Bean
Although no cultivated or wild species of bean grow at Triassic Park, their close relatives are extremely well-represented, notably at Lookout Point, where they comprise the majority of the herbs growing there. At least seventeen species of the bean family are growing on the property.
Bramble
Four close relatives of the bramble mentioned in the Bible grow on Triassic Park: Blackberry, Dewberry, Blackcap Raspberry, and Wineberry. The first three are native species, the last is an widespread Asian introduction. All produce edible berries when in season, from mid June through July.
Cassia
The Cassia mentioned in the Bible is actually the herb Cinnamon and has no close relatives at Triassic Park. Nonetheless there is a small relative of the beans growing here that is often called ‘Cassia’; Wild sensitive-plant. This small annual, which grows only a few inches tall, has mimosa-like leaves that fold up in the evening and bears small yellow flowers in the summer.
Cedar
The Cedar of the Bible is Cedar-of-Lebanon, which rarely escapes this side of the water. Its closest relative here is our native Red Cedar, which has needlelike leaves that superficially resemble the biblical tree’s. Scattered seedlings of Red Cedar are growing along the top of or in the vicinity of the quarry, and there are some nice medium-sized trees growing on the sheer rock faces.
Grape
Two species of native grape grow at Triassic Park in the open woods and edges of the quarry. However neither bears palatable fruit. A fairly common close relative, Fox grape, does produce edible fruit, but does not appear to be growing on the property although it doubtless occurs along French Creek nearby.
Laurel
Two relatives of the laurel grow at Triassic Park; Sassafras, a small tree with leaves that often resemble mittens, and Spicebush, a shrub that bears bright red berries in the fall and whose leaves and twigs when crushed or broken give off an aromatic scent. In the central and southern part of the property large colonies of Mountain Laurel grow in the woods. Despite its name it is actually a relative of the blueberries. It acquired its name because of a superficial resemblance to the Old World Laurel.
Lily of the Field
Some biblical scholars have identified this plant as an Anemone, a member of the buttercup family. If so, it has a close relative growing on the property; Thimbleweed. This plant, which produces greenish-white flowers in June and thimble-like fruits in summer and fall, can be found growing in the vicinity of the lower lookout.
Mandrake
The showy woodland herb Mayapple is sometimes called American Mandrake partly because of the superficial resemblance of the leaves to the old world plant and because the rootstocks contain a powerful poisonous drug. At least one colony of this common forest herb, which produces a yellow berry with edible pulp in late summer, grows near the base of the wooded hillside just south of the bar parking lot; it doubtless occurs elsewhere on the property. The Old World Mandrake is a member of the tomato family and is unrelated to American Mandrake.
Oak
Five different species of native oak grow at Triassic Park; White, Red, Scarlet, Black, and Chestnut. All are fairly common except for Scarlet, an good example of which is growing near the lookout point.
Papyrus
One small close relative of Papyrus, the sedge Cyperus strigosus, is growing on the moist ground at the bottom of the quarry (the scientific name for Papyrus is Cyperus papyrus). A number of other sedges are also present at Triassic Park, all of whom are relatively small and inconspicuous plants growing mostly in the woods.
Pine
Two species of native pine grow at Triassic Park: White Pine, present mostly as scattered seedlings in the woods, and Virginia Pine, a large specimen of which is growing on the lookout point.
Plane Tree
A close relative of the Plane Tree of the bible is our native Sycamore. Several small to medium-sized specimens of this often enormous tree with its distinctive shreddy bark can be found near the south rim of the quarry.
Poplar
Several stands of one of our native poplars, Bigtooth Aspen, grow in the young woods above and south of the quarry. Another one of our native trees, Tulip Tree, is also often called Yellow Poplar, although in the Magnolia family.
Reed
A large vigorous colony of Reed (Phragmites), the same exact species mentioned in the Bible, grows at the bottom of the quarry along the northern banks of the impoundment.
Rush
A native rush, Wood Rush, is growing on wooded banks south of the quarry.
Spikenard
A few small plants of our native Spikenard, an aromatic plant related to ginseng and sarsasparilla, are growing in the cracks between tumbled cut blocks of stone at the south end of the quarry. Our plant is not related to the Spikenard mentioned in the bible, which is a member of the Valerian family and native only on mountain slopes in India and Nepal.
Walnut
A small specimen of our native black walnut is growing on the steep wooded bank above the bar parking lot northeast of the quarry. This tree is common in floodplains of streams and rivers.