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Help us monitor these most wanted plants!

Black cherry
Prunus serotina

The white flowers of black cherry trees generally bloom in the spring after the leaves are nearly full-grown, unlike many cherries which bloom before the leaves are out.

Read more on the species info page.

Boxelder
Acer negundo

Boxelder is part of the maple family but is unusual in that it has compound leaves. Seedlings of this plant have a remarkable resemblance to poison ivy, so be careful!

Read more on the species info page.

Eastern white pine
Pinus strobus

White pines have slender needles in clusters of 5 and cones averaging 5 inches long in contrast with western white pine whose cones are about 10 in long.

Read more on the species info page.

Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida

One of the showiest dogwoods in the East due to its large, white, rounded bracts (look like petals). Dogwoods have prominent leaf veins which curve parallel to the margins of the leaves. They are unusual in having flower parts in fours.

Read more on the species info page.

Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides

Has smooth rounded leaves which flitter in the slightest breeze. It also has bright white or cream colored bark that looks similar to birch bark except that it does not peel.

Read more on the species info page.

Red maple
Acer rubrum

Red maples are distinctive in having the red flowers emerge a week or more before the leaves. In the fall, look for brilliant red leaves.

Read more on the species info page.

Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua

Sweetgum is a large tree with star shaped leaves. The fruits are round balls with spiny tips sticking out in all directions (sometimes referred to as "gumballs").

Read more on the species info page.

Tulip poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera

The leaves of the tulip poplar have a unique star-like or even tulip like shape and showy orange-yellow flowers similar in shape to tulips.

Read more on the species info page.

Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia creeper is a vining plant that has five distinct leaflets for each compound (divided) leaf. It provides shelter and berries for small mammals and birds.

Read more on the species info page.

Wild strawberry
Fragaria virginiana

The wild strawberry is similar to the cultivated strawberry, but has much smaller berries! Look at the three teeth on the tips of the leaves. Wild strawberry has a small central tooth and longer teeth on each side.

Read more on the species info page.

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John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge images

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about a mile from the Philadelphia International Airport. The refuge was created in 1972 to protect the last 200 acres of a once 5,700 acre freshwater tidal marsh, known as Tinicum Marsh, in Pennsylvania. The tidal marsh provides important habitat for over 300 species of birds, as well as fox, muskrats, fish, frogs, and a wide variety of plants. Several plant species from the Refuge have been identified as being particularly useful for making phenological observations and are listed in the sidebar on the right. Learn more about the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

Check out the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge website and learn more with the Friends of the Heinz Refuge.


Climate Change at this Refuge
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Climate Change at this Refuge
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Project BudburstSM is co-managed by NEON and the Chicago Botanic Garden
© 2013 National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. All rights reserved.