SPEEDWELL PARK
Rt. 202 (Speedwell Avenue), Morristown, Morris County, NJ
Directions:
George Washington Bridge; US 80 west to the exit for 287 south to Morristown; exit 36; Morristown Avenue to the central square in downtown Morristown; from here drive 1.0 miles on Route 202 (Speedwell Avenue) and turn left into the park. The park is located directly across from Speedwell Village.
History:
1888 -- the Rockaway Valley Railroad Company incorporated to build a 25 mile long line from White House, NJ to the outskirts of Morristown at Speedwell. From Speedwell the passengers were brought to downtown Morristown by stage coach.
1890s -- the peach trade reaches its height.
1910 -- the Morris County Traction Line (an inter-city trolley) went from Speedwell Avenue to downtown Morristown.
1913 -- when a fire destroys much of the Rockaway Valley Railroad in Watnong, the line is sold at auction. Frank B. Allen buys it, but is not successful in rebuilding the line.
1917 -- the line abandoned.
Trails:
Patriot's Path goes on the southern side of Speedwell Lake. At the western end of the lake is a very swampy area. The path comes to Lake Road. Turn right and walk over the bridge; turn left and cross the street; the Patriot's path parallels Lake Road; cross over a creeks via the road, then turn left and walk along the creek. (There are some interesting marsh plants beneath the bridge.) Here we just turned around and came back.
The old Rockaway Valley Railroad went from White House to New Germantown, Potterville, Peapack, and Mendham to Watnong (outskirts of Morristown near Speedwell).
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
Trees:
Acer negundo (box elder maple)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut)
Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Carya sp. (hickory)
Catalpa sp. (catalpa)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juglans nigra (black walnut)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus strobus (white pine) planted
Platanus x hybrida (sycamore)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (apple tree) (planted)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Salix nigra (black willow)
Thuja occidentalis (arbor-vitae) (planted)
Ulmus americana (American elm)
Shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Amelanchier arborea (shadbush)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (button bush)
Chimaphila maculata (spotted wintergreen)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Pachysandra sp. (pachysandra)
Rhododendron periclymenoides (pinxter flower)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Vaccinium angustifolium (low bush blueberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (smooth arrowwood viburnum)
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw viburnum)
Viburnum sp. hairy leaf stalks
Vinca minor (periwinkle)
Vines:
Amphicarpaea bracteata (hog peanut)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Cuscuta sp. (dodder) 8/30/01
Dioscorea villosa (wild yam root)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Smilax rotundifolia (round leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Herbs:
Acalypha rhomboidea
Achillea millefolium (yarrow)
Agrimonia parviflora (small-flowered agrimony)) 8/30/01
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) 8/30/01
Anthriscus sylvestris? (wild chervil)?
Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)
Arctium sp. (burdock)
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the pulpit)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Aster divaricatus (white wood aster) 8/30/01
Aster sp. (one of those damned small white asters) 8/30/01
Bidens discoidea? (beggar ticks) 8/30/01?
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Callitriche palustris (water starwort)
Centaurea jacea (brown knapweed) 8/30/01
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) 8/30/01
Ceratophyllum demersum (coontail)
Chenopodium album (lamb's quarters)
Cichorium intybus (chicory) 8/30/01
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) 8/30/01
Conyza canadensis (horseweed) 8/30/01
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) 8/30/01
Desmodium paniculatum (panicled tick trefoil) 8/30/01
Duchesnea indica (Indian strawberry) 8/30/01
Elodea sp. (waterweed)
Epilobium coloratum (purple-leaved willow herb) 8/30/01
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed) 8/30/01
Eupatorium album (white boneset) 8/30/01
Eupatorium fistulosum (hollow Joe-Pye-weed) 8/30/01 waning
Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset) 8/30/01
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) 8/30/01
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) 8/30/01
Galinsoga sp. (gallant soldiers) 8/30/01
Geum canadense (white avens) 8/30/01
Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed)
Hemerocallis fulva (tawny day lily) (planted)
Hydrocotyle americanum (pennywort)
Hypericum mutilum (dwarf St. Johnswort) 8/30/01
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) 8/30/01
Iris sp. (iris)
Lepidium virginicum (wild peppergrass)
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) 8/30/01
Lindernia dubia (false pimpernel) 8/30/01
Ludwigia palustris (common water purslane)
Lycopus sp. (bugleweed) 8/30/01
Lycopus virginicus (Virginia water horehound) 8/30/01
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) 8/30/01
Mentha arvensis (wild mint) 8/30/01
Mimulus ringens (monkey flower) 8/30/01
Mollugo verticillata (carpetweed) 8/30/01
Myosotis laxa (larger forget me not) 8/30/01
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) 8/30/01
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) 8/30/01
Penthorum sedoides (ditch stonecrop) 8/30/01
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) 8/30/01
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain) 8/30/01
Plantago major (common plantain)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose smartweed) 8/30/01
Polygonum lapathifolium (nodding smartweed) 8/30/01
Polygonum spp. (smartweeds) 8/30/01
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Potentilla norvegica (rough cinquefoil) 8/30/01
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal) 8/30/01
Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Sagittaria latifolia (broad-leaved arrowhead) 8/30/01
Sicyos angulatus (bur cucumber) 8/30/01
Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) 8/30/01
Solidago rugosa (rough-stemmed goldenrod) 8/30/01
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) 8/30/01
Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot)
Typha latifolia (cattail)
Urtica (not heart-leaved shaped)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Verbena hastata (blue vervain) 8/30/01
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) 8/30/01
Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Sedges:
Carex lurida (sedge)
Cyperus sp. (nut or umbrella sedge)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)
Scirpus pungens (bulrush)
Scirpus validus (soft stem bulrush)
Grasses:
Cinna arundinacea (wood reed grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Digitaria sp. (crab grass)
Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass)
Eleusine indica (zipper grass)
Elymus sp. (wild rye grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Muhlenbergia schreberi (nimblewill grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Setaria glauca (yellow foxtail grass)
Ferns:
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Cystopteris? on an old wall
Dryopteris intermedia (common fancy wood fern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)