trscavo's Journal

The State of Vermont is considering whether to add yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) to its list of Designated Noxious Weeds. As a noxious weed, the distribution and sale of yellow archangel would be regulated, which is probably a good thing since the plant has the potential to become a serious problem in Vermont. It is already listed as a noxious weed in Washington and Oregon.

Lamium galeobdolon sensu lato is native across Europe, western Asia, and portions of the Middle East. Lamium galeobdolon subsp. argentatum, known as the variegated yellow archangel, has been well documented as an invasive subspecies in several European countries where it outcompetes the native subspecies galeobdolon. Yellow archangel has been introduced into North America but the subspecies is unknown. In Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, the invasive entity is listed as Lamiastrum galeobdolon. If Vermont chooses to list this taxon, the following name is recommended:

• Common name: yellow archangel
• Scientific name: Lamium galeobdolon
• Synonym: Lamiastrum galeobdolon

The name Lamium galeobdolon is here used as the name of a (sub)species complex that includes all yellow-flowered taxa in genus Lamium (including Lamium galeobdolon subsp. flavidum, which is thought not to be invasive).

All sources have been documented in Wikipedia at the link below.

Further reading

• Lamium galeobdolon (Wikipedia)
• Variegated Yellow Archangel (iNaturalist)
• Yellow Archangel in New England (iNaturalist)
• Observations of Lamium galeobdolon in Vermont (iNaturalist)

Alburgh Black Spruce-Tamarack Bog was briefly described by Hub Vogelmann in part 1 of Natural areas of Vermont in 1964. At the time, the area was privately owned. Today, the bog is part of Alburgh Dunes State Park located on the southern end of the Alburgh peninsula. The official brochure says: "The wetland behind the beach includes the largest black spruce bog in Grand Isle County. Black spruce swamps and bogs are more typical of colder, northern climates than of the Champlain Valley, which is Vermont's warmest area. Core samples from the bog reveal peat to depths of more than 8 meters (26 feet). From these samples comes a record of climate and vegetation dating back to the ice age".

I visited Alburgh Dunes State Park on Oct 11, 2021, and again on Sep 30, 2024. Much of the area is impenetrable wetland but the northernmost portion of the park (along Vermont Route 129) includes a mature bog with large shrubs and trees. As the canopy continues to close, I expect the sun-loving herbaceous plants in that bog to dwindle.

My observations at Alburgh Dunes State Park:

• Observations on Sep 30, 2024 (in progress)
• Observations on Oct 11, 2021

Comments welcome!

A logging operation is encroaching upon a well-known rich fen in Strafford, Vermont. The fen straddles the boundary between Cobb Town Forest and an unnamed property protected by the Upper Valley Land Trust. As of September 22, logging on UVLT land has come within 200 feet of the fen.

The fen in Cobb Town Forest is well known for its diversity, especially orchid species. Any loss of fen habitat to logging would be a huge loss.

The Winooski River is a major river in Vermont. For convenience, I created two new places that capture portions of the river's floodplain:

• Lower Winooski River, from its mouth at Lake Champlain upstream to Essex Dam Number 19 in Essex Junction
• Mid-Winooski River, from its mouth upstream to Bolton Falls Dam Number 1 in Duxbury

The river corridor was arbitrarily chosen to be 1000 feet wide (i.e., 500 feet on either side of a line that runs down the middle of the river).

These places make it easier to search for observations along the river. For example:

• Observations of genus Sagittaria along the Winooski River

The previous list was used to uncover mis-identifications of genus Sagittaria along the river.

I observed a yellow-flowered stonecrop at the edge of the Andrews Community Forest in Richmond, Vermont on 2024-07-12. It was at the trailhead but the patch was clearly growing wild. (Actually there were two distinct patches but I haven't posted the other observation yet.) In the field, I thought it might be something in genus Sedum but apparently plants in that genus have thick leaves, whereas this had flat (laminar) leaves.

Based on the iNaturalist taxonomy (which follows POWO), I now believe the observed plant is in genus Phedimus. However, authorities disagree on the taxonomy of yellow-flowered stonecrops. In particular, the genus Aizopsis is also recognized and in use. Within these genera, there are multiple taxa with no clear boundaries (at least I am unable distinguish taxa in this group).

After reviewing a handful of reliable sources, I've concluded that the observed plant is a member of Phedimus subgenus Aizoon but I can take it no further. My sources are recorded in the following document:

• Yellow-flowered stonecrops (googledoc)

Hope this helps.

The cottongrasses are a genus of flowering plants in the sedge family. There are six species of cottongrasses in New England, five of which are known to occur in all New England states. For more info about the cottongrasses in New England, see the following document:

• Cottongrasses in New England (googledoc)

The linked document contains identification tips, short descriptions, habitats, flowering phenology, and observation links for each of the species.

There's an extensive wetland complex (including a fen) on Blue Ridge Mountain (~2,900 ft) in the Green Mountain National Forest in the town of Chittenden in Rutland County, Vermont. I visited this place on June 15, 2024. It was a difficult hike but well worth it.

Here are a couple of maps that illustrate where this place is:

• Blue Ridge Mountain
• Blue Ridge Fen

The first map shows the larger picture, with landmarks and (and a subset of) parking areas. The second map shows a close-up of the fen, where the green dots indicate some of the plants I found. Both maps are centered on the fen.

To reach Blue Ridge Fen, I followed an old woods road up the eastern slope of the mountain. The road ended about halfway (as shown on the first map), at which point I bushwhacked the remaining stretch of slope. Question: Is there a trail up Blue Ridge Mountain? What is the best path to Blue Ridge Fen?

Observations

• My observations on Blue Ridge Mountain
• All observations within 2 km of Blue Ridge Fen

The State of Vermont recognizes 97 natural community types. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department publishes an informative fact sheet for each natural community:

• Natural Community Fact Sheets
• Vermont's Natural Communities By Name

Each natural community has been assigned a state rank. For example, the Open Peatlands are a group of peat-accumulating wetland communities:

• Dwarf Shrub Bog – State Rank S2
• Black Spruce Woodland Bog – State Rank S2
• Pitch Pine Woodland Bog – State Rank S1
• Alpine Peatland – State Rank S1
• Poor Fen – State Rank S2
• Intermediate Fen – State Rank S2
• Rich Fen – State Rank S2

Each fact sheet includes a detailed list of associated plant and animal species. A short list of places in Vermont that typify the natural community is also included.

The flowering plant known as false mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides), previously thought to be extirpated in Vermont, has been rediscovered. For a detailed account, see: vtdigger.org 2024-05-30

Quoting from New Flora of Vermont (2015):

Floerkea proserpinacoides Willd. False mermaid. Floodplain forests along low-gradient rivers; rare. No recent collections (1903) and perhaps extirpated. Chittenden Co.: Shelburne (Pringle). Rutland Co.: Castleton (Oakes, GH); Fair Haven (Oakes, GH). Of significant conservation concern, should it be rediscovered. This species has a large range in the West and extant populations occur in Quebec, New York, and Connecticut.

Other resources:

• Floerkea proserpinacoides (Wikipedia, iNaturalist)

I recently visited the Salmon Hole in Burlington. Salmon Hole has a remarkably diverse assortment of plant species, including many non-native plant species and numerous invasive species.

Most spectacular invasive species. A massive invasion of lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) blanketed the steep slope from Riverside Avenue down to the Winooski River. This was the first time I had seen this species in Vermont. It was an impressive display.

Most spectacular native species. A mature population of red trillium (Trillium erectum) was also growing on the slope leading down to the river. Small groups of plants had variously-colored petals (not just typical red). There's a population in the southern Appalachians with pure white petals called Trillium erectum var. album, so the plants at Salmon Hole are technically called Trillium erectum var. erectum (according to the iNat taxonomy). The population here is very old, at least decades old, probably more.

Most surprising observation. I found a sunburst lichen (order Teloschistales) growing on a granite post along Riverside Avenue. There are similar posts used in multiple places along Riverside Ave…it would be interesting to see if this lichen is on other posts. I wonder what granite quarry the posts came from?

Life first. I observed nipplewort (Lapsana communis) for the first time at Salmon Hole. In the field, I had no idea what it was but the leaves had a distinctive shape so the plant's identity was easily guessed (and later confirmed by @tsn).

• All of my observations on the RiverWalk to Salmon Hole