Newport hosts an incredible variety of
wildflowers, trees and shrubs.
For an in-depth look at the
plants of Newport
join a Naturalists on a hike OR click on the bunchberry below
to browse the flora list
 Flora Lists
Here are just a few "ingredients" to the recipe for
Newport State Parks flora extraordinaire:
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Location Location Location:
A Lake Michigan
shoreline community in itself may have varying plant species. This
occurs due to the normal flux in temperature, harsh winters and
temperate, often hot summers. But Newport is a very special case. The park
is on the tip of a peninsula that separates the bay of Green Bay and Lake
Michigan. The shoreline is scalloped with rocky points and deep sand
bays, not unlike many coastal areas. So what is so unique?
The secrets to Newport's fantastic show of spring flora and incredible variation
in other plant species includes( but is not limited to) the following
ingredients:
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Cool winds blowing off of the great expanse
of water: Lake Michigan
this creates pockets of "boreal
forest" conditions (cold northern forest climate)
and in some "micro" areas of the park even arctic conditions. Plants
that you may "normally" find in Canada or along the north shore of
Lake Superior, you can find at Newport.
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Limestone bedrock (basic pH properties)
The bedrock of Door County is a Dolomitic
Limestone. This bedrock has special properties. It has a very high
pH, in other words it is very basic. (A good analogy would be
garden soil, if your garden soil is too acidic it has a very LOW pH
so the only plants that will do well in your garden are plants that enjoy
very acidic soil. But if you would like to grow a larger variety of plants
you would need to add LIME to balance out the pH scale, to make the soil
LESS acidic.)
The soil of Newport must be very
BASIC then.... right? WRONG!
The bedrock does create a "basic" soil type but the major
vegetation (trees) that grows on top of the soil and the soil makeup
itself have the capability to change the pH from the top of the
ground to inches below the surface! That is where the next
ingredient comes in to play:
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Coniferous Trees (acidic pH properties)
The many varieties of pines, firs and cedar trees
in the park all have one commonality: acidity.
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Let's Mix up the ingredients so far: Limestone
bedrock and Coniferous trees create a soil pH range that just about covers the
full spectrum. There are patches of very acidic soil, of very basic soil and
anywhere in between. This creates an incredible diversity among plant life. The
pH of the soil here can vary by simply going up or down a few inches in the soil
horizons. Just about any plant can live in this area no matter what
its preferential pH may be. Add the cool but temperate lakeshore climate
and again create a diversity among moisture loving to very dry tolerant
species. Now of
course not all plants will make it here, we still deal with harsh winters,
unpredictable spring rainfalls and summer droughts. BUT The greater the range of
limiting factors: mainly Temperature and pH, The POTENTIAL number of
plant species increases. Join
the Naturalists on a hike or go it alone and see for yourself just how amazing
the flora of Newport is, in diversity, beauty, and rarity.
Remember:
*Many of the flora reproduce by means of
seeds. Picking the plants removes any chance of further reproduction!
Removing one single plant has an enormous effect on the surrounding ecosystem!
This means other plants, micro climates, wildlife and even YOU!
It is illegal and unethical to
pick or remove natural growth in a State Park with the exception of any fruiting
body ( mushrooms, nuts, berries)*
To learn more about the flora and fauna of Wisconsin
Browse the Wisconsin Natural Resources Online Magazine
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