Benjamin Wildflower Preserve
Old Stage Coach Road, Weston, Fairfield County, Connecticut
4 acres

Directions:

Merritt Parkway east to exit 42;  right turn onto Route 57 (Weston Road); go under Weston Road; turn right onto Lyons Plains Road; drive 2.8 miles to the intersection of 4 roads (Lyons Plains, Davis Hill, Valley Forge and Kellogg Hill) go straight onto Kellogg Hill Road; drive 0.5 of a mile and turn left onto Old Stage Coach Road; drive 0.3 of a mile and you will find the Preserve on the left (across from house #33).  Park along the roadside.

History:

1985  -- the land was donated in memory of Curtis and Norma Benjamin. 

There is a plaque in the garden are that reads: Weston Garden Club.  "With gratitude to Nancy and Charles Putnam for their initiative and leadership in planning this garden."

Trails:

9/20/2005.  On a day that threatened rain, I took a very brief look at the Preserve.  There are quite a few plant species that have been planted near the road.  I noticed that Japanese stilt grass is trying to cover the planted areas.  The only good news is that the grass species is easily ripped from the ground.  Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

*  =  plants blooming on field trip, 9/20/2005

Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Ostrya virginiana (American hop hornbeam)
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Shrubs:
Cornus kousa (kousa dogwood)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)

Vines:
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Allium porrum (wild leek)   planted
Anemone nemorosa (European wood anemone)       planted
Asarum canadense (wild ginger)     planted
Galium asprellum (rough bedstraw)
Galium sp. (sweetruff)   planted
Jeffersonia diphylla (twinleaf)     planted
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)  
Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)   planted
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Tiarella cordifolia (Allegheny foamflower)     planted

Grasses:
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)

Ferns:
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern)
Osmunda regalis (royal fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)

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