Last updated: August 31, 2021
Article
Lovell Island Plants
In a two-year project funded by the Island Alliance to study the vegetation of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area, 32 islands were surveyed and inventoried for vascular plant species. Field surveys began on 9 June 2001 and ended on 30 September 2002.
Below is the data collected for Lovell Island.
Data Notes:
* = introduced species
(v) = voucher specimen
(p) = photograph
Due to formatting restrictions, species scientific names are not italicized in the data table.
* = introduced species
(v) = voucher specimen
(p) = photograph
Due to formatting restrictions, species scientific names are not italicized in the data table.
| Species_Scientific_Name | Species_Common_Name | Family | Date_Observed | Habitat |
|---|
Notes on Habitats and Flora
Lovell Island’s upland communities include a variety of thickets and old fields as well as disturbed grounds adjacent to roads, fortifications, foundations, and picnic/camping areas. Much of the island’s upland vegetation is weedy and invasive.
Thickets on the northern side of the central drumlin are moist and well-shaded, approximating woodland communities. The dominant trees in these thickets are English oak (Quercus robur) and black cherry (Prunus serotina). Old foundation ruins on the northern end of the island are also moist and densely vegetated. Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) and intermediate woodfern (Dryopteris intermedia), species rare on the islands, grow among these old foundations. Most of the island’s thickets are drier, dominated by shrubs such as staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) and bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica).
Lovell Island has one wetland, a disturbed Phragmites marsh near the island’s northeastern end. Besides Phragmites australis, invasive species such as purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and broad-leaved pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) grow abundantly in this wetland, which was completely dry when it was surveyed on August 1.
The island has long stretches of sandy and stony beach, especially on the southern half of the island, and some dunes. These beaches and dunes have the most extensive stands of beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) found on the Harbor Islands. Mark Mello and Darrah Healey (2002) found a moth species of special concern, Abagrostis nefascia, in the dunes and beaches in the southern half of the island. Dense shrub thickets occur behind some of the dunes.
Note: The Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands are conducting a revegetation project on Lovell Island, and have planted a variety of native oaks and hickory on the central drumlin. These species have not yet naturalized on the island, and are not included in this inventory list.