Cedar Creek Natural History Area

Plants of Cedar Creek

The Birch Family includes woody shrubs and trees that are monoecious, have elongate staminate aments, and are wind pollinated before leafing out.  Three species of Betula (Birches) occur here.  B. papyrifera (Paper Birch) is a common tree of wood and depression edges.  B. alleghaniensis (=lutea: Yellow Birch) is fairly common in lowland woods. B. glandulifera (=pumila:  Bog Birch) is a common shrub of tamarack/sphagnum swamps and sedge wetlands.  In the birches, the leaves come off the lateral branchlets in twos.

Shrubs in this family include Alnus incana (Speckled Alder) an abundant often dominant shrub of marshy areas.  It is one of the few non-leguminous plants to harbor nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in its root nodules.  An abundant shrub of savanna, woodland, and field edge is Corylus americana (American Hazelnut).  C. cornuta (Beaked Hazelnut) is much less common and is associated with richer soil such as that found on Crone’s Knoll and Ice Lake Stand.

Two uncommon understory trees of mesic woods are Ostrya virginiana (Ironwood) and Carpinus caroliniana (Blue Beech).  Ostrya occurs on Crone’s Knoll and Carpinus in the woods near Corneia’s Cabin.