Mountain View & Point Petre Woods, Prince Edward County, Ontario

With the afternoon off and rain threatening to disrupt banding the following day I took the opportunity to go and visit a couple a local botanical sites with sheila, one of the observatory volunteers.

Mountain View Woods, showing the stream running down from the escarpment.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum

The first port of call was a private property, located in the north of Prince Edward County in the small community of Mountain View. The habitat consisted of a deciduous woodland, consisting of a beech and maple canopy which have enabled rich soils edged on one side by an escarpment providing good drainage for the slopes. A small stream ran through the middle of the wood creating an area of damp ground which was suitable for Jack-in-the-Pulpit Arisaema triphyllum to grow. The rich soils found on the rest of the site provide the perfect habitat for a range of spring ephemeral species including a couple I had been looking forward to seeing since I arrived.







As well as plants the woods were also home to a few species of amphibians. I had hoped to find a salamander and spent a large amount of time flipping logs in the hope of finding one but it wasn't to be. I did manage to find a Northern Spring Peeper Psudacris crucifer crucifer a tiny species of frog which is more often heard than seen.

Northern Spring Peeper, Psudacris crucifer crucifer

Trillium spp. growing in the wood below a Beech tree

White Trillium, Trillium grandiflora

Trilliums Trillums spp. were by far the most flamboyant plant present. Trilliums are an interesting family of plants and seems to be one of the relatively few plant families to rely on ants to help disperse their seeds. Trillium grandiflora was the commonest species found throughout the wood and formed dense stands in some of the areas. It really is a grand flower, with its large distinctive 3 petal flowers its easy to understand why its the provincial emblem of Ontario and has been since 1936.

Red Trillium, Trillium erectum

Just as pretty were the Red Trillium Trillium erectum, although It wasn't as numerous it could still be found in good numbers. With it's deep red flowers it easy to see how it got it's folk name Woke-Robin due to its analogy with the European robin Erithacus rubecula. Although close to being over a few Sharp-lobed Hepatica Anemone acutiloba were still in flower along with swathes of Trout lilies, Erythronium americanum so named due to their distinctively patterned leaves.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica, Anemone acutiloba

The real reason for going to Mountain View was to see the Squirrel Corn Dicentra canadensis, a small unassuming Dicentra which looks superficially similar to Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra cucullaria, a very common woodland flower. With it's delicate white heart shaped flowers and fine foliage it really was a beauty!

Squirrel Corn, Dicentra canadensis

A few other species could also be seen in whilst wandering about including Blue Cohosh Caulophyllum giganteum, Small-flowered Crowfoot Ranunculus abortivus
Large-Flowered Bellwort Uvularia grandiflora , Early Meadow-Rue Thalictrum dioicum, Milterwort Mitella diphylla and Long-Spurred Violet Viola rostrata.

Blue Cohosh, Caulophyllum giganteum

With the weather getting wetter we had to cut short our trip but it allowed us to quickly visit Point Petre woods in the search for one last rarity, Twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla which can only be found in southern Ontario. Sadly due to the rain the plants weren't out in full flower but at least I got to see them!

Twinleaf, Jeffersonia diphylla