Take a Walk at Ivy Creek
Peninsula Trail
A Walk Through a Riparian Habitat
Bench 1. Plants Around You
Mountain laurel (photo) is a large shrub that grows densely on this trail. Blooming in May, its pinkish-white blossoms have "catapulting" stamens held in tension by the petals. Visiting bees inadvertently cause the spring-like stamens to release, spraying the insect with pollen which facilitates cross-pollination. Every part of this shrub is poisonous if eaten by humans, including honey made from its nectar. Settlers called mountain laurel "Ivy" because it reminded them of the ivy in their homeland. Ivy Creek is named for this shrub that thrives along its waterways.
Haircap moss is one of the many mosses found all along the edge of the trail here. With rain, dry mats of this two-inch moss transform - to resemble vibrant miniature fir forests. Mosses, lichens and ferns are examples of non-flowering plants which reproduce by spores rather than seeds.
Trailing arbutus, a ground-hugging evergreen shrub - on the right before Bench 2 - is rare at Ivy Creek. Its fragrant tubular white flowers appear in late February, among the oval, leathery, rich-green leaves.
Mountain laurel
photo by Stowe Keller
