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.

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

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.