Survey of Tidal Marsh Natural Area, Neshaminy State Park

Neshaminy State Park is the only unit of the Bureau of State Parks that lies in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. There is little coastal plain in Pennsylvania, and only a few remnants that retain natural vegetation. As a result any significant fragments that remain are very likely to contain PNDI-listed plants and/or plant communities. This is certainly true of Neshaminy State Park. In addition the park lies along both sides of the Neshaminy Creek at its confluence with the Delaware River Estuary. Some of the best remaining fresh water tidal marsh habitat on the Pennsylvania side of the estuary lies along the Neshaminy Creek in the park. An 8-acre tract of tidal marsh adjacent to the park along State Road has recently been purchased by the Natural Lands Trust and will soon be transferred to the park. The park also includes populations of several rare coastal plain plants of upland areas or non-tidal wetlands including willow oak, wild bean, jointweed, broom-sedge, and round-leaved eupatorium. In addition we discovered populations of smartweed dodder and American holly.