Prudence Island - Narragansett Bay, RI

Flora (Plant Life)

The vegetation of the uplands reflects the extensive farming that took place in the area until the early 1900s. After the fields were abandoned, woody plants gradually replaced the herbaceous species. The uplands are now covered with dense shrub growth of arrowwood viburnum, bayberry, blueberry and shadbush, interspersed with red cedar, red maple, sapling oaks, pitch pine, black cherry, common greenbriar and blackberry. Deciduous forest, primarily mixed oak, is slowly replacing the shrubs in some areas.

The salt marsh plant community dominates the northwest shore. The predominant plant species in the salt marshes are saltmeadow grass (Spartina patens), cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and spike grass (Distichlis spicata). Other common salt marsh plants include black rush, saltwort, marsh lavender and marsh elder. Eelgrass (Zostera marinarus) is found between Patience and Prudence islands and along the east shore of South Prudence.

Prudence Island

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