Plants

	Narrowleaf Cattail Typha angustifolia This species was introduced to North America from ships coming from Europe and Asia in the 1800s. Much of the marsh west of the Center was dominated by this invasive plant. Cattails have been referred to as the “supermarket of the swamp” due to their tender starchy shoots and rhizomes, which are eaten by wildlife. In addition to being an important food source for animals, Native Americans used the fibrous leaves for weaving, and the fluffy cattails for insulation and for sealing their boots. Muskrats and beavers also use the leaves and shoots of cattail to build shelters and dens. Many birds depend on cattail stands for cover and nesting. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Common Reed Phragmites australis subsp. americanus Common reed is an invasive marsh grass introduced to North America from ships coming from Europe and Asia in the 1800s. Common reed can exceed 15 feet in height and once established it readily out-competes native marsh vegetation. Prior to the mid-1990s, half the marsh in the Peterson Refuge was dominated by common reed, but management and control efforts have greatly reduced its area of coverage in the marsh. Common reed impairs the natural functions of our existing marshlands, by reducing species diversity and impacting nursery areas for spawning fish. The Division of Fish & Wildlife has a statewide control program that specifically targets this species to maintain healthy marshes. (Image courtesy of David G. Smith)
	Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria Purple loosestrife is a wetland plant introduced to the U. S. in the 1800’s as a medicinal herb and through ships ballast (soil or rock used to stabilize empty vessels during ocean crossings) from Europe and Asia. This plant has also been widely distributed through the nursery trade due to its showy profusion of pink to purple flowers as seen in late summer. Each plant is capable of producing an enormous number of seeds, up to three million every year. In recent years, this species has been effectively controlled on the Refuge by releasing beneficial beetles that feed exclusively on the plants’ leaves. (Image courtesy of David G. Smith)
	Rice Cutgrass Leersia oryzoides This native marsh grass is quickly identified by carefully running your hand over the plant, which is very abrasive to the touch. The upper leaf surface and margins are lined with tiny teeth that are sharp enough to cut flesh or tear light clothing. The seeds are an important food source for waterfowl, small mammals, and shorebirds. Ducks pull up and feed on the underground stems (rhizomes), and the leaves are highly palatable to herbivores like deer and muskrat. This plant’s creeping rhizomes and spreading habit are good for sediment stabilization and erosion control along stream shorelines, and provide cover for fish, reptiles, and amphibians. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Green arrow-arum Peltandra virginica Arrow arum is a native perennial broadleaf emergent plant and like many other wetland plants, grows in very wet areas by use of specially adapted tissue called aerenchyma that pumps oxygen from its leaves down to its roots. It is common along the water’s edge where it helps dampen wave action and reduce shoreline erosion. The plant is also called Tuckahoe (Algonquin name for plant), or duck corn and was eaten by Native Americans after prolonged cooking (upwards of 9 hours) to detoxify the tissue. The roots, which are rich in starches, were dried and ground to make breads and soups, and the fruit, and seeds were considered delicacies. The seeds are readily consumed by wood duck, muskrat, and rail, and the large colonies of this plant provide excellent cover for a wide range of wildlife. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Spatterdock Nuphar lutea Spatterdock or yellow cow-lily is a native perennial broadleaf emergent plant that grows in freshwater marshes and is common along shorelines where it helps dampen wave action and reduce erosion. It produces a yellow flower in early summer. Medicinally, the leaves were used to stop bleeding, and roots were used in a poultice for cuts, swelling, and other ailments. Native Americans ground the seeds into flour or popped them like popcorn. The leaves and roots were used in dyeing and for tanning hides. The large leaves provide valuable habitat for wildlife as shade, cover from predators, and provide home for many species of insects that fish depend on for food. The seeds are eaten by ducks, muskrat, and beaver, and deer feed on the flowers and leaves. (Image courtesy of David G. Smith)
	Indian wild rice Zizania aquatica Wild rice has become increasingly common in the freshwater tidal marshes along the Christina River over the past 10 years, in part due to the successful restoration of marshes at the Peterson Refuge (here at the Center) and marshes near the town of Newport . This tall native grass is not a true rice but a closely related cereal grass. Native Americans harvested the rice by poling their canoes through the dense stands, bending the ripe grain heads into the vessel and beating the seeds free into the canoe using a wooden stick called a striker. Wild rice and maize are the only cereal crops native to North America. Wild rice serves both as an important food source for waterfowl, rails, and blackbirds while the dense beds provide relative safety from predators. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Large-tooth aspen Populus grandidentata Large-tooth aspen is a fast growing native broadleaf deciduous tree that can reach 80 feet in height. The flowers, called catkins, and leaves are a very important year-round food resource for ruffed grouse and is a central factor in the distribution of this bird. Aspen when cut down, naturally resprouts or suckers from the stump, producing a favored winter food for white-tailed deer. The bark, leaves, twigs, and branches of aspen are preferred by beaver for food and lodging. Aspen produces more wood per acre than most other trees and as a result is used extensively in the production of paper and pressboard. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Northern arrow-wood Viburnum dentatum Arrow-wood is an understory native shrub that occurs in moist woodlands and on the edges of freshwater wetlands. Arrow-wood can reach 8 feet in height and produces flat-topped clusters of small white to pink flowers in May and June. The clustered berry-like fruits are bluish-black in color and are an important food source for birds and other wildlife in winter. Arrow-wood provides good shelter from weather extremes, refuge from predators, nesting sites for birds, and larval food for butterflies and moths. The common name, “arrow-wood,” refers to the Native American’s use of the straight young stems as arrow shafts. Many cultivars of this species are used extensively in the nursery and landscape trade.(Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)