THE FLOOD PLAIN
The area you are looking at we once referred to as "The Marsh", but we have since redefined as “The Flood Plain”. It is a flat, low lying area between “Fox Creek” to the east and the larger tributary stream to the west. Dry most of the year, this area endures periodic flooding during heavy rain events and is quite good at holding moisture for a long time afterwards.
For the past hundred years or so the story of this space is one of disturbance, change and in the end, resilience.
At one time this area formed the lake bed beneath the constructed recreational pond “Lake June”. From about 1924 until about 1957 this area was all under water. After the lake was drained what remained was a fertile, silt covered flood plain that was soon taken over by invasive Kudzu and Bush Honeysuckle. Repeated flood events deposited layers of material from upstream, sculpting the landscape in new and unexpected ways, yet beneath this invasive cover lie many native species that are still holding on.
As Stewards, it is our task to clear away the non-native invasive species and allow the native plants and animals to reemerge. This area will never return to what it was before humans began to intervene, but with attention and careful stewardship, a new balance may be achieved bringing stability for the first time in a century.
how many can you find?
AMUR HONEYSUCKLE
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
Lonicera maackii
Highly invasive
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
Lonicera japonica
Highly Invasive
GARLIC MUSTARD
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
HOSTAS (PLANTAIN LILLIES)
Alliaria petiolata
Highly invasive
HOSTAS (PLANTAIN LILLIES)
HOSTAS (PLANTAIN LILLIES)
HOSTAS (PLANTAIN LILLIES)
Hosta plantaginea
Non-Native
KUDZU
HOSTAS (PLANTAIN LILLIES)
MULTIFLORA ROSE
Pueraria montana
invasive
MULTIFLORA ROSE
HOSTAS (PLANTAIN LILLIES)
MULTIFLORA ROSE
Rosa multiflora
Highly invasive
CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT
CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT
CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT
Cardamine concatenata
Native
ASTERS
CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT
CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT
Aster spp.
Native
BLACK RASPBERRY
CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT
BLACK RASPBERRY
Rubus occidentalis
Native
BLOODROOT
DEER TONGUE
BLACK RASPBERRY
Sanguinaria canadensis
Native
CHICKWEED
DEER TONGUE
DEER TONGUE
Stellaria media
Native
DEER TONGUE
DEER TONGUE
DEER TONGUE
Dichanthelium clandestinum
Native
ELDERBERRY
GOLDEN RAGWORT
GOLDEN RAGWORT
Sambucus canadensis
Native
GOLDEN RAGWORT
GOLDEN RAGWORT
GOLDEN RAGWORT
Packera aurea
Native
GOLDENROD
GOLDEN RAGWORT
VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
Solidago spp.
Native
VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
Mertensia virginica
Native
ORANGE JEWELWEED
VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
ORANGE JEWELWEED
Impatiens capensis
Native