Wildflowers bring beauty to our landscapes and do so much more, supporting our pollinators and baby caterpillars, which in turn feed our insectivorous birds and fill our air with song!
Are you looking for a place to hike and scout out wildflowers? Check out some of the Branford Land Trust trails at Beacon Hill, Supply Ponds, Pisgah Brook, Lucy Hammer Preserve, Land Trust Benchmark/Bontatibus Preserves (a short trail, part of the Branford Trail marked by white circles connects Flax Mill Rd. at town soccer field to parking lot on Northford Rd.)
Branford is home to many native plants. Here is a small sampling of native wildflowers to look out for on the trails of the Branford Land Trust.
Wooly blue violet (Viola sororia)
King Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
Hairy Solomon’s Seal (Polyganatum pubescens)
Feathery false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum)
Sessile leaved bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Pussytoes (Antennaria spp.)
Toothworts (Cardamine spp.)
Swamp buttercups (Ranunculus caricetorum)
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
Beware of look-alikes. Don’t be fooled by the brightly colored fig buttercup aka lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) which carpets lawns and roadsides, or the delicate white flowers of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). Both are highly invasive, crowding out native species.
Stay tuned for upcoming news about native plants and pollinators!
Happy Trails!
Post by Susie McDonald. Photo by Jen Payne.
