Hemlock Ravine

Home » Nature Preserves » Hemlock Ravine

Nature Preserves

The Hemlock Ravine comprises a large portion of the nature preserve. The hemlocks are endangered by an exotic insect, the hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA).

Hemlock Ravine from above. — Looking down into the hemlock ravine

Hemlock Ravine — Mitchella repens, partridgeberry, rooted in a bed of moss.

Thelypteris noveboracensis — New York ferns, Thelypteris novaboracensis, unfurling in the Hemlock Ravine.

Medeola virginiana — This Indian cucumber is still blooming, despite already producing berries.

Hemlock Ravine — Our earliest trillium, painted trillium.

Trientalis borealis — A close-up of the lovely star-shaped flowers of Trientalis borealis.

fern in Hemlock forest — Fern in Hemlock Forest

Rock polypody — Rock polypody, Polypodium virginianum growing in leaf litter on top of a rock in the Hemlock Ravine.

Medeola virginiana — Indian cucumber, Medeola virginiana, peeking through ferns, seems to be showing some fall color as the berries ripen.

Oxalis montana — Wood sorrel, Oxalis montana, a common wildflower in the Hemlock Ravine.

beech fern — Broad beech fern, Phegopteris hexagonoptera, can form a lush groundcover.

Evergreen Woodfern — There are many ferns in the hemlock ravine. This is one of the evergreen woodferns (Dryopteris spp.).

unknown groundcover — Translucent leaves mixed with violets form large patches in seasonally flooded low spots on the forest floor.

Large hemlocks — Larger hemlocks at the bottom of the ravine.

Rhododendron maximum — Close-up of great laurel blossom.

Rhododendron maximum — The immense blooms of great laurel, Rhododendron maximum, which can grow to be a small tree, brighten the Hemlock Ravine.

Viburnum alnifolium — Wayfaring tree, Viburnum lantanoides, is a tall shrub with large velvety green leaves and white blossoms surrounded by sterile petals, similar to some of our hydrangeas. Deer love them and they are becoming more and more difficult to find in the Hemlock Ravine.

Tiarella cordifolia — Foamflowers growing between rocks.

Hiking in the Hemlock Ravine — Wading through ferns in the Hemlock Ravine.

Tiarella cordifolia — Foamflowers — blossom detail

Hemlock Ravine — Trees are powerful enough to lift rocks.

Tiarella cordifolia — Foamflowers, Tiarella cordifolia, form colonies along creeks and moist, rocky seeps.

Monotropa uniflora — Indian pipe, Monotropa uniflora, makes a ghostly presence in the woods.

Red Elder — Red Elder, Sambucus racemosa

Trillium berries

Painted trillium, Trillium undulatum, protected by fencing from browsing deer. The painted trillium depends on special fungal associations and is doomed to die if transplanted into a garden. — This painted trillium, Trillium undulatum, is protected by fencing from browsing deer. The painted trillium depends on special fungal associations and is doomed to die if transplanted into a garden.