New Canaan Nature Center
144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, Fairfield County, CT
40 acres
Source: Anderson, Katherine S., #26
Part of Bliss Park.
Directions:
Merritt Parkway, exit 37; drive north on CT 124 for 2.8 miles to the entrance on the left.
History:
Owned by the New Canaan Nature Center Association.
Habitats:
Butterfly field, woods, marsh, two ponds, orchard, Kiwanis Pond, greenhouses
Facilities:
Maple syrup shed, orchard and cider house, herb garden, bee colony, wildlife rehabilitation area, gift shop. The center serves as an extension center for the New York Botanical Garden educational department, offering courses that are cited in the New York Botanical Garden course catalog.
Trails:
Two miles of trails and boardwalk.
PLANT LIST:
Jonathan Baillie, et. al. New Canaan Nature Center Natural Areas Management
Plan, February 1997. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney (visit 3/19/02). Thanks to Director
of Horticulture, Gail K. Robinson for giving me access to the plant list.
dates = dates plants found in bloom.
Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple) 3/19/02
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Amelanchier canadensis (shadbush) probably A. arborea
Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya cordiformis (pignut hickory)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Catalpa sp. (catalpa)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Crataegus sp. (hawthorn)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Fraxinus pensylvanica (red ash)
Ilex opaca (American holly)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine)
Populus alba (white poplar)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (apple)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak)
Quercus coccinea (scarlet oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Salix nigra (black willow)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Thuja occidentalis (arbor-vitae) planted
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Ulmus americana (American elm)
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)
Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) planted 8/01/02
Callitriche sp. (water starwort)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush) 8/01/02
Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood)
Cornus sericea (red-osier dogwood)
Corylus sp. (hazel) 3/19/02
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus) a lot
Euonymus atropurpureus (wahoo)
Forsythia sp. (golden bells) 3/19/02
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Ilex crenata type (holly)?
Ilex glabra (inkberry)
Ilex opaca (American holly)
Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)
Leucothoe sp. (leucothoe)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Myrica pensylvanica (bayberry)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Rhododendron maximum (rosebay rhododendron)
Rhododendron sp. (azalea)
Rhodotypos scandens (jetbead)
Rhus sp. (smooth or winged sumac)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus flagellaris (northern dewberry)
Rubus hispidus (swamp dewberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Salix discolor (pussy willow) 3/19/02
Spiraea alba var. latifolia (meadowsweet) planted 8/01/02
Spiraea sp. (spiraea) horticultural
Spiraea tomentosa (steeplebush) 8/01/02
Taxus sp. (yew)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (smooth arrowwood viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (hairy arrowwood viburnum)
Viburnum sp. (leather-leaf viburnum)? planted
Vines:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelainberry)
Apios americana (groundnut)
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed) 8/01/02
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Euonymus fortunii (euonymus)
Hedera helix (English ivy)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) 8/01/02
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vinca minor (periwinkle) 3/19/02
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)
Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) 8/01/02
Actaea alba (white doll's eyes)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Allium vineale (field garlic) 8/01/02
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)
Anemone sp. (anemone) planted
Arctium minus (common burdock) 8/01/02
Artemesia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) 8/01/02
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) 8/01/02
Asclepias tuberosa (butterflyweed) 8/01/02
Aster divaricatus (white wood aster)
Bidens comosa (strawstem beggar ticks)
Bidens sp. (beggar ticks)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Callitriche sp. (water starwort)
Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh)
Chelidonium majus (celandine) 8/01/02
Chelone glabra (white turtlehead)
Chrysosplenium americanum (golden saxifrage)
Cichorium intybus (chicory) 8/01/02
Cimicifuga racemosa (bugbane) 8/01/02
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade) 8/01/02
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) lots in one of the fields
Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) 8/01/02
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) 8/01/02
Conyza canadensis (horseweed) 8/01/02
Coronilla varia (crown vetch) 8/01/02
Crocus sp. (purple crocus) 3/19/02
Cryptotaenia canadensis (honewort)
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) 8/01/02
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) 8/01/02
Epilobium sp. (willow herb)
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed)
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane) 8/01/02
Eupatorium fistulosum (trumpetweed) 8/01/02
Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset) 8/01/02
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot)
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) 8/01/02
Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry)
Galium mollugo (wild madder) 8/01/02
Galium sp. (bedstraw)
Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)
Geranium robertianum (herb Robert) 8/01/02
Geum canadense (white avens)
Glechoma hederacea (gill over the ground) 3/19/02
Helianthus strumosus (pale-leaved sunflower) 8/01/02
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) 8/01/02
Hypericum mutilum (dwarf St. Johnswort) 8/01/02
Hypericum punctatum (spotted St. Johnswort) 8/01/02
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) 8/01/02
Iris sp. (blue or yellow flag)
Lactuca canadensis (wild lettuce) 8/01/02
Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort)
Lepidium sativum (garden pepperweed)
Lepidium virginicum (poor man's pepper)
Lilium sp. (lily)
Linaria vulgaris (butter-and-eggs) 8/01/02
Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco lobelia) 8/01/02
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil) 8/01/02
Ludwigia alternifolia (seedbox) 8/01/02
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) 8/01/02
Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)
Melilotus alba (white sweet clover) 8/01/02
Mentha sp. (mint)
Monarda didyma (bee balm) 8/01/02
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
Myosotis scirpoides (larger forget-me-not) 8/01/02
Narcissus sp. (daffodil)
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) 8/01/02
Osmorhiza claytonii (sweet cicely)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) 8/01/02
Peltandra virginica (arrow arum)
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) 8/01/02
Plantago major (common plantain)
Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple) planted
Polygonatum sp. (true Solomon's seal)
Polygonum arifolium (halberd-leaved tearthumb)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed) 8/01/02
Polygonum hydropiperoides (mild water pepper) 8/01/02
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb)
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal) 8/01/02
Pycnanthemum incanum (hoary mountain mint) 8/01/02
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (narrow-leaved mountain mint) 8/01/02
Ranunculus sp. (buttercup)
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) 8/01/02
Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel)
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock)
Scutellaria lateriflora (maddog skullcap) 8/01/02
Silene alba (white campion) 8/01/02
Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant) 8/01/02
Smilacina racemosa (false Solomon's seal)
Solidago gigantea (late goldenrod) 8/01/02
Solidago spp. (goldenrod)
Sonchus asper (prickly sow thistle) 8/01/02
Sparganium sp. (arrowhead) 8/01/02
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Trifolium pratense (red clover) 8/01/02
Trifolium repens (white clover) 8/01/02
Trillium sp. (trillium) planted
Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) 3/19/02
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Urtica dioica v. dioica (stinging nettle) 8/01/02
Verbascum blattaria (moth mullein)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein) 8/01/02
Verbena hastata (blue vervain) 8/01/02
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) 8/01/02
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York ironweed) 8/01/02
Vicia cracca (cow vetch) 8/01/02
Wolffia or Woffiella sp. (watermeal)
(red pansy) escaped 8/01/02
(purple cone flower) planted 8/01/02
Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Sedges:
Carex laxiflora type (sacksedge)
Carex lurida (sallow sacksedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sacksedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sacksedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sacksedge)
Cyperus strigosus (umbrella flatsedge)?
Scirpus atrovirens (dark-green bulrush)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)
Grasses:
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wild rye grass)
Leersia virginica (white grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue stem grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Setaria spp. (foxtail grass)
Tridens flavus (purple-top grass)
Ferns and Fern Allies:
Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)
Lycopodium obscurum (ground pine clubmoss)
Adiantum pedatum (maidenhair fern)
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hay-scented fern)
Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Thelypteris palustris (marsh fern)
Back to the w. Connecticut Page
Back to the Main Page