This past Saturday, NeighborSpace staff joined our stewardship partner Muriel Cruickshank at Cherry Heights Woodland Garden to remove trash and invasive plants, and replace them with native trees and shrubs. With the advent of spring (finally!), NeighborSpace is keen to begin planting in order to ensure the long-term health of its parks.

Cherry Heights is located in Overlea and is fast becoming a popular destination for the neighborhood, whether for playing, walking, or just relaxing on one of the natural benches. In recent years, the highly invasive Lesser Celandine has begun to creep into the park, covering the forest floor in a blanket of green that prevents native perennials from establishing themselves. Muriel and her neighbors are well aware of this fact and have begun removing patches by hand in an effort to stymie its growth. By starting early in the season, they stand a good chance of limiting its spread, as the rhizomes by which it spreads have not fully developed yet. 

In addition to removing this particular plant, neighbors planted several native tree and shrub species, including a White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Willow Oak, two Silky Dogwood, and several Black Chokeberry. These plantings will help plug canopy gaps and shade out some of the Celandine, while also providing important food, habitat, and shelter for the birds and other animals that call Cherry Heights home.

Stop by Cherry Heights Woodland Garden today to check out the new look! The park is located between 7011 and 7205 Beech Ave, Baltimore, MD 21206.