native plant society of northeastern ohio · a field guide to ferns and their related families:...

Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio Bedford Reservation

Sagamore Creek Wildflower Walk

16 April 2014

Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio, bioObservation Survey: Bedford Reservation Wildflower Walk 16.iv.2014 created 9.v.2014, Lisa K. SchlaG

Greetings Everyone,

We had a wonderful time on the Wednesday evening of 16 April 2014 identifying and

photographing various plants along the Linda Falls trail. Our path led us through a woodland,

along the edge of a ravine, and into a floodplain populated by wildflowers in differing stages of

emergence. Along the way we passed a white oak tree and were told that shed skins of black rat

snakes have been observed in the branches. None were observed on our evening walk.

Nature is a wonderful teacher. During the past wildflower walks this year, many shared their

observations regarding the delayed emergence and bloom cycle of plants this spring. Despite

some disappointment at not being able to view particular plants in their peak glory on scheduled

walks, an opportunity to become acquainted with earlier stages of plant form and structure that

may otherwise go unnoticed arose. It is also a gentle and meaningful reminder that sometimes in

life despite the best of intentions things don’t always go according to schedule or the best laid

plans; but, with patience, kind understanding, and faith things do have a way of sorting out in

their own time.

The Native Plant Society wishes to express appreciation to our guide Fred Losi and Ellen Brown-Armstrong and Frank Comodeca for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm and for help-ing guide us along on our path of nature sturdy! Mr. Losi prepared and handed out to each walk participant a plant list of native and non-native wildflowers he has observed at Bedford Reserva-tion which served as a checklist for the evening. He also recorded our walk route from start to finish that evening using GPS. Very interesting to see! The following observation list illumi-nates the diversity found in nature in the space and time of a couple of hours.

Experiencing the beauty of and learning about nature with all of you is always a joyous adven-ture! Please visit our website to learn more about native plants, our society, upcoming programs and field trips, and other resources that can help you with your curiosity and your quest to learn about our natural world.

With kindest regards to all,

Lisa K. Schlag Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio

9.v.14

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/482385191

https://www.nativeplantsocietyneo.org/


Plant List – Herbaceous Key: L = in leaf B = in bud F = in flower

Common Names Botanical Names

Wild Leek (L) .................................Allium tricoccum ......................insects: nectar, pollen Ramps ......................................... Wild Garlic (L) ...............................Allium canadense ......................insect: nectar, pollen & wildlife: nectar Wild Columbine (L) .......................Aquilegia canadensis ................butterfly: larval host & wildlife: nectar, food Cut-leaf Toothwort (LBF) ..............Cardamine concatenata ............West Virginia White butterfly: larval host & insect: nectar Two-leaf Toothwort (B) ..................Cardamine diphylla ..................West Virginia White butterfly: larval host & insect: nectar Purple Cress (L) Cardamine douglassii West Virginia White butterfly: larval host & insect: nectar Plantain-leaf Sedge (LBF) ..............Carex plantaginea ....................butterfly: larval host & wildlife: food Blue Cohosh (L) .............................Caulophyllum thalictroides .......insect: nectar, pollen & small wildlife: food Spring Beauty (BF) .........................Claytonia virginica ...................insect: nectar, pollen; wildlife: corms &

seeds distributed by ants1

Squirrel Corn (LF/B) ......................Dicentra canadensis .................wildlife: roots & seeds distributed by ants1

Dutchman’s Breeches (F) ...............Dicentra cucullaria ...................insect: nectar & seeds distributed by ants1

Harbinger of Spring (F) ..................Erigenia bulbosa ......................insects: nectar White Trout Lily (B) Erythronium albidum insect: nectar, pollen & seeds distributed by

ants1

Yellow Trout Lily (B) .....................Erythronium americanum .........insect: nectar, pollen & seeds distributed by

ants1

Running Strawberry Bush (L) .........Euonymus obovatus ..................wildlife: food False Mermaid (L) ..........................Floerkea proserpinacoides .......threatened by Garlic Mustard Wild Strawberry (L) .......................Fragaria virginiana ..................butterfly: larval host, nectar & wildlife: fruit Golden Ragwort (L) ........................Packera aurea Mayapple (L) Podophyllum peltatum insect: pollen, nectar & wildlife: fruit

Bloodroot (LF) ...............................Sanguinaria canadensis ............seeds distributed by ants1

Skunk Cabbage (L) .........................Symplocarpus foetidus ..............early insect: nectar & wildlife: food

Red Trillium (LB) ...........................Trillium erectum .......................seeds distributed by ants1

Large-Flowered Trillium (LB) ........Trillium grandiflorum ...............small wildlife: cover & seeds distributed by

ants1

1 This type of seed dispersal is termed myrmecochory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecochory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecochory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecochory


Non-Native – Herbaceous Key: L = in leaf B = in bud F = in flower

Common Names Botanical Names Yarrow (L) ......................................Achillea sp. ...............................butterfly: nectar Garlic Mustard (L) ..........................Alliaria petiolata ......................!TARGETED INVASIVE! Harmful to West VirginiaWhite caterpillars & natural area habitats Herb Robert (L) ..............................Geranium robertianum Ground Ivy (L) ...............................Glechoma hederacea Daylily ............................................Hemerocallis sp. Dame’s Rocket (L) .........................Hesperis matronalis ..................!WELL-ESTABLISHED INVASIVE! Star-of-Bethlehem (L) ....................Ornithogalum umbellatum ........!WATCH LIST INVASIVE! Dandelion (L) .................................Taraxacum officinale ................insect: nectar, pollen

Plant List – Woody


White Oak .......................................Quercus alba ............................wildlife food, cover, nesting

Plant List – Ferns


Sensitive Fern .................................Onoclea sensibilis .....................wildlife cover last year’s fertile frond visible

Wildlife

Birds Tufted Titmouse ..............................Baeolophus bicolor Northern Cardinal ...........................Cardinalis cardinalis Turkey Vulture................................Cathartes aura Belted Kingfisher ............................Ceryle alcyon American Crow ...............................Corvus brachyrhynchos Red-bellied Woodpecker .................Melanerpes carolinus Hairy Woodpecker ..........................Picoides villosus Black-capped Chickadee .................Poecile atricapillus Golden-crowned Kinglet .................Regulus satrapa American Robin ..............................Turdus migratorius


While researching for the chestnut oak virtual

herbarium sheet, I came upon a reference of how

important oak trees are to snakes. “In spring, male

black snakes often congregate high up in the

branches of rotten oaks to play courtship to the

females. Females will often lay their eggs in the

very same tree, utilizing the soft, rotten wood pulp

of the tree’s interior to provide the proper humidity

and warmth to hatch the eggs 70 day later. “

http://www.loudounwildlife.org/HHWhite_Oak.html

Oaks are very important to other wildlife. Many species of butterflies rely on oaks as a larval

host plant.

Bibliography A Field Guide to Eastern Forests (Peterson Field Guide Series), John Kricher/Gordon Morrison

A Field Guide to Ferns and Their Related Families: Northeastern and Central North America (Peterson Field

Guide Series), Boughton Cobb, Elizabeth Farnsworth, and Cheryl Lowe

A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern/Central North America (Peterson Field Guide Series),

Roger Conanat and Joseph T. Collins

Book of Forest and Thicket:Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of Eastern Freshwater Wetlands, John Eastman

and Amelia Hansen, Illustrator

Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens, Douglas W. Tallamy

Butterflies of Ohio Field Guide, Jaret C. Daniels

Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America, Kenn Kaufman

National Audubon Society: The Bird Garden, Stephen W. Kress

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Lawrence Newcomb

The Woody Plants of Ohio, E. Lucy Braun

Trees of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada, William H. Harlow Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association

Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Natural Areas and Preserves website

Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Plant Species categorized by invasiveness in Ohio (PDF)

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Pollinator Conservation: Great Lakes Region

White Oak, Quercus alba, Lisa K. SchlaG, 2014 Shed skins of black rat snakes have been observed in this tree along the trail in the past.

https://www.nativeplantsocietyneo.org/quercus-montana/

http://www.loudounwildlife.org/HHWhite_Oak.html

http://www.onapa.org/

http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/3/invasive/pdf/OHIO%20INVASIVE%20PLANTS.pdf

http://www.xerces.org/pollinators-great-lakes-region/


Linda Falls Location: Buckeye Trail

Trailhead: Alexander Bike Lot & Trail Head,

Alexander Rd., Walton Hills 44146

Distance: ~ 2 Miles

Elevation: 30 Feet

Interest: This is a little visited waterfall that

is usually dry. Wait for a heavy rain to visit

this crater like waterfall. Walk south on the

All Purpose Trail (don’t cross Alexander Rd.).

Turn off on the Buckeye Trail, pass under the

power lines, and follow along the edge of the

ravine. It is a pleasant trail that will lead you

straight to the falls.

photograph credit: Nick Roll, National Park Service

http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/recommended-hikes.htm

Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica buds, insect*

Photographer: Lisa K. Schlag, 2014

http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/recommended-hikes.htm


Yellow Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum


Squirrel Corn, Dicentra canadensis


Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria Photographer: Lisa K. Schlag, 2014


Two-leaf Toothwort, Cardamine diphylla Photographer: Lisa K. Schlag, 2014

Cut-leaf Toothwort, Cardamine concatenate* Photographer: Lisa K. Schlag, 2014


Sensitive Fern, Onoclea sensibilis fertile frond*


Harbinger of Spring, Erigenia bulbosa*


The cover photo was taken on 17 April 2014 while I was revisiting the beauty of the Linda Falls trail we had taken the night before. All photographs were taken during the Bedford Reservation: Sagamore Creek Wildflower Walk in Summit County except the following which serve as visual

references of observations during walk: * photographs taken 17 April 2014 at Bedford

Reservation: Sagamore Creek, Summit County.

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