Botanical Museum

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower

Preserve with scenic trails, lush meadows and enchanting woods is a sanctuary for native plants, and it is the only accredited botanical museum in the country

By Lori Rose

The Japanese term shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, means making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest. It reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, boosts the immune system and improves feelings of happiness. What’s not to love?

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower

Preserve is the perfect place to experience forest bathing. It is a sensory delight. See, hear, smell and feel Bucks County in its most pristine sense. Walk through woodlands and wetlands, hear birds singing and little animals rustling, smell the earth and trees and water, close your eyes and feel the breeze on your face.

The Preserve is a sanctuary, where you will find only the trees, shrubs and plants that are native to the Delaware Valley area, and an educational resource for the community, inspiring an appreciation of native plants, conservation and stewardship.

Not to be confused with neighboring Bowman’s Tower, “Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is the only accredited botanical museum in the country dedicated to native plants. Unlike the many fine arboretums in our region that feature plants from around the world, the Preserve nurtures only plants native to our region. Plants that the Preserve has added over the course of many years are inventoried, catalogued, tracked and interpreted for the visiting public. Approximately sixty species that are classified as either rare, threatened or endangered are held by the Bowman’s Hill

Wildflower Preserve Association in the public trust,” according to their website, www.bhwp.org.

How did it all begin? Envision the 1930s, ninety years ago. Conservation and preservation of the natural beauty that is Bucks County was as relevant then as it is today. In the fall of 1933, W. Wilson Heinitsh worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Forest and Waters as a consultant for Washington Crossing Historic Park. Picnic grounds were in the plans. He was visiting the proposed picnic area, an untouched, peaceful, natural wooded area of the park.

Here, he happened to meet Mary K. Parry, chair of the Bucks County Federation of Women's Clubs. The two started chatting, sharing their mutual appreciation for the colorful, tranquil autumn setting that surrounded them. According to bhwp.org, “they imagined a sanctuary for Pennsylvania native plants with nature trails winding through wildflower plantings – a place where visitors could enjoy this natural splendor yearround. Both firmly believed that this area was far too beautiful to be turned into the ordinary picnic grounds proposed for the site.”

Opposite, meadows at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve are a habitat where native plants thrive, including wildflowers, grasses, sedges and rushes. Above, a bench waiting for someone to sit and think about the surrounding natural beauty. Bottom, the pond at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.

Using their positions and contacts, they got support from various Pennsylvania conservation/ legislative authorities, and ultimately, a gift from the Council for the Preservation of Natural Beauty in Pennsylvania to the Washington Crossing Park Commission was used to create Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.

Nearly nine decades later, wildflowers–plants one would expect to see growing in open fields–represent just a fraction of what the Preserve has on offer. When you visit, you will see and learn about native plants of all sizes, from trees to shrubs, perennials to annuals. Native plants, mostly straight species, as opposed to hybrids or cultivars, grew alongside our native deer, small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, bees and butterflies to give them the perfect habitat and food sources.

Opposite top, children walking through high grass, ready to explore nature. Bottom, a falconer eye to eye with a red shoulder hawk. Top left, a bee, collecting pollen from a Asclepias incarnata, Swamp Milkweed. Top right, a wood poppy. Bottom left, butterflyweed and tiger swallowtail. Bottom right, Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) moth on Allegheny monkey flower (Mimulus ringens).

Since its inception, the Preserve has been actively managed to promote native plant diversity. To keep the meadow from reverting back to forest over time, they mow it in late winter and work hard to remove invasive species that compete with our native plants. They have also excluded deer from most of the Preserve with a deer exclosure fence, creating one of the largest intact and deer-minimized forests in our area, a living museum of many species of native flowers, shrubs and trees that have all but disappeared elsewhere. The fencing allows deer access to the meadow area only, where they are free to browse.

The Visitor Center is the gateway to Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve. Here, a staff member or volunteer will give you all the information you need for an enjoyable visit. Pick up a Visitor Guide and Trail Map and start your adventure.

Just outside the Visitor Center is the native plant Idea Garden. See how you can use native plants to beautify your own home gardens and flower beds as well as benefit the local ecosystem. Native plants can require less maintenance than non-native garden plants because they are adapted to our local environment.

Your admission fee allows you to enjoy a self-guided tour of the Preserve and gives full access to all open areas. The five miles of trails are surfaced with gravel and linked by a paved pedestrian roadway. They wind through the forest, follow a stream, weave through wetlands and lead to the pond and meadow. Some trails are moderate, but most trails meander gently and are equally suited for a leisurely stroll or a fast-paced walk.

Guided wildflower walks are held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April to October, from 11am-noon and/or 2pm-3pm. The website says, “see flowers and fruits in season and discover fun facts about their use. Learn about the Preserve’s history, habitats and important plant-animal interactions while enjoying the beauty along the trails. Preserve staff and volunteer naturalists lead the tours. Tours leave from the Visitor Center, weather permitting, with a minimum of two and maximum of twelve guests.” For organized group tours, contact the Preserve at 215-862-2924.

My favorite suggestion from the Preserve is, as you enter each new section, listen to the sounds of nature around you. Maybe the hammering of a woodpecker, or the sound of water rushing over the rocks will attract you. “Letting your ears dictate your wanderings can often result in a spectacular nature moment.”

Looking for a great venue to host a gettogether? Look no further. The Pidcock Creek Bridge is not only one of the most often photographed bridges in Bucks County, but it also offers a magnificent view of the creek. There is a gazebo secluded in a lovely, wooded setting nearby, and both are available to rent for up to fifty people.

The Pond is a unique spot for a wedding ceremony or other outdoor party where you can see a truly mesmerizing amount of American lotus in the summer. Rental includes use of the stone patio as well as the surrounding lawn. The open area will accommodate up to two hundred continued on page 46