Local Trees

The Surprising Trees of Preedy Creek by Mary Lee Epps

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The Surprising Trees of Preddy Creek Park

by Mary Lee Epps

For tree and wildflower enthusiasts, Albemarle County’s new Preddy Creek Park is well worth a visit. Although only officially opened in the spring of 2011, the roughly 600 acre site has been owned by the County since the late 1970s. It was originally intended as a reservoir site, but that plan was eventually shelved because of the limited watershed. Apart from a large, roadside field surrounding the new parking area, the property is mostly wooded. The County has put in a number of trails open to horseback riders and mountain bikers as well as hikers.

In mid-May, a group of volunteers led by Tim Williams and Tom Dierauf initiated a vascular plant survey with the goal of identifying all vascular plant species on the large property. During the remainder of the 2011 growing season, the group walked the trails and stream sides frequently, searching out new plants. The result has been several significant discoveries, including an unusual number and variety of orchids, and at least 50 tree species, among which are several that are uncommonly seen in Albemarle County woodlands.

Among the particularly interesting canopy species are two varieties of oak, which, according to the Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora, are found in fewer than half of Virginia’s counties and are not common enough to merit a page of their own in the DOF’s new edition of Common Forest Trees of Virginia. The first of these unusual canopy varieties is the Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria). It typically grows 50 or 60 feet high with simple, untoothed, lance-shaped leaves with a bristle tip. The wood has traditionally been a favorite one for making shingles, thus the common name. An example of the Shingle Oak grows along the edge of the woods by the parking lot. The second is the Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), a large and handsome example of which grows on the far side of Preddy Creek and can be readily seen from the Creekside Trail. This white oak has leaves similar to those of Chestnut Oak, but its bark is less deeply furrowed than that of Chestnut oak and it grows in a very different habitat, preferring moist soils along streams. In fact, we have not yet found any Chestnut Oaks at Preddy Creek.

Two large poplars that show up occasionally in Albemarle’s woods but are seldom abundant are Bigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata) and Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoids). Eastern Cottonwood can grow to be 80 to 100 feet tall with Bigtooth Aspen not far behind. Perhaps one reason they are not seen more commonly is that they are browsed by deer and are also a species of choice for beaver. In fact, some years ago Ivy Creek Natural Area lost its only Bigtooth Aspen to Beaver. Sadly, something similar has happened at Preddy Creek. Two large Eastern Cottonwoods growing beside the Creek have recently died after being girdled by beaver. We did locate one living Cottonwood on our walks, but this is growing along a small tributary to Preddy Creek and is not easily accessible from the established paths while the only Bigtooth Aspens that we found are near an old cemetery in a remote part of the Park, far from the main trails.

Another attractive species in the Park, which can be more readily seen, is Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). While this tree is a common forest tree in the southern counties of Virginia, it as not found in counties north of Albemarle according to the Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora. A handsome specimen tree stands near the entrance to the Park and several more are scattered in the woods. This is a tree with lovely mid-summer flower clusters and colorful red fall foliage.

Two interesting, edible nut bearing trees we have found are Hazelnut (Corylus americana) and Butternut (Juglans cinerea). The remarkable thing about Hazelnut at Preddy Creek is not its presence but its abundance. We found a large number of the shrubby trees scattered along the Creekside Trail, many with nuts. Unfortunately, the squirrels stripped the trees before the nuts were fully ripe so that we did not get a chance to try them. Butternut’s story is very different. Butternut is becoming rare in much of its range because of a fungal disease, Butternut Canker. According to the U.S. Forest Service, “the disease has contributed to as much as an 80 percent decrease in living butternut in some States.” Unfortunately, this appears to be what is happening in Albemarle County. We did find several young trees growing along the Creekside Trail at Preddy Creek, but most had already been infected with the virulent fungus, which causes large lesions on the bark. The photos show two Preddy Creek Butternuts with cankers, one still fairly healthy and the second badly diseased.

Perhaps as interesting as some of these unusual finds that I have just described is the surprising apparent absence of several other species that are common in the County. So far we have failed to find any Pignut Hickorys (Carya glabra), Pawpaws (Asimina triloba), or Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Of course, we will keep searching and may turn up one or more of these species yet. We have ended our walks for the season, but will resume again in the spring. If you would like to join us, email Mary Lee Epps at mse5e@virginia.edu. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit Preddy Creek on your own. The Park is accessed from Burnley Station Road, Route 641, in northern Albemarle County. For more information and directions to the Park, visit Albemarle County’s Parks and Recreation website at http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=parks.