Overview of the Flora of the Ten Mile Creek Watershed
Beginning in 2019, John Parrish* began an inventory of the flora of public lands in the Ten Mile Creek watershed. This includes the five land tracts composing the Ten Mile Creek Conservation Park and land owned by Montgomery County designated to become parkland. Together, these properties encompass about 600 acres. This represents one-fifth of the watershed acreage north of West Old Baltimore Road.
Swamp Milkweed
So far, John’s surveys have documented over 450 native plant species. This represents just over one-third of Montgomery’s native plants. Fifty-three tree species have been identified, ten of which are oaks. In addition, twenty-three ferns and seven orchid species were found. The forests and fields support six milkweed species which in turn support monarch butterflies. Spring wildflowers abound including the wood anemone, spring beauty, bloodroot, spring cress, wild geranium, dwarf ginseng, hepatica, trout-lily, may-apple, showy orchid, toothwort, violets and many more. In the summertime, agrimony, cardinal flower, milkweeds, monkey-flower, mountain-mint, thistle and thoroughworts brighten the landscape. Sixteen aster and goldenrod species can be found blooming in autumn. Seven rare plants were also discovered as listed below.
Purple Milkweed - Asclepias purpurascens (State Rare), found in an open field
Bashful Bulrush - Trichophorum planifolium (State Rare), found in the forest
Lily-leaved Orchid - Liparis liliifolia (State Rare/Watchlist), found in the forest
Tall Boneset - Eupatorium altissimum (State Watchlist), found in an open field
Balsam Ragwort - Packera paupercula (State Watchlist), found in two open fields
Sharp-leaf Goldenrod - Solidago patula (State Watchlist), found in an open wetland
Giant Bur-reed - Sparganium eurycarpum (State Watchlist), found in an open wetland
Shagbark Hickory
The plants were mapped and reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). According to DNR data, this is the first time Sharp-leaf Goldenrod and Giant Bur-reed have been documented to occur in Montgomery County.
And below is a list of native trees, shrubs and woody vines found in the watershed:
Beech Family: American Beech, American Chestnut, Chinquapin, Black Oak, Chestnut Oak, Pin Oak, Post Oak, Northern Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Scarlet Oak, Shingle Oak, Swamp White Oak, White Oak
Bignonia Family: Trumpet creeper
Birch Family: Smooth Alder, Black Birch, American Hazelnut, American Hornbeam
Cashew Family: Poison Ivy, Smooth Sumac, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac
Custard-Apple Family: Papaw
Cypress Family: Red Cedar
Dogwood Family: Flowering Dogwood, Silky Dogwood
Ebony Family: American Persimmon
Elm Family: American Elm, Slippery Elm
Ginseng Family: Angelica tree
Grape Family : Fox Grape, Summer Grape, Winter Grape, Virginia creeper
Greenbrier Family: Common Greenbrier, Glaucous Greenbrier
Heath Family: Trailing Arbutus, Pinxter Azalea, Black Highbush Blueberry, Blue Highbush Blueberry, Low Blueberry, Deerberry, Black Huckleberry, Maleberry, Mountain Laurel
Holly Family: American Holly, Winterberry Holly
Hops Family: Northern Hackberry
Hydrangea Family: Wild Hydrangea
Laurel Family: Sassafras, Spicebush
Legume Family: Black Locust, Redbud
Madder Family: Buttonbush
Magnolia Family: Tulip tree
Maple Family: Box Elder, Red Maple
Moonseed Family: Moonseed
Moschatel Family: Elderberry, Arrow-wood, Black Haw, Maple-leaf Viburnum
Mulberry Family: Red Mulberry
Olive Family: Green Ash, White Ash, Fringe tree
Pine Family: Eastern Hemlock, Pitch Pine, Table Mountain Pine, Virginia Pine, White Pine
Plane-tree Family: American Sycamore
Rose Family: Black Cherry, Allegheny and Pennsylvania Blackberries, Northern and Swamp Dewberries, Entangled and Large-seeded Hawthorns, Downy and Smooth Juneberries, Black Raspberry, Pasture Rose
Tupelo Family: Black Gum
Walnut Family: Black Walnut, Mockernut Hickory, Pignut Hickory, Red Hickory, Shagbark Hickory, Small-fruit Hickory
Willow Family: Big-tooth Aspen, Eastern Cottonwood, Black Willow
Witch Hazel Family: Witch Hazel
Compiled October 18, 2021 by John Parrish
More native plants are likely to be discovered by the keen eyed observer. For further information about the flora of the watershed contact John at lifeonearth@verizon.net
*John Parrish is a professional botanist with expertise on the flora of the Mid-Atlantic region.