MIANUS PARK

Cary Road, Town of Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut

Directions:

US 1 to Cary Road (near Mianus River Bridge and Hay Day). Mianus Park is on Cary Road.

10/19/2005.  On a very pleasant day, Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I parked just before reaching the circle at the end of Cary Road.  I alone climbed up the steep hill on the right to get the trail.  The unmarked straight-as-an-arrow trail heads between the Mianus Pond on the left and private homes on the right. The trail only goes for about 500 yards or so.  Noticed that some of the Japanese barberry had died, probably victims of the long drought we have had.  Along the way, found a somewhat elaborate wooden jump structure for mountain bikes.   At the end of the trail there is a large rock from which one can get a nice view of the lake.  The view to the right is blocked off a bit by the trees.  Turned around and walked back to the car. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney. 

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick Cooney

*  = plant blooming on date of field trip, 10/17/2005

Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Amelanchier arborea (shadbush)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya sp. (hickory)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Pachysandra terminalis (pachysandra)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Vinca minor (periwinkle)

Vines:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Aster divaricatus (white wood aster)        *  
Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock)
Solidago rugosa (rough-leaved goldenrod)   *