Hayden Woods Nature Walk

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http://www.noodletools.com/noodlebib/citeone_s.phpHayden Woods:A Self-guided Nature Walk

Created by Carolyn Plourde and Barbara Tarrh

Hayden Woods Conservation Area displays an

appealing variety of habitats collected in nearly 80

acres that border Hayden Avenue and WalthamStreet. Although accessed from neighborhoodstreets, the area feels isolated from thesurrounding heavily trafficked roads. It is areforested pasture and farm with a red mapleswamp, oak-hickory-white pine woods, old appletrees, large wolf trees, and an impressive array ofwildflowers in the spring.

Introduction

HistoryThe land comprising this parcel was farmedand pastured for over 300 years. Portions ofthe property have seen use as woodlot,apple orchard, dairy, rifle range and turkey

farm. An old produce road connecting toSalem, Massachusetts cuts across thesouthern portion of the land. This was alsothe original intended site of the BurlingtonMall. Fortunately, in the 1960s and 1970sthe Lexington Conservation Commission

This nature walk begins at the end of

Valleyfield Drive. Parking here is limited andthe property is surrounded by homes to thenorth and west and commercial buildings to

the south. Note driveways and mailboxlocations when deciding where to park yourvehicle.

The trail begins in a lower wet area, and

insect repellant is advisable as needed. Inaddition, during the summer months theValleyfield entrance becomes overgrown andsomewhat impenetrable. You may want to

Suggestions for Use

was able to purchase various lots that makeup the property that exists today. The manytrails that crisscross the land are managedby the Lexington Conservation Stewards, a

volunteer group that works in conjunctionwith the Town of Lexington ConservationCommission. For more information, pleasevisit the Commissions webpage at:

http://www.lexingtonma.org/conservation/

proceed to the Cutler Farm Road entrance in

this case.

Be aware that there are trails other than

those identified in this guide. Orient yourselfto the suggested route by looking at the trailmap found at the end of the guide. Theparticular focus of this walk is the diverseflora to be found in Hayden Woods; field

guides and books on native natural history,like those mentioned on the last page, maybe helpful for anyone looking for moreinformation about plants and plantidentification.

The following is a self-guided walk of Hayden Woods inLexington, Massachusetts. Our intention is to provide

the general public with an educational tool andreference. We hope that it will enhance the usersexperience of this valuable property, and encourage the

conservation of open land in towns like Lexington.Please read through the guide and refer to the map onthe last page as a resource if you are unfamiliar with

Hayden Woods. Each station corresponds to thenumbered area indicated on the map.

June, 2007


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the complex ecosystems that have

developed in the area.

For more information on what invasive plantsto avoid in your own gardens (the source ofmany of these wild populations), and whatefforts are being made to deal with thesevigorous competitors to our native flora,check out Invasive Plants: A Guide to

Identification and the Impacts and Control ofCommon North American Species byKaufman, or log onto the Invasive Plant Atlasof New England website at www.ipane.org.

Hayden Woods

The wetlands along the

Valleyfield Rd. extension are

nurseries for many amphibian

and insect species.

As you proceed through the old playground

and field, take a moment to note the plantssurrounding the open area. Here as in

many suburban edge habitats youll noticea large number of invasive, nonnativespecies, including multiflora rose, bittersweetvine, buckthorn and garlic mustard. Theseplants generally find their origins in placesother than New England, particularly Asia

and Europe. They out-compete our nativeflora as they are generalists that are able tocomplete their lifecycles rapidly. As a result,they push out our native plants, disrupting

Station 1

Playground area

Across from the Valleyfield St. entrance to

the property, notice the path proceedingthrough the low and wet red maple swamp.Youll be able to see parallel track marksindicating an old road. This road was usedas recently as 100 years ago by the Cutlerfamily, who farmed, timbered and pasturedcows on this land. Today it forms the broadbeginning to your walk in Hayden Woods.

In early spring, the wet habitat here is hometo a number of interesting herbaceousplants, including skunk cabbage, sensitive

fern and cattail. Skunk cabbage is one ofthe earliest flowering plants; in fact, duringlate winter the emerging plant can be warmenough to melt snow! Look for the odd,

rolled up sheath to the flower parts, whoserank smell attracts early insect pollinators.Sensitive fern (so-called because its frondsare among the first to wither during fallfrosts) can be seen in almost any seasondue to its persistent dried stalks of darkspore capsules that look similar to windingrows of brown beads. Cattial, perhaps ourmost significant native wetland plant, can befound in the marshy area to the right.Although its growth is challenged by human

development and botanical invasives,cattails many potential uses rival those ofrice and corn. Various parts are edible inevery season, while wildlife uses the plantfor nesting as well as various insect

associates for food.

During winter and early spring months, youcan find the tiny round yellow buds of thespicebush in the dense shrub layer here.Early in April, look for the beautiful tinyyellow flowers, possibly massed in a faint

Station 2

Valleyfield St. extension

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lemony haze in the distance. At any seasongently scrape a bit of bark from the edge of atwig to inhale this plants wonderful spicy

fragrance. Colonists used spicebush as asubstitute for allspice fruit, and it is also ahost plant for the swallowtail butterfly.

The canopy of this part of the woods is madeup ofslippery elm, red maple and big-

Invasive smooth buckthorn

Flowering skunk cabbage

toothed aspen. Find thedistinctive leaves of eachin summer and fall as youwalk along the

boardwalks. The double-toothed leaves of theslippery elm aresandpapery to the touch great for kids on a

sensory search. Also,notice that there issomething red aboutthe red maple regardless

of season. In the spring, the beautiful redflowers and samara-shaped seed keys arespectacular. During the summer, the leafstems are distinctly red, and in the fall thesmall scarlet maple-shaped leaves are

unmistakable. Finally, triangularbig-

toothed aspen leaves can be distinguishednot only by their large coarse teeth, butalso by the flattened leaf stalks, whichcause the leaves to flutter in the breeze.

Proceed along this path as it rises towardthe upland part of the property. Just before

the crest of the hill, you will notice aninconspicuous path leading both right andleft. Follow the left-hand path into thewoods. Youve gone too far if you reach amain T-shaped intersection.Spicebush in bloom


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Ladys slippe beautiful native pink orch

complex relationship wit

underground fungu takes years for dust-lik

seeds to germinate and groto maturi

Wood anemon look around the base of tree

for small colonies of tiny petaled white flower

flowers open and close response to the amount of lig

Trillium 3-petaled white nodding flowe

petals curve back at tip takes up to 6 years to bloo

Hayden WoodsPage 3

As you move along this oak-forested

section, note the understory layer ofplants. The path winds among ridges of

glacial debris. Notice the abundantremnants of an old apple orchard, plantedin the mid-1800s. In early spring youll findbeautiful pinkish white, 5-petaled fragrantflowers. Come back in late summer toobserve many small sour fruits, an

excellent source of food for wildlife.

In addition to the invasive wingedeuonymous, you can find many species ofnative shrubs. At the beginning of thepath, look formaple-leaved viburnum,most noticeable in late spring with itsumbrella-shaped cluster of creamy white

flowers, and foliage shaped like maple

leaves. In fall, these fuzzy leaves turn adelightful pink tint.

Station 3

Old apple orchard

As you loop back to the main path, the plant

mix changes again. The path widens youre back to an old carriage trail and thedominant tree is clearly oak, whose leavesare distinctly lobed. Stop and pick up a fewleaves from the ground and notice whetherthe lobes are rounded or have small pointed

tips. If tips are present, the leaf is from a red/black oak group think of the horns of the

devil. If rounded, the lobes indicate a white

Station 4

Old Carriage Trail The petite club moss isa mature plant whose

prehistoric relatives

grew to be tree-sized.

Both lowbush and highbush blueberryappear scattered throughout these woods aswell as along this path. Look for the small

dangling urn-shaped flowers early in May.These flowers host many insects seekingnectar, including bees that sometimes shaketheir pollen prize loose by vibrating theflowers! Unfortunately, birds such as titmiceand catbirds as well as chipmunks, mice andskunks will find the ripe fruits before you do.

This particular area of Hayden Woods is also

home to many spring ephemeral flowers,such as noddingtrillium, wood anemone,and ladys slipper. Early in the spring, beforethe tree canopy has leafed out, these flowersbloom and complete their reproductive cycle,taking advantage of unfiltered sunshine andearly pollinators. By midsummer the above-ground portion of the plants have either

diminished or disappeared altogether.Without exception, they are fragile plants,best enjoyed at a distance. Our nativespring ephemerals should neverbecollected; attempts at transplanting are rarelysuccessful.

which might be mistaken for some miniature

evergreen trees. Instead, they are matureplants whose relatives in prehistoric time grewto be tree-sized.

As you proceed along, the shrub layer becomesa bit more noticeably evergreen as the leathery

leaves of the sheep laurelbecome apparent.This relative of horticultural mountain laurel

produces pretty pink flowers during the spring.If you come upon a flowering plant, look closelyat the ingenious flower design, with the stamensarranged around flowers center, but with theirpollen-loaded tips tucked into little depressionsat the flowers edge. The stamens will springout of the depressions when touched in order tofling pollen on a pollinator!

White oak leaf

Highbush blueberry in flower

oak like thewings of anangel.

On the left, note

the small ever-green groundcover ofclubmosses,


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Hayden Woods Page 4

During the spring, look for more springephemerals -- starflowerand Indiancucumber root-- on this trail. Both arecommon New England native wildflowers with

unusual features. Starflowers visible plantparts are grouped in 7s 7 leaves, petalsand sepals. Indian cucumberhas aninteresting 2-tiered growth pattern, with onewhorl of leaves arranged high above another.Yellow flowers hang from the upper whorl ofleaves and are spidery in appearance.

In winter, youll notice 2 of the highest points

in these woods, visible as twin hummocks offto the right. Along this section of the pathyoull find the occasional hazelnut, a wildcousin of the filbert. Its tiny red flowers,resembling something from a Dr. Seuss book,emerge early in March before the shrub leafsout. The hard shelled nut provides excellentfood for wildlife, and was considered to be

good luck by the Irish.

Old Carriage Trail, cont.

As you transition toward the seasonal

swamp below, look forsweet pepper bushalong each side of the path. This shrub iseasily identified year round by means of itsdistinctive fruits, which persist throughout thewinter and resemble peppercorns. Thecreamy white flowers which bloom later in

the summer exude a perfume so strong thatthe scent supposedly told early sea captains

they were close to land, and thus earned theplant the common name sailors delight.

While walking across this wet area on theboardwalk, stop to appreciate the alienquality of this part of Hayden Woods.Despite the hum of traffic from Route 2 toyour left, there is a sense of solitude and

mystery, magnified by the mossy tilted trunks

Station 5

Red Maple Swamp

Sweet pepper bush can

be identified year round

by its persistent fruits,

which resemble

peppercorns.

As the path intersects with your original route

into the woods, proceed to the left where youwill eventually pass an old artillery blind, leftover from this sites use as a rifle practicerange. Alongside, notice a number ofwoodland flowers, including whorledloosestrife, and wild geranium. These pretty

5-petaled purple flowers are not related to thepotted geraniums youll find at the garden

center. Wild geraniums common name cranesbill refers to the female flower part,which lengthens and resembles a cranes billwhen ripe with seed.

Bear to the right after the blind youll headwest and downhill. About 50 yards down thepath, you will find a large tree trunk blocking

your way. Proceed past this felled tree (lookfor animal scat on top!) toward the swampyarea at the bottom.

ofred maples growing profusely here.

Halfway across the boardwalk, look for thered stems ofdogwoodhappily thriving in thewet and muck. During the summer look forsparse umbels of small white flowers onthese shrubs. This wet area teems withbirds, including the occasional mallard.

Starflower

Indian cucumber root

Wild geranium

Developing hazelnut fruit


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A hundred yards along Old Shade St., follow

the trail to the right again. (During the latewinter and early spring, you may notice the

sound of flowing water. A charming trollbridge on the left leads to one of severalneighborhood access points.)

Bear instead to the right, where you will noticemany youngpignut hickorysaplings

concentrated in small groves. By observingthe many intersecting stone walls in this area,it becomes clear that former field and pastureare reverting to oak and hickoryforest, aprocess known as succession.

The buds ofhickoryare huge, and fascinatingto watch unfold in early spring. Pignut hickory

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As you leave the swampy area, the path

becomes more overgrown and close. Keep aclose eye out for the 3-leaved poison ivy(photo pg 6). Then, amid the invasive garlicmustardand buckthorn which threaten to

overwhelm this section of the trail, look forjack-in-the-pulpitand the intricate flowers andexplosive seed pods ofjewelweed. Thepulpit ofjack-in-the-pulpitrefers to thestriped flower part called the spathe, whichacts as a hood over the other major flowerpart or spadix (Jack). If conditions arefavorable, this three-leaved plant will producebright red berries on the spadix in the fall.

Jewelweed(ortouch-me-not) is a relative ofour common garden plant the impatiens. The

pretty and unusually shaped orange flowersbloom all summer long and resemble jewels,

as do the leaves that shimmer silver whenheld under water. The juices of this plant canbe used to relieve the itch of poison ivy.When jewelweed pods are ripe with seeds,its fun to touch them and watch themexplode! If you carefully remove the ripe

Red Maple Swamp, cont.

Station 6

Upland trail (Burns Rd. ext.)

The hooded

appearance of the

pulpit is a reminder of

the roofed design that

preachers would use to

project their sermons.

seed covering, youll be amazed at the

beautiful robins egg blue color inside.

Cross the low stone wall, a prime spot forrodents and their predator, the garter snake,

and proceed to the right. This cart road is OldShade St. In previous centuries it was knownas a Native American trade route called theVirginia Path, which led through Lexingtonand on to the Shawsheen River. You aretreading a route that has been in use forliterally hundreds of years.

Oval-leavedviolet

and birds. A smaller tree with equally

interesting qualities is the sassafras, which youwill find interspersed here and there along the

path. Notice the varying leaf shapes frequently there will be as many as 3 on onesapling. A gentle scratch of one of thedistinctly green twigs reveals the scent of rootbeer. Native Americans used this tree as apanacea for many ills, although there is little

evidence today of medicinal value.

As the path gently climbs toward the north, youmay notice that the forest floor is covered withleaf litter and rotting tree trunks. However, ifyou look carefully youll find wood violets in thespring and spotted pipsissewa year-round.Native Americans used the leaves of this tiny

plant as tobacco. Also observe many lowraspberry and dewberry shrubs, especially onyour left, as well as the higher branches ofhigh-bush blueberry on either side. And about2/3 of your way along this section of your walk,notice a tall, sparsely needled evergreen withrough, plate-like bark on your right. This is notthe white pine so ubiquitous in these woods,but is instead a pitch pine. If you can find afallen group of needles, see that the bundlesare in 3s like apitchfork -- an identifyingfeature of this tree. This species was formerlytapped for its sticky resin to make turpentine.

gets its name fromthe bitter-tasting nutsthat farmers woulduse only as mast forfeeding pigs and

hogs. However,these days, nutsproduced by this treeprovide an excellentfood source forwildlife such assquirrels, chipmunks

Emerging hickoryleaf

Pitch pine bar

Sassafras leaves


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solitary, drooping

yellow flowers aremembers of thespecies Uvularia, sonamed for theflowers supposedresemblance to theuvula, the softdangling tissue that

hangs above thethroat.

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As you follow the gentle incline up to the topportion of this trial, you will notice a largeglacial erratic boulder on the trail to yourright. During summer and fall note the 5-

leaved vine draped over the stones in thisarea. This is Virginia creeper, sometimesconfused with poison ivy -- especially in theautumn when the leaves turn a brilliant redcolor while the fruit turns blue. But there are5 leaves radiating out from a central point,not 3, and if you look carefully youll alsonotice the little circular pads that attach thevine to its support. The berries are a favorite

food of the red-bellied woodpecker, amongthe many bird species youll find in thesewoods.

Before continuing, take a moment to explorethe trees behind and below this boulder. Ifyou are careful, youll spot the green stripedbark and large (dinner-plate sized!) leaves of

the striped maple. An understory tree and amore northern species of maple, the seed forthis tree may perhaps have been brought

Station 7

Glacial Boulder

Take the right fork, and as you work yourway eastward and down the path, noticemany examples of both forms ofpoison ivy.Do not handle this plant. In spring, some

of the sparse, shrubby versions of this plantwill have spikes of greenish white flowers.By winter, these have developed into acollection of white berries at the tips of thetwigs. You will find a second form of theplant climbing many tree trunks with obvioushairy rootlets. On the positive side, theplants berries provide food for birds, andpoison ivy can actually help diminish erosion.

The path bottoms out among many strewnboulders. During months when leaves areabsent from the trees, you can see theseremains of glacial debris. Stop here and bereminded that 10,000 years ago Lexingtonwas covered by a glacier more than a milethick. The long-ago melting of ice has left a

trail of evidence in many places, includingthis little swale.

Ferns are common here, including thecinnamon fern. This fern is easily identifiedby the intensely cinnamon-colored fruitingbodies that appear in the center of the vase-shaped fronds in June. The curled,

unopened fiddleheads of this plant can becooked as a delicate green early in the

Station 8

Loose boulders/lowland

Virginia creeperis

sometimes confused with

poison ivy.

here by a migratory bird, or may haveescaped someones garden. Striped maple

During the warm summer months, you mayfind some mature skunk cabbage amongthe rampantpoison ivy. The large leavesare particularly rank when crushed.Another wildflower also growing in this spotis easily confused with skunk cabbage.False hellebores emerging leaves lookcabbage-like but on closer examinationappear vertically pleated. Later in the

season the leaves give rise to a dramaticspike of yellow flowers. All parts of thisplant are poisonous.

White birch

spring. Also look forinterrupted fern,whose spores are borne midstalk, therebyinterrupting the green fronds.

Sessile bellwortis another spring ephemeralfound here. An interesting fact: These

Poison ivy

Cinnamon fern

Sessilebellwort

is also known asmoosewood or

goosefootmaple, theformer because

moose love tobrowse on thebark of this treeand the latter

due to its goosefoot shaped leaf.

In addition to red and white oaks, there arewhite birches with their peeling, white bark,an adaptation by the tree to deal withtemperature variations. Also known aspaper birch, this tree species provided

Native Americans with bark for writing, aswell as for waterproofing their canoes. You

may find an occasional white ash tuckedaway here too. The durable hard wood ofthis tree is still used today to makebaseball bats.

Striped maplein bloom


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Hayden WoodsPage 7

After passing through the boulder field, crossa stone wall and bear to the right. You will

soon see a marble bench, from which you cantake a moment to simply enjoy the quiet of thewhite pine woods around you. One reason

Station 9

Stone bench and woods behind

We hope youve enjoyed a small taste of thebotanical treats to be found at Hayden

Woods. As you might guess, there are many

additional species of both plants and wildlife

to be discovered here. Exploring the woods

at different seasons will give you an idea of

the ferns, mushrooms and other fungus in the

various habitats. Come during the winter to

see tracks of fox and perhaps fisher, in

addition to those of numerous squirrels and

rabbits. During the warmer months, if youre

quiet and observant, youll see American

toads and garter snakes. Bird species

abound, especially near the wet areas thatprovide so many of their food sources, both

plant- and insect- based.

The Hayden Woods conservation area is a

remarkable and varied oasis of natural beauty

in a busy suburb. Its trails are used daily for

a variety of purposes for solitude or

Closing

These sparse sprouts [of

American Chestnut] are the

remnants of some of the most

magnificent trees to have

inhabited our New England

woods.

chestnutwill appear as 6-foot tall snagsalongside sprouts with elongated oval leaves

with deep hook-like teeth. A hundred yearsago, the tree would have reached heights inexcess of 80 feet, but an imported chestnutblight decimated the population from the1930s to the 1950s. These few stragglingsprouts are all that remain in what ecologistshave termed the greatest botanical disasterin history.

The shrub layer in this part of the woodsincludes huckleberryand blackberry. On theforest floor, look forwintergreen. If you seethe small round evergreen leaves of thisplant in enough abundance, you can pick aleaf and bruise it to smell the wintergreen

fragrance. Native Americans and earlycolonists used this plant as a tea andheadache remedy. Also plentiful here areIndian pipes, also known as corpse plant,which gets its nourishment from under-ground fungi. It will turn black if touched.

Continuing along this path will bring you toyour entry point into the woods proper(Station 3). From here, you can proceed tothe left and down the old cart track back tothe open field and Valleyfield St.

education, for exercise and for dog walking.It is wise to keep those many uses in mind

when you come. Take nothing with you when

you leave, and be sure that your careful

footprints the only remainder of your visit.

"Treat the earth well: it was not given toyou by your parents, it was loaned to youby your children. We do not inherit theEarth from our Ancestors, we borrow itfrom our Children."

Ancient Native American Proverb

that this particularspot feels so quiet isthe dense layer ofpine needles on theground. They are inbundles of 5; you canspell W-H-I-T-E toremember theyrefrom white pine. Thisspecies of tree wasof enormous impor-

tance to early colonists, for both trade and

shipbuilding. From the bench, retrace yoursteps for a few feet and resume your walk onthe path to your right.

After crossing another low stone wall, you willfind yourself in an upland area dominated byoak and pine. A search in the woods to yourright may reveal the remnants of some of themost magnificent trees to have inhabited ourNew England woods. TheAmerican

Indian pipes

Shelf fungus

American toad


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Partial Species List

Eastman, John. Book of Forest and Thicket (Trees, Shrubs and Wildflowers of Eastern North America).Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1992.

Sanders, Jack. The Secrets of Wildflowers, A Delightful Feast of Little-known Facts. Guilford, CT: TheLyons Press, 2005.

Theriet, John W. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region.New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

Additional Resources

A publication ofCLC

Citizens for LexingtonConservation

http://www.lexingtonma.org/clc/HomePage.htm

This publication wascreated by the authors

as a final project forcertificates in native

plant studies from theNew England WildflowerSociety. NEWFS is the

premiere organization foradvocacy and

conservation of nativeplants in our area. Foran extensive list of

educational andhorticultural

opportunities see theirwebsite at:

www.newfs.org

! Alternate leaveddogwood

!American beech!American chestnut!American hazelnut

!American toad!American yew

! Arrowood!Aster spp!Bedstraw!Big tooth aspen!Bittersweet!Black birch

!Blackberry!Bloodroot!Blue-stemmed

goldenrod!Bracken fern!Bush honeysuckle!Butternut!Buttonbush

!Canada mayflower

!Catbrier!Cattail!Celandine!Choke cherry!Cinnamon fern!Club mosses!Common blue violet!Common juniper!Crab apple!Dame's rocket!Dwarf cinquefoil!Elderberry!Enchanter's

nightshade!False Solomon seal!Flowering dogwood

!Fox grape!Glossy (smooth)

Buckthorn!Goldenrod spp!Gooseberry!Grape!Ground ivy

!Ground nut!Hay-scented fern!Heart-leaved aster!High bush cranberry!High bush blueberry

!Hooked crowfoot!Huckleberry!Indian cucumber root!Indian pipe

!Interrupted fern!Jack-in-the-pulpit!Lady slipper!Low bush blueberry!Maple-leaf viburnum!Money plant (garden

escape)!Motherwort

!Mountain ash!Multiflora rose!Nodding trillium

!Northern bugleweed!Northern white violet!Ovate-leaved violet!Pignut hickory! Pink lady's slipper!Pitch pine!Poison ivy!Prince's pine

!Purple chokeberry!Red cedar!Red osier dogwood!Round-leaved pyrola!Sassafras

!Sensitive fern!Sessile bellwort!Shagbark hickory!Slippery elm

!Smartweeds!Solomon seal!Spotted pipsissewa!Star flower!Striped maple!Swamp dewberry!Viburnum (garden

escape)

!Virginia creeper!White birch!White oak

!Whorled loosestrife!Wild geranium/

cranesbill!Wild sarsaparilla!Willow!Winged euonymus!Wood anemone!Yarrow

Hayden Woods Nature Walk

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