Directions:
US 287 east to get onto Merritt Parkway north; get off at exit 36; turn right onto Hoyt/Weed Street heading north; drive to just below the intersection with Wahackme Road. The Park is located on the left (at house #848 -- it says private, but ignore that) just before the intersection of Weed Street and Wahackme Road.
History:
New Canaan's newest park, opening in 2005.
Trails:
10/25/2005. On a cool but clear morning, Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I explored the new New Canaan Park known as Irwin Park. The place could be called an estate. There is a large brick house, a big garage area and some other buildings. There is a big expanse of lawn up to the house and a huge field on the north side and behind the small mansion. On the lawn there is an apple orchard and many planted trees, many not endemic to the northeast.
There are lots of mowed trails through the field. The place is picture beautiful and the field is large. It's worth a visit. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney .
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant in bloom on date of field trip, 10/25/2005
Trees:
Acer sp. (Japanese maple) planted
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple) 3/30/02
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Fagus sylvatica (European beech) planted
Ilex aquifolium (English holly)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Larix decidua (European larch) planted
Magnolia sp. (magnolia) planted
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus sp. (pine)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Pyrus malus (apple)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus sp. (oak) planted, English?
Taxus sp. (yew)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Ulmus americana (American elm)
Shrubs and sub-shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Forsythia sp. (golden bells)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lonicera morrowii? (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Pachysandra terminalis (pachysandra)
Rhododendron maximum (rosebay rhododendron)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus flagellaris (northern dewberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed)
Hedera helix (English ivy)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Apocynum sp. (dog bane)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias sp. (milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterflyweed)
Centaurea sp. (knapweed)
Cichorium intybus (chicory) *
Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) *
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod)
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) *
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygonum aviculare (doorweed) *
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed) *
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum sp. (knotweed) *
Polygonum virginianum (Virginia knotweed)
Pycnanthemum sp. (mountain mint)
Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel)
Rumex sp. (dock)
Satureja vulgaris (wild basil) *
Solanum carolinense (horse nettle)
Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod)
Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod) *
Solidago spp. (goldenrod)
Trifolium pratense (red clover) *
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain)
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)
Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Sedges:
Cyperus strigosus (umbrella sedge)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)
Grasses:
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Digitaria sp. (crab grass)
Echinochloa sp. (barnyard grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass
Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue stem)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian nut grass)
Ferns:
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
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