(More to come. If you have any great photos of plants or wildlife in the Crusher Lot, I’d love to have them. Thank you – Alan)
Wood Anemone (Anemone Nemorosa)
There are at least two patches of wood anemone that bloom in the Crusher Lot in early May.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
NOTE: Jack-in-the-pulpit often has three leaves and could be mistaken for poison ivy. Here is a good article on how to tell them apart:
https://identifythatplant.com/a-study-of-three-leaved-plants-in-the-woods/
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
The Crusher Lot is full of this stuff. Be careful. “Leaves of three, let it be”, except not everything with three leaves is poison ivy. See the article above.
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Garlic mustard is a highly invasive plant which has moved into the Crusher Lot. It can out-compete native species, and damage other parts of the woodland ecosystem. The Crusher Lot’s land steward, Michael Ratner, has spent years controlling the incursion. Garlic mustard is mainly controlled by pulling it out with its roots in the spring before seeds are produced, and disposing of it in the trash, not compost. Some people eat the young leaves.
Garlic mustard is easily recognized in the spring when in bloom. More information can be found at invasive.org.