A Summer Walk in Pine Swamp
Most of us enjoy hiking in the cool months of spring and autumn but avoid the hot summer days. But, July and
August is 'blooming time' in Pine Swamp. Come with us for a short hike of about a half mile along the power line
service road. We are at the 113 Whalehead Road entrance on an early August afternoon. Don’t worry, we will
walk slowly and the hike is an easy one along a service road. This is a hike to look at flower plants so we will
walk very slowly. After all, it is hot out.
Bring your camera and find out how to use the macro setting. You can get some nice pictures of small wonders.
Don’t forget to look for birds along the way. This is great birding country. Here’s a Yellow Throat. You may also
find huge flocks of Purple Martins this time of year getting ready to head south.
After walking down the entrance lane we will turn left where the road divides. Look at the trees along here as
well as flowers. There are more kinds than you might first imagine. Look for flowering Shining Sumac and
invasive Autumn Olive and Oriental Bittersweet among others. A single Autumn Olive tree produces 40,000 to
400,000 seeds each year and they end up where the birds go. At the start of the yellow trail we will turn right
and continue following the service road.
Over the next eighth mile or so take a look at the land and you will understand why there are so many kinds of
flowers here. The road runs WSW between two ponds. During high water the south pond on your left drains
across the road in low places to the pond on your right. The whole landscape here is a result of an old sand
and gravel operation. The strip of land we are walking on was left to provide an access road and to support the
important power line overhead. There are small hills and valleys. In the high spots the land is very sandy and
somewhat dry. In the low spots there is more silt and clay washed in during spring high water and the land
stays moist here even in the summer. There are vernal pools in the ruts in the road that last from spring into
summer but are mostly dry now.
View of the Service Road
The power company maintains the land clear of taller trees that would interfere with the power line so the strip
never gets past an early succession stage of growth. The road cut itself has been kept clear of brush for a long
time. Thus, you have early succession growth on each side and a grassy habitat in the middle. The south side
gets more shade than the north. Altogether the strip is a mix of wet and dry land, shady and sunny, grassy and
brushy, and has remained in a stable state for years and years. So, we can expect to see lots of different kinds
of flowering plants here and we will. We will talk about the ones that bloom between late July and late August.
Not all are in bloom at the same time but we will compress time so we can look at all of them.
The larger flowering plants come to your eye first as we walk along. Look for the bright yellows of Goldenrod,
the bluish, pink colored Joe Pye-weed, and white Boneset, Meadowsweet, and Queen Anne’s Lace which looks
like a Victorian doily. White-flowered Sweet Pepper Bush and Wild Indigo also stand out. We are going to look
for the small stuff also so walk slowly. If you are taking more than 3 steps between stopping and looking
carefully you are walking too fast!
We are entering a stretch of trail that runs through cedar trees beside the road. Look under them. Get down
really close to the ground. Pretend you are Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians. Mosses have grown here for
decades and cover the ground with other plants struggling to take root. Look at the mossy fields towered over
by club mosses such as Princess Pine. Small seedlings tower over the club mosses like palm trees in Miami
Beach. Immediately along the road the plants are more diverse. Here you can find Fleabane, Groundnut,
Marsh Rosemary, and tall stemmed Dandelions. Look also for the bright red berries of the Wineberry bush and
the orange stems of Dodder climbing the stems of the plants it grows next to. Look particularly at the struggle
for survival with every inch of real estate being fought for. In any small patch of land you can see interesting
patterns of shapes and color.
wild indigo
As we leave the cedars look at the dry hills on the right covered with Goldenrod and the yellow-flowered Wild
Indigo. On the big sandy hill to the left we will leave the road a few feet to discover Mullein used by the indians
as a mocassin lining, Honeysuckle, and Sweet Pepperbush. Keep an eye out for the blue or olive spikes of
Hardhack. Near the road we will look for Evening Primrose, Blue Vervain, Pearly Everlasting, St. John’s-wort,
Marsh St. John’s-wort, White and New England Asters, and Rose Milkwort. Let's explore a couple short
accesses down to the ponds. We can find Water-lily (sorry, we didn't get a picture but you all know what water-
lilies look like), beds of Golden Pert, and Swollen Blatterwort in bloom in the ponds and Button Bush and by the
shore. Some Purple Loosestrife is also found here occasionally. It looks pretty but is a serious invasive. Pull it
up if you see it. This is also the preferred place to find Hardhack. There are always surprises. Here are a few
we haven’t been able to identify. If you think you know what they are send me an email to the
mikegoodwn@comcast.net.
unknown 1
Unknown 2 Unknown 3 Unknown 4
Unknown 5 Unknown A Unknown B
As we pass the end of the ponds and climb a dry, sandy hill we see that little besides goldenrod and bunch
grass has a good foothold. These grasses have root systems that go down 12 feet or more so they can reach
the deep water and are very drought resistant. Goldenrod seems to do well anywhere. Let's continue past this
hill down between two smaller ponds to the junction of the blue-dot loop trail. There are more flowers between
these ponds. You'll see lots of the drab Round-headed Bush-clover along the road.
The junction is about a quarter mile from where we started. Do you want to stop here and go back for a total
hike of a half mile? No. OK then, let’s continue on over the next sand hill to look at a drier landscape with
different plants. In the next depression you will see lots of Pilewort(Fireweed) and a nice red-stemmed vine with
yellow and orange leaves believed to be Silver Lace Vine. There's a stand of nice violet flowers believed to be
Showy Tick-trefoil. Look for more Mullein and lots of Goldenrod. There are Blackberries and Blueberries on the
hillsides and occasionally some Concord Grapes which make a nice jelly. Further along we will walk between
Mountain Laurel bushes that bloom in late June or early July and turn the whole hillside pinkish white. This is
another good time for a hike here. Check for small flowers in the shady nooks and for Indian Pipes. In the wet
areas we may find Spotted Jewelweed and the invasive Phragmites or common reed. This tall grass is hard to
miss as it is 8 to 12 feet tall.
You can turn back anytime or continue around the blue-dot loop trail back to the junction with the access road.
It’s about 2 miles around the loop.
Hope you enjoyed your walk. We'll go back with you. Don’t stop looking. We'll just walk back the way we came
and look for hidden flowers we missed the first time around.
Enjoy!
Mike Goodwin and Dixie Handfield
Most of us enjoy hiking in the cool months of spring and autumn but avoid the hot summer days. But, July and
August is 'blooming time' in Pine Swamp. Come with us for a short hike of about a half mile along the power line
service road. We are at the 113 Whalehead Road entrance on an early August afternoon. Don’t worry, we will
walk slowly and the hike is an easy one along a service road. This is a hike to look at flower plants so we will
walk very slowly. After all, it is hot out.
Bring your camera and find out how to use the macro setting. You can get some nice pictures of small wonders.
Don’t forget to look for birds along the way. This is great birding country. Here’s a Yellow Throat. You may also
find huge flocks of Purple Martins this time of year getting ready to head south.
After walking down the entrance lane we will turn left where the road divides. Look at the trees along here as
well as flowers. There are more kinds than you might first imagine. Look for flowering Shining Sumac and
invasive Autumn Olive and Oriental Bittersweet among others. A single Autumn Olive tree produces 40,000 to
400,000 seeds each year and they end up where the birds go. At the start of the yellow trail we will turn right
and continue following the service road.
Over the next eighth mile or so take a look at the land and you will understand why there are so many kinds of
flowers here. The road runs WSW between two ponds. During high water the south pond on your left drains
across the road in low places to the pond on your right. The whole landscape here is a result of an old sand
and gravel operation. The strip of land we are walking on was left to provide an access road and to support the
important power line overhead. There are small hills and valleys. In the high spots the land is very sandy and
somewhat dry. In the low spots there is more silt and clay washed in during spring high water and the land
stays moist here even in the summer. There are vernal pools in the ruts in the road that last from spring into
summer but are mostly dry now.
View of the Service Road
The power company maintains the land clear of taller trees that would interfere with the power line so the strip
never gets past an early succession stage of growth. The road cut itself has been kept clear of brush for a long
time. Thus, you have early succession growth on each side and a grassy habitat in the middle. The south side
gets more shade than the north. Altogether the strip is a mix of wet and dry land, shady and sunny, grassy and
brushy, and has remained in a stable state for years and years. So, we can expect to see lots of different kinds
of flowering plants here and we will. We will talk about the ones that bloom between late July and late August.
Not all are in bloom at the same time but we will compress time so we can look at all of them.
The larger flowering plants come to your eye first as we walk along. Look for the bright yellows of Goldenrod,
the bluish, pink colored Joe Pye-weed, and white Boneset, Meadowsweet, and Queen Anne’s Lace which looks
like a Victorian doily. White-flowered Sweet Pepper Bush and Wild Indigo also stand out. We are going to look
for the small stuff also so walk slowly. If you are taking more than 3 steps between stopping and looking
carefully you are walking too fast!
We are entering a stretch of trail that runs through cedar trees beside the road. Look under them. Get down
really close to the ground. Pretend you are Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians. Mosses have grown here for
decades and cover the ground with other plants struggling to take root. Look at the mossy fields towered over
by club mosses such as Princess Pine. Small seedlings tower over the club mosses like palm trees in Miami
Beach. Immediately along the road the plants are more diverse. Here you can find Fleabane, Groundnut,
Marsh Rosemary, and tall stemmed Dandelions. Look also for the bright red berries of the Wineberry bush and
the orange stems of Dodder climbing the stems of the plants it grows next to. Look particularly at the struggle
for survival with every inch of real estate being fought for. In any small patch of land you can see interesting
patterns of shapes and color.
wild indigo
As we leave the cedars look at the dry hills on the right covered with Goldenrod and the yellow-flowered Wild
Indigo. On the big sandy hill to the left we will leave the road a few feet to discover Mullein used by the indians
as a mocassin lining, Honeysuckle, and Sweet Pepperbush. Keep an eye out for the blue or olive spikes of
Hardhack. Near the road we will look for Evening Primrose, Blue Vervain, Pearly Everlasting, St. John’s-wort,
Marsh St. John’s-wort, White and New England Asters, and Rose Milkwort. Let's explore a couple short
accesses down to the ponds. We can find Water-lily (sorry, we didn't get a picture but you all know what water-
lilies look like), beds of Golden Pert, and Swollen Blatterwort in bloom in the ponds and Button Bush and by the
shore. Some Purple Loosestrife is also found here occasionally. It looks pretty but is a serious invasive. Pull it
up if you see it. This is also the preferred place to find Hardhack. There are always surprises. Here are a few
we haven’t been able to identify. If you think you know what they are send me an email to the
mikegoodwn@comcast.net.
unknown 1
Unknown 2 Unknown 3 Unknown 4
Unknown 5 Unknown A Unknown B
As we pass the end of the ponds and climb a dry, sandy hill we see that little besides goldenrod and bunch
grass has a good foothold. These grasses have root systems that go down 12 feet or more so they can reach
the deep water and are very drought resistant. Goldenrod seems to do well anywhere. Let's continue past this
hill down between two smaller ponds to the junction of the blue-dot loop trail. There are more flowers between
these ponds. You'll see lots of the drab Round-headed Bush-clover along the road.
The junction is about a quarter mile from where we started. Do you want to stop here and go back for a total
hike of a half mile? No. OK then, let’s continue on over the next sand hill to look at a drier landscape with
different plants. In the next depression you will see lots of Pilewort(Fireweed) and a nice red-stemmed vine with
yellow and orange leaves believed to be Silver Lace Vine. There's a stand of nice violet flowers believed to be
Showy Tick-trefoil. Look for more Mullein and lots of Goldenrod. There are Blackberries and Blueberries on the
hillsides and occasionally some Concord Grapes which make a nice jelly. Further along we will walk between
Mountain Laurel bushes that bloom in late June or early July and turn the whole hillside pinkish white. This is
another good time for a hike here. Check for small flowers in the shady nooks and for Indian Pipes. In the wet
areas we may find Spotted Jewelweed and the invasive Phragmites or common reed. This tall grass is hard to
miss as it is 8 to 12 feet tall.
You can turn back anytime or continue around the blue-dot loop trail back to the junction with the access road.
It’s about 2 miles around the loop.
Hope you enjoyed your walk. We'll go back with you. Don’t stop looking. We'll just walk back the way we came
and look for hidden flowers we missed the first time around.
Enjoy!
Mike Goodwin and Dixie Handfield
NOTE: For Mike's original website( a much better view of this page)
go to: http://www.thamesvalleytu.org/Pine-Swamp-Flowers/
go to: http://www.thamesvalleytu.org/Pine-Swamp-Flowers/