Plants in the Parks - Battery Park City Parks Conservancy

Plants in the Parks
January - February 2015
While winter is often thought of as a time when plants are dormant, nature still puts on quite a show
during the colder time of year. There are many beautiful plants to be seen in the parks of Battery Park
City, even some blooming, in January & February. The plants below represent just a sampling.
Rhododendron mucronulatum ‘Cornell Pink’ or Korean Rhododendron looks pretty good in South Cove,
even now. In the spring it will be covered in lovely pink flowers.
We all enjoyed the Azalea "Delaware White" when it was in full bloom on the Esplanade.
Right now you can see the older and the newer leaves plus its seed pods.
Hairy Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta ‘Miyazaki’) is pretty magical in its dried state.
Take a close look at the fruits of the lily when next you pass it (along the Esplanade and in South Cove)
Erica tetralix 'George Frazer'
Located at the Irish Hunger Memorial
Another quiet beauty: these are the seed pods of Actaea simplex or
Cimicifuga simplex, commonly known as Snake Root. You will find them along the Esplanade.
The Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are already in bloom in South Cove.
They will continue to bring us cheer for several months.
In winter it is easier to see just how overwhelming
Wisteria can be. This is the stem of the Wisteria
macrostachya 'Blue Moon' growing on Kowsky Plaza.
The wire cable and the trellis are made to hold this
large vine upright.
Ruellia humilis or Fringeleaf Wild Petunia is a native
of the Eastern United States. It is ghostly in its current
state. Find it outside of Merchant's River House.
Another lovely addition to the winter landscape is this new dogwood cultivar: Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' or Bloodtwig
Dogwood. The stems are fabulous color. You can find them in the first Esplanade planting bed North of South Cove.
The Japanese Anemones are releasing their seeds right now. They look a bit like snow. You can see them up close near the Lily
Pond in Rockefeller Park.
The Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis var. jacuemontii ‘Whitespire’) is located at
Albany Street on the Esplanade next to the Upper Room.