Essays - by Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/

Brief History & Preliminary Checklist of the Plants of the �Big Woods Natural Area,� St. Cloud, MN

 by 

Stephen G. Saupe, PhD.
College of St. Benedict/St. John�s University
Biology Department
Collegeville, MN  56321
(320) 363 � 2782, (320) 363 � 3202, fax
ssaupe@csbsju.edu
 

Introduction:
    The �Big Woods Natural Area� is a 20 acre parcel of land located adjacent to Oak Hill Community School, St. Cloud (Co Rd 136).  This parcel is located at N124 (township), W28 (range), and 22 (section).  For many years this parcel was owned by the Bartholemy/O�Gorman family.  In the late 1990�s Mr. E. Schnettler and the City of St. Cloud entered into an agreement to purchase this property.  As a result, the city would own the western 10 acre portion, adjacent to Oak Hill School while Mr. Schnettler would develop the eastern 10 acre portion as an addition  to the Tiffany developments (Tiffany Park Two, Plat Five).  Mr. Schnettler submitted a plat to the City of St. Cloud and it was reviewed by an Environmental and Development Team (EDT) as the first test case of the St. Cloud Environmentally Sensitive Areas Ordinance.  This review occurred in fall of 1998 and the development of this property piece was discussed. The individuals on the EDT team included Patti Gartland, Dennis Ludvig, Jerry Hengel, Steve Gaetz, and Prentiss Foster representing the City of St. Cloud), Stephen Saupe (CSB/SJU Biologist) and Fred Bengtson (MN DNR) serving as scientific consultants and the developer, Ed Schnettler. 

    The EDT team made several recommendations concerning the plat including including: (a) establishing buffer areas that would be kept natural; (b) narrowing the street width; (c) eliminating easements along side and rear property lines; (d) eliminating sidewalks; and (e) including a buffer zone along along the south side of the property.  As a result of this review the significance of this property as a high quality natural area within the city was recognized as was the desire to preserve the entire 20 acre parcel.  Mr. Schnettler agreed that he would be willing to sell his interest in the 10 acre piece for his purchase price plus the expenses he had accrued until that point.  This was approved by the City Council. 

     A committee of local citizens was established to "Save the Big Woods.�  This group, which included Steve Holmquist and Joe DesJardins, raised $180,000 to purchase the property for a natural area.  The City formally bought the property in (date, year) and it was formally dedicated in a ceremony held on the Oak Hill School grounds in May 1999.

Botany:
    The site is classified as an oak woods with mature trees, mostly maple and red oaks that make up about 80% of the canopy.  The area is dry to dry-mesic soil and relatively sandy.  It is one of the best examples of oak woods remaining in the city according to the St. Cloud Natural Areas Inventory compiled by Short, Elliot and Hendrickson (1996).  According to this work, the site was listed as high priority meaning that there is little disturbed by human activity, is relatively uncommon statewide and rare or unique locally.  It is considered a natural Heritage Area - given to land recognized by the MN County Biological survey as having statewide significance and of unusually high quality.

    Let's take an imaginary walk through this site.  As you approach the property from the west, from the restored prairie at Oak Hill School, the elevation increases slightly and you will encounter lots of smooth sumac, prickly ash and hazel.  Scattered beneath these shrubs are an occasional  prairie remnant such as puccoon and my favorite, porcupine grass, with its long-awned, self-planting seeds.  You soon reach a small ridge that is the highest elevation in the area, about 1125 feet above sea level.  Red oaks are common.  Continuing east, the elevation declines slightly, about 100 feet total, and you observe a variety of  other trees include red maple, birch, some basswood, and black cherry.

    I don't know the vegetational history of this area, but my speculation is that prior to European settlement, it was wooded, and the western section may have been savanna, a prairie with scattered, fire-tolerant oak trees.  I suspect that the eastern section never burned because the rougher terrain is slightly more protected from fire, the soils are slightly moister, and lastly, we find more fire-intolerant species like red maple. 

    The forest floor features plants like hog-peanut, Virginia creeper, honewort, wild geranium, and sweet cicely.  I have walked and botanized in this area for several years and in June 1998 was rewarded to find a large population of showy orchis in the SW corner of the property.   This is a gorgeous, though not uncommon, orchid.  I haven't seen it at the since since the original discovery.  However, the message is that the potential for this site is high; who knows what other treasures lie awaiting our discovery.

    This report is intended to serve as the beginning of a checklist of the species that grow in the site without cultivation.

    These plants were observed on site visits during the past several years.  Most species are recorded by sight only.  For a few, herbarium specimens have been deposited in the CSB/SJU Bailey Herbarium.

     The following plants, with the exception of Galearis spectabilis, were observed growing during a site visit in October 2000 (Table 1).  Undoubtedly more species will be found.  This is a beginning and expect future updates.   

Acknowledgements

            Thanks to Mr. Steven McGreevy for helping with the field work for this project. 

Table 1:  Checklist of Plants growing without cultivation in the Big Woods Natural Area, St. Cloud, MN

Family (Technical Name)

Family (Common Name)

Scientific Name

Common Name

Reference1

Aceraceae

Maple family

Acer rubrum

Red maple

 

Aceraceae

Maple family

Acer saccharum

Sugar maple

 

Aceraceae

Maple family

Acer negundo

Box elder

 

Anacardiaceae

Cashew Family

Rhus radicans

Poison ivy

 

Anacardiaceae

Cashew Family

Rhus glabra

Smooth sumac

 

Apiaceae

Carrot Family

Osmorhiza claytonii

Sweet Cicely

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Achillea millefolium

Yarrow

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Ambrosia artemisiifolia

Common ragweed

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Anaphalis margaritacea

Pearly everlasting

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Arctium minus

Burdock

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Artemisia ludoviciana

Prairie sage

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Aster sp.

 

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Cirsium arvense

Canada thistle

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Eupatorium perfoliatum

snakeroot

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion

 

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Sunflower Family

Solidago sp

Goldenrod

 

Betulaceae

Birch Family

Betula papyrifera

White or paper birch

 

Betulaceae

Birch Family

Corylus americana

American hazelnut

 

Betulaceae

Birch Family

Ostrya virginiana

Ironwood, Hop hornbeam

 

Boraginaceae

Borage Family

Hackelia sp

 

 

Boraginaceae

Borage Family

Lithospermum canescens

Puccoon

 

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Mustard Family

Berteroa incana

Hoary alyssum

 

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Mustard Family

Lepidium campestre

Peppergrass

 

Caprifoliaceae

Mustard Family

Lonicera sp

Honeysuckle

 

Caprifoliaceae

Mustard Family

Sambucus pubens

Red elder

 

Caprifoliaceae

Mustard Family

Viburnum rafinesquianum

Downy arrow-wood

 

Caryophyllaceae

Pink Family

Silene antirhinnum

Sleepy Catchfly

 

Celastraceae

Staff-Tree Family

Celastrus scandens

Bittersweet

 

Cistaceae

Rock Rose family

Lechea sp.

 

 

Cupressaceae

Cypress Family

Juniperus virginiana

Eastern red cedar

 

Equisetaceae

Horsetail family

Equisetum sp

Horsetail, Scouring rush

 

Fabaceae

Bean or Pulse Family

Amphicarpaea bracteata

Hog-peanut

 

Fabaceae

Bean or Pulse Family

Desmodium sp

Tick trefoil

 

Fabaceae

Bean or Pulse Family

Lespedeza capitata

Bush clover

 

Fabaceae

Bean or Pulse Family

Melilotus alba

White sweet clover

 

Fabaceae

Bean or Pulse Family

Melilotus officinalis

Yellow sweet clover

 

Fagaceae

Beech Family

Quercus alba

White oak

 

Fagaceae

Beech Family

Quercus macrocarpa

Bur oak

 

Fagaceae

Beech Family

Quercus rubra (= Q. borealis)

Northern red oak

 

Fagaceae

Beech Family

Quercus ellipsoidalis

Northern pin oak

 

Grossulariaceae

Gooseberry Family

Ribes sp.

Currants and gooseberries

 

Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Mint Family

Hedeoma hispida

Rough pennyroyal

 

Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Mint Family

Leonurus cardiaca

Motherwort

 

Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Mint Family

Nepeta cataria

Catnip

 

Liliaceae

Lily Family

Maianthemum canadense

Wild lily of the valley, Canada mayflower

 

Oleaceae

Olive family

Fraxinus pensylvanica

Green ash

 

Onagraceae 

Evening Primrose family

Circeae lutetiana

Common enchanter�s nightshade

 

Orchidaceae

Orchid family

Galearis spectabilis  

Showy orchis

Saupe, June 1998

Oxalidaceae

Sorrel Family

Oxalis sp

Wood sorrel

 

Pinaceae

Pine family

Abies fraseri

Frasier fir

 

Pinaceae

Pine family

Pinus ponderosa

Ponderosa pine

 

Pinaceae

Pine family

Pinus strobus

White pine

 

Poaceae

Grass Family

Bromus inermis

Smooth brome

 

Poaceae

Grass Family

Panicum sp

Switch grass

 

Poaceae

Grass Family

Poa pratensis

Kentucky bluegrass

 

Poaceae

Grass Family

Schizachyrium scoparium

Little bluestem

 

Poaceae

Grass Family

Setaria sp

Foxtail

 

Poaceae

Grass Family

Stipa viridule

Needle grass

 

Plantaginaceae

Plantain Family

Plantago patagonica

 

 

Ranunculaceae

Buttercup or Crowfoot Family

Anemone cylindrica

Thimbleweed

 

Rhamnaceae

Buckthorn Family

Rhamnus cathartica

Buckthorn

 

Rosaceae

Rose Family

Fragaria sp

Wild strawberry

 

Rosaceae

Rose Family

Geum sp

 

 

Rosaceae

Rose Family

Rubus sp

Blackberry, raspberry

 

Rosaceae

Rose Family

Rosa sp

Rose

 

Rosaceae

Rose Family

Prunus virginiana.

Chokecherry

 

Rubiaceae

Coffee Family

Galium sp

Bedstraw

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rutaceae

Rue Family

Zanthoxylum americanum

Prickly ash

 

Salicaceae

Willow Family

Populus tremuloides

Quaking aspen

 

Salicaceae

Willow Family

Populus balsamifera

Balsam popular

 

Saxifragaceae

Saxifrage Family

Heuchera richardsonii

Alumroot

 

Scrophulariaceae

Figwort Family

Linaria vulgaris

Butter �n eggs

 

Scrophulariaceae

Figwort Family

Scrophularia lanceolata

Figwort

 

Scrophulariaceae

Figwort Family

Verbascum thapsus

Mullein

 

Smilaceae

Smilax family

Smilax herbacea

Green briar

 

Ulmaceae

Elm Family

Celtis occidentalis

Hackberry

 

Ulmaceae

Elm Family

Ulmus americana

American elm

 

Ulmaceae

Elm Family

Ulmus pumila

Chinese elm

 

Urticaceae

Nettle Family

Urtica dioica

Stinging Nettle

 

Vitaceae

Grape Family

Vitis riparia

River grape

 

Unless otherwise indicated, specimens observed and identified in the initial study on October 16, 2000

 


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