Piermont Marsh - Hudson River Reserve, NY

Flora (Plant Life)

Emergent marshes are dominated by narrowleaf cattail and common reed, with lesser amounts of salt water cordgrass, salt meadow cordgrass, spikegrass and swamp rose mallow. Substantial parts of offshore shallows are bare mud, although submerged plants are also present. Water celery, curlyleaf pondweed, sago pondweed and horned pondweed are found in the shallows. The forest at the base of the Palisades Ridge has abundant and large beech trees, tulip trees, red oaks, black birches and flowering dogwoods.

Fauna (Animal Life)

The mudflats are used extensively by herons and egrets. Waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds feed in the area during migration. Large numbers of resident and breeding bird species, blue claw crabs, resident fishes, snapping turtles and diamondback terrapins are also present.

Endangered Species

Rare species found at Piermont Marsh include least bittern, osprey, bald eagle, peregrine falcon and diamondback terrapin. Rare plants include a sedge, button-bush dodder and saltmarsh bulrush.