Invasive Species: English ivy (Hedera helix)

English ivy (Hedera helix)
Photo by Michelle Reynolds

Another invasive plant that is easy to spot during the winter is English ivy (Hedera helix). Forming tightly woven carpets on the forest floor, the ivy twines and twists, strangling limbs of captive trees and choking out native species as it grows and spreads. This aggressive vine is hard to control, and it easily spreads from backyards abutting the nature preserve. We know how this plant escapes cultivation, so it is up to us to make wise choices for our landscapes.

How to help keep English ivy out of the forests:

• 1) Do not grow it in your yard;

• 2) if it is in your yard, you can replace it with native vines (coral honeysuckle, Carolina jessamine, partridgeberry, Virginia creeper, crossvine) and a diversity of easy-to-grow woodland plants (phlox, sedges, woodoats, columbine, ginger, foamflower, alumroot);

• 3) if you want to keep your ivy, work hard to keep it in check so the plants don’t escape to nearby woods.

English ivy is almost impossible to control and can be very difficult to get rid of.

To remove it from trees, clip all of the vines at the bottom of the tree, wait for the ivy to die before pulling the vines down. To get rid of the vines on the ground, continuously pull, pull, and pull. Be sure to bag up the ivy and roots and throw them in the trash.

Be vigilant about pulling any new shoots. In some cases, the application of herbicide may be needed for complete eradication.

English ivy (Hedera helix)
Photo by Michelle Reynolds

Invasive Species: Heavenly Bamboo/Nandina (Nandina domestica)

Heavenly Bamboo/Nandina (Nandina domestica)
Photo by Michelle Reynolds

During the winter, some invasive species are easy to spot.

A common invasive plant we see on the mountain is heavenly bamboo/nandina (Nandina domestica). Its bright red berries may be pretty, but there is nothing heavenly about them. Birds are tempted to eat the fruit, and as the berries travel through a bird’s gut, the seeds are scarified by digestive acids and deposited from the other end along with a little fertilizer package.

These plants are harmful to our ecosystems and a poison apple to birds. The seeds contain small amounts of cyanide, and when consumed by species of birds that gobble up lots of berries (like cedar waxwings or robins), the consequence can be deadly.

We know how this plant escapes cultivation, so it is up to us to make wise choices for our landscapes. You can help keep nandina out of the forests by:

1) Not planting them in your yard.

2) If it is in your yard, replace them with native or well-behaved non-invasive species such as evergreen blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii), wild rosemary (Conradina canescens), or dwarf rhododendron (Rhododendron minus) to name a few.

3) Be sure to clip the berries so the plants don’t escape to nearby woods or kill birds.

What is Marcescence?

During winter hikes, have you noticed trees that are keeping their shimmering bronze and withered leaves instead of dropping them? American beech (Fagus grandifolia) trees are marcescent — meaning plant parts withering without falling off. Sometimes growing in large groves, these beautiful trees with smooth silver bark, can be observed on the eastern end of the mountain, and especially in low drainage depressions and creek banks or on the edges of the forest reaching for the sun.

How You Saw Us: 2020 at Ruffner Mountain

Looking back on 2020, we faced many challenges. Despite the pressures of the year, Ruffner Mountain remained a constant source of solace.

We hope you find this collection of visitor photos as heartwarming as we did. Here's to a peaceful and restorative 2021!

Click the image below to watch the video.

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Did you know?

Thanks to a special CARES Act provision, you can deduct up to $300 in charitable donations in 2020 even if you don’t itemize. Take advantage of this unique opportunity while helping the nonprofits that mean the most to you!

Wildlife in Winter

Speckled kingsnake, Lampropeltis nigra (Stejneger)

As the days become shorter and colder, you've probably noticed less lizards scurrying in the leaf litter as you hike, or you may be missing the gray ratsnake you've seen sunning on the Possum Loop trail.

But, not to worry. They aren’t gone for good.

So where are they and what are they doing?

They are undergoing a state known as brumation. Brumation is defined as a state or condition of sluggishness, inactivity, or torpor. Reptiles (such as snakes or lizards) will hide in burrows, tree stumps, caves, and dens during the winter or extended periods of low temperature.

Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus

Even our animal ambassadors feel the change. In late summer and early fall, our Broad-winged hawk will begin to “store” fat to prepare for what would have been her migration. Of course, she is incapable of flight due to injuries and can’t join the kettle to ride the thermal air currents down to Brazil. Instead, she gets to spend the warmer days outside and the colder ones inside.

Nature is a beautiful force that continues to impress us daily. During these darker days of winter, we hope that you find a way to connect with it, too.

The Magic of Frostweed (Verbesina virginica)

It feels like winter this week which means it's time for frostweed (Verbesina virginica) to work its magic!

On chilly mornings, the Ruffner Mountain habitat garden is sprinkled with fragile ice ribbons.

During the first frost of the year, the stem of this native plant splits and releases sap and water pulled up from its roots, which cools then expands. The moisture freezes and forms beautiful ice structures, decorating the ground in a gallery of winter art.

Pro-tip: Another important reason to plant native frostweed in your yard is that from summer to late fall, their white blooms serve as a great nectar source for pollinators such as butterflies and bees.

Thanksgiving Hours Update

Our trails remain open Tuesday - Sunday from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.

The Nature Center is currently closed. Please note that staff will be limited on Thanksgiving Day, so please hike at your own risk. If you have an emergency, please dial 911.

We ask that if you are not already a member of Ruffner Mountain to please pay the $3 use fee on Venmo (@ruffnertrailfee) or at our website https://ruffnermountain.org/support.

If the parking lot at the Nature Center is full, the preserve is at capacity. Please visit Ruffner Mountain at another time. Do not park along 81st Street.

For the safety of all, we recommend hiking only with your household - no group hikes, please.

Thank you for your consideration and from all of us at Ruffner Mountain, have a safe and peaceful holiday!

Photo by Michelle Reynolds