Middle Run Natural Area
Delaware Native Plant Society field trip, April 26, 2008

The Middle Run Natural Area is New Castle County parkland between the Possum Hill and Judge Morris Estate areas of White Clay Creek State Park.  Like most parkland in New Castle County, it is overrun with deer and invasive alien plants, but it is the only place in Delaware where Trillium erectum is known to grow wild.  Five of us walked a loop north of the Possum Hollow Road parking lot.  Here are some things we saw, in the order we saw them, more or less.  (I was leading the walk, and didn't take many pictures, so mostly I have links to older pictures on this page.)

Claytonia virginica var. virginica, Narrowleaf Springbeauty
Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple
Arisaema triphyllum subsp. triphyllum, Swamp Jack-in-the-pulpit
Erythronium americanum subsp. americanum, Yellow Trout-lily (past bloom)
Viburnum acerifolium, Mapleleaf Viburnum (in bud)
Actaea racemosa, Black Cohosh (just leaves)
Viola pubescens var. pubescens, Downy Yellow Violet
Viola sororia, Common Blue Violet
<i>Ranunculus recurvatus </i>var. <i>recurvatus</i>Ranunculus recurvatus var. recurvatus
Hooked Buttercup

Veratrum viride, American False Hellebore (just leaves)
Geranium maculatum, Wild Geranium (a single flower)
Mertensia virginica, Virginia Bluebells

<i>Trillium erectum</i>Trillium erectum
Red Trillium

<i>Ranunculus abortivus</i>Ranunculus abortivus
Kidneyleaf Buttercup

Polygonatum biflorum var. biflorum, Solomon's-seal (a few in bud)
Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia, Wood Anemone
Floerkea proserpinacoides, False Mermaidweed

Two of us then went on a loop to the south and saw some other things:
<i>Erythronium americanum </i>subsp. <i>americanum</i>Erythronium americanum subsp. americanum
Yellow Trout-lily

<i>Trillium cernuum</i>Trillium cernuum
Nodding Trillium

<i>Obolaria virginica</i>Obolaria virginica
Virginia Pennywort

Anemone americana, Roundlobed Hepatica (past bloom)
Thalictrum thalictroides, Rue Anemone
Viola rotundifolia, Yellow Roundleaf Violet (past bloom)

<i>Thamnophis sirtalis</i>, Common garter snake<br>(We saw a snake on the first loop too, but it did not pose for a portrait.)Thamnophis sirtalis, Common garter snake
(We saw a snake on the first loop too, but it did not pose for a portrait.)

Tipularia discolor, Cranefly Orchid (last year's leaves)
Mitchella repens, Partridge-berry (just leaves)
Uvularia perfoliata, Perfoliate Bellwort
Medeola virginiana, Indian Cucumber-root (in bud)

Thanks to everyone who came, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.


Copyright David G. Smith

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