Botany and taxonomy ID Final eval
Rosa rugosa - Beach rose - Rosaceae
Seaside shrub with bright pink (or white) 5-petaled flowers. Stems densely covered with bristly thorns. Leaves thick and rugs with large winged stipule. Large red rose hips.
Morella pensylvanica - Northern bayberry - Myricaceae
Shurb with simple, entire leaves, slightly toothed at the tip. leaves are often shiny, Flowers and waxy fruit located on the stem below the leaves. distinctive bayberry odor
Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium - Rabbit_tobacco -Asteraceae
White flowers in terminal cluster, narrow leaves tomatoes on back. Maple-like odor when dried
Lathyrus japonicus - Beach-pea - Fabaceae
Herbaceous vine with thick blue green compound leaves. climbs by tendrils. long arrow-shaped stipules. Clusters of purple/pink flowers. grows on dunes
Juniperus virginiana - Eastern red cedar - Cupressaceae
Evergreen tree with dark green scaly leaves. Blue berries, reddish shreddy bark. Fragrant foliage and wood
Solidago sempervirens - Seaside goldenrod -Asteraceae
Tall sand dune herb with fleshy, glabrous (smooth), entire leaves. bright yellow flowers in late summer
Lonicera morrowii - Morrow’s honeysuckle -Caprifoliaceae
Shrub with oval opposite leaves. leaves have soft hairs. red (or orange) fruit in pairs. Bark shreds, pith hollow
Baccharis halimifolia - Groundsel tree - Asteraceae
tall salt marsh shrub with alternate, coarsely toothed, succulent leaves that come to a point. white flowers turn to fuzz hanging after bloom in fall
Pinus thunbergii - Japanese black pine - Pinaceae
Trees with bent twisting trunk, often multiple stems. two long, heavy dk. green needles per fascicle. fimbriate bundle sheaths
Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia creeper - Vitaceae
Slender vine with 5-parted palmately compound leaves. Clings using tendrils with “suction cups” on the tips. Red fall color
Elaegnus umbellata - Autumn olive - Elaeagnaceae
Large shrub/small tree with alternative leaves, green with some silver scales on upper leaf surface, silver below. fruit red-orange and edible
Iva frutescens - Marsh elder - Asteraceae
Low salt marsh shrub with opposite toothed, fleshy leaves. greenish flowers. found at the high tide line, just above black grass
Suaeda maritima -herbaceous seepweed -Amaranthaceae
succulent herb with alternate pale green leaves. Brilliant red fall color. grows in salt panned and high marsh
Salicornia depressa - slender glasswort - Amaranthaceae
small, succulent salt marsh herb. stems appear to be sectioned. edible, and often used in salads or sold as “sea beans”. red fall color
Distichlis spicata - spikegrass - Poaceae
Salt marsh grass is narrow leaves that alternate in one plane (=distichous). bluer in color than the cordgrasses and often dominates salt pannes
Limonium carolinianum - Carolina sea lavender -Plumbaginaceae
Salt marsh herb with long undulating leaves in a basal rosette. Lavender flowers bloom on a wiry inflorescence in late summer. grows with smooth cordgrass
Sporogolus pumilus - salt meadow cordgrass - Poaceae
Salt marsh grass found in middle marsh. very narrow leaves. lodges to form “cowlicks”. inflorescence of a few one sided spikes.
Sporobolus alterniflorus - smooth cordgrass -Poaceae
Salt marsh grass that grows in the low marsh, closest to salt water. leaf blades wide flat and smooth
Daucus carota - Queen Anne’s lace - Apiaceae
Herb with lacy leaves that taper towards the tips. white flowers arranged in an umbel usually with one dark purple flower at the center
Eragrostis spectabilis - purple love grass - Poaceae
low growing grass of disturbed areas and roadsides. ;eaves long and tapering to a point. panicles broad and erect, pink to purple and airy. panicles detach during the fall
Oenothera biennis - evening primrose - Onagraceae
tall herb with long leaves. Four petalled yellow flowers with cross-shaped stigma. leaves are reddish especially towards the bottom
Vincetoxicum nigrum - black swallow wort -Apocynaceae
Herbaceous vine. Dark green, opposite heart shaped leaves. Tiny 5 petaled flowers form a pair of green follicles. Exotic invasive
Prunus serotina - Wild black cherry - Rosaceae
Tree with narrow, alternate leaves with fine serrations. brown hairs along midridb on underside of leaf. Petiolar glands. Bark dark and chunky
small forest flower herb with 1-3 alternate leaves. Parallel veins. Small white flower clusters in spring/early summer
Maianthemum canadense - Canada mayflower - Asparagaceae
Tree with distinct smooth gray striped bark that often twists. leaves are oval with serrated margins. white flowers in early spring, red fruit and fall color
Amenlanchier canadensis - shadbush - Rosaceae
tree with alternate leaves with smooth gray bark. Leaves feel like paper. Nuts, when present, bristly and split in two
Fagus grandifolia - American beech - Fagaceae
Tall shrub with glossy simple evergreen lanceolate leaves. flowers are white, fruit is deep blue to black
Ilex glabra - inkberry - aquilofoliaceae
small to tall shrub with leaves growing in pairs. leaf margins wavy with straight veins. Look for “witches hat” leaf Gails
Hamamelis virginiana - American witch hazel - Hamamelidaceae
Tall evergreen tree with long drooping branchlets with short (1-2cm) needles and large cones
Picea abies - Norway spruce - pinaceae
medium-tall shrub with oblong leaves.
Gaylussacia frondosa - Dangleberry - Ericaceae
Shrub with alternate serrated leaves. Hairs on veins on back of the leaf, and scarlet berries in the fall (common in wet areas)
Ilex verticillata - Winterberry - Aquilofoliaceae
Shrub. alternate dark green leaves. Fragrant 5 petal white flowers covered in sticky hairs
Rhododendron viscosum - Swamp azalea - Ericaceae
Tall fern with twice pinnate leaves.
Osmunda regalis - Royal fern - Osmundaceae
Quercus palustris - Pin oak - Fagaceae
Herb with alternate toothed leaves and rose purple flowers.
Centaurea jacea - Brown knapweed - Asteraceae
many colored moss present in bogs and other wet habitats. Forms dense colonies
Sphagnum spp. - Sphagnum moss - Sphagnaceae
tall sedge that has long leafy bracts. flower stalks radiate from top of plant and then branch again. Fuzzy brown fruit
Scirpus cyperinus - Woolgrass - Cyperaceae
Medium sized rush with flowers and fruits emerging from one side of the stem. Grows in large clumps in wet soil
Juncus effusus - soft rush - Juncaceae
Evergreen tree with scale-like leaves clustered at the branch ends. Brown shady bark. Tiny spherical cones. Grows in wet areas
Chamaecyparis thyoides - Atlantic white cedar - Cupressaceae
large tree with dark green bark and drooping branches. Soft, flat needles white striped on the back
Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock - Pinaceae
Tall herb with opposite leaves and square stems. strong and pleasant odor and taste. Toothed leaves minty green with new leaves being a white or silvery color.
Pycnanthemum muticum - Clustered mountainmint - Lamiaceae
Gray, branching lichen that grows in soft clumps on the ground. Can form large colonies, or be limited to a small area
Cladonia rangiferina - reindeer moss - Cladoniaceae
Tall grass (10-15ft!) that grows in wet places. Large leaves
Phragmites australis - Common reed - Poaceae
Floating aquatic herb with notched leaves green above and reddish below. Showy white flowers + sweetly scented
Nymphaea odorata - American white waterlily - Nymphaeaceae
Herb with arching habit that has leaves in whorls of 3 (sometimes 4) along the stem. Stem is pencil-like with 5 petaled magenta flowers
Decodon verticillatus - Swamp loosestrife - Lythraceae
Widespread grass of old fields and NE roadsides. 1-5ft tall. New foliage is erect and blue-green. Wine-red fall color
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little bluestem - Poaceae
Pine with three stout yellow-green needles in the fascicle. needles often growing directly from the bark
Pinus rigida - Pitch pine - Panacea
Fern-like shrub with dark-green, leathery, and lobed like leaves. Strongly aromatic. Fronts are round and hair. Found in dry locations
Comptonia peregrina - Sweet fern - Myricaceae
Small shrub of dry osoils with bright yellow flowers. leaves are trifoliate and turn indigo color in late season. Black pod
Baptisia tinctoria - Yellow wild indigo - Fabaceae
Shrub with compound leaves with entire leaflets. shiny leaves with winged rachis. Fall color is a brilliant shade of red
Rhus copallinum - Shining sumac - Anacardiaceae
Herb with highly dissected lace-like leaves. White flowers arranged in flat inflorescence. Fresh leaves form late season rosette
Achillea millefolium - Common yarrow - Asteraceae
Tree with dark gray bark, not peeling. Twigs with wintergreen smell/taste. Paired leaves finely toothed with resin dots beneath
Betula lenta - Sweet birch - Betulaceae
Forest herb with yellow clusters of flowers that bloom in leaf axil along a purplish stem in early autumn
Solidago caesia - Bluestem goldenrod - Asteraceae
Large coarse fern with a three-parted frond. Will grow in colonies in drier soils than many other ferns
Pteridium aquilinum - Bracken fern - Dennstaedtiaceae
Dark green moss. Star pattern from above. Sporophytic capsule is box shaped and the cap is hairy, hence the name
Polytrichum commune - Hair cap moss - Polytrichaceae
Low shrub with gray-green leaves, often in whorls of three. leaves are glaucous underneath. Bright pink flowers in the late Spring.
Kalmia angustifolia - Sheep laurel - Ericaceae
Upright perennial herb with trifoliate elongated ovate leaves with long petioles. Entire plant has a downy fuzz. Sparse. long stalked flower heads with pointed tips fade to tan-brown coloration
Lespedeza hirta - Hairy bush clover - Fabaceae
Small herb with dark green, leathery, evergreen leaves whorled along stem and white along the veins. White flowers
Chimaphila maculata - Spotted wintergreen - Ericaceae
Medium shrub that grows in dry woods. Oval, alternate leaves with yellow resin dots on the underside. Resin makes the leaves stick to fingers.
Gaylussacia baccata - Black huckleberry - Ericaceae
remember the pattern towards the top
Carya tomentosa - Mockernut hickory - Juglandaceae
Short rush with round stem. Grows in waste places. Small 6 parted flowers with long and thin bracts
Juncus tenuis - Path rush - Juncaceae
Upright perennial herb with trifoliate ovate leaves and stem covered with silvery hairs. Dense flower heads that are dark brown and persistent
Lespedeza capitata - Roundhead bush clover - Fabaceae
Shrub with tall spikes of foam white flowers. Leaves are alternate and serrated towards the tip. No hair underneath leaves
Spiraea alba - White meadowsweet - Rosaceae
Small shrub that grows in a single stalk. Dark green leaves with white tomentose below. Light pink flowers form a “steeple” at the top
Spiraea tomentosa - Steeplebush - Rosaceae
Small tree with glossy-green, triangular leaves. Doubly toothed! tapering to a long tip. Grey-white bark with dark chevrons
Betula populifolia - Gray birch - Betulaceae
Large shrub. Branches with stipulate glands and alternate, 2x serrated pubescent leaves. Male catkins in the fall
Corylus americana - American hazelnut - Betulaceae
Low-growing, shiny leaved evergreen. Smells and tastes like wintergreen. White bell-shaped flowers become a bright red cherry
Gaultheria procumbens - Wintergreen - Ericaceae
Low herb of dry woods with panicles of pink pea flowers, seeds stick to fur and clothes. Compound leaves with three leaflets. Longer sized petioles.
Desmodium marilandicum - Maryland tick trefoil - Fabaceae
Perennial native herb of moist meadows, thickets, and shores. Flower heads of purple rays around a yellow disc from August to October
symphyotrichum novi-belgii - New York aster - Asteraceae
Alternating leaved shrub of the wet woods. Leaves are wider on the top half than bottom half, serrated margins.
Clethra alnifolia - Sweet pepper bush - Clethraceae
Tree. alternative leaves with 3 leaf patterns (egg, mitten, and glove)
Sassafras albidum - Sassafras - Lauraceae
Tree with alternate leaves with round lobes
Quercus alba - White oak - Fagaceae
Lacy fern growing in large colonies, scent of fresh-mown hay. Hairy stem
Dennstaedtia punctilobula - hayscented fern - Dennstaedtiaceae
Common understory shrub. Opposite leaves with coarsely dentate margins. Small white flowers in a flat inflorescence, dark blue fruits
Viburnum dentatum - Arrowwood - Adoxaceae
Tall shrub with opposite, compound leaves. large clusters of small white flowers
Sambucus nigra - Common elderberry - Adoxaceae
Arching shrub with alternate compound leaves (usually 3 leaflets) with a white underside. Stem glaucous with stout prickles
Rubus occidentalis - black raspberry - Rosaceae
Tall shrub. Alternate oval leaves. Bark often reddish-brown and shreds.
Vaccinium corymbosum - Highbush blueberry - Ericaceae
Sprawling plant with alternative dark green shiny leaves. White, 5 parted flowers. Stems have sharp, bristly hairs.
Rubus hispidus - Bristly dewberry - Rosaceae
Tree with alternative leaves that have pointy bristle tip lobes. fuzz on the undersides of leaves. Sun leaves are more deeply cut than shaded leaves.
Quercus velutina - Black oak - Fagaceae
Dioecious shrub or tree. Dull evergreen leaves with outward pointing spines. Red berries
Ilex opaca - American holly - Aquifoliaceae
Understory plant that looks like a baby pine tree. Has microphylls (leaves) along the stem and strobili (pine cones)
Lycopodium obscurum - Princess pine - Lycopodiaceae
Tall pine tree with long, thin needles (5in a fascicle). Older bark chocolate brown colouration
Pinus strobus - White pine - Pinaceae
Stout thorny vine with green stems. Leaves shiny, round and green below. Climbs by tendrils
Smilax rotundifolia - Greenbriar - Smilacaceae
Grass-like sedge which forms large colonies in the forest understory. Has “edges” and red leaf bases.
Carex pensylvanica - Penn sedge - Cyperaceae
Shrub with arching stems and spatulate leaves in clusters on the branches. Straight spines.
Berberis thunbergii - Japanese bayberry - Berberidaceae
Invasive perennial herb with alternate, simple, trangular/heart shaped leaves and fleshy stems topped with white flowers in the fall
Reynoutria japonica - Japanese knotweed - Polygonaceae
Large fern. Fertile frond from center of plant dies back by summer. Sterile frond has a tuft of hairs where the pinnae meet the rachis
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum - Cinnamon fern - Osmundaceae
Tree with nearly horizontal branches. Glossy alternate egg-shaped leaves form rosettes at branch ends
Nyssa sylvatica - Black gum - Cornaceae
Very large shrub with very large, thick evergreen oval leaves. Showy light pink/white flowers. Brown shreddy bark
Rhododendron maximum - Rosebay rhododendron - Ericaceae
Tall understory colonizing shrub. Dark leathery evergreen leaves, often white with fungal leaf spots
Kalmia latifolia - Mountain laurel - Ericaceae
Forest understory herb. Compound leaves of 5 leaflets in a whorl of 3. Spherical clusters of flowers sit in a group of 3 under the leaves
Aralia nudicaulis - Wild sarsaparilla - Araliaceae
Common herb with alternate coarse toothed heart shaped leaves on a dark stem. Ray flowers white and disk flower yellow
Eurybia divaricata - White wood aster - Asteraceae
Perennial colony forming herb with hairy stems, leaves are triple veined and pubescent
Solidago altissima - Tall goldenrod - Asteraceae
Herb with alternate deeply dissected leaves, purple grooved stem with hairs and distinctive sagebrush smell
Artemisia vulgaris - Mugwort - Asteraceae
Tall grass with digitate inflorescence and bent awns.
Andropogon gerardii - Big bluestem - Poaceae
Tall native meadow grass with wide bluish leaves, arching russet panicles, long glumes and awns.
Sorghastrum nutans - Indian grass - Poaceae
Grass with long leaf blades that have very fine serration on the edges. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Also known as Guard Rail Grass since it is commonly located on street sides.
Panicum virgatum - Switchgrass - Poaceae
Vine with alternate rounded leaves (leaves have pointy tip). Invasive ahhhhh plant #nocap
Celastrus orbiculatus - Bittersweet - Celastraceae
Shrub with opposite simple oval leaves. White flowers with four petals, smells nice
Ligustrum ovalifolium - Privet - Oleaceae
Large opposite leaves with ~7 main points. Milky sap, bark is smooth gray when young
Acer plantanoides - Norway maple - Sapindaceae