Wet Prairie and Calcareous Woodlands
Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Ohio geologist Jane Forsyth, in a 1971 article “Geobotany” explained the relationship between vegetation, soil type and the geologic history of Ohio. Batelle Darby is contained within the western portion of the state, which is underlain by erodible limestone and dolomite. The result after erosion is a flat level landscape. At Battelle Darby, the limestone is near enough to the surface to affect the soil chemistry, resulting in a suite of lime-loving species that have an affinity to calcareous sites.
Scroll to the bottom of this page to read the article.
To view the key points about lime-loving plants
mentioned in “Geobotany,” use the image slider below.
PLANT LIST
(Battelle Darby Metro Park)
With Links to Species Pages
| Carpinus caroliniana Walter | BLUE-BEECH | Betulaceae | native sm tree |
| Celtis occidentalis L. | HACKBERRY | Ulmaceae | native tree |
| Ostrya virginiana (Miller) K. Koch | HOP-HORNBEAM | Betulaceae | native tree |
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. | VIRGINIA CREEPER | Vitaceae | native vine |
| Platanus occidentalis L. | SYCAMORE | Platanaceae | native tree |
| Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall | EASTERN COTTONWOOD | Salicaceae | native tree |
| Prunus serotina Ehrh. | BLACK CHERRY | Rosaceae | native tree |
| Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm. | CHINQUAPIN OAK | Fagaceae | native tree |
| Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees | SASSAFRAS | Lauraceae | native tree |
| Tilia americana L. | AMERICAN BASSWOOD | Tiliaceae | native tree |
| Viburnum prunifolium L. | BLACK-HAW | Caprifoliaceae | native shrub |
| Zanthoxylum americanum Mill. | PRICKLY-ASH | Rutaceae | native shrub |
Vids
(in no particular order)
Virginia creeper