In the past several years I have been studying two common ornamental flower genera; Muscari and Galanthus, as small-scale landscape models of invasive plant spread. Both spread slowly from their original planting, usually an abandoned homestead. Muscari neglectum is a hitchhiker which spreads along trails. Whereas, Galanthus elwesii is dependent on water flow/gravity for it to spread down a watershed. At Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County, PA Muscari neglectum has spread along a trail from its original homestead planting. Galanthus from a pair of sites at the Bordner cabin, Swatara State Park, PA has spread down an ephemeral creek to its end and down a shallow delta shaped slope into a swamp. Both systems are slow and have some historical documentation to help with the timelines of spread.

1. Two small-scale landscape
models of invasive plant spread
NENHC 2017

2. Richard Gardner
rtgardner3@yahoo.com
410.726.3045

3. http://www.slideshare.net/rtgardner3

4. Abstract
In the past several years I have been studying two common
ornamental flower genera; Muscari and Galanthus, as small-
scale landscape models of invasive plant spread. Both spread
slowly from their original planting, usually an abandoned
homestead. Muscari neglectum is a hitchhiker which spreads
along trails. Whereas, Galanthus elwesii is dependent on
water flow/gravity for it to spread down a watershed. At Blue
Marsh Lake in Berks County, PA Muscari neglectum has spread
along a trail from its original homestead planting. Galanthus
from a pair of sites at the Bordner cabin, Swatara State Park,
PA has spread down an ephemeral creek to its end and down
a shallow delta shaped slope into a swamp. Both systems are
slow and have some historical documentation to help with the
timelines of spread.

5. Muscari neglectum

6. Blue Marsh Lake is a flood prevention
impoundment owned by the Army Corps of
Engineers. Construction began in 1974 and was
completed in 1979.

7. The loop trail around the lake on which this
study was conducted is 28.6 miles. The length of
the study section is @ 1.0 mile starting near
mile 19.0.

8. area of study

9. area of study

10. area of study

11. probable homestead source
of M. neglectum

12. • M. neglectum spread about 1922 feet along
the trail between the furthest plants.
• The west end was 841 feet from probable
original planting to the last located plant.
• The east end was 1081 feet from probable
original planting to the last located plant.
841’
1081’
502’
472’
original planting
fishing trail

13. Over the three seasons of this study the
topography remained the same. However, trail
usage shifted the trail location in its corridor a
little and weather was a factor in mapping this
year, especially the exceptionally warm days
earlier this year followed by the late winter
snow storm on March 13/14 2017 which
changed bloom times and growth rates.

14. Seed movement
movement on birds, reptiles and
small mammals in local area
homestead, site of
original planting
parking area
lake shore
fishing trail
movement on dirt trail by hikers,
runners, people fishing, horses,
bicycles and maintenance
vehicles
movement by people fishing
secondary
downslope
movement
by water
flow (rain)

15. M. neglectum hitch-hiking along a trail imitates
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), Hesperis
matronalis (dames rocket) and Microstegium
vimineum (Japanese stilt grass).

16. Alliaria petiolata

17. Hesperis matronalis

18. Microstegium vimineum

33. Galanthus elwesii at the Bordner cabin,
Swatara State Park, PA

34. The Bordner cabin was built in 1939 by a local
industrial-arts teacher, Armar Bordner. It was
abandoned a few years after Bordner’s death in
1994.

41. Galanthus elwesii at this site is a model of the
spread of Ficaria verna (lesser celandine),
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
and other invasive plants which spread down
ephemeral streams and shallow slopes.

42. Ficaria verna

43. Microstegium vimineum

44. Microstegium vimineum

45. Microstegium vimineum and Galanthus elwesii

46. From the Bordner cabin in Swatara State Park,
G. elwesii has separately flowed down an
ephemeral creek to its end and a shallow delta
shaped slope into a swamp.

47. shallow slope
study
swamp
ephemeral creek
study
Bordner cabin

48. shallow ravine with
G. elwesii
permanent creek,
western boundary
ephemeral creek
@ 600’ from
start to end and
21’ wide
driveway
trail
Aycrigg's Falls
eastern
boundary
densest
concentration of
G. elwesii
several large
deadfalls
@181’ wide, @490’ from Bordner
cabin to end of most of G. elwesii

49. These two sites are separated by a small
permanent creek with Aycrigg’s Falls at its apex
which prevents the two sites from mixing with
each other.

50. Aycrigg’s Falls

51. Looking upstream towards the Bordner cabin on the permanent creek which separates the
two sites. This is below the trail that bisects the site.

52. G. elwesii has 2 forms of reproduction, sexual
through the flowers and asexual by the cloning
of bulbs.

54. cloning bulbs seed capsules

60. G. elwesii seeds in general only spread the
length of the peduncle, 7-12 inches, every year
on their own and cannot cross physical barriers
such as large logs, streams, trails or dirt roads.

61. However, during a short period every year the
seed pods float. If there is a heavy rain in that
time, the seed pods are swept down a stream or
slope with the water flow.

67. G. elwesii seed pods

68. G. elwesii seed pods floating in a cup of water.

69. ripe seed pods with seeds spilling out

70. ripe seed pods with seeds spilled out

71. Ephemeral creek is in the foreground. Permanent creek is in the middle. Swamp is in
the background. Bordner cabin is on the right.
ephemeral creek
permanent creek
Bordner cabin
swamp
G. elwesii
G. elwesii

72. ephemeral creek

73. ephemeral creek study

74. A slight upward change in slope mostly contains
the spread of G. elwesii at the bottom of the
ephemeral creek.

75. Looking up the ephemeral creek to its start. Left to right are the Bordner cabin,
permanent creek and the head of the ephemeral creek. Aycrigg’s Falls is in the center rear.

77. Looking downstream from the top of the ephemeral creek with G. elwesii along its sides and
bottom.

78. Looking downstream towards the end of the ephemeral creek from the trail
cutting across it with G. elwesii along its sides and bottom.

80. shallow delta shaped slope

81. shallow slope study

82. A swamp mostly contains the bottom end of the
shallow slope.

83. Even though G. elwesii can grow on hummocks
in the swamp, it cannot grow places where it
will have wet roots.

84. Looking upslope to the Bordner cabin. G. elwesii lines both sides of the driveway.

85. Swamp with G. elwesii in bloom. Bordner cabin is to the right.

86. Swamp with G. elwesii in bloom looking down slope.

87. Swamp with G. elwesii in seed. Bordner cabin is behind. Deadfall in background is the
approximate end of the densest concentration of G. elwesii.

88. Another slide showing the upper end of the swamp with the deadfalls in the background. The
straw in the foreground and throughout is Japanese stilt grass.

89. Daffodils and tulips are two similar plants common
to homesteads I have not seen spread.
On the other hand, Vinca sp. are another forb
characteristic of homesteads which spread
throughout the forest around a homestead using
different mechanisms than Muscari and Galanthus.

90. All of these models were found near home while hiking.
They are wonderful examples which show that significant
ecology research can be done in your backyard (backyard
ecology). The M. neglectum study is only 10 minutes from
home. The G. elwesii is about 45 minutes from home.
They are only a small part of what I am assured can be
found with an open mind.
Unlike exotic and expensive locations far from home
these models are local, easily verifiable, can be used for
comprehensive long term studies and are inexpensive.

91. Richard Gardner
rtgardner3@yahoo.com
410.726.3045
http://www.slideshare.net/rtgardner3
https://independent.academia.edu/RichardTGardner
We live in northern Berks County, PA.
Anyone who wants to visit us is welcome to.