The Wetlands

The wetlands help to increase the incredible biodiversity at Boxerwood by providing abundant quality habitat for those of us who live in and around the water. The wetlands also help with local environmental problems too! By functioning as a sort of natural sponge, the wetlands can reduce impact to the watershed by filtering some harmful substances out of the water that flows from our springs down through the wetlands and eventually ends up in Wood's Creek. (What is a watershed?? --click here quickly--you need to know this!!!)

As you continue your tour around the wetlands, crossing the zig-zag bridge to the other side, you will pass directly under the weeping cherry as you walk under the arbor and across the wetlands dam.

SHHH!!! Straight down below the weeping cherry along the edge of the wetlands is the best spot in the garden to look for frogs... but as any Boxerwood kid could tell you, you'll only get to see them if you have zipped lips and tipped toes. The green duckweed on the surface of the water makes an especially good camouflage for our most-often sighted wetlands amphibian, the green frog.

Algae and duckweed on the surface of the water in the wetlands gives it a pale green, almost solid-looking appearance. One of the major problems in the Chesapeake Bay is overgrowth of algae due to nitrates washing into the water, largely from lawn fertilizers. Too much algae decreases oxygen in the water (as the algae dies and bacteria eat it) as well as reducing sunlight to bottom-growing plants. In fact, there are no fish in our wetlands (as well as in the pond) because of this lack of oxygen.

Upon reaching the far end of the dam, look down and you will see where our creek exits after passing through the filtering wetlands and continues on down through the watershed. But don't miss the cypress tree on your right and those strange pokey things at the foot of the tree.  They are Cypress knees. No one knows why the cypress grows its knees or how they might benefit the tree, but they do provide shelter for frogs and other wetland creatures.

Another interesting tree is located between the wetlands and the pond -- a metasequoia species (Metasequoia glyptostroiboides) once believed to be extinct and known only through the fossil record. In 1941 a grove of live specimens was discovered in Southeast China; seeds were collected and sent to the Arnold Arboretum, which grew more trees and distributed the seeds to gardens in America and Europe, including Boxerwood! This species has been growing and reproducing itself for 50 million years! This picture was taken in early spring before the leaves come out. Come see its feathery leaves in spring!

Walk back around the wetlands to take a walk on these logs.  Note: The wetlands walk is closed temporariy while we repair the damage from a spring windstorm.

This could be you, walking through the wetlands among yellow flag iris. Watch out -- don't loose a shoe! But, it would be worth it because you might see some other famous inhabitants of our wetlands, such as bullfrogs, turtles, salamanders, and newts. Read here to find out about our amazing "popsicle frogs" in winter.