The transition area between meadow and woods is partially shady and a special habitat for communities of native shrubs, shade loving forbs and grasses, ferns and mosses.
Native low growth shrubs and a variety of mosses naturally fill in the eastern and southern woods edge. We are enhancing the woods edge in various places with diverse native evergreens, deciduous trees, and shrubs. Environments similar to the woods edge due to shade from large oaks near the residence have also been enhanced with native shrubs, grasses, and forbs.
Lady Fern (Athyrium filex-femina)
Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Hay-scented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
New York Fern (Parathelypteris noveboracensis)
White-tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)
Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)
Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis)
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)
Wild Geranium or Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum)
Blue Wood Aster (Aster cordifolius)
Great White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorium)
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Curley-styled Wood Sedge (Carex rosea)
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)
Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
Shrubby St. Johnswort (Hypericum prolificum)
Lowbush blueberry (Vacciniu angustifolium)
Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana)
Huckleberry (Ericaceae)
Witch hazel l (Hamamelis virginiana)
Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum)
Sweetfern (Comptonia peregina)
Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla Ionicera)
Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
Black haw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canandensis0
Downy Hawthorn (Crataegus mollis)
Serviceberry or Shadbush (Amelanchier canandensis)
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidium)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Redtwig dogwood (Cornus alba)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentuckea)
Canaan Fir (Abies balsama)
Riverbirch (Betula nigra)
American holly (Ilex opaca)
Rare Club-moss or Ground Pine (Lycopodium obscurum)
Pincushion Moss (Leucobryum glaucum)
bower (noun) 1. a pleasant shady place; 2. a retreat or sanctuary