Plant Life...

     So it turns out that identifying plant life is far harder than one might imagine! The difficulty with doing this was magnified by the location of 'my place'. The boardwalk is lined with tree species that would not inhabit this location naturally and were clearly strategically planted, yet they all seem to thrive none the less.
     Identifying tree species was also really hard within my place because none of the trees there (or very few) were contained on our identification guide! As a result, I had to do some research to find a guide to plant life on the waterfront that could help me identify these species. Like Alyssa, I used the website, http://www.branchoutburlington.org/events/treewalk/WaterfrontTreeWalk.pdf, to help me do this.

    Using just my observation skills, my guesses as to the trees planted at my site were largely incorrect! I had inferred that there were red maple tress and shagbark hickory among a few others, but unfortunately these guesses were not spot on! However, using the map and description resource from Branch Out Burlington, I was able to identify what the trees I observed actually are.

--The first tree I observed upon walking to my spot was at the corner of the train tracks and the Burlington Bike Path. This tree is of the species Norway Maple. The Norway Maple is widely planted throughout North America, and is very popular in city settings as it grows well in compacted soils.

--The next few trees on the bike path I identified as the Freeman Maple and the Serviceberry, respectively. The Freeman Maple is actually a hybrid cross between red and silver maples, so I was not too far off-base in guessing there were red maple trees in my spot. This tree is also well adapted to urban areas and is popular for its beautiful foliage in Summer and Fall months. The Serviceberry was a very interesting looking species! I was entirely uncertain as to what this species was, as it had small, whiteish colored berries at the end of its twigs, supported by multiple stems. This species does grow wild throughout Vermont, although it is definitely not native to the waterfront in particular. In early Spring this tree can be expected to sprout beautiful white flowers, which I really look forward to observing! The berries of some Serviceberry's can actually be cultivated and eaten by humans, but they are also widely popular with many insects, and animals such as rabbits.

--Closer to my actual spot, I found two other tree species. For one, I found the Chanticleer Callery Pear, which is an ornamental pear tree that is known for its sturdy form and beautiful colors and flowers, especially in Spring. This tree was actually voted Urban Tree of the Year in 2005 because it is so resistant to blight and limb breakage, which is especially important near the waterfront. The other species I observed is the Silver Linden. This tree is widely planted in urban areas as well due to its ability to withstand difficult urban conditions. This tree is pollution tolerant, and grows well in moist soil, which I'm sure the waterfront provides.

     One commonality I notice among the tree species on my site is that many thrive in urban areas! They have qualities that make them resistant to extreme weather, which could be one main reason developers chose these species to plant near Lake Champlain. Another commonality I found was that all of the species I observed have ornamental value as one of their main characteristics! They all have bright, beautiful colors and many have flowers during the warmer months. I look forward to exploring these species further as the seasons change!