Plant life flourishes along the Valley Trail in the heart of summer. Photo credit: Coral Keegan
After a few weeks away from DC, I returned to Rock Creek Park to find it more lush and verdant than ever. If you are a plant-lover, summer is the time to visit the park!
Typically on my walks through the park, I am on the lookout for birds, but this time I directed my attention to the park’s trees and shrubs. (I must say though, it seemed that because I was “ignoring” the birds, they were more chatty and relaxed than ever! Or perhaps it was just the presence of many nascent fledglings still calling out for food and attention from their parents.) I decided to extend my usual route to go down the Valley Trail, across to the upper length of the Western Ridge Trail, and back down the lower half of the Boundary Bridge Trail in order to diversify the environments and elevations through which I walked. Along the way, I snapped photos of the different plants that stood out to me or that I noticed were particularly abundant, and then later used the PlantSnap app to help identify them.
Below, you will find a slide deck which describes ten of the species I saw. If you are interested in learning more about the native vegetation of the park, I highly suggest checking out the Explore Natural Communities website created by NatureServe and the National Park Service. It provides a detailed list of the common species you can find, as well as an interactive map showing where you are most likely to find them.
Comments
Post a Comment