Beyond the river's aquatic diversity, the Big Darby watershed also contained tremendous diversity of flora and fauna. The effects of human activity of the last 200 years, unfortunately, have been more devastating to these populations. The clearing of the watershed's virgin forest and the installation of agricultural devices in the prairies contributed greatly to the elimination of many of its plant and animal species.
Bur oak trees are the greatest in the midwest. They can live to be 200 to 300 years old. The bur oak tree leads the battle against prairie grass for possession of land. The bark of this tree is fire resistant which allows it to survive forest fires. It can grow to be 75 feet tall and spread to be 100 feet wide. The leaves of this tree are thick with glossy dark green color on top of the leaf and silver-white on the bottom of the leaf. (Boon, 76)
Purple Coneflower Picture by TNC Volunteer |
This purple colored flower blooms from June to October. They have a spiny, cone shaped center. The purple rays on this flower turn brown in late summer and remain standing throughout the winter. (Boon, 20) |
Solomon seal is found in the woods from May to July. Small white flowers bloom in clusters and mature from July to August into brown speckled berries. These berries then turn bright red in the fall. (Boon, 200)
Bark and timber fungi can damage wood and kill trees. The fungi often appear on the bark and produce spores, which, appear on the trunk of the trees, as small colored spots. Some fungus can attack the roots of the trees and show above ground as toadstools. (Johnson, 321)
Tall Larkspur Picture by TNC Volunteer |
Besides its many other medical uses, this wildflower was mainly used for the destruction of lice in the hair. (Coffey, 15) |
Yellow Lady Slipper Picture by TNC Volunteer |
This wildflower was used by Native Americans as medicine. The Cherokee Indians used this plant as a cure for intestinal worms. (Coffey, 326) |