UCONN FOREST

FactsBy: Emily Croll

A strip of thick fabric guides visitors through the forest, eventually leading to an opening with power lines.

Multifloral Rose is one of the many invasive plants in UConn’s Forest. It attaches to trees and other plant life.

The vine growing around this tree is called ‘Oriental Bittersweet.’ It is currently immature, but by November, small golden fruit will open up to reveal an orangey red fruit. It’s a late bloomer, benefitting the birds who have little food left before winter.

There are many names and species for Persicaria, a ‘smartweed.’

‘Golden Rod’ is a member of the aster family, which includes sunflowers and daisies. It blooms through summer and into fall. These tiny yellow flowers group together to create a large point.

These miniature white and purple flowers also belong to the aster family.

White Aster

Purple Aster

‘Christmas Fern’ earned its name because it stays green throughout the winter.

Larvae of the milkweed bug can be found on the ‘Milkweed’ plant. The bugs feed on the plant.

Common Mullein’s fuzzy exterior keeps herbivores from eating it. When it blooms between July and September, a tall stem grows out the middle and small yellow flowers sprout sporadically.

Two dozen bat and bird monitoring devices have been placed throughout the UConn forest. The equipment records acoustic sounds of birds in the morning hours and the ultrasonic sounds of bats at night.

Near one of the entrances into the UConn Forest, Bill M.and Austin G. collect hay for the cows and pastures. The two work for farm services at UConn.

Bill puts bails of hay on the belt

Austin loads bails into the truck

Plant identifications courtesy ofDr. Nicholas Tippery, University of Wisconsin and

Sarah Treanor Bois, doctoral candidate, Univeristy of Connecticut

To find out more about the different plants and flowers in this slideshow or to check out and learn

about other different plants and flowers these websites are a great place to start.

Invasive Plant Atlas of New EnglandU.S. Department of AgriculturalConnecticut Botanical Society