The Park at Franklin Pond

Franklin Avenue (Route 631), Franklin Boro, Sussex County, New Jersey

Directions:

US 287/87 north to the exit for US 287 south (at around mileage marker 30); US 287 south to exit 51B for Route 23 north; turn left onto Franklin Avenue (Route 631); a short ways down the road on the left is the pond; urn left into the parking area by Franklin Pond.   

History:

Near the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Cork Hill Road (on the left) is an historic plaque and an old millstone. 

"This 1.6 ton millstone, fashioned from local pegmatite, one of two used to grind this community's grain, c. 1750-1805, was found on the site of Beardslee's Grist Mill near Stone Mill Road."   Erected: October 30, 1976.

Facilities:

picnic tables, gazebo, children's playground, two bridges, baseball fields, basketball court, football field

Trails:

5/12/2005.  The park is on two sides of Franklin Pond with a bridge connecting the sides.. The sports areas are on the other side of the pond opposite the Frankliln Avenue park parking area.  I examined the plants on the Franklin Avenue side of the park and then crossed the bridge to the other side of the park where the sports fields are located.  Walked along the pond up past the maintenance department.  I thought I might be able to make a circuit around the pond, but I discovered that I could not pass the broad channel of water past the far side of the pond and marsh area.  So turned around, recrossed the bridge and returned to my car.  Short, easy walk.  Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
* = plant blooming on date of field trip, 5/12/2005

Trees:
Acer negundo (box elder maple)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Populus alba (white poplar)
Prunus serotina (black cherry) 
Pyrus sp. (apple)  *
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Salix sp. (willow)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)  *
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)  *
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Staphylea trifolia (bladdernut)  *
Syringa sp. (lilac)  *
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw viburnum )

Vines and Climbing Herbs:
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (yarrow)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)  *
Allium sp. (garlic)
Allium vineale (field garlic)
Apocynum sp. (dogbane)
Aquilegia canadensis (columbine)  *
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asarum canadense (wild ginger)
Asparagus officinalis (asparagus)
Aster spp. (asters)
Barbarea vulgaris (common wintercress)  *
Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd's purse)  *
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed)
Chelidonium majus (celandine)  *
Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)
Euphorbia cyparissias (cypress spurge)  *
Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)  *
Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)  *
Geum canadense (white avens)
Glechoma hederacea (gill over the ground)  *
Hemerocallis fulva (tawny day lily)
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket )  *soon
Impatiens sp. (jewelweed)
Lamium purpureum (purple dead nettle)  *
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) 
Medicago lupulina (black medick)  *
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)
Prenanthes altissima (tall white lettuce)
Potentilla recta (rough-fruited cinquefoil) 
Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaf buttercup)  *
Ranunculus acris (tall buttercup)  *
Rumex crispus (crisped leaved dock)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock)
Senecio sp. (ragwort)  *
Smilacina racemosa (false Solomon's seal)
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)  *
Trifolium pratense (red clover)
Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot)
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail) 
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Veronica arvensis (corn speedwell)  *
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)
Veronica serpyllifolia (thyme-leaved speedwell)  *

Sedges:
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex sp.  (sedge)

Grasses:
Phragmites australis (giant reedgrass)
Poa annua (annual bluegrass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Equisetum hyemale (scouring rush))