Tryon Creek Naturalist Notes

This year’s annual Wapato Bird Walk on January 14th was attended by an amazing group of bird enthusiasts.  Although the day started out pretty dry, we were drenched by the last half mile of the loop around Virginia Lake.  We didn’t let that stop us though; stopping to admire each and every bird along the way.  Once again, I’m reminded what a jewel this property is!  I can’t wait for the next hike.

Euonymous occidentalis or Western Wahoo

You might see a late fruiting, unfamiliar plant along the trails of Tryon Creek known as Western Wahoo.  Western wahoo, also known as burning bush is a member of the Celastraceae or Staff-tree family.  It’s most often noted by its opposite (deciduous), finely serrate leaves and pink/red pod-like fruit, which I happened to mistake for flowers at first glance. 

You may be asking yourself, “what is the fruit all about?” I missed the wahoo flowering since the flowers tend to be hanging underneath the foliage on thin peduncles.  Peduncles are a scientific term for stems occuring on flower clusters.  When ripe, the seeds are covered by a reddish-orange aril (leathery capsule).  Pojar describes the fruit to be similar in construction to a cashew.  I may have to take a look at the next fruiting specimen I find under the dissecting scope to learn exactly what that means.

To confuse you even further, this plant is classified as a “sensitive” plant by the federal government which means it is not yet considered “rare”, “threatenend” or “endangered” but could soon be considered for one of the latter terms.  What I do know, is that you would never want to say any of this in front of a Western wahoo plant, for its feelings are very easily hurt. 

 How wonderful that this seldom seen plant has chosen Tryon Creek as its home.  Take an opportunity to stop and admire it the next time you are walking in the park.

Distribution map of Western wahoo from Oregon Flora Atlas

Ghost flower (aka Indian pipe)

Ghost (Flower) Sightings at Tryon Creek!

Many visitors are discovering this mysterious plant on the North Horse Loop and Maple Ridge Trail.  Folks come into the nature center talking about a plant unlike any they’ve ever seen, one that is completely white.  Indian Pipe, also called ghost flower, corpse plant, and ice plant, is so unique that it is listed in Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Pojar and Mackinnon) as an “oddball” plant.  Indian Pipe does not photosynthesize, but instead gets its nutrients by connecting to the roots of coniferous trees, such as the Douglas Firs that grow at Tryon Creek.  Amazingly, it uses fungi to tap into the roots of these trees.  Now that’s teamwork!  Look for this plant growing up to 25 cm. tall in the debris of the forest floor.