Last week I had an interesting opportunity for a comparison when I visited two patches of woodland and did a quick survey of the flora. They were both low-lying deciduous forest near Lake Ontario and in both cases I looked at an area that contained a large muddy spot and was near the edge (with mowed grass beyond). One was in a state park, one was at a small highway pullover. The park was FAR weedier and less diverse. I wouldn’t be able to speculate on the reason for that without knowing the past and ongoing use of the land in some detail.
KEEWAYDIN STATE PARK
Woody plants: Norway maple, common buckthorn, gray dogwood, alien honeysuckle
Forbs: Solomon’s plume, trout lily, jewelweed, bittersweet nightshade, dandelionl, an aster
Others: 1 grass, 2 sedges, marginal wood fern, a moss
ALONG THE HIGHWAY NEAR MANNSVILLE
Woody plants: sugar maple, chokecherry, American hornbeam, basswood, bitternut hickory, common buckthorn, poplar, purple-flowering raspberry, Virginia creeper, grapes
Forbs: trillium, Solomon’s plume, Virginia waterleaf, Jack-in-the-pulpit, an avens, jewelweed, dandelion, dame’s rocket, cleavers, lemon balm, enchanter’s nightshade, zigzag goldenrod, an aster
Others: 2 grasses, sensitive fern, spleenwort, a moss