Keeler Ridge Meadow

Route 33, Wilton, Fairfield County, Connecticut

Directions:

Saw Mill River Parkway north to its end (at mile marker 29); get off at the exit for Route 35; at the light turn right on Route 35 east; at the T-intersection in Ridgefield, turn right onto Route 33 south; head into Wilton; a short distance south of Carriage Drive is the Preserve on the right.  Park along side the fence.

Geology/Topography:

Hendersons Pond is here.  The water from it flows south into Kent Pond.  From Kent Pond the waters are known as Huckleberry Hills Brook which head through the Marble/Van Hae Lewya Preserve, down to Rock Lake and from there into South Norwalk Reservoir and then into Old South Norwalk Reservoir.  From here the waters flowing south are known as Belden Hill Brook. The Brook heads into Norwalk, to a park in Silvermine, under Merritt Parkway, and into Davis Pond.  From here the waters flowing south form the Norwalk River which heads into Long Island Sound. 

9/14/2005.  The field here is a real beauty as testified to by the plant list below.  Even the grasses were outstanding, especially with Indian nut grass.  Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I walked around the paths in the small preserve thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

*  =  plants blooming on field trip, 9/14/2005

Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Salix sp. (willow)

Shrubs:
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus alleghaniensis (common blackberry)
Salix discolor (pussy willow)

Vines:
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)    
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Polygonum scandens (climbing false bindweed)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)  
Agastache nepetoides (yellow giant hyssop)     *waning
Agrimonia sp. (agrimony)
Ajuga reptans (ajuga)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)
Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed)
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Aster novae-angliae (New England aster)     *
Aster noveboracensis (New York aster)     *
Aster sp. (small white aster)     *
Aster spp. (aster)     *
Bidens coronata (northern beggar ticks)     *
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Callitriche sp. (water starwort)
Chelone glabra (white turtlehead)     *
Cichorium intybus (chicory)     *
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (ox-eye daisy)     *
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)
Cirsium vulgare (common thistle)
Coronilla varia (crown vetch)      *
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace)     *
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink)     *
Epilobium coloratum (purple-leaved willowherb)     *
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane)     *
Eupatorium fistulosum (trumpetweed)    
Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset)     *
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod)     *
Gallium asprellum (rough bed straw)
Geranium sp. (geranium)
Geum canadense (white avens)
Helenium autumnale (sneezeweed)     *
Helianthus strumosus (pale-leaved sunflower)     *
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)     *
Leontodon autumnalis (fall dandelion)
Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bushclover)
Lobelia siphilitica (great lobelia)     *
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil)     *
Lycopus sp. (bugleweed)    
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)     *
Mimulus ringens (monkey flower)
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)      *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)     *
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed)
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed)     *
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)    
Polygonum hydropiperoides (mild water pepper)     *
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)     *
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (narrow-leaved mountain mint)
Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint)
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan)     *
Rudbeckia laciniata (green-headed coneflower)     *
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)    
Solidago canadensis var. scabra (tall goldenrod)     *
Solidago gigantea (tall goldenrod)     *
Solidago spp. (goldenrod)     *
Trifolium pratense (red clover)     *
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Verbena hastata (blue vervain)
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain)   
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York ironweed)    *

Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)
Cyperus strigosus (umbrella sedge)

Grasses:
Andropogon gerardii (turkey claw)
Eleusine indica (zipper grass)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wild rye grass)
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)
Poa palustris (fowl meadow grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Setaria glauca (yellow foxtail grass)
Setaria viridis (green foxtail grass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian nut grass)
Tridens flavus (purple top grass)

Ferns:
Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)

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