PA Plantings

Bryophyte Walk Report

2008-06-19T15:35:00.012-04:00

Mosses and Liverworts report from the Muhlenberg Botanic Club walk at Steinman Run and Trout Run Preserves of the Lancaster County Conservancy on June 7th, 2008 right :Steinman Run

Six Muhlenberg Botanical Club members came and we saw 15 species of outstanding mosses and five outstanding liverworts. It was a very satisfying outing for those who came out on a hot day and enjoyed the slow walk down into the cooler valley. The rain a day or two before had the bryophytes in fine condition.

Here are a few pictures of mosses and liverworts that I took that day. More pictures and descriptions are on the plant list page for the bryophyte walk.

above: Dicranium sp.

Bryophyte Walk at Steinman Preserve/Trout Run Preserve Saturday June 7, 2008. Meet at the preserve at 10 am (Or at the North Museum at 9:30 am)

2008-06-03T10:08:00.010-04:00

Dr. Susan Munch, Tim Draude and I did some scouting for mosses and liverworts a few weeks ago and we found a nice variety of easily accessible species at along Steinman Run and Trout Run in Southern Lancaster Co..

Photo of Mnium species by Mike Slater

We all agreed this would be an excellent place for interested Muhlenberg members and guests to learn about mosses and liverworts on a Bryophyte Walk. Therefore Dr. Susan Munch, who gave us an excellent presentation on mosses and liverworts based on her book "Outsatnding Mosses and Liverworts of Pennsylvania", will take us down the valley at Stienman Run Preserve and Trout Run Preserve, which are owned by the Lancaster County Conservancy, on Saturday June 7, 2008.

We will meet ether at the North Museum at F&M University at 9:30am and car pool from there OR at the Steinman Run Preserve Parking lot on Stump Road at 10am. Directions to the Steinman Run Preserve parking are below. The walking is easy and we will be going slowly looking for bryophytes (mosses and liverworts.) in this nice little valley. In case anyone is late late we will be going downstream (on the opposite side of the road from from the parking area). The trail starts as an old road blocked by a cable. We will take the trail down along Steinman to the confluence with Trout Run and maybe follow the trail down along trout run if we have time. We will be coming back up the same trail.

Susan Munch's book "Outstanding Mosses and Liverworts of Pennsylvania" will be helpful, if you own a copy bring it along otherwise Susan will have a few loaner copies available as well as new copies to sell.

I hope to see many of yout on Saturday.

_______________________________________________________________________

Directions from Lancaster to the Steinman Run Preserve Parking Area:

(Note that my directions are different from the ones on the Lancaster Conservancy's web site. Both will get you there but mine are shorter.)

From Lancaster city go south on Rte. 272 across the Conestoga River proceed about 7 miles .

Turn RIGHT on Pennsy Road . (WEST) This is just before the highway goes through the tunnel under the Railroad.

Go miles 1.0 mile.

Turn LEFT on Kreider Rd. (If you miss this turn make the next left on Rawlinsville Road.)

Go 0.1 mile (1/10 mile) to intersection with Rawlinsville Rd and go straight (South) on Rawlinsville Rd.)

Go 0.85 miles on Rawlinsville Road to where Rawlinsville Road turns RIGHT. Stay on Rawlinsville Road. (DO NOT go Straight on Clearfield Road.)

Go 0.5 miles on Rawlinsville Road to the junction with Sigman Road. and go another 100 feet and bear right on Stump Road. Proceed 0.8 miles to the dirt parking lot on the left BEFORE you cross the creek. The Steinman Preserve parking lot entrance is somewhat obscure so go slowly!

Mike Slater

Muhlenberg Botanic Club Field trips for the rest of Spring 2008

2008-04-23T11:44:00.004-04:00

Sunday, April 27:

Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center (Meet at 10 am at the Sawmill parking lot. see directions below)

and State Game Lands 52 after lunch.

At Nolde Forest EEC we will see a stream side woodland with spring ephemerals and an upland forest. Easy walking trails, but some hills.

After lunch for those who wish to will travel to State Game Lands #52, about 5 miles away on the Berks Co./Lancaster Co. line (between Maple Grove and Churchtown). We will explore in the woods along Black Creek, where there are interesting plants among the diabase boulders and outcrops.

Directions from Lancaster to Nolde Forest. (Travel time from Lancaster ca. 40 min.):
Take US 222 north, past the PA Turnpike for 2 miles to the NEW Adamstown-Knauers exit.
Turn Right onto Rte 568 east, go 2 miles. At the traffic light, turn left on Rt. 625 north. Go approximately 4.25 miles (past Hickory Rd and Freemansville Rd and 2/3 mile past the main
Nolde Entrance). Turn left into the Sawmill parking lot entrance; if you come to Church Rd.
on the left you have gone too far.

At SGL# 52 there is no trail along the creek, so some boulder hopping is necessary. We will park in the big parking area along Edwards Rd. just north of the bridge over the PA Turnpike. Moderate walk, bring your own bag lunch. Trip leader: Mike Slater (610-775-3757 or mslater@voicenet.com).

Sunday, May 4: Natural Landscape Nursery

We will visit Jim Plyler's nursery from 10:00 am til ? (354 North Jennersville Road, West Grove, PA 19390; 610-869-3788). This is a combined trip with Mason-Dixon Chapter NARGS; bring your own bag lunch. Meet at North Museum at 9:00 am to car pool or at the nursery at 10:00 am.

Saturday, May 10: Maria Cattell's Garden & Safe Harbor

Meet at 486 Walnut Hill Rd. Millersville, Pa, at 9:00 am; bring your own bag lunch. After lunch we'll visit Safe Harbor for spring woodland flowers and a look at the river’s edge. Easy walk. Trip leader: Joan King (717-284-5239 or jsking1@lycos.com).

June, 7: Mosses and Liverworts in the Susquehanna Glens

Location to be announced.

Leader: Dr. Susan Munch, Albright College. Bring along your copy of Outstanding Mosses of Pennsylvania by Dr. Munch if you purchased one last year (or you can borrow one for the day or buy one from her).

Meet 9:30 at the North Museum or call/e-mail to find out the location (the starting point will depend on our scouting trips this spring); trip starts at 10 am. Bring a hand lens and reading glasses if necessary. Bring your own bag lunch.

Coordinator: Mike Slater; Home phone: 610 775-3757; Cell: 610 698-4031;

e-mail:mslater@voicenet.com).

Complete field trip list 2008

Muhlenberg Botanical Socitety April 2008 Field Trips

2008-04-15T08:23:00.006-04:00

Complete 2008 Field Trip List

Saturday, April 19: Benton Hollow and Haines Station
Meet at Musser Grocery Store on Rt. 272 at the Buck, south side of parking lot at 9:00 am. We’ll go Benton Hollow first. Bring your own bag lunch; we’ll return to the cars to eat. In the afternoon we'll visit Haines Station to see the pink Trillium grandiflorum. Each walk is 1 ½ mile round trip, easy to moderate. Trip leader: Joan King (717-284-5239 or jsking1@lycos.com).

Sunday, April 27: Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center and State Game Lands 52. Meet at 10 am at Nolde Forest EEC's Sawmill Parking Lot.
At Nolde Forestwe will see a stream side woodland with spring ephemerals and an upland forest. Easy walking trails, but some hills. After lunch those who wish to will travel to State Game Lands #52, about 5 miles away on the Berks Co./Lancaster Co. line (between Maple Grove and Churchtown). We will explore in the woods along Black Creek, where there are interesting plants among the diabase boulders and outcrops.

Directions from Lancaster to Nolde Forest. (Travel time from Lancaster ca. 40 min.):
Take US 222 north, past the PA Turnpike for 2 miles to the NEW Adamstown-Knauers exit.
Turn Right onto Rte 568 east, go 2 miles. At the traffic light, turn left on Rt. 625 north. Go approximately 4.25 miles (past Hickory Rd and Freemansville Rd and 2/3 mile past the main
Nolde Entrance). Turn left into the Sawmill parking lot entrance; if you come to Church Rd.
on the left you have gone too far.

At SGL#52 there is no trail along the creek, so some boulder hopping is necessary. We will park in the big parking area along Edwards Rd. just north of the bridge over the PA Turnpike. Moderate walk, bring your own bag lunch. Trip leader: Mike Slater (610-775-3757 or mslater@voicenet.com).

Complete 2008 Field Trip List

Rex's Saxifrages

2008-04-03T12:58:00.004-04:00

On Vancouver Island we visited our good friend Rex Murfitt and saw his garden and alpine houses. The porophyllum (Kabschia and Engleria) saxifrages in both the garden and the alpine houses were at their peak. While the encrusted sax species has the most wonderful leaf forms, arrangements and white lime encrustations. More pictures are here.

Above: Saxifraga burseriana

Below: Saxifraga belunensis Irmsch

Some big old trees in BC

2008-03-25T09:35:00.014-04:00

We had a great vacation in British Columbia a few weeks ago when we were in Vancouver, BC for the Western Winter Study Weekend hosted by the Alpine Garden Club of BC then visiting friends and xploreing on Vancouver Island!

One of our stops was MacMillan Provincial Park and the Cathedral Grove. along BC Route 4 between Parksville and Port Alberni on our way to Tofino on Clayoquot Sound (usually pronounced /ˈklekwɑt/ or /ˈklækwɑt/) and Pacific Rim National Park. More about that in my next post about Vancouver Island.

Here are some pictures I took of some of the ancient trees in 3 or 4 shots and stitched together as vertical panoramas with HP Photosmart.

International Field Guides Database

2008-02-07T19:40:00.000-05:00

Today on the Taxacom Email-List I learned about an online Database of Field Guides by Diane Schmitt of the University Library of the University of Illinois. This database has 5410 listings of field guides to all kinds of natural things from Orchids, Wildflowers and other plants to reptiles to astronomical objects and even Aboriginal Rock Engravings and French Cheeses. She is always adding more to this project she has been working on for many years. The focus is on books you can carry in the field rather easily. (It does not include "Floras" and other comprehensive works which only people as obsessive as me carry in the field :-) There are many books in languages besides English too.

I found the best way to get information out of it is by using the search feature. To find things again you can save the titles you find interesting in your own "Book bag" for your future referenc or to hand out a wish list to friend and family for the next gift giving occasion.

There is an announcement of the Database's availability and contents at the University of Illinois web site

Muhlenberg Bulletin January 2008

2008-01-13T20:13:00.000-05:00

The latest

Muhlenberg Bulletin
of the

MUHLENBERG BOTANICAL SOCIETY

Volume 27 Number 2 1/7 / 2008

is now available with Field trip and Meeting information for 2008

The last post of 2007

2007-12-27T14:01:00.000-05:00

The ice storms and dreary weather have gotten me down so I just want to do one more post this year to keep my spirits up and try to think about spring.

I do like cacti with ice on them. but I prefer them with flowers!

Eventually spring will come, I can hardly wait!

Happy New Year

The new flower of the week in the greenhouse is
Lachenalia viridiflora

Erythronium americanum red anthered form in the wild in Lancaster Co. PA

Narcissus rupicola in our garden last spring. It is good to know it is near the cacti just waiting for a little bit of warm waether.

Entertainment: Jigsaw puzzles at Jigzone

2007-12-09T20:14:00.000-05:00

Jigzone does nice digital jigsaw puzzles. You can even have your own pictures "jig sawn". Here is one of mine. Click and drag on the pieces to move them. They will "snap into place" when you let go of them if the are close enough to the correct position. Pieces are in the correct orientation.

Castilleja sp. (C. integrifolia?) taken in Wasatch Mountains of Utah, July 2006 at the NARGS Annual Meeting.

The gallery of my puzzles on Jigzone is here:
My Puzzles Jigsaw Puzzle Gallery - JigZone.com

Listening to Birds

2007-12-02T12:51:00.001-05:00

I just came across a web site that I would like to share with people. It is the Listening to Birds
an anthropological approach to bird sounds web site. As soon as I found it I just had to tell my sister about it and put in my contribution about R-b nuts!

I love hearing many bird songs and call but the one that always brings a smile to my face is the little anh-anh-anh sound that Red-breasted Nuthatches make as they chat among themselves as they energetically search for food along the branches and trunks of trees.

I like this call so much because this subtle yet cheerful sound inspires me during the cold months that they spend in our area and also the fact that they don't come here every year so they are an irregular delightful surprise when the do come and spend the winter.

The Dianthus is Dead, Long live the Dianthus

2007-11-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful large Dianthus erinaceus in our dry sand bed for about 15 years that was one of the first things that visiting rock gardeners noticed. As it grew over the years it expanded out on the top of the wall and it smothered other plants like Gypsophila aretioides but we loved it anyway. This big spiny cushion bloomed well every year but never set seed (The anthers did not appear to produce viable pollen) and I could never get cuttings to root so we knew it was only a matter of time before we would lose it. Most years it would get some dead brown patches that I would pluck out and it would heal up easily over the summer, but this year the dead patches grew steadily larger and the plant was dead within tw0 to three weeks. So our favorite Dianthus was gone, but this year a plant given to us by a friend came into bloom and replace our dianthus void. Growing nearby his spectacular young Dianthus myrtinervis ssp. caespitosus was spectacular.
I can only hoped it will live as long as our old D. erinaceus did.

Update :
I think we got our D. erinaceus from Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery but they don't list it now but they do list Dianthus myrtinervis ssp. caespitosus.

Invasive Species Weblog

2007-11-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

I just learned about The Invasive Species Weblog at the 2007 Weblog Awards (Voting going on through Nov. 8th.) in the Best Science Blog category It is full of great information and links about invasive plants and animals.

My Winter Enertainment Begins!

2007-11-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

Now that we have had our first frosts, the outdoor blooming season is seriously slowing down, but, in our little greenhouse where our winter blooming Mediterranean climate bulbs live, things are just getting started. Some South African bulbs flower first for us. With Mediterranean and Californians coming later.

The first "Winter rainstorm" came on September 21st when I began watering for the growing season and now the first flowers are starting. We keep it set so the temperature stays just above freezing at night in the winter and we let everything go dry and dormant so we don't have to do any watering in the summer when we are busy outside!

Oxalis purpurea 'Ken Aslet' (S. Africa) -A gift from our friend Lee Raden. An early Octbober picture first followed bb one February picture so you can see how it just goes on blooming for months.

Polyxena sp. 'Silver Hill 11157' (S. Africa) -From Silverhill seeds.

Massonia depressa (S. Africa) -According to the The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs (a very dangerous book for anyon who lies unusual plants) this is pollinated by Gerbils! It is in bud right now, with fowers in January and February. I find the large leaves which lie flat on the ground to be very exotic and intriguing.

Lachenalia pusilla -Last year is the first time it bloomed. In bud now this should be open in a few weeks. The inflorescence will be bigger this year.
This was also grown from Silverhill Seed.

Muhlenberg Botanic Society - November Meeting

2007-11-01T18:42:00.000-04:00

November 15: Fred Habegger: "Meadow Wanderings."

A longtime Muhlenberg member, Fred will talk about his meanderings through the meadows of Lancaster Co. and show slides of the plants and animals found there (including butterflies!).

As John Wolf says: "Don't miss it, Fred is a fabulous photographer".

These pictures are two that Fred Shared with us at the September meeting. I especially like the "Crocodile".

Board members please note there will be a short Board Meeting at 6:45 pm.
(Everyone is welcome, we will be discussing next years programs and field
trips.)

Amerian Bells - Clematis section Viornae

2007-10-08T14:28:00.000-04:00

Our Friend Carol Lim has published a great web site about the North Amercan Species of Clematis in Section Viornae. Often called "Leather Flowers" or "Americal Bells" many species are of very restricted range so few people see these beautiful flowers in the wild although hybrids using the red genes from C.texensis are common in cultivation.

We have several plants of, what I am pretty sure is, C. addisonii in our garden. I took these pictures in our graden the last week of May and the first week of June 2007.

I think everyone should try to grow these plants when seed is available or nurseries sell plants. Carol has links to some nurseries on her web site.

__________________________________
Update: Link to Larger version of my Pictures of Clematis addisonii.

Neversink Mountain Walk - part 1

2007-10-03T11:41:00.001-04:00

Reading, PA from Neversink Mountain

For several years when Jan an I went looking for native plants we either went to places we are familiar with in our area like Nolde Forest Env. Ed. Center, Shenk's Ferry and Pennsylvania State Game Lands #52 on the Berks/Lancaster County line south of Maple Grove or we went to the NJ Pine barrens. In recent years we have been going on field trips with the Muhlenberg Botanic Society to learn more about native plants in our area and we have had a great time. iin the last fw months we have learned that he Mengel Natural History Society of Berks County where we live has field trips to some very interesting locations which we have wanted to see for a long time but didn't know exactly where to go for the "good" plants or where the public access is to the areas.

After meeting Karl Gardener last year when he volunteered to help collect and wildflower seed at the Union Twp. meadow, I arranged a trip with Karl to the Berks County Conservancy property on Neversink Mountain in Reading. This mainly quartzite hill is on the southern side of Reading, PA.

we went on a Sunday in mid-September and had a great time. We found many interesting and uncommon plants and butterflies and enjoyed the wonderful views.

A view of the Pagoda on Mt. Penn above Reading, PA.

A trail lined with Schizachyrium scoparium (Little blue-stem grass).

Solidgo biclor, Silverrod

Silene stellata , (Starry campion) was still blooming in a clearing in the woods.

We found this large patch of Polypodium virginianum, (Common Polypody fern, Rock-cap fern) growing on soil at the of a tree.

Lycopodium hickeyi W.H. Wagner, Beitel & Moran
(Pennsylvania clubmoss or Hickey's Clubmoss) with strobili (sporophytes) present.
(This pecies hs been called Lycopodium obscurum L. var. isophyllum Hickey and in the recent Peterson Field Guide to the Ferns this is called Dendrolycopodium hickey.)

Diphasiastrum tristachyum (Blue ground cedar) was nearby. This was formerly called Lycopodium tristachyum. This species is most common in the Poconos and in the central mountains of PA.

American Copper butterfly on a black-berry leaf.

A Gray hairstreak on Solidago nemoralis (Gray-stemmed goldenrod)

A female Red-spotted purple butterfly landing on a black cherry leaf,

backing down the leaf until the tip of her abdomen reaches the end of the leaf.

If there is no egg there already she will lay an egg and she did!

A nice composition of blueberry (Vaccinium sp.), Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctiloba) and quartzite talus along the trail.

A view to the south of Neversink Mountain over the valley of the Schyylkill River after it has turned east as it flows to Delaware Bay.

end part 1

Most Elegant Plant Contest - Group 2

2007-09-24T12:59:00.000-04:00

Calopogon tuberosus was the winner of the 1st Group!

Here is the 2nd group:
(The voting box is to the left)

Iris koreana

Opuntia cv. (red flowered), A red flowered prickly-pear

Argemone sp., Prickly Poppy

Spigelia marylandica, green and red flowered form. Indian Pink

Lilium longiflorum, Easter Lily

Muhlenberg Botanic Club, New Web Pages

2007-09-10T17:23:00.000-04:00

I have just published The New Muhlenberg Botanic Club web pages migrating most of the old Web site to the new one except for the pre 2006 Muhlenberg Meadow Pictures.

A beginning for a Native Plant Meadow in Union Twp., Berks County

2007-09-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

Last year I began to work with Linda Ingram of the Union Township Recreation Board on the possibility of putting in native plants for wildlife on some of the property which the township owns near Birdsboro. (in the former desilting basin new where the new township building will be located ) So with the help of my wife Jan and a number of volunteers I began a program of native meadow/prairie plant seed collection (with permission) from a a number of public and private meadow areas. We were especially interested in seed sources of plants native to the mid-Atlantic area from nearby areas.

With an area which has been growing corn and soybeans for many years, we planned to start with an approx. 1/4 acre site we would be a demonstration area and seed increase plot. We planted the seed in one morning in late march, with the help of volunteers from the Union Township Rec. Board, Master Gardeners and a few other interested people. We mixed the relatively well purified seed of many different native wildflowers and grasses with damp builders sand in buckets and then the volunteers walked through the muddy ex cornfield to sow the seeds. Germination went well and many of the natives are growing and some are blooming. We did have a volunteer morning in June to pull ragweed, but we haven't done any other significant controlling of annual grasses or perennial. Maybe we should cut the annual foxtail, barnyard and panic grasses before they go to seed yet this month.

After we pulled the ragweed people helped plant about 150 native perennials th we had grown in 2 in. pots in the corner areas where we didn't plant seed because we weren't sure of how large an area we could plant at this time.

The accompanying pictures were taken from March 2007 through august 2007 at the meadow. All of the flower pictures of of plants which are blooming from the seed we sowed in March 2007. I will report on "weeds" and good volunteers in my next meadow reoprt

Bouteloua curtipendula, Side-oats grama grass, is a rare grass in PA where it is fould mainly on Serpentine Barrens and Limestone barrens.

Helianthus giganteus, Tall sunflower

Eupatorium coelistinum, Wild ageratum, Blue-mist Flower

Cirsium discolor, Field Thistle (a good native thistle!)

Helenium autumnale, Sneezeweed

Boltonia asteroides, this has no good common name as I disike names like "Aster-like Boltonia"

Verbena hastata, Blue Vervain

Andropogon girardii, Big Blue Stem

Sorgastrum nutans, Indian Grass

Monarda fistulosa, Lavender Beebalm seedling

Coreopsis tripteris, Tall coreopsis

Rudbeckia sp., Brown-eyed Susan

Ruellia humlis, Wild petunia, A plant native to dry areas in the Central Appalachians, but which can spread vigorously in gardens, so I thought I would put in some seed even though it will be likely crowded out by taller plants over time.

Pluchea odorata, Marsh fleabane, is a plant which is no longer found naturally in PA, it used to be found along the lower Delaware River. Now it only shows up in nurseries where salt-marsh hay is used as a mulch. Whichc is where my seed came from. Since we had such a big wet spot i thought this annual might be a good temporary filler!

Soligago nemoralis, Gray-stemmed goldenrod is one of my favorite goldenrods.

Heliopsis helianthoides, Ox-eye

Mimulus ringens, Allegheny monkey flower, another nice native wetland plant

Vernonia noveborascensis, New-york ironweed