Written by Rebecca Straits (Rjs006@marietta.edu)
Ohio Life is finally coming back to Marietta College with the return of spring and plant life. Let’s talk about some of the plants you might find while walking around here in Marietta.
Flowers:
Though it’s still early in the year, with the spring season officially starting on March 20th with the spring equinox, you can still find some flowers starting to take bloom. Here on the Marietta College campus, specifically around Gillman Dining Hall, you can find snowdrops (Galanthus), which can be identified by their single-stemmed white flowers that droop downward.
“Blue hill” iris (Iris reticulata) can be found growing at the front of the McDonough Center and can be identified by their striking blue-violet petals with white speckles and a yellow stripe inside the flower. Much like snowdrops, they can be found close to the ground and grow independently from each other.
You can’t think of spring without mentioning daffodils (Narcissus). Daffodils can be identified by their six bright yellow petals that lighten with maturity, and the dark yellow or orange crown in the middle, called a corona.
Trees:
Marietta, Ohio, is an Eastern Temperate Forest biome, so we have a wide variety of tree types from evergreens to deciduous.
Western hemlocks (Tsuga heterophylla) can be found both on campus next to the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center and off campus in the surrounding area, like the Mound Cemetery. Western hemlocks can be identified by their tall stature and drooping branches/ needles.
Oak trees like White Oak (Quercus alba) and Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) can also be found here in Marietta. Though the majority of oak trees look the same, they have different leaves and bark types. Anywhere you find acorns, you can find an oak tree nearby.
American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) can be found growing along Butler Street and the Cristy Mall and can be identified by its tall and wide stature, its bark that sheds to reveal white patches underneath, and its three pointed leaves that they shed during the winter.
Vines:
English Ivy (Hedera helix) grows in the Chi Omega Court in between Erwin Hall and Thomas Hall. Though this Ivey is pretty, it is invasive to the U.S. it can be identified most notably by the white veins on its leaves.
Moss/ lichen: Being so close to the Ohio River means that Marietta is the perfect environment for moss and lichen to grow. Pincushion moss (Leucobryum glaucum) can be found growing all around Marietta, and it can be identified by its bright green, soft, almost grass like appearance.
The Common Greenshield lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata) is a very common type of foliose lichen, meaning it has a leafy appearance. The Greenshield lichen can be identified by its bluegreen color, and it mostly grows on wood.
Clovers:
White clovers (Trifolium repens) can be found in Marietta and can be identified by their white flowers. Unfortunately, these clovers are not native to the U.S and are considered invasive. Not all clovers are invasive though, such as the Coastal clover (Trifolium wormskioldil), which has purple flowers, is native to North America, and can be found growing close to the Ohio River.
The plants listed are just a small raindrop in the sea of plant diversity in Marietta, and there are ways to keep that diversity strong and healthy. Planting native flowers can positively impact the environment and pollinators such as the monarch butterfly, which should be making their way back up north for the spring, along with other wildlife that keep our Earth green and happy for everyone.
Edited by: Zachary Worstell (zdw001@marietta.edu)
