While many leafy plants lose their green color in the winter months, there are still several native (and invasive!) evergreen plants that can be spotted in the forest at this time of year. This month’s challenge will focus on two species of "winter-named" broadleaf evergreen plants that you may find in the forest understory: the invasive winter creeper (Euonymous fortunei), and the native spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). Winter creeper, or creeping Euonymous, was originally introduced into North America as a quick-growing, ornamental ground cover plant in the early 1900’s but quickly spread into our parks and trail systems! In natural areas, it can quickly form dense mats which can smother underlying native vegetation on the forest floor. It is also capable of climbing up trees and shrubs where it can outcompete native plants for vital nutrients.
Spotted wintergreen is a native perennial evergreen herb that you may see popping up through the leaf litter at this time of year. Don’t be fooled by its name – its glossy, toothed leaves are NOT spotted, but actually feature a distinct white stripe down the center (see photo below). It was originally designated as “spotted” wintergreen due to the red spots on its buds which appear in early spring.
To join the Invasives Strike Force EcoQuest and help us monitor the distribution of these winter warriors, all you need to do is 1) register to participate here (no need to re-register if you've already done so for a previous challenge) 2) visit our new 2020 EcoQuest webpage for ID tips 3) download the free iNaturalist App, 4) hit the trail, head to a park or look around your property for the target species, and then 5) point, click, and upload photos directly to iNaturalist! |