity. The spikelets are 5–9 mm long, typically containing two to five flowers.

Leaves: Leaves grow up to 12″ in height

Wildlife Benefits:

Orchardgrass is used in grass-legume mixes for nesting.

Orchardgrass is one of the best forage grasses for use in the Northeast in intensive rotational grazing systems.

Sources:

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_dagl.pdf

#grass

Thuja occidentalis ◘ Eastern Arborvitae

Plant community: Red Maple Swamp

Native region: Eastern North America

Height: 20′-40′

Spread: 10′-15′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Somewhat wide range of soil tolerance, but prefers moist, neutral to alkaline, well-drained loams (especially of some limestone content). Intolerant of dry conditions. Best in full sun, but generally appreciates some light afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Does not grow well in full shade or exposed, windy sites.

Hardiness zone: 2 to 7

Flowers: Has male pollen cones and female seed cones on the branchlets of the same tree. Cones bloom from late spring to early summer and are cross-pollinated by the wind. Male cones are about 2 mm long, rounded, and yellowish in color. Female cones 9-13 mm and are initially pink to purple, but become brown and woody at maturity later in the same year. They are ellipsoid in shape and have several pairs of overlapping scales that are ovate in shape. These scales spread apart to release their seeds from late summer into the fall. Each mature female cone has about 8 seeds (4 fertile scales with 2 seeds each).

Leaves: Scale-like, aromatic, yellow-green to green foliage appears in flattened sprays. In exposed sites, foliage may show some winter burn (turns yellow-brown).

Wildlife Benefits:

Birds such as the Ruffed Grouse, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, Slate-Colored Junco, and Tree Sparrow eat the seeds or cones. The Red Squirrel will eat the seeds and cones as well. White-Tailed Deer browse on the branchlets and twigs, and also find shelter within stands of Northern White Cedar during the winter. The Pileated Woodpecker may search for carpenter ants within the wood of older trees.

The dense branching habit and evergreen foliage provides good nesting habitat for migratory songbirds such as the Cape May Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, and Golden-Crowned Kinglet. Other migratory songbirds that are attracted to this tree during the summer include the Swainson's Thrush, Northern Parula, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and White-Throated Sparrow.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c246

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/white_cedar.html

#red maple swamp #coniferous tree #cones #scaled leaves #alternate

Pinus resinosa ◘ Red Pine

Plant community: Northern Hardwood Forest

Native region: Eastern North America

Height: 50′-80′

Spread: 20′-25′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium moisture, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Has very little tolerance for shade. Best growth is in geographic areas with cool summers and cold winters. Tolerates a wide variety of soils. Somewhat intolerant of urban pollution.

Hardiness zone: 2 to 5

Flowers: Ovoid female seed cones grow up to 2 1/2" long, they mature to chestnut brown in the second year.

Leaves: Has sharply-pointed, yellow-green to dark green needles 4-6" long. Needles are in bundles of two and are soft but brittle (they will snap crisply when bent).

Wildlife Benefits:

Deer, cottontails, and snowshoe hares may browse on the needles. Songbirds, mice and chipmunks feed on the seed.

This species provides cover for many species of mammals and birds.

Susceptible to insects such as budworm, sawflies, pine beetles, pine gall weevil, tussock moth and pine needle miner.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=285002&isprofile=0&

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_pire.pdf

#northern hardwood forest #coniferous tree #cones #needles

Juniperus virginiana ◘ Red Cedar

Plant community: Old Field

Native region: Eastern North America

Height: 30′-65′

Spread: 8′-25′

Habitat: Grows in average, dry to moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Can tolerates a wide range of soils and growing conditions, from swamps to dry rocky glades. Prefers moist soils but is intolerant of constantly wet soils.

Hardiness zone: 2 to 9

Flowers: Female trees produce round, gray to blackish-green berry-like cones (1/4” diameter) that ripen in fall the first year.

Leaves: Has dark blue green scale-like foliage. Foliage may turn brown-green in winter.

Wildlife Benefits:

This species provides food and shelter for numerous birds and mammals. Winter food and protection is particularly important for pheasant, mule deer and whitetail deer.

Susceptible to insects such as bagworm or mites.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a394

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_juvi.pdf

#old field #coniferous tree #cones #scaled leaves #alternate

Juniperus Communis ◘ Common Juniper

Plant community: Old Field

Native region: x

Height: .75′-1.5′

Spread: 4′-6′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Adaptable to a wide range of soils. Prefers moist soils. Less tolerant of hot, dry conditions than many other junipers.

Hardiness zone: 2 to 7

Flowers: Has fleshy, berry-like seed cones which ripen to a bluish-black in the 2nd or 3rd year.

Leaves: Has dark green, needle-like foliage which persists throughout the year.

Wildlife Benefits:

Juniper berries are food for wildlife, especially grouse, pheasants, and bobwhites.

Susceptible to insects such as mites, borers, scale, midges and bagworms.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=249863&isprofile=0&

#old field #coniferous tree #coniferous shrub #cones #needles

Cichorium intybus ◘ Chicory

Plant community: Spontaneous Urban Growth

Native region: Europe, western Asia, northern Africa

Height: 2′-4′

Spread: 1.5′-2′

Habitat: Grows in medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Prefers neutral to alkaline soils. Does best in cool summer climates. Does not grow well in the heat and humidity of the deep South. Established plants may have some tolerance for drought.

Hardiness zone: 3 to 8

Flowers: Has attractive, stalkless, clear blue flowers up to 1” across, which bloom from May/June to September/October. Rays are typically blue but occasionally white or pink.

Leaves: Lower lance-shaped, dandelion-like, basal leaves (3-6” long) are variously toothed, cut or lobed and have rough-hairy surfaces.

Wildlife Benefits:

Eaten by snails, slugs and cutworms.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a677

#spontaneous urban growth #flower #rosette leaves

Viburnum dentatum ◘ Smooth Arrowwood

Plant community: Red Maple Swamp

Native region: Eastern North America

Height: 6′-10′

Spread: 6′-10′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.

Hardiness zone: 2 to 8

Flowers: Has non-fragrant white flowers in flat-topped clusters up to 4" in diameter. Flowers appear in late spring.

Leaves: Leaves are ovate, toothed, glossy, dark green and up to 4" long. Fall color ranges from dull yellow to attractive shades of orange, red and purple.

Fruit: Flowers give way to blue-black, berry-like drupes.

Wildlife Benefits:

Berries are quite attractive to birds and other wildlife.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=m720

#red maple swamp #deciduous shrub #flower cluster #obovate #opposite

Phellodendron amurense var. amurense ◘ Amur Cork Tree

Native region: Northern China, Korea, Japan

Height: 30′-45′

Spread: 30′-60′

Habitat: Grows in fertile, humusy, medium moisture, well-drained loams in full sun. Prefers consistently moist soils, but established trees tolerate some drought. Tolerates many urban air pollutants.

Hardiness zone: 3 to 7

Flowers: Non-showy, yellowish green flowers appear in panicles in May-June.

Leaves: Leaves are compound, odd-pinnate, yellowish green to green, and have 5-11 leaflets (each leaflet can be up to 4 1/2” long). Foliage turns a pale yellow in fall.

Fruit: Pollinated flowers on female trees give way to fleshy pea-sized fruits (1/2” diameter drupes) which turn black in fall and persist well into winter.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a889

#deciduous tree #pinnately compound #lanceolate #opposite

Acer palmatum (variant) ◘ Japanese Maple

Native region: Korea, Japan

Height: 10′-25′

Spread: 10′-25′

Habitat: Grows in moist, organically rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Grows well in sandy loams and in locations protected from strong winds.

Hardiness zone: 5 to 8

Flowers: Small reddish-purple flowers in umbels (clusters) bloom in mid spring (April). Flowers can be rather attractive close up, but are not very noticeable from a distance.

Leaves: Leaves are palmate (having several lobes); has 5, 7 and less frequently 9 pointed toothed lobes. Leaves are green and turn bronze, yellow, orange-red, or red-purple in the fall.

Fruit: Flowers are followed by samaras (up to 3/4" long) in pairs. Samaras ripen in September-October.

Wildlife Benefits:

Susceptible to insects such as aphids, scale, borers and root weevils.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b974

#deciduous tree #flower cluster #opposite #lobed #samara

Vaccinium corymbosum ◘ Highbush Blueberry

Native region: Eastern North America

Height: 6′-12′

Spread: 8′-12′

Habitat: Grows in acidic (pH of 4.8 to 5.2), organically rich, medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Shallow, fibrous roots need constant moisture and good drainage. Found in moist woods, bogs, swamps and low areas.

Hardiness zone: 5 to 8

Flowers: White flowers in the spring. Has 8-10 flowers in a cluster, 6-12 mm long, urn-shaped with 5 petals.

Leaves: Leaves are deciduous, alternate, simple, narrow to broadly elliptic or ovate, 4-8 cm long, pubescent at least on the veins beneath and slightly waxy above. The edges are smooth to toothed. Dark green summer foliage with red fall color.

Fruit: Produces blueberries in the summer. Berries are 5-12 mm wide, blue to blue-black and many-seeded.

Wildlife Benefits:

Blueberries provide important summer and early fall food for numerous species of game birds, songbirds, and mammals. Birds, such as bluebirds, cardinals, catbirds, robins, mockingbirds, mourning doves and wild turkeys, love the fruit of this plant. White-tail deer and rabbits eat the berries, leaves and stems. Other animals, such as squirrels, mice, opossums, chipmunks, foxes, skunks, and bears enjoy blueberries.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=m690

http://www.ehow.com/info_8574575_animals-eat-blueberries.html

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_vaco.pdf

#deciduous shrub #flower cluster #alternate #elliptic #ovate #berries

Tsuga canadensis ◘ Canadian Hemlock

Plant community: Red Maple Swamp

Native region: North America

Height: 40′-70′

Spread: 25′-35′

Habitat: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Best sited in part shade in sheltered locations protected from strong drying winds and hot afternoon sun. Found in moist woods, moist slopes, rocky hillsides/ridges, wooded ravines, and stream valleys.

Hardiness zone: 3 to 7

Flowers: Has small tan-brown, pendant, short-stalked, seed-bearing cones (up to 3/4" long)

Leaves: Short dark green needles (up to 9/16" long) with two white bands beneath are arranged in two opposite rows. Needles are attached to twigs by slender stalks.

Wildlife Benefits:

Eastern hemlock stands are considered important as shelter and cover for white-tailed deer and other wildlife species, such as turkey, ruffed grouse, and others.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g100

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_tsca.pdf

#red maple swamp #coniferous tree #cones #needles #opposite

Rhododendron viscosum ◘ Swamp Azalea

Plant community: Red Maple Swamp

Native region: Eastern United States

Height: 3′-5′

Spread: 3′-5′

Habitat: Grows in acidic, humusy, well-drained loams in part shade. It is tolerant of moist to wet soils including ones with somewhat poor drainage. Found in swamps, bogs, stream margins and wet lowlands.

Hardiness zone: 4 to 9

Flowers: Flowers are fragrant (musky clove-like aroma), tubular, and white to pale pink. They are 1 1/4" across and bloom in clusters of 4-9 after the leaves have emerged in May-July. Each flower has 5 petal-like lobes.

Leaves: Leaves are narrow, obovate to oblong-ovate and up to 2 1/2" long. They have wedge-shaped bases and blunt/short-pointed tips are clustered at the branch ends. Leaves are dark green above and pale green below. They turn attractive shades of yellow, orange, red and purple in fall.

Wildlife Benefits:

Susceptible to insects such as aphids, borers, lacebugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, nematodes, scale, thrips and whitefly.

Rhododendrons contain poisonous substances and should not be ingested by humans or animals. Honey made from flowers also may be toxic.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280018&isprofile=0&

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHVI2

#red maple swamp #deciduous shrub #obovate #ovate #flower

Pinus strobus ◘ Eastern White Pine

Plant community: Old Field

Native region: Southeastern Canada, eastern United States

Height: 50′-80′

Spread: 20′-40′

Habitat: Grows in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers full sun, fertile soils and cool, humid climates. Tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions.

Hardiness zone: 3 to 8

Flowers: Has cylindrical, brown cones 4-8" long, which are usually not produced until 5-10 years.

Leaves: Needles are bluish green needles and up to 5" long. They are soft to the touch and appear in bundles of five.

Wildlife Benefits:

Seeds are eaten by gray and red squirrels, deer, mice and 16 species of songbirds.

Susceptible to the white pine weevil, an insect that attacks terminal shoots thus damaging the shape of the tree.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e710

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pist.pdf

#old field #coniferous tree #cones #needles #opposite

Osmunda cinnamomea ◘ Cinnamon Fern

Plant community: Red Maple Swamp

Native region: Americas and eastern Asia

Height: 2′-3′

Spread: 2′-3′

Habitat: Grows in medium to wet soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers moist, rich, humusy, acidic soils, but can adapt to lesser conditions. Found in moist, boggy ground along streams and on shaded ledges and bluffs.

Hardiness zone: 3 to 9

Leaves: Separate spore-bearing, stiff, fertile fronds appear in early spring, quickly turning brown. The familiar "fiddleheads" also emerge from the base of the plant and unfurl into large, erect, pinnately-compound, yellowish-green, sterile fronds (2-4' long) which remain green throughout the summer and turn yellow in autumn. Cinnamon colored fibers are found near the frond bases.

Wildlife Benefits:

Fuzz which covers the young fiddleheads is used as a nesting material for birds.

Sources:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=i570

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OSCI

#red maple swamp #pinnately compound

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