Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna
As you make your way around the trails and fields in this 47.84 Hectare park, stop and look at the wide variety of plant and animal life that thrives at the park. In a short distance you can go from wide open Prairie, Aspen forest cover to a wetland marsh habitat. Each area hosting it's own unique birds, animals and plant life.
The quarry's themselves have filled with water and are home to painted turtles, nesting Mallard Ducks and in the fall Canada Geese stop before they head south. If you look over head you might see a Bald Eagle or a Red Tailed Hawk circling the fields,
Photo Courtesy of Vince
Photo Courtesy of Scott Alingham
or making their nests, even the Great Grey Owls take the time to watch the goings on from a high tree limb. There are many gophers, squirrels , rabbits and mice that go to make up their diet.
Other animals in the forest include Deer, Red Fox, Porcupine, Raccoon and even a Coyote has been seen in and around the park area. Keep your nose at the ready for the smell of a Skunk in the air and be ready to backtrack quickly.
One of the features of Little Mountain Park are the many bird feeding stations that are located through out the park. The feeders are filled during the winter months. They attract many colourful winter birds such as Chickadees, Woodpeckers and Blue Jays who stay for the long haul.
The forests of Little Mountain are a mixture of Aspen, Manitoba Maple, Dogwood, American Hazelnut, Bur Oak , Cottonwood and Pine. Mixed in are wild Flowers such as the Crocus, Asters, Golden Rod, Avens, Puccoon, Gallardia and wild Roses for added colour. We are also home to several endangered plant species. The Prairie Clover, Lady Slipper and Old Mans Beard make Little Mountain home. There are also wild Strawberry and Raspberry patches, plum, and Chokecherry but watch out for the Saskatoon pickers come harvest time.
I am making a picture file in our of all the flora recorded by the City of Winnipeg. Provided will be both proper and common names for the plants. If people are interested, they could make a game out of trying to find all the 206 different plants that our park has to offer! Located just below is just a small sampling of the recorded ecosystem.
A complete list of the plants has been prepared by the City of Winnipeg Naturalist Services:
Public Works Report For Habitat Site;
Habitat Information and Plants Found at the Site:
Grade A/B Habitat Types Aspen Forest Prairie Area in Hectares 47.84
In 2009 and 2010, Susan Van D., sent in two samples of our native Wild Hazelnuts to the Arbor day organization at Rutgers University in the Untied States. These were added to their collection for planting. The Hazelnuts were the furthest Northern Accessions that the Organization had. The seedlings were planted with a well developed root system according to Thomas Molnar and Ben Cohoon of the Arbor day organization. The lot number is # 09606. In a few years we will see what progress has happened from the Little Mountain Park seeds. Good on you Susan!
http://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/locate.cfm
Up-date Apr.15 2013. Here is what our Little Mountain Hazelnut Trees look like.
http://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/index.cfm?TrackingID=400&utm_source=Arbor%2BDay&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Jan-Feb%2BArbor%2BDay
Species Name Common Name Date Sp. added to List Native/Introduced
Acer negundo Manitoba Maple 07/01/1987 N.
Achillea Millefolium Yarrow 07/01/1987 N.
Agoseris glauca False Dandelion 07/01/1987 N.
Agropyron repens Quack-grass, Couch-grass 09/24/2009 I.
Agropyron trachycaulum Slender Wheat grass 06 /10/1998 N.
Agropyron trachycaulum var. Awned Wheat grass 06 /10/1998 N.
unilaterale
Agrostis Hyemalis Hair Grass, Thickle grass 07 /01/1987 N.
Agrostis spp. Bent Grass 06 /10/1998 ?
Alisma Gramineum Narrow-leaved Water-plantain 07/01/1987 N.
Allium Stellatum Wild onion, Pink-Flowered Onion 07/01/1987 N.
Alopecurus Aequalis Short-awned Foxtail 07/01/1987 N.
Ambrosia Psilostachya Perennial Ragweed 07/01/1987 N.
Amelanchier Alnifolia Saskatoon 07/01/1987 N.
Amorpha Nana Dwarf False Indigo, Fragrant False Indigo 07/01/1987 N.
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem 07/01/1987 N.
Andropogon scoparius Little Bluestem 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone canadensis Canada Anemone 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone cylindrica Long-fruited Anemone 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone multifida Cut-leaved Anemone 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone patens Pasque-flower, Prairie Crocus 07/01/1987 N.
Antennaria neglecta Pussy-toes 07/01/1987 N.
Antennaria spp. Pussytoes 09/24/2009 ?
Apocynum androsaemifolium Spreading Dogbane 07/01/1987 N.
Aralia Nudicaulis Wild Sarsparilla
Arctium Lappa Common Burdock
Arctium Minus Corimbo Lesser Burdock
Arctuim SPP Burdock
Arenaria Lateriflora Grove Sandwort
Artemisia Absinthium Absinthe
Artemisia Dracunculus Tarragon
Artemisia Frigida Pasture Sage
Artemisia Ludoviciana Prairie Sage
Asclepias Ovalifolia Dwarf Milkweed
Asparagus Officinalis Garden Asparagus
Aster Ciliolatus Lindleys Aster
Aster Ptarmicoides Upland White Goldenrod
Aster Ericoides Many Flowered Aster
Aster Laevis Smooth Aster
Astragalus Adsurgens Ascending Milkvetch
Astragalus Agrestis Milkvetch or Purple Milkvetch
Astragalus Adsurgens Var. Robustior Ascending Purple Milkvetch
Astragalus Canadensis Canadian Milkvetch
Astragalus Crassicarpus Ground Plum
Astragalus Flexuosus Slender or Low Milkvetch
Astragalus Missouriensis Missouri Milkvetch
Beckmannia Syzigachne Slough Grass
Bergamot Bergamot
Bromus Imermis Smooth Brome
Campanula Rapunculoides Creeping Bluebell
Campanula Rotundifolia Harebell Bluebell
Capsella Bursa Pastoris Shepherd's Purse
Carex SSP Sedge
Celastrus Scandens Climbing Bittersweet
Cerastium Arvense Field Chickweed
Cirsium Arvense Canada Thistle
Cirsium Flodmanii Flodman Thistle
Comandra Umbellata Bastard Toadflax
Convolvulus Sepium Hedge Bind Weed/ Wild Moringglory
Corallorhiza Maculata Large or Spotted Coralroot
Cornus Stolonifera Red Osier Dogwood
Coryus Americana-American Hazelnut
Coryus Cornuta Beaked Hazelnut
Coloneaster Acutifolia Cotoneaster
Crataegus SSP Fruit Hawthorn
Crataegus Rotundifolia Round Leaf Hawthorn
Crataegus Succulenta Long Spined Hawthorn
Cypripeduim Calceolus Yellow Lady's Slipper
Elaeagnus Angustifolia Russian Olive
Elaeagnus Commutata Silverberry / Wolf Willow
Elymus Canadensis Canada Wild Rye
Epilobium SPP Willowherb
Equisetum Arvense Common Horsetail
Erigeron Philadelphicus Philadelphia Fleabane
Erigeron SPP Seabane
Erysimum SPP Rocket
Fragaria Virginiana Smooth Wild Strawberries
Fraxinus Pensylvanica Green Ash
Gaillardia Aristata Great Flowering Gaillardia
Galium Boreale Northern Bedstraw
Galium Triflorum Sweet Scented Bedstraw
Geum Allepicum Yellow Avens
Geum Triflorum Three Flowered Avens
Glycyrrhiza Lepidota Wild Licorice
Grindelia Squarrosa Curlycup Gumweed
Helianthus Maximiliani Narrow Leaved Sunflower
Helianthus Pauciflorus SSP Pauciflorus Beautiful Sunflower
Helianthus Pauciflorus Var.Subrhomboideus Beautiful Sunflower
Heracleum Lanatum Cow Parsnip
Heuchera Richardsonii Alumroot
Hordeum Jubatum Foxtail Barley
Lactuca Tatarica Var. Pulchella Blue Lettuce
Lactuca Pulchella Wild Lettuce
Lappula Echinata Bluebur
Lappula Myosotis European Stick Weed
Lathyrus Ochroleucus Pale Vetching
Lathyrus Venosus Wild Peavine
Lemna Minor Lesser Duckweed
Lepidium Densiflorum Common Pepper Grass
Lesquerella Ludoviciana Sand Bladderpod
Liatris Ligulistylis Meadow Blazing Star
Liatris Punctata Dotted Blazing Star
Lilium Philadelphicum Wood Lily
Linum Sulcatum Grooved Yellow Flax
Lithospermum Canescens Hoary Puccoon
Lonicera Tatarica Tartarian Honesuckle
Lycopus Americanus Water Horehound
Lysimachia Ciliata Fringed Loosestrife
Maianthemum Canadense Two Leaved Soloman's Seal/ Wild Lily of the Valley
Malus SPP Apple Tree
Matricaria Matricariodes Pineappleweed
Medicago Lupulina Black Medick
Melilotus Alba White Sweet Clover
Melilotus Officinalis Yellow Sweet Clover
Monarda Fistulosa Wild Beragmot
Monotropa Uniflora Indian Pipe
Myriophyllum SPP Water Milfoil
Oenothera Biennis Yellow Evening Primrose
Oenothera Serrulata Shrubby Evening Primrose
Orthocarpus Luteus Owls Clover
Oxytropis Splendens Showy Locoweed
Panicum Virgatum Switch Grass
Parthenocissus Quinquefolia Virgina Creeper
Penstemon Gracilis Lilac Flowered Beard Tongue
Petalostemon Purpureum Purple Prairie Clover
Phleum Pratense Timothy Grass
Plantago Major Common Plantain
Poa Compressa Canada Blue Grass
Poa Pratensis Kentucky Blue Grass
Poa SPP Blue Grass
Polygala Senega Seneca Snakeroot
Polygonatum Biflorum Hairy Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum Commutatum Common Solomon's Seal
Populus Balsamifera Balsam Poplar
Populus Deltoides Cottonwood
Populus Tremuloides Trembling Aspen
Potentilla Anserina Silverweed
Potentilla Arguta White Cinquefoil / Tall Cinquefoil
Potentilla Gracilis Graceful Cinquefoil
Potentilla Norvegica Rough Cinquefoil
Potentilla Pensylvanica Prairie Cinquefoil
Potentilla Rivalis Brook Cinquefoil
Prunus Nigra Canada Plum
Prunus Pensylvanica Pin Cherry
Prunus Virginiana Red Fruited Chockcherry
Psoralea Agrophlla Silverleaf Psyoralea
Psoralea Esculenta Indian Breadroot
Pyrola SPP Pyrola
Quercus Macrocarpa Bur Oak
Ranunculus Longirostris White Water Crowfoot
Rhamnus Catharticus Buckthorn
Rhus Radicans Var. Rydbergii Poison Ivy
Ribes Americanum Wild Black Current
Ribes Oxyacanthoides Bristly Wild Gooseberry
Rosa Acicularis Prickly Rose
Rosa Arkansana Prairie Rose
Rosa SPP Rose
Rosa Woodsii Wood Rose
Rubus Idaeus Wild Red Raspberry
Rubus Pubescens Dew Berry
Rubus SPP Raspberry
Rumex Salicifoliua Narrow Leaved Dock
Salix Discolor Pussy Willow
Salix SPP Willow
Sanicula Marilandica Snakeroot
Senecio Canus Silvery Groundsel
Senecio Congestus Marsh Fleabane / Marsh Ragwort
Senecio Pauperculus Balsam Groundsel
Sisyrinchium Montanum Star Flowered Soloman's Seal
Smilax Herbacea Carrionflower
Solidago Canadensis Canada Goldenrod
Solidago Missouriensis Low Goldenrod
Solidago Rigida Stiff Goldenrod
Sonchus Arvensis Perinnial Sow Thistle
Sonchus SPP Sow Thistle
Spartina Pectinata Prairie Cord Grass
Spiraea Alba Narrow Leaved Meadowsweet
Stellaria Longipes Long Stalked Stitchwort
Stipa Comata Spear Grass
Stipa Spartea Spear Grass
Stipa SPP Needle Grass
Stipa Viridula Green Needle Grass
Symphoricarpos Occidentalis Western Snowberry
Taraxacum Officinale Dandelion
Taraxacum SPP Dandelion
Thalictrum Dasycarpum Tall Meadow Rue
Thalictrum Venulosum Veiny Meadow Rue
Thalictrum SPP Meadow Rue
Thlaspi Arvense Stinkweed / Feild Pennycress
Tragopogon Dubius Yellow Goatsbeard
Trifolium Repens White Clover
Trifolium SPP Clover
Trillium Cernuum Nodding Trillium
Typha SPP Cat Tails
Ulmus Americana American Elm
Viburnum Lentago Nannyberry
Viburnum Opulus High Bush Cranberry
Viburnum Rafinesquianum Downy Arrow Wood
Vicia Americana Common Vetch
Viola Adunca Early Blue Violet
Viola Pedatifida Crowfoot Violet
Viola Pubescens Downy Yellow Violet
Zigadenus Elegans White Camas
Zizia Aptera Heart Leaved Alexanders
Zizia Aurea Golden Alexanders
