Prairie Brooklyn

CartLegger: 30th Apr 2009 - 15:09 GMT

caveat: The plants seen here--phragmites are an invasive European species. So its not exactly what was once here. But if you squint your eyes, you can almost see Mannahatta.

Peter: 30th Apr 2009 - 15:35 GMT

hmm, that wiki link says there is now clear evidence of the existence of Phragmites native in North America long before European colonisation of the continent...

cahbasm: 30th Apr 2009 - 16:39 GMT

dude it's totally an invasive species, its a wetland plant anyway...

Peter Puleo: 1st May 2009 - 07:09 GMT

The plant on display in the photograph is a Phragmite. However there are both a native and imported species of this plant, but it was not until the 20th century that the out of control growth shown in the image above has manifested itself as this is a plant that thrives in disturbed areas and eventually tries to choke out its competition. As so much building has occurred in the past 100 years the amount of disturbed natural areas has ten folded allowing this plant to thrive.

The "Prarie" in question was called the Hempstead Prarie and was the only native and recurring grassland east of the Ohio River. It stretched in a narrow band beginning roughly in what is today the Borough Park section of Brooklyn and continuing east just below the terminal moraine to Syosset where it ended. The terminal moraine is the glacial deposit of the last ice age the hill that runs south from Eastern Parkway is a perfect example.

These grasslands thrived in this setting in Brooklyn roughly from Clarkson Ave to Kings Highway in its north to south boundaries. North of this was forest and Oak and Tulip trees, south of the prarie were fresh and salt water swamps dominated by Maple and Sweetgum woods.

Borough Park, Flatbush, Flatlands, East Flatbush and Brownsville were all built on the Hempstead Prarie. The best farming land on all of Long Island until urbanization.

Peter: 1st May 2009 - 13:12 GMT

thank you, peter p... as the person who put me on this whole brooklyn-prairie thing to begin with, im glad you shared that background info with us!