Plants of D.E. Alper Nature Preserve, Plymouth (145 species, 123 native as of August 2017)
Compiled by Irina Kadis and Alexey Zinovjev

Native Trees
Acer rubrum (red maple) — Common
Betula papyrifera (paper birch, canoe birch) — Rare
Betula populifolia (gray birch) — Rare
Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic white cedar) — Occurs
Fagus grandifolia (American beech) — Occurs
Ilex opaca (American holly) — Seen twice
Nyssa sylvatica (tupelo, black gum) — Rare at Triangle Pond
Pinus rigida (pitch pine) — Dominant
Pinus strobus (white pine) — Dominant in a certain area
Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen) — Seedling
Prunus serotina (black cherry) — Frequent
Quercus alba (white oak) — Common
Quercus coccinea (scarlet oak) — Dominant
Quercus rubra (northern red oak) — Frequent
Quercus velutina (black oak) — Frequent
Sassafras albidum (sassafras) — Common
Toxicodendron vernix (Rhus vernix, poison sumac) — Large population at Little Herring Pond
Native Shrubs
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder, common alder) — Pond margins
Amelanchier canadensis (thicket shadbush, eastern serviceberry, juneberry) — Occurs
Amelanchier x intermedia (A. canadensis x laevis, intermediate shadbush) — Frequent
Aronia x prunifolia (purple chokeberry) — Frequent, both in woods and at Triangle Pond
Chamaedaphne calyculata (leatherleaf, cassandra) — Triangle Pond
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush) — Common at both ponds and in woods
Comptonia peregrina (sweetfern) — Seen once
Eubotrys racemosa (Leucothoe racemosa, swamp sweetbells) — Dominant at Triangle Pond
Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry) — Dominant
Gaylussacia frondosa (blue huckleberry, dangleberry) — Dominant
Hamamelis virginiana (witch-hazel) — Large population on slope at Little Herring Pond
Ilex glabra (inkberry) — Occurs
Ilex mucronata (Nemopanthus mucronatus, Catberry or Mountain Holly) — Occurs
Ilex verticillata (common winterberry) — Little Herring Pond
Kalmia angustifolia (sheep laurel) — Common at both ponds, occurs in woods
Lyonia ligustrina (maleberry) — Common at Triangle Pond
Myrica gale (sweet gale) — Common at Triangle Pond
Morella pensylvanica (Myrica pensylvanica, bayberry) — Occurs at Triangle Pond
Quercus ilicifolia (scrub oak, bear oak) — Occurs
Rhododendron viscosum (swamp azalea) — Occurs
Rosa palustris (swamp rose) — Population at Triangle Pond
Rubus allegheniensis (Allegheny blackberry, common blackberry) — Occurs
Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry) — Occurs
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry) — Frequent
Vaccinium pallidum (hillside blueberry, dryland blueberry) — Dominant
Viburnum cassinoides (Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides, wild raisin, witherod) — Frequent
Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum (northern arrowwood) — Rare
Native Woody Vines
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) — Common
Smilax glauca (sawbrier, wild sarsaparilla) — Common
Smilax rotundifolia (catbrier, bullbrier) — Common
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy) — Occurs
Alien Trees and Shrubs
Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental bittersweet, Asian bittersweet) — Occurs
Ligustrum vulgare (European common privet) — Once, on garden trash pile
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle) — Once, in woods along trail
Pinus mugo (Swiss mountain pine) — Once. Needles short (3-4 cm long), two in a bunch, not twisted; bark without orange tints.
Rhamnus frangula (glossy buckthorn) — Occurs
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) — Occurs
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose) — On garden trash pile
Salix atrocinerea and S. cinerea (rusty and gray willow complex) — Little Herring Pond, copious; solitary along trail in woods
Tilia cordata (small-leaved linden) — Seen once
Wisteria floribunda (Japanese wisteria) — Once, along trail
Native Small Shrubs, Subshrubs (Groundcovers)
Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla) — Common
Chimaphila maculata (striped pipsissewa, spotted wintergreen) — Occurs
Decodon verticillatus (swamp loosestrife, waterwillow) — Common at Triangle Pond
Epigaea repens (trailing arbutus, mayflower) — Occurs
Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen, checkerberry, eastern teaberry) — Dominant
Lycopodium obscurum (princess-pine or tree clubmoss) — Occurs
Rubus hispidus (bristly dewberry, swamp dewberry) — Common
Native Herbaceous Plants
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (annual ragweed) — Rare
Apios americana (groundnut) — Little Herring Pond
Apocynum androsaemifolium (spreading dogbane) — Occurs
Aureolaria virginica (downy false foxglove) — Once
Bidens connata (swamp beggar-tick) — Seen twice, Triangle Pond
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle, bog-hemp) — Once, Little Herring Pond
Crocanthemum canadense (Helianthemum canadense, longbranch frostweed) — Rare
Cypripedium acaule (pink lady's slipper) — Occurs
Drosera rotundifolia (roundleaf sundew) — Occurs, Triangle Pond
Erechtites hieracifolius (fireweed, pilewort) — Occurs
Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) — Once, on garden trash pile
Galium tinctorium (Clayton's bedstraw) — Once, at Triangle Pond
Impatiens capensis (jewelweed) — Occurs, Little Herring Pond
Lactuca canadensis (yellow wild lettuce) — Occurs
Lechea maritima (beach pinweed) — Once along main trail
Lespedeza hirta (hairy bush-clover) — Occurs
Lycopus amplectens (pondshore water-horehound, sessile water-horehound) — Dominant in a few areas at Triangle Pond
Lysimachia borealis (Trientalis borealis, American starflower) — Frequent
Lysimachia quadrifolia (whorled loosestrife) — Rare
Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower) — Common
Medeola virginiana (Indian cucumber-root) — Occurs
Melampyrum lineare (cow-wheat) — Occurs
Monotropa hypopitys (pinesap, false beechdrops) — Once
Monotropa uniflora (Indian pipe) — Occurs
Nabalus trifoliolata (Prenanthes trifoliolatus, tall rattlesnake-root, gall-of-the-earth) — Occurs
Nuttallanthus canadensis (blue toadflax, old-field toadflax) — Occurs
Oclemena acuminata (Aster acuminatus, whorled wood aster) — Small population near Little Herring Pond
Oxalis stricta (common yellow wood-sorrel) — Occurs
Solidago odora (licorice goldenrod, sweet goldenrod) — Occurs
Solidago puberula (downy goldenrod) — Occurs
Solidago rugosa (rough-stemmed goldenrod) — Occurs
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (Aster novi-belgii, New York aster) — Occurs
Triadenum virginicum (Hypericum virginicum, marsh St. John's-wort) — Triangle Pond , seen twice
Alien Herbaceous Plants
Cerastium fontanum (common mouse-ear chickweed) — Occurs
Cichorium intybus (chicory) — Once, on garden trash pile
Digitalis lutea (straw foxglove) — Once, on garden trash pile
Digitalis purpurea (common foxglove) — Once, on garden trash pile
Hypochaeris radicata (hairy cat's-ear) — Occurs
Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) — Once, on garden trash pile
Plantago major (common plantain, white man's foot) — Occurs
Polygonum persicaria (lady's thumb) — Occurs
Sedum telephium (live-forever) — Once, on garden trash pile
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) — Occurs
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell) — Seen once
Native Grasses, Rushes, Sedges, and Sedge Family Plants
Carex cf. bullata (button sedge) — Seen once, Little Herring Pond
Carex communis (common sedge) — Occurs
Carex lucorum (long-beaked Pennsylvania sedge) — Frequent
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) — Occurs
Carex swanii (Swan's sedge) — Occurs
Carex tonsa (stiff-leaved sand sedge, shaved sedge) — Seen once, along main trail
Cyperus lupulinus (slender sand flatsedge) — Seen once, along main trail
Danthonia compressa (trail oatgrass) — Occurs
Danthonia spicata (wild oatgrass, poverty grass) — Occurs
Deschampsia flexuosa (common hairgrass) — Occurs
Dichanthelium commutatum (changeable panic-grass) — Seen once
Dichanthelium dichotomum (forked panic-grass) — Occurs
Juncus canadensis (marsh or Canada rush) — Rare, Triangle Pond
Juncus tenuis (path rush, yard rush) — Occurs along main trail
Leersia oryzoides (rice cutgrass) — Once, Triangle Pond
Luzula multiflora (common woodrush) — Occurs
Alien Grasses
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass) — Occurs
Festuca filiformis (hair fescue) — Occurs
Native Ferns
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) — Rare
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (cinnamon fern) — Rare, Little Herring Pond
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern) — Common
Thelypteris palustris (marsh fern) — Once, near Little Herring Pond
Native Water Plants
Ceratophyllum demersum (hornwort, coontail) — Little Herring Pond
Eleocharis acicularis (needle spike-rush) — Little Herring Pond
Elodea canadensis (northern waterweed) — Little Herring Pond
Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall's waterweed) — Little Herring Pond
Juncus militaris (bayonet rush) — Triangle Pond
Lemna minor (duckweed) — Little Herring Pond
Myriophyllum humile (lowly watermilfoil) — Common, Triangle Pond
Nymphaea odorata (American white waterlily, fragrant waterlily) — Dominant, Triangle Pond
Pontederia cordata (pickerelweed) — Dominant at Triangle Pond
Sagittaria filiformis (threadleaf arrowhead) — Little Herring Pond
Utricularia geminiscapa (twin-scaped bladderwort) — Little Herring Pond
Utricularia gibba (humped bladderwort) — Triangle Pond
Utricularia intermedia (northern bladderwort, flat-leaved milfoil) — Little Herring Pond
Utricularia purpurea (purple bladderwort) — Triangle Pond: solitary, together with U. gibba
Vallisneria americana (tapegrass, water celery) — Little Herring Pond

Last surveyed: 19 August 2017, last modified 5 May 2023