Sallie Phillips, No 3 / 2003
The Town of Babylon Department of Environmental Control takes a survey of threatened shore plants. In previous newsletters we have discussed the seabeach amaranth which is federally threatened because it has not returned to 6 of the 9 states that it originally populated. It has, however, done well on Long Island in recent years and on the Babylon beaches over 17,000 were counted in 2003. Another plant, Polygonum glaucum Nutt., seabeach knotweed, which is endangered in other Atlantic Coast States and is considered "rare" in New York, was included in the count this year. There were 900 of these annual flowering vascular plants tallied on Babylon Town beaches this summer.
Dennis Flanagan, No 2 / 1991
Eelgrass, Ugh!
Many people who visit the beaches in our area regard this aquatic plant as a nuisance only somewhat less annoying than biting flies. When we have a big wind, the waves tear up great masses of the grass in the shallow waters of Great South Bay, and the ebb and flow of the tides deposit it in long brown festoons on beaches where people like to swim and bathe and take the sun. At the public beaches much effort is expended to rake up the grass and take it away. In the adjoining waterways boaters curse the grass out loud because it fouls propellers and clogs engine-cooling systems.
The truth of the mater is that eelgrass is so basic to the local ecosystem that it deserved not to be cursed but to be devoutly blessed.
Eelgrass is not literally a grass but the marine plant zostera marina. All the same it looks and grows like a grass, forming vast green meadows in salty and brackish shallow waters. Also like a grass, it makes itself out of sunlight and carbon dioxide and a trace of minerals dissolved in the water - the process of photosynthesis. In ecological terms it is a primary producer: it does not need other plants or animals to thrive all by itself.
One of the primary concepts of ecology is the ecological pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid are the primary producers such as eelgrass. Above them are the animals that feed on plants - the herbivores. Finally, at the narrow top of the pyramid, are the carnivores, the animals that feed only on other animals. Eelgrass is at the base of the ecological pyramid in coastal waters from North Carolina to Greenland.
The pyramid is wide at the bottom because plant-eating is an inefficient process. It takes a lot of eelgrass to nourish a large aquatic herbivore such as a duck or a goose. Meat-eating is even more inefficient because it is indirect and the food chain is often long: large fish must feed on smaller fish, and the smallest fish either feed on tiny herbivores or are themselves herbivorous. It has been calculated that in New England 24 million tons of eelgrass can support five million tons of water foul but only 6,000 tons of cod and 5,000 tons of halibut, flounder and fluke. In other words, it takes 4,000 pounds of eelgrass to make one pound of cod.
For a long time it went unrecognized that eelgrass plays such a basic role in the coastal ecosystem. Then in New England in 1931 there was a catastrophic decline both is the number of water fowl and in fish catches. The same was true of all the other animals of the coastal waters, such as clams and crabs. What had happened? It was finally perceived that the cause was a blight of eelgrass! A normal parasite of the plant, the slime mold labyrinthula, had suddenly become virulent. Ninety percent of the eelgrass simply disappeared. It was 20 years before the eelgrass - and all the animals higher up in the ecological pyramid - recovered.
Have you ever snorkeled over the eelgrass meadows of our area? It is a treat in no way inferior to snorkeling on a coral reef in the Caribbean. For one thing, the water over the eelgrass is usually clear, because the grass itself traps the particulate matter that clouds nearby waters. For another, the sheer variety and abundance of living organisms in the grass goes far beyond anything in the Caribbean: small fishes of many different species, horseshoe crabs, blue-claw and spider crabs, sponges (including the colorful one called redbeard), snails (the tiny periwinkle and the giant whelk), clams (detectable on the bottom by the small double holes of their siphons), scallops (notable for the numerous bright blue eyes visible when the shells are agape) and all kinds of worms (my favorite has small feathery food-gathering fronds sticking up from the bottom that retract instantly when you touch them).
In fact, the eelgrass ecosystem is more like a forest than a meadow. In many places there are sandy clearings where the animals of the forest venture out to go about their business. By the same token in the eelgrass forests around the clearings many animals seek refuge from predators. Without such cover they would not survive to grow to a larger size and occupy their position in the ecological pyramid.
“Ecology” is often taken to mean conservation. This does the word an injustice. Ecology refers to all the interrelations of living things and the nonliving universe that gives rise to them. Snorkeling over the eelgrass woods at an altitude of two to four feet is a college course in the subject.
Sallie Phillips, No 4 / 1997
In the fall along the outer beaches the beautiful red and bronze leaves are more likely to be Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy and Sumac than Maple and Oak.
Virginia Creeper is a widespread, vigorous vine that will grow in any soil or sand. It doesn’t mind direct sun and also thrives in partial shade. The plant has twining tendrils and rootlets which are equipped with adhesive disks that release a gluey resin when they touch any possible host. It can climb to 20 feet or more. Along the barrier beaches Virginia Creeper plants flourish on the dead pine tree trunks, giving a bright green lush effectin the summer and showing off a vivid scarlet in the fall.
Virginia Creeper has alternating compound leaflets which are toothed and usually bunched in fives. Its inconspicuous pale-colored flowers develop to bluish-black berries on red stems that are a favorite of birds. Since this rambling plant is fairly resistant to disease and insects, once it takes over it is difficult to eliminate. Many of the Bayberries and Red Cedars along Ocean Parkway are completely entangled with Virginia Creeper. The effect is lovely but maybe not healthy for the hosts.
The Poison Ivy which is rampant on the barrier beaches, also provides some lovely fall colors as its leaves change from green to yellow to bronze-red. It presents itself as a shrub or a vine, the vine climbing by aerial rootlets that cling to trees. In some cases the stems may reach 4 inches indiameter. Like the Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy leaves are alternating and compound, but there are always three leaves which are waxy above and fuzzy beneath. The root system is shallow and widely spread. And too, Poison Ivy is not choosy about the soil conditions, hence its profusion along Ocean Parkway.
The old saw, “Leaflets three, let it be” is always good advice. Poison Ivy is a vicious plant because the volatile oil, which is present in the plant’s roots, leaves and berries, causes inflammation (or worse) beginning 12 to 24 hours after contact. Even dead plants are unsafe to touch and contact may be second hand or even through smoke.
The Sumacs are fast growing trees or shrubs with long alternating compound leaves with 11 to 31 paired leaflets. In the fall the Sumac leaves gofrom green to yellow to a brilliant red. Considered a “weed tree” by many foresters, Sumacs grow in poor soil, almost anywhere. Not surprising that they are at home on the outer beaches.
The Staghorn Sumac, so named for its furry, somewhat sticky twigs, bears clusters of fuzzy fruits which turn red upon ripening and are eaten by many types of wildlife. Smooth Sumac, as the name implies, differs by having twigs without fuzz and its leaves are longer. Poison Sumac has properties similar to Poison Ivy, perhaps even more virulent. It has smaller leaves with fewer leaflets than the other Sumacs and it is mostly found in wet swampy areas. The beautiful fall Sumac leaves are best avoided unless one can clearly distinguish the variety.
Sallie Phillips No 2 / 2002
Save the Beaches received an information sheet from The Nature Conservancy entitled, "Pulling Together to Manage Weeds". The first paragraph reads, "The Nature Conservancy has identified invasive, non-native species as the most widespread, critical threat to the native plants, animals, and communities we are engaged in protecting worldwide. The invasion of parks, preserves, and natural areas by weeds is a top threat to Long Island's biodiversity!"
The article continues, "Invasive wildland weeds are species that spread into natural areas, out-compete, damage, and often eliminate native plants, animals, and communities. …Thick growths of invasive weeds can displace the native plants that provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Weeds steal precious moisture, nutrients, and sunlight from surrounding native plants. As weed populations rise, native species populations fall. The worst weeds even change the character of the entire habitat by changing important processes such as fire, nutrient processing, and flooding. Weeds can hybridize with native species, and even make conditions favorable for other invaders.
"… Non-native plants and animals have been brought to the New York City and Long Island areas since the first European colonists arrived in the 1600's. …In the United States, we usually define non-native plants as those that have arrived since the time of European contact. But it is more complicated than that - humans may transplant American species to other regions within the U.S., but still outside their native range. For example California poppy growing on Long Island would be considered a non-native plant.
"…purple loosestrife, which is native to Eurasia …was introduced to the United States in the early 1800's as an ornamental plant. It is still a popular garden plant due to its long showy spikes of pink to purple flowers. Unfortunately, it has escaped into the wild where it crowds out native wetland vegetation, such as cattails, grasses, sedges, and rushes. …sadly, it is now appearing in Long Island's wetlands.
"…Throughout the United States and worldwide, staff and volunteers of The Nature Conservancy are working with conservation partners to prevent, contain, and control invasive plants, thereby protecting the native plants, animals, and communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth. For more information call Bill Jacobs, Director of Stewardship, at 631-367-3384.
Sallie Phillips No 12 / 2006
The rugosa rose, also called salt spray rose, beach tomato, sea tomato, large hip rose, wrinkled rose, beach rose, and Japanese rose, is very much at home on the barrier beaches from the mid Atlantic states to Maine. It is, however, a rose that is native to eastern Asia, where it also likes coastal areas, especially sand dunes. Its Japanese name translates to “shore pear”.
Brought to North America in the late 1700’s by plant explorers, this rose is very hardy and can be grown anywhere in the north. It does not do well in the southern heat and dry soils. It thrives in beach areas in the Northeast, being extremely tolerant of salt spray and storms. It can also be grown near highways because it is able to withstand being splashed with the salt used to deice the roadways. It’s no wonder that it is one of the plants which the State of New York distributes for dune and beach plantings and has planted extensively along Ocean Parkway.
The rosa rugosa has either white or dark pink single blossoms with one row of five petals. The pleasantly scented flowers are between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches across. The dark green, slightly waxy, leaves are crinkled, in fact “rugosa” means wrinkled in horticultural Latin. The leaves, which average 4 inches long, are pinnately compound with 5 to 9 slightly ovate leaflets, which are about 1 1/2 inches each.
The stems are densely covered with many short straight thorns each about 1/8 inch in length. This shrub flowers from June to September and then it produces large deep red fleshy hips which are from 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Sometimes in late summer the same bush may have flowers and hips at the same time. The hips will last on the plant in the fall and into the winter if the birds don’t get them. The rugosa’s leaves turn yellow in the fall before falling to the ground.
The salt spray rose is a suckering shrub which develops new plants from the roots and forms dense thickets which can be from 4 to 6 feet tall. As previously mentioned, the rugosa rose is an “introduced” species and on many New England States’ lists it is considered an “invasive plant”. It is a very hardy shrub and it is resistant to diseases like rose rust and rose black spot.
The large rugosa rose hips are valued by many people who eat them or use them for medical purposes. Some people say that the hips taste like tomatoes; some say they taste like persimmons.
In any case they are known to be rich in vitamin C. It has been said that a handful of rose hips has the Vitamin C equivalence of a dozen oranges. Certainly we are all aware of vitamin supplements which claim to be from rose hips. They are also high in Vitamins E, B3, and D and contain pectin, malic and citric acids, fructose, sucrose, and zinc.
Rose hips have been used to treat infections, gastrointestinal upset, congestion, and scurvy. I had a Gilgo neighbor who collected the rugosa rose hips to make a jelly or jam. Her product was good, but I suspect she added a lot of sugar, much like I do when making cranberry sauce.
Back to Top
PLEASE!
Preserve and Protect our Beaches.
@ 2006 Save the Beaches Fund, Inc.
Unless otherwise noted, the contents of this site are copyrighted and
all trademarks and copyrights are the property of Save the Beaches Fund, Inc .