Duff Park

Duff Park in Murrysville is known as a wildflower hotspot. I went there yesterday to see what was blooming. I was not disappointed!

Duff Park is 220 acres just south of a busy stretch of Route 22. It's located on a high ridge next to Turtle Creek. Some trails closer to the creek do not have much elevation gain. Others climb up the ridge more steeply. The terrain may have required a little too much work from developers and preserved this area just long enough for it to become a public park. The steepness is also unattractive to deer. Although they do inhabit the park, they may be discouraged from munching the wildflowers in the steepest areas. 

Being close to a busy highway, even during a pandemic when traffic is noticeably lessened, the sounds of vehicles are ever present. The park itself does not have a ton of especially scenic areas. But it has two things that make it special. The park is indeed justly famous for its wildflowers. And it's a really great place to learn tree identification, even in the winter, because there are many trees that are carefully labeled. Signs identify the trees and also describe what makes each species interesting. The Murrysville Trail Alliance brags that the park has "one of the few remaining deciduous old growth forest areas in Pennsylvania", and there is certainly a large variety of beautiful, old trees. You can download a map that shows where each sign is located. 

Wandering around in the east end of the park, I didn't find many markers to tell me which trail is which. Next time I'll bring the tree map, because I could locate my position that way.  However the regular trail map has an inset that is missing from the tree map, which shows the trails near the main parking area in more detail, so both are useful. 

After a while, I realized I wasn't sure which trail I was on. But it would be difficult to get lost there right now. You can always tell north from the sounds of the traffic, and the sun's position in the sky is clear without leaves on the trees. And of course if you've been heading up, you know you have to head back down. It's a fine place to wander aimlessly!

From a social distancing perspective, there are very few worries. I was concerned when I saw that the parking lot was very crowded. But the park is quite large, and people easily spread out. The Westmoreland Heritage Trail passes by the park, and some of the cars belonged to people who were using the trail and not the park. After a steep climb, you might want to avoid the impulse to rest on a  convenient bench, and the port-a-potty is certainly best avoided also. 

Hepatica

Dutchman's breeches.

Trout lily leaves.

Trout lily.

Trillium.

Dutchman's breeches.

Mayapple.

Trillium.

Yellow corydalis. I had never seen this flower before. It's related to Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn and bleeding hearts, and has similar leaves. But the plant is very small and the flowers are tiny. Luckily their bright yellow color is eye catching.

Wild geranium.

Dutchman's breeches.

Spring beauty.

Trillium.

Yellow corydalis.

Spring beauty.

Mayapple.

Trout lily.

Spring beauty.

Mayapple.

Spring beauty.

These are the dried up flower stalks of last year's bear corn. Bear corn is a plant that does not photosynthesize. Instead it feeds off the roots of trees, mainly oak. The only time it can be seen above ground is in May when it flowers . It's called "bear corn" because bears are said to eat it when they come out of hibernation. Since their hibernation ends in March or April, I can only assume that if this is true, bears are seeking out the dried flower stalks from last year. Why would they want to eat them? Well....bears eat a LOT before they hibernate. And while they hibernate, they digest their food but they do not poop. They emerge with a serious case of constipation, and the bear corn is said to help. Not a great image. This is why I find it particularly amusing that Charmin chose to use bears as a mascot! 

There is a large patch of these robust looking plants sprouting in Duff Park. What could they be? I am guessing it's something in the lily family other than trout lilies and trilliums, but I can't find a match. I hope I'll be able to find out!