The most common trees in Clara's Woods are oaks and hickories. There are 5 to 7 species of oaks, including scarlet oak and white oak. The 3 species of hickory are bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, and mockernut. Other common trees include Sweet Birch and American Beech.
 
Some of the largest trees in Clara's Woods are Tulip Trees, so named because of the shape of their leaves (see picture at the top of the page). There are only 2 species of Tulip Tree in the world, one in eastern Asia and the other in North America.

This is one of several American Chestnuts in Clara's Woods. This is a Critically Endangered species that once dominated eastern forests in the US.  A fungal disease called the Chestnut Blight infects and kills these trees. A major effort is underway to conserve the species.

American Wintergreen (Pyrola americana)is a perennial plant with a flower stalk that is 4 to 10 inches tall. Some members of this group are parasitic: instead of making their own food through photosynthesis like most plants do, they feed on underground fungi. Seeds of this plant can only grow in soil containing the particular fungus the parent plant feeds on.


If you identify any species in Clara's Woods, please upload your observation to iNaturalist.

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Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) grows close to the ground, but it's considered a shrub because of its woody stem. If you're lucky, you'll see white flowers in the spring and red berries in the fall.

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Blue-stemmed Goldenrod likes living in shade, which is unusual for a goldenrod. Also unlike most other native goldenrods, the flowers of Blue-stemmed are arranged along its stem, instead of in a big flower stalk at the top.

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New York Fern grows in big clumps, some of which are right along the trails in Clara's Woods.

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Pennsylvania Sedge is the first sedge to bloom in the spring. It's often found in areas with oak trees, so it's also known as oak sedge.

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All photographs in these pages were taken in Clara's Woods, mostly since 2015.