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Title: Forest Trees of Illinois (Third Edition)
Author: Mohlenbrock, Robert H.
Language: English
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Forest Trees
of Illinois
THIRD EDITION
By Robert H. Mohlenbrock
Department of Botany, Southern Illinois University
Photography by John A. Richardson and Robert H. Mohlenbrock
Illustrations by Miriam Wysong Meyer and Fredda J. Burton
Southern Illinois University
Printed by authority of the State of Illinois
Issued by
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
Division of Forestry
14
(17943—10M—4-80)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 4
Introduction 5
Illustrated Glossary 6
Key to the Trees of Illinois in Spring, Summer, and Fall 9
Key to the Trees of Illinois in Winter 27
Trees of Illinois 38
Special Places to Study Trees 318
White Oak, the State Tree of Illinois 322
Illinois Big Tree Champions 323
Index to Common and Scientific Names 324
District Foresters 330
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the late Mr. Fred Siemert, State Forester of the
Illinois Division of Forestry, for suggesting the need for a new “Forest
Trees of Illinois.” The first and second editions of this work have been
immensely popular, and the need for a third edition is gratifying.
This third edition is only slightly modified from the second. A few
illustrations and bark photographs have been substituted, and the key
has been improved in places. New material has been added to the
description of the water hickory.
I wish to give thanks to Mr. Al Mickelson of the Illinois Division of
Forestry for encouraging this third edition, and to his assistants, Mr.
John Sester and Mr. Ernest Kunze, for editing it for publication. Mark
Mohlenbrock has redrawn the leaves and fruit illustrated on pages 101
and 169.
Introduction
The initial edition of Forest Trees of Illinois was written in 1927 by
W. R. Mattoon and R. B. Miller, two prominent foresters in the state at
that time. This was revised in 1955 by Dr. George Damon Fuller, then of
the Illinois State Museum, and E. E. Nuuttila, State Forester of
Illinois.
In 1973, I prepared the first edition of the new Forest Trees of
Illinois with new text, keys, photographs, and illustrations. An updated
second edition was published in 1978. Because of the heavy demand for
this work, this third edition has been prepared.
Woody plants are usually divided into trees and shrubs, but the
difference between these growth forms is not always distinct. In this
work, we consider a plant to be of tree stature if it has a single erect
trunk which branches above the ground to form a crown. It must have a
diameter of at least 3 inches 4½ feet above the ground and an overall
height of 12 feet. Some of the plants included in this work are
borderline between trees and shrubs. The height of a plant may be
influenced by its geography. Thus, the Gray Dogwood (_Cornus racemosa_)
in extreme southern Illinois may reach the dimensions of a small tree,
but this same species in northern Illinois is also of a shrubby stature.
Almost every kind of plant in the world is known by a Common Name and a
Latin Name. The Common Name is the one used locally by residents of the
area. It is of limited value because people in different areas sometimes
have different names for the same plant. For example, one of the trees
in Illinois is known by some as the Ironwood, by others as the Blue
Beech, by others as the American Hornbeam, and by still others as the
Musclewood Tree. Then again, the name Ironwood applies to at least two
different kinds of trees in Illinois. The Latin Name for each kind of
tree is known the World over by the same name. Actually, the Latin Name
is composed of two words, the genus name, which is always capitalized,
and the specific epithet, which is not capitalized.
Of all the kinds of plants in the World, none is so well-loved, so
stately and majestic, as a forest tree. More and more people each year
are vacationing and seeking outdoor recreation. Many of them “take to
the woods” for their leisure, because the forests of our state hold an
unending fascination to many who enter them.
Moreover, trees provide us with building material for our homes, shade
for our lawns and parks, and hundreds of other products used in our
everyday living.
To know the trees we encounter is to enhance our appreciation for them.
The purpose of FOREST TREES OF ILLINOIS is to bring to Illinoisans a
means of identifying the trees that grow in this state.
Illustrated Glossary
In order to distinguish one kind of tree from another, it is necessary
to learn the major characteristics which the forest trees of Illinois
may possess. Illustrated below are several of the most commonly
encountered characteristics of leaves and twigs. A thorough
understanding of these structures will insure a quicker and more
accurate identification.
On the pages following the illustrated glossary are keys to the trees of
Illinois. A key is a botanical device which enables the user, through
proper selection of a series of choices, to identify a specimen at hand.
Separate keys are provided for trees during the spring, summer, and
autumn seasons and during the winter season. Begin at the first pair of
number 1’s, choose the statement that best fits the unknown specimen,
and then go to the next pair of statements beneath. Continue this same
procedure until the name of the plant is reached.
[Illustration: LEAF FORMS, ARRANGEMENT, SHAPES]
LEAF FORMS AND ARRANGEMENT
SIMPLE
PINNATELY COMPOUND
PALMATELY COMPOUND
DOUBLY PINNATELY COMPOUND
OPPOSITE
ALTERNATE
WHORLED
LEAF SHAPES
LANCEOLATE
OBLANCEOLATE
OBLONG
ELLIPTICAL
OVATE
OBOVATE
[Illustration: WINTER TWIG CHARACTERS]
WINTER TWIG CHARACTERS
BUD SCALE
TERMINAL BUD
LATERAL BUD
LEAF SCAR
LENTICELS
BUNDLE TRACES
{LEAF LAYERS}
UPPER EPIDERMIS
PALISADE LAYER
RIBS AND VEINS
SPONGY LAYER
STOMA
LOWER EPIDERMIS
LEAF TIPS
ACUTE
OBTUSE
LONG-TAPERING
LEAF EDGES
PINNATELY LOBED
WAVY
TOOTHED
DOUBLY TOOTHED
SMOOTH
LEAF BASES
HEART-SHAPED
TRUNCATE
ASYMMETRICAL
ROUNDED
TAPERING
Key to the Trees of Illinois in Spring, Summer, and Fall
1. Leaves needle-like or scale-like Group A
1. Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like.
2. Leaves compound (divided into 3 or more leaflets) Group B
2. Leaves simple.
3. Leaves opposite or whorled Group C
3. Leaves alternate.
4. Leaves neither toothed nor lobed Group D
4. Leaves toothed or lobed or both.
5. Leaves toothed but not lobed Group E
5. Leaves lobed Group F
GROUP A
Leaves needle-like or scale-like, often evergreen.
1. Leaves in clusters of 2 or more.
2. Leaves in clusters of 10 or more, falling off during autumn.
3. Leaves blue-green; cone-scales smooth _Larix laricina_
3. Leaves bright green; cone-scales hairy _Larix decidua_
2. Leaves in clusters of 2-5, evergreen.
4. Leaves in clusters of 5 _Pinus strobus_
4. Leaves in clusters of 2-3.
5. Leaves in clusters of 2.
6. Most or all the leaves less than 3 inches long, usually
twisted.
7. Leaves up to 1½ inches long; sheath at base of leaves not
longer than ⅛ inch _Pinus banksiana_
7. Leaves 2-3 inches long; sheath at base of leaves at least
⅓ inch long _Pinus sylvestris_
6. Most or all the leaves longer than 3 inches, rarely
twisted.
8. Leaves mostly less than 5 inches long; cone-scale with a
small spine _Pinus echinata_
8. Leaves mostly more than 5 inches long; cone-scale without
a spine _Pinus resinosa_
5. Leaves in clusters of 3.
9. Leaves flexible, mostly less than 5 inches long; sheath at
base of leaves about ¼ inch long _Pinus echinata_
9. Leaves stiff, mostly more than 5 inches long; sheath at
base of leaves about 1 inch long _Pinus taeda_
1. Leaves solitary.
10. Leaves evergreen, of 2 types, some of them scale-like and about
⅛ inch long, some of them needle-like and up to ⅓ inch long
_Juniperus virginiana_
10. Leaves falling off in autumn, all needle-like, usually at least
½ inch long.
11. Leaves 3-angled.
12. Leaves blue-green _Larix laricina_
12. Leaves bright green _Larix decidua_
11. Leaves flat _Taxodium distichum_
GROUP B
Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like, compound.
1. Leaves alternate.
2. Leaflets 3 _Ptelea trifoliata_
2. Leaflets 5 or more.
3. Main stalk between leaflets winged on either side
_Rhus copallina_
3. Main stalk between leaflets not winged.
4. Leaves with an even number of leaflets, often doubly
compound.
5. Leaflets not more than ½ inch wide.
6. Pods usually 12 inches long or longer, with 6 or more
seeds _Gleditsia triacanthos_
6. Pods 1-2 inches long, with 1-3 seeds _Gleditsia aquatica_
5. Some or all the leaflets at least one inch broad.
7. Leaves doubly compound; leaflets smooth along the edges;
leaves without a foul odor when crushed
_Gymnocladus dioicus_
7. Leaves once compound; leaflets usually with a few coarse
teeth along the edges; leaves with a foul odor when
crushed _Ailanthus altissima_
4. Leaves with an odd number of leaflets, once compound (twice
compound in _Aralia spinosa_, which has prickly leafstalks).
8. Leaflets without teeth along the edges.
9. Leaflets less than 1 inch broad and 2 inches long; twigs
with short spines at base of leaf stalks
_Robinia pseudoacacia_
9. Leaflets up to 4 inches long and up to 2 inches broad;
twigs without spines.
10. Some or all the leaflets alternate; base of leafstalk
conspicuously swollen _Cladrastis lutea_
10. All the leaflets opposite; base of leafstalk not
swollen _Rhus vernix_
8. Leaflets toothed along the edges.
11. Leaves doubly compound, often with small prickles on the
leafstalks and on some of the veins _Aralia spinosa_
11. Leaves once compound, without prickles.
12. All leaves with 11 or more leaflets.
13. Leafstalks and lower surface of leaves completely
smooth _Rhus glabra_
13. Leafstalks and lower surface of leaves (at least on
the veins) hairy.
14. Pith of twigs chambered when cut lengthwise.
15. Pith pale brown; bark dark brown, with roughened
ridges _Juglans nigra_
15. Pith dark brown; bark gray, with smooth ridges
_Juglans cinerea_
14. Pith of twigs solid.
16. Leaves strongly aromatic when crushed; twigs not
covered with velvety hairs.
17. Bud scales with yellow hairs; nut 1½ to 2
times longer than broad _Carya illinoensis_
17. Bud scales without yellow hairs; nut about as
broad as long _Carya aquatica_
16. Leaves not aromatic when crushed; twigs covered
with velvety hairs _Rhus typhina_
12. Some or all leaves with less than 11 leaflets.
18. Buds with 4-6 scales arranged in pairs; most of the
leaves with at least 9 leaflets.
19. Terminal leaflet without a stalk or with a very
short stalk; buds mustard-yellow
_Carya cordiformis_
19. Terminal leaflet with a well-developed stalk; bud
reddish-brown _Carya aquatica_
18. Buds with 6 or more overlapping scales; most of the
leaves with fewer than 9 leaflets (except sometimes
in _Carya tomentosa_ and _Carya laciniosa_), never
with 11 leaflets.
20. Teeth along the leaf margin with small tufts of
hairs _Carya ovata_
20. Teeth along the leaf margin without small tufts of
hairs.
21. Lower surface of leaflets densely and uniformly
hairy.
22. Stalk to which leaflets are attached densely
hairy; bark tight, not shaggy
_Carya tomentosa_
22. Stalk to which leaflets are attached smooth or
sparsely hairy; bark shaggy at maturity
_Carya laciniosa_
21. Lower leaf surface smooth, or with tufts of
hairs in the vein axils, or sometimes sparsely
hairy along the veins.
23. Scales of buds, stalk of leaves, and young
twigs rusty-hairy or -scaly _Carya texana_
23. Rusty hairs and scales not present.
24. Leaflets mostly 5; bud scales without hairs
at the tip; bark tight, not peeling
_Carya glabra_
24. Leaflets mostly 7; bud scales with hairs at
the tip; bark peeling at maturity
_Carya ovalis_
1. Leaves opposite.
25. Leaves palmately compound.
26. Leaflets mostly 7; buds very sticky _Aesculus hippocastanum_
26. Leaflets mostly 5; buds not sticky.
27. Fruit prickly; flowers yellow _Aesculus glabra_
27. Fruit smooth; flowers red _Aesculus discolor_
25. Leaves pinnately compound, or sometimes with only 3 leaflets.
28. Leaflets usually 3, or sometimes 5; twigs green or glaucous
_Acer negundo_
28. Leaflets usually 7 or more, sometimes 5; twigs not green.
29. Some or all of the twigs square _Fraxinus quadrangulata_
29. Stems not square.
30. Leaflets without stalks _Fraxinus nigra_
30. Leaflets stalked.
31. Stalks of the leaflets winged.
_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_ var. _subintegerrima_
31. Twigs and leafstalks smooth
32. Leaflets whitened on the lower surface
_Fraxinus americana_
32. Leaflets green or yellow-brown on the lower surface
_Fraxinus tomentosa_
GROUP C
Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like, simple, opposite
or whorled.
1. Leaves (or some of them) in whorls of 3.
2. Leaves with a bad odor when crushed; flowers with conspicuous
purple spots _Catalpa bignonioides_
2. Leaves without a bad odor when crushed; flowers merely lined with
purple _Catalpa speciosa_
1. Leaves opposite.
3. Leaves at least 6 inches long and 6 inches broad, heart-shaped at
the base, never palmately lobed _Paulownia tomentosa_
3. Leaves usually less than 6 inches long and 6 inches broad, not
heart-shaped at the base or, if slightly heart-shaped, then also
palmately lobed.
4. Leaves palmately lobed.
5. Leafstalk with milky sap when broken _Acer platanoides_
5. Leafstalk without milky sap.
6. Areas between leaf lobes mostly V-shaped; leaves usually
silvery or white on the lower surface.
7. Leaves deeply divided, the areas between the lobes
extending more than half-way to the midvein
_Acer saccharinum_
7. Leaves shallowly divided, the areas between the lobes
extending less than half-way to the midvein.
8. Leaves completely covered with a white felt on the
lower surface _Acer rubrum var. drummondii_
8. Leaves smooth or sparsely hairy on the lower leaf
surface _Acer rubrum_
6. Areas between leaf lobes mostly U-shaped; leaves green or
paler on the lower surface, not white or silvery.
9. Leaves with the edges drooping.
10. Leaves green on the lower surface; small leafy
outgrowths sometimes present at the base of the
leafstalk _Acer nigrum_
10. Leaves grayish on the lower surface; small leafy
outgrowths at the base of the leafstalk absent
_Acer barbatum_
9. Leaves flat, the edges not drooping _Acer saccharum_
4. Leaves not lobed.
11. Leaves toothed along the edges.
12. Edges of leaves regularly toothed from tip of leaf to
base; leaves usually short-pointed or rounded at the tip.
13. Buds, leafstalks, and veins on the lower surface of the
leaf covered with rusty hairs _Viburnum rufidulum_
13. Buds, leafstalks, and veins on the lower surface of the
leaf without rusty hairs.
14. Leaf stalks wavy along the edges _Viburnum lentago_
14. Leaf stalks not wavy along the edges.
15. Branches spine-tipped _Rhamnus cathartica_
15. Branches not spine-tipped _Viburnum prunifolium_
12. Edges of leaves toothed only above the middle of the leaf;
leaves tapering to a long point _Forestiera acuminata_
11. Leaves not toothed along the edges.
16. Upper surface of leaves rough to the touch
_Cornus drummondii_
16. Upper surface of leaves smooth.
17. Leaves with deeply impressed veins on the upper surface;
lower surface of leaves gray or whitish.
18. Leaves often nearly as broad as long; flowers
surrounded by 4 large, white bracts; berries red;
twigs green _Cornus florida_
18. Leaves longer than broad; flowers not surrounded by 4
large, white bracts; berries white; twigs gray
_Cornus racemosa_
17. Leaves without deeply impressed veins; leaves often
paler on the lower surface, but not gray or whitish
_Forestiera acuminata_
GROUP D
Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like, simple,
alternate, neither toothed nor lobed.
1. Most or all of the leaves more than six inches long.
2. Leaves long-tapering to the base; winter buds elongated, about ⅛
inch long, covered with reddish-brown hairs _Asimina triloba_
2. Leaves rounded or only short-tapering to the base; winter buds
either ½ inch long and white-hairy, or rounded and yellow.
3. Leafstalks usually more than 1½ inches long, hairy; buds nearly
round, yellow _Nyssa aquatica_
3. Leafstalks usually less than 1½ inches long, smooth; buds
elongated, white-hairy _Magnolia acuminata_
1. Most or all of the leaves less than six inches long.
4. Leafstalks with milky sap; twigs usually bearing small spines
near the point of the leaf attachment _Maclura pomifera_
4. Leafstalks without milky sap; twigs not spiny.
5. Leaves spicy-aromatic when crushed, twigs green
_Sassafras albidum_
5. Leaves not spicy-aromatic when crushed; twigs usually not
green.
6. Leaves distinctly asymmetrical at base, usually obviously
3-nerved from the base.
7. Leaves usually at least twice longer than broad, rounded at
the base _Celtis laevigata_
7. Leaves usually less than twice longer than broad, more or
less heart-shaped at the base _Celtis tenuifolia_
6. Leaves symmetrical at the base, with a single main vein.
8. Leaves heart-shaped at the base, about as broad as long
_Cercis canadensis_
8. Leaves rounded or tapering to the base, longer than broad.
9. Many of the leaves clustered near the tips of the twigs.
10. Leaves abruptly short-pointed at the tip
_Nyssa sylvatica_
10. Leaves tapering to the tip.
11. Veins of leaf deeply impressed, strongly arching
toward the tip of the leaf; fruit a berry
_Cornus alternifolia_
11. Veins of leaf not deeply impressed nor strongly
arching toward the tip of the leaf; fruit an acorn.
12. Lower surface of leaves hairy; leafstalk usually
hairy; leaves usually one inch wide or wider
_Quercus imbricaria_
12. Lower surface of leaves smooth except for the
veins; leafstalk usually smooth; leaves usually
less than one inch wide _Quercus phellos_
9. Leaves not clustered near the tips of the twigs.
13. Leaves usually with 10 or more pairs of veins;
leafstalks often 1½ inches long or longer
_Nyssa aquatica_
13. Leaves usually with 6-8 pairs of veins; leafstalks
rarely as long as 1½ inches.
14. Leaves abruptly contracted to a short point at the
tip.
15. Leaves usually about twice as long as broad; fruit
an orange berry about 1 inch in diameter
_Diospyros virginiana_
15. Leaves usually less than twice as long as broad;
fruit a blue berry up to ½ inch in diameter
_Nyssa sylvatica_
14. Leaves gradually tapering to the tip
_Rhamnus caroliniana_
GROUP E
Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like; leaves simple,
alternate, toothed but not lobed.
1. Leaves asymmetrical at the base.
2. Leaves with 3 main veins arising from the base of the blade.
3. Edge of leaf with low, rounded teeth or merely wavy
_Hamamelis virginiana_
3. Edge of leaf sharply or finely toothed.
4. Most of all the leafstalks less than one inch long; trunk
usually warty.
5. Upper surface of leaf very rough to the touch; leaves thick
and leathery.
6. Leaves tapering to a long point at the tip; most or all
of the blades 3 inches long or longer
_Celtis occidentalis_
6. Leaves tapering to a short point at the tip; most or all
of the blades less than 3 inches long
_Celtis tenuifolia_
5. Upper surface of leaf smooth or only slightly rough to the
touch; leaves thin and membranaceous.
7. Leaves at least three times longer than broad
_Celtis laevigata_
7. Leaves less than three times longer than broad.
8. Some or all the leaves 3 inches long or longer
_Celtis occidentalis_
8. Leaves less than 3 inches long _Celtis tenuifolia_
4. Leafstalks more than 1 inch long.
9. Leaves smooth on the lower surface except for small tufts
of hairs where the veins meet _Tilia americana_
9. Leaves hairy on the lower surface.
10. Lower surface of leaves white _Tilia heterophylla_
10. Lower surface of leaves green _Tilia americana_
2. Leaves with one main vein arising from the base of the blade.
11. Some of the twigs with corky wings.
12. Some or all the leaves four inches long or longer;
leaf-stalks more than ⅛ inch long _Ulmus thomasii_
12. None of the leaves four inches long; leafstalks up to ⅛ inch
long _Ulmus alata_
11. Twigs without corky wings.
13. Leaves very rough-hairy to the touch _Ulmus rubra_
13. Leaves smooth or soft to the touch.
14. Edge of leaf doubly toothed (each tooth divided into a
second small tooth).
15. Leaves distinctly one-sided at the base; leafstalks
often smooth _Ulmus americana_
15. Leaves only slightly one-sided at the base; leafstalks
hairy.
16. Bark of trunk with sinewy ridges; fruit enclosed in
flat, 3-lobed bracts; lower lateral veins of leaf
unbranched _Carpinus caroliniana_
16. Bark of trunk broken into scales; fruit surrounded by
inflated, bladdery bracts; lower lateral veins of leaf
branched _Ostrya virginiana_
14. Edge of leaf singly toothed.
17. Leaves smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks smooth
_Ulmus pumila_
17. Leaves hairy on the lower surface, at least where the
veins meet; leafstalks usually hairy _Planera aquatica_
1. Leaves symmetrical at the base.
18. Leaves with 2-4 irregular teeth along the edges.
19. Leaves usually with 10 or more pairs of veins; leaf stalks
often 1½ inches long or longer _Nyssa aquatica_
19. Leaves usually with 6-8 pairs of veins; leaf stalks rarely as
long as 1½ inches _Nyssa sylvatica_
18. Leaves more regularly toothed with more than 4 teeth along the
edges.
20. Leafstalks with milky sap when broken.
21. Leaf stalks and lower surface of leaf with long hairs
_Broussonetia papyrifera_
21. Leaf stalks and lower surface of leaf smooth or with short
hairs.
22. Lower leaf surface hairy between the veins _Morus rubra_
22. Lower leaf surface smooth or hairy only on the veins
_Morus alba_
20. Leafstalks without milky sap when broken.
23. Leaves at least 4 times as long as broad.
24. Leafstalks less than ⅛ inch long; leaves irregularly
toothed along the edges _Salix interior_
24. Leafstalks more than ⅛ inch long; leaves regularly toothed
along the edges.
25. Leaves green on the lower surface _Salix nigra_
25. Leaves whitish on the lower surface.
26. Each leaf with a pair of leaf-like stipules at the
base of the leafstalk _Salix caroliniana_
26. Each leaf without a pair of leaf-like stipules
_Salix amygdaloides_
23. Leaves less than 4 times as long as broad.
27. Leaves as broad as long or broader.
28. Leaf stalks not flattened.
29. Leaves strongly whitened on the lower surface, not
heart-shaped at the base _Populus alba_
29. Leaves not strongly whitened on the lower leaf
surface, heart-shaped at the base
_Populus heterophylla_
28. Leaf stalks flattened.
30. Leaves basically triangular in shape, coarsely toothed
_Populus deltoides_
30. Leaves basically ovate or spherical, coarsely or
finely toothed.
31. Leaves with 20 or more fine teeth along the edges
_Populus tremuloides_
31. Leaves with up to 15 coarse teeth along the edges.
_Populus grandidentata_
27. Leaves longer than broad.
32. Twigs usually with sharp spines.
33. Leaves broadest below the middle; fruit a small apple.
34. Many of the leaves narrowly oblong to narrowly
elliptic _Malus angustifolia_
34. Most of the leaves ovate to oval to broadly
lance-shaped.
35. Twigs and young leaves densely hairy
_Malus ioensis_
35. Twigs and young leaves smooth or nearly so
_Malus coronaria_
33. Leaves broadest at or above the middle; fruit a
hawthorn.
36. Leaves broadest at the middle; leafstalks one inch
long or longer _Crataegus viridis_
36. Leaves broadest above the middle; leafstalks up to ¾
inch long.
37. Leaves leathery, smooth on both surfaces
_Crataegus crus-galli_
37. Leaves not leathery, usually somewhat hairy on the
lower surface _Crataegus punctata_
32. Twigs not spiny.
38. Some of the twigs with corky wings.
39. Some or all the leaves 4 inches long or longer;
leafstalks more than ⅛ inch long _Ulmus thomasii_
39. None of the leaves 4 inches long; leafstalks up to ⅛
inch long _Ulmus alata_
38. None of the twigs with corky wings.
40. Individual teeth along edge of the leaf at least ¼
inch long.
41. Most of the veins not reaching to the tip of each
leaf; lower surface of leaf usually silvery-white
_Quercus bicolor_
41. Most of the veins projecting to the tip of each
leaf; lower surface of leaf green or pale, but
usually not silvery-white.
42. Leaves usually with sharp-pointed teeth.
43. Fruit an acorn; lower leaf surface usually
covered with very short hairs
_Quercus muhlenbergii_
43. Fruit enclosed in a prickly bur; lower leaf
surface smooth or nearly so _Castanea dentata_
42. Leaves usually with somewhat rounded teeth.
44. Cup of acorn at least 1 inch across; trunk
whitish to gray _Quercus michauxii_
44. Cup of acorn less than 1 inch across; trunk
brown to black _Quercus prinus_
40. Individual teeth along edge of leaf up to ⅛ inch
long.
45. Some of the leaves produced from short, stubby
shoots along the main twigs _Ilex decidua_
45. Twigs without short, stubby side shoots.
46. Leafstalks with 1 or more small glands
(“bumps”), usually near the point of attachment
to the blade.
47. Each tooth along the edge of the leaf bearing
a small, reddish-brown gland.
48. Some or all leaves one inch broad or
broader.
49. Leaves flat _Prunus hortulana_
49. Leaves more or less folded down the middle
_Prunus munsoniana_
48. None of the leaves as much as one inch broad
_Prunus angustifolia_
47. Teeth along the edge of the leaf not bearing a
gland.
50. Leaves usually with a dull, wrinkled
surface; fruit a plum _Prunus americana_
50. Leaves usually appearing smooth and rather
shiny; fruit an elongated cluster of small
cherries.
51. Teeth along edge of leaf curving inward,
usually rather blunt _Prunus serotina_
51. Teeth along edge of leaf pointing outward,
usually sharp-pointed _Prunus virginiana_
46. Leafstalks not bearing glands.
52. Leaves doubly toothed along the edges.
53. Bark peeling off into papery strips or
layers; leaves usually about two-thirds as
broad as long or broader.
54. Bark yellowish, silvery-gray, or
creamy-white.
55. Bark yellowish or silvery-gray; leaves
with 8 or more pairs of veins
_Betula lutea_
55. Bark creamy-white; leaves with no more
than 7 pairs of veins
_Betula papyrifera_
54. Bark reddish-brown _Betula nigra_
53. Bark broken into small plates, or smooth and
sinewy, not peeling off into papery strips
or layers.
56. Bark of trunk with sinewy ridges; fruit
enclosed in flat, 3-lobed bracts; lower
lateral veins of leaf unbranched
_Carpinus caroliniana_
56. Bark of trunk broken into scales; fruit
enclosed in inflated, bladdery bracts;
lower lateral veins of leaf branched
_Ostrya virginiana_
52. Leaves singly toothed along the edges.
57. Leaves heart-shaped at the base.
58. Leaves up to six inches long and nearly as
broad _Populus heterophylla_
58. Leaves not more than four inches long and
about half as broad.
59. Leaves bronze as they unfold; leafstalk
smooth _Amelanchier laevis_
59. Leaves densely white-hairy as they
unfold; leafstalk somewhat hairy
_Amelanchier arborea_
57. Leaves rounded or tapering to the base, not
heart-shaped.
60. Teeth along edge of leaf widely spaced, at
least ¼ inch apart _Fagus grandifolia_
60. Teeth along edge of leaf closely and
regularly spaced.
61. Leafstalk hairy; fruit fleshy.
62. Leaves shiny on the upper surface;
leafstalks ½ inch long or longer
_Rhamnus caroliniana_
62. Leaves dull on the upper surface;
leafstalks up to ¼ inch long
_Planera aquatica_
61. Leafstalk smooth at maturity; fruit dry
and variously winged.
63. Some of the leaves three inches long
or longer; fruit 4-winged or a woody
“cone.”
64. Leaves pointed at the tip; fruit
4-winged _Halesia carolina_
64. Leaves rounded at the tip; fruit a
woody “cone” _Alnus glutinosa_
63. Leaves less than 3 inches long; fruit
surrounded by a flat wing
_Ulmus pumila_
GROUP F
Leaves broad and flat, never needle-like or scale-like; leaves simple,
alternate, lobed.
1. Leafstalks with milky sap when broken.
2. Leafstalks and lower surface of leaf with long hairs
_Broussonetia papyrifera_
2. Leafstalks and lower surface of leaf smooth or with short hairs.
3. Lower leaf surface hairy between the veins _Morus rubra_
3. Lower leaf surface smooth or hairy only on the veins
_Morus alba_
1. Leafstalks without milky sap when broken.
4. Twigs usually with sharp spines.
5. Leaves broadest at the middle or above the middle.
6. Leaves broadest at the middle; lower surface of leaf smooth
except for a few tufts of hairs near the veins
_Crataegus viridis_
6. Leaves broadest above the middle; lower surface of leaf hairy
throughout _Crataegus punctata_
5. Leaves broadest below the middle.
7. Leaves hairy throughout on the lower surface.
8. Leaves mostly tapering to the base; fruit a crab apple
_Malus ioensis_
8. Leaves rounded at the base; fruit a hawthorn.
9. Fruit with pitted seeds; flowers appearing in late May
and June _Crataegus calpodendron_
9. Fruit without pitted seeds; flowers appearing in April or
early May _Crataegus mollis_
7. Leaves smooth on the lower surface or hairy only on the
veins.
10. Leaves tapering to the base.
11. Leaves oval to ovate to broadly lance-shaped
_Malus coronaria_
11. Leaves narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic
_Malus angustifolia_
10. Leaves rounded at the base.
12. Leaves blue-green; fruit spherical or nearly so
_Crataegus pruinosa_
12. Leaves green; fruit shaped like a little apple
_Malus coronaria_
4. Twigs without spines.
13. Leaves star-shaped _Liquidambar styraciflua_
13. Leaves not star-shaped.
14. Leaves 4-lobed, smooth on both surfaces
_Liriodendron tulipifera_
14. Leaves more than 4-lobed, hairy on one or both surfaces.
15. Leaves palmately lobed and veined.
16. Leaves densely coated with white felt on the lower
surface _Populus alba_
16. Leaves without a coat of white felt on the lower surface
_Platanus occidentalis_
15. Leaves pinnately lobed and veined.
17. Lobes of leaf with bristle-tips.
18. Leaves broadest above the middle _Quercus marilandica_
18. Leaves broadest at or below the middle.
19. Leaves hairy throughout on the lower surface.
20. Lower surface of leaves with gray hairs; base of
leaf blade usually broadly rounded.
21. Leaves with 5-11 more or less equal lobes, the
uppermost lobe not strongly curved
_Quercus pagodaefolia_
21. Leaves with 3-5 more or less unequal lobes, the
uppermost lobes often strongly curved
_Quercus falcata_
20. Lower surface of leaves with rusty hairs; base of
leaf blade not broadly rounded _Quercus velutina_
19. Leaves smooth on the lower surface or hairy only
next to the veins.
22. Leaves divided less than halfway to the middle.
23. Leafstalks hairy; buds hairy, gray
_Quercus velutina_
23. Leafstalks smooth; buds smooth, reddish-brown
_Quercus rubra_
22. Leaves divided more than halfway to the middle.
24. Leafstalks hairy; cup of acorn fringed around
the edge _Quercus velutina_
24. Leafstalks smooth; cup of acorn not fringed
around the edge.
25. Lower surface of leaves with large tufts of
hairs in the vein axils.
26. Cup of acorn saucer-shaped.
27. Cup of acorn up to ½ inch broad.
_Quercus palustris_
27. Cup of acorn more than ½ inch broad
_Quercus shumardii_
26. Cup of acorn top-shaped.
28. Cup of acorn enclosing about ⅓ the nut at
most _Quercus shumardii_
28. Cup of acorn enclosing more than one-third
of the nut _Quercus ellipsoidalis_
25. Lower surface of leaves smooth or with small
tufts in hairs in the vein axils
_Quercus coccinea_
17. Lobes of leaf with round tips, not bristle-tipped.
29. Leaves smooth on the lower surface _Quercus alba_
29. Leaves hairy on the lower surface.
30. Upper three lobes of leaf squarish, forming a cross;
twigs hairy _Quercus stellata_
30. Leaves without three squarish lobes at the upper
end; twigs smooth or nearly so.
31. Edge of acorn cup with a fringe
_Quercus macrocarpa_
31. Edge of acorn cup not fringed _Quercus lyrata_
Key to Illinois Trees in Winter
1. Green leaves present during winter, needle-like or scale-like
Group G
1. Green leaves absent during winter Group H
GROUP G
1. Leaves in clusters of 2 or more.
2. Leaves in clusters of 5 _Pinus strobus_
2. Leaves in clusters of 2-3.
3. Leaves in clusters of 2.
4. Most or all the leaves less than 3 inches long, usually
twisted.
5. Leaves up to 1½ inches long; sheath at base of leaves not
longer than ⅛ inch _Pinus banksiana_
5. Leaves 2-3 inches long; sheath at base of leaves at least ⅓
inch long _Pinus sylvestris_
4. Most or all the leaves longer than 3 inches, rarely twisted.
6. Leaves mostly less than 5 inches long; cone-scale with a
small spine _Pinus echinata_
6. Leaves mostly more than 5 inches long; cone-scale without a
spine _Pinus resinosa_
3. Leaves in clusters of 3.
7. Leaves flexible, mostly less than 5 inches long; sheath at
base of leaves about ¼ inch long _Pinus echinata_
7. Leaves stiff, mostly more than 5 inches long; sheath at base
of leaves about 1 inch long _Pinus taeda_
1. Leaves solitary, of 2 types, some of them scale-like and about ⅛
inch long, some of them needle-like and up to ⅓ inch long
_Juniperus virginiana_
GROUP H
1. Leaf scars absent (scars which resemble leaf scars present but
lacking bundle scars) _Taxodium distichum_
1. Leaf scars present.
2. Leaf scars in whorls of 3 _Catalpa spp._
2. Leaf scars opposite or alternate.
3. Leaf scars opposite.
4. Bundle scar 1 _Forestiera acuminata_
4. Bundle scars 3 or more.
5. Bundle scars usually 9 or more.
6. Pith hollow or sometimes chambered _Paulownia tomentosa_
6. Pith solid, not chambered.
7. Twigs 4-sided _Fraxinus quadrangulata_
7. Twigs not 4-sided.
8. Twigs hairy.
9. Leaf scars notched at top.
10. Twigs with conspicuous large lenticels; trunks
swollen at the base _Fraxinus tomentosa_
10. Twigs with inconspicuous lenticels; trunks not
swollen at the base _Fraxinus americana_
9. Leaf scars more or less straight across at the top
_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_
8. Twigs smooth.
11. Leaf scars oval; buds brownish-black to black
_Fraxinus nigra_
11. Leaf scars half-round; buds brown.
12. Leaf scars notched at the top
_Fraxinus americana_
12. Leaf scars more or less straight across the top
_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_ var. _subintegerrima_
5. Bundle scars usually 3-7 (sometimes 9 in _Acer negundo_).
13. Leaf scars very broad, usually at least ⅓ inch across.
14. Bark smooth _Aesculus discolor_
14. Bark becoming furrowed and scaly _Aesculus glabra_
13. Leaf scars narrow, less than ⅓ inch across.
15. Buds with 2 exposed outer scales.
16. Twigs gray or gray-brown.
17. Buds long and narrow, at least 5 times longer than
broad _Viburnum lentago_
17. Buds shorter, at most 3 times longer than broad.
18. Buds reddish-brown.
19. Buds smooth or scurfy _Viburnum prunifolium_
19. Buds hairy _Viburnum rufidulum_
18. Buds light brown.
20. Buds hairy _Cornus drummondii_
20. Buds smooth or nearly so _Cornus racemosa_
16. Twigs purple or orange-brown.
21. Twigs purplish _Cornus florida_
21. Twigs orange-brown, at least usually not purplish
_Cornus racemosa_
15. Buds with more than 2 exposed scales.
22. Twigs green or glaucous _Acer negundo_
22. Twigs brown.
23. Buds rounded, several in a cluster; twigs red or
orange.
24. Twigs hairy _Acer rubrum var. drummondii_
24. Twigs smooth.
25. Twigs with an unpleasant odor; bark scaly
_Acer saccharinum_
25. Twigs without an unpleasant odor; bark not
scaly _Acer rubrum_
23. Buds elongated; twigs brown or gray.
26. Ends of some twigs tapering to a spine
_Rhamnus cathartica_
26. Ends of twigs not spiny.
27. Twigs (at least by the time they are 2 years
old) pale gray-brown, dull _Acer nigrum_
27. Twigs pale reddish-brown, shiny.
28. Buds pointed at the tip _Acer saccharum_
28. Buds more or less rounded at the tip
_Acer barbatum_
3. Leaf scars alternate.
29. Thorns or spines present.
30. Spines in pairs _Robinia pseudoacacia_
30. Spines solitary, although sometimes branched.
31. Spines scattered all along the twigs and branches
_Aralia spinosa_
31. Spines not scattered all along the twigs and branches.
32. Thorns branched _Gleditsia spp._
32. Thorns unbranched.
33. Buds pointed at the tip.
34. Twigs usually hairy _Malus ioensis_
34. Twigs usually smooth.
35. Buds with reddish scales _Malus coronaria_
35. Buds with chestnut-brown scales
_Malus angustifolia_
33. Buds more or less rounded at the tip.
36. Terminal bud absent _Maclura pomifera_
36. Terminal bud present _Crataegus spp._
29. Thorns or spines absent.
37. Pith chambered, at least at the nodes.
38. Leaf scars 3-lobed and usually with 3 groups of bundle
scars.
39. Pith pale brown; leaf scars without velvety hairs at
the top _Juglans nigra_
39. Pith chocolate-brown; leaf scars with velvety hairs at
the top _Juglans cinerea_
38. Leaf scars half-round, not 3-lobed.
40. Pith chambered only at the nodes; stipular scars
present.
41. Buds about ¼ inch long _Celtis occidentalis_
41. Buds about ⅛ inch long.
42. Twigs usually smooth; trees _Celtis laevigata_
42. Twigs usually hairy; shrubs _Celtis tenuifolia_
40. Pith chambered between the nodes as well as at most of
the nodes; stipular scars absent.
43. Exposed bud scales 2 _Diospyros virginiana_
43. Exposed bud scales 4 _Halesia carolina_
37. Pith solid, although sometimes with diaphragms.
44. Pith with diaphragms.
45. Buds without bud scales _Asimina triloba_
45. Buds with 1 or more scales.
46. Bud scales 1-2; bundle scars 7 or more; stipular
scars present.
47. Bud scale 1, hairy _Magnolia acuminata_
47. Bud scales 2, smooth _Liriodendron tulipifera_
46. Bud scales 3-several; bundle scars 3; stipular scars
absent.
48. Buds about ¼ inch long _Nyssa sylvatica_
48. Buds up to 1 inch long _Nyssa aquatica_
44. Pith without diaphragms.
49. Bundle scar 1.
50. Twigs orange; bark reddish-brown _Larix decidua_
50. Twigs orange; bark reddish-brown _Larix laricina_
49. Bundle scars 2 or more.
51. Stipular scars forming a ring around the twig
_Platanus occidentalis_
51. Stipular scars not forming a ring around the twig,
or absent.
52. Twigs aromatic when cut.
53. Twigs green; buds generally smooth
_Sassafras albidum_
53. Twigs orange-brown; buds generally hairy
_Betula lutea_
52. Twigs not aromatic when cut.
54. Buds without scales.
55. Terminal buds larger than the rest of the
buds.
56. Buds rusty-hairy or gray-woolly.
57. Buds rusty-hairy, 2-3 times longer than
broad _Asimina triloba_
57. Buds gray-woolly, not much longer than
broad _Malus ioensis_
56. Buds smooth or, if hairy, not conspicuously
rusty-hairy or gray-woolly.
58. Leaf scars lobed; twigs without stipular
scars.
59. Buds bright yellow _Carya cordiformis_
59. Buds brown or reddish-brown.
60. Terminal bud up to ½ inch long; twigs
with orange lenticels
_Carya illinoensis_
60. Terminal bud up to ¼ inch long; twigs
with pale lenticels _Carya aquatica_
58. Leaf scars unlobed; twigs with stipular
scars.
61. Buds pale brown; twigs often zig-zag
_Hamamelis virginiana_
61. Buds light brown; twigs mostly straight
_Rhamnus caroliniana_
55. Terminal buds smaller than other buds, or
absent.
62. Pith reddish-brown; leaf scars often ½ inch
across _Gymnocladus dioicus_
62. Pith not reddish-brown; leaf scars less than
½ inch across.
63. Milky sap present.
64. Twigs hairy.
65. Twigs velvety; pith yellow
_Rhus typhina_
65. Twigs not velvety; pith whitish
_Rhus copallina_
64. Twigs smooth _Rhus glabra_
63. Milky sap absent.
66. Leaf scars completely encircling the bud
_Cladrastis lutea_
66. Leaf scars only partly encircling the
bud _Ptelea trifoliata_
54. Buds with 1 or more scales.
67. Buds with 1 scale _Salix spp._
67. Buds with 2 or more scales.
68. Bundle scar 1.
69. Twigs with short spur-like shoots
_Ilex decidua_
69. Twigs without short spur-like shoots
_Diospyros virginiana_
68. Bundle scars 2 or more.
70. Buds at least 4 times longer than broad.
71. Stipular scars encircling the twig, or
nearly so _Fagus grandifolia_
71. Stipular scars not encircling the twigs,
or absent.
72. Lowermost bud scale directly above the
leaf scar _Populus deltoides_
72. Lowermost bud scale to one side of
leaf scar.
73. Twigs reddish-brown, with pale
lenticels _Amelanchier arborea_
73. Twigs gray-brown, with dark
lenticels _Amelanchier laevis_
70. Buds less than 4 times longer than
broad. (Go to 74)
74. Pith star-shaped, or triangular, or variously lobed in
cross-section.
75. Lowermost bud scale directly above the leaf scar.
76. Twigs densely hairy; bark white _Populus alba_
76. Twigs smooth or sparsely hairy.
77. Visible bud scales more than 4.
78. Buds smooth, shiny, brown _Populus tremuloides_
78. Buds hairy, dull, gray _Populus grandidentata_
77. Visible bud scales 3-4.
79. Buds at least ½ inch long _Populus deltoides_
79. Buds less than ½ inch long _Populus heterophylla_
75. Lowermost bud scale to one side of leaf scar.
80. Buds clustered near the tip of the twig; bud scales in 5 rows.
81. Buds at least ¼ inch long.
82. Buds angular.
83. Buds smooth _Quercus shumardii_
83. Buds hairy, at least at tip.
84. Buds hairy all over.
85. Buds with rusty or brown hairs.
86. Buds with rusty hairs _Quercus marilandica_
86. Buds with brown hairs _Quercus michauxii_
85. Buds with gray hairs _Quercus velutina_
84. Buds hairy only at the tip.
87. Buds light red-brown _Quercus pagodaefolia_
87. Buds dark red-brown _Quercus coccinea_
82. Buds not angular.
88. Buds and twigs orange-brown _Quercus prinus_
88. Buds and twigs red, red-brown, dark brown, or
gray-brown.
89. Buds red or red-brown.
90. Buds light red to light red-brown _Quercus rubra_
90. Buds dark red to dark red-brown _Quercus falcata_
89. Buds dark brown _Quercus coccinea_
81. Buds less than ¼ inch long.
91. Buds pointed at the tip.
92. Buds and twigs brown to orange-brown
_Quercus muhlenbergii_
92. Buds and twigs red to red-brown to gray-brown.
93. Scales of buds hairy.
94. Twigs dark red-brown to gray; buds red-brown
_Quercus falcata_
94. Twigs light or dark brown; buds gray-brown
_Quercus imbricaria_
93. Scales of buds smooth or nearly so.
95. Buds dark red-brown _Quercus phellos_
95. Buds light red-brown _Quercus palustris_
91. Buds more or less rounded.
96. Twigs red-brown, shiny.
97. Buds not angular _Quercus alba_
97. Buds angular _Quercus ellipsoidalis_
96. Twigs gray to yellow-brown to purplish, dull.
98. Twigs and buds smooth or nearly so.
99. Twigs purplish, with a whitish coating
_Quercus bicolor_
99. Twigs gray to yellow-brown _Quercus lyrata_
98. Twigs and buds hairy.
100. Buds red-brown _Quercus stellata_
100. Buds gray to gray-brown _Quercus macrocarpa_
80. Buds not clustered near the tip of the twig; bud scales not in
5 rows.
101. Bundle scars in more than 3 groups; leaf scars lobed.
102. Visible bud scales 2.
103. Buds bright yellow _Carya cordiformis_
103. Bud scales brown or reddish-brown.
104. Terminal bud up to ½ inch long; twigs with orange
lenticels _Carya illinoensis_
104. Terminal bud up to ¼ inch long; twigs with pale
lenticels _Carya aquatica_
102. Visible bud scales more than 2.
105. Some or all the terminal buds ½ inch long or longer.
106. Outermost bud scales falling away early, revealing
pale inner scales; bark not peeling _Carya tomentosa_
106. Outermost bud scales persistent; bark peeling.
107. Twigs orange-brown, with orange lenticels
_Carya laciniosa_
107. Twigs dark brown or red-brown, with pale lenticels
_Carya ovata_
105. Terminal buds usually less than ½ inch long.
108. Buds rusty-hairy, with silvery or yellow scales
_Carya texana_
108. Buds smooth or only slightly hairy, without scales.
109. Bark smooth or furrowed, not scaly _Carya glabra_
109. Bark becoming scaly _Carya ovalis_
101. Bundle scars in 3 groups; leaf scars not lobed.
110. Buds up to ⅙ inch long; twigs bitter to the taste.
111. Pith triangular in cross-section _Alnus glutinosa_
111. Pith not triangular in cross section.
112. Buds very shiny _Prunus serotina_
112. Buds dull _Prunus virginiana_
110. Buds longer than ⅙ inch; twigs not bitter to the taste.
113. Twigs sometimes with corky wings; buds with 4 or more
exposed scales _Liquidambar styraciflua_
113. Twigs without corky wings; buds with 2-3 exposed scales
_Castanea dentata_
74. Pith round or nearly so in cross-section.
114. Terminal bud present.
115. Buds with 2-3 exposed scales _Cornus alternifolia_
115. Buds with 4 or more exposed scales.
116. Bud scales fleshy _Crataegus spp._.
116. Bud scales not fleshy _Prunus spp._
114. Terminal bud absent.
117. Leaf scars at least ½ inch across; bundle scars 9
_Ailanthus altissima_
117. Leaf scars smaller; bundle scars not 9.
118. Stipular scars absent.
119. Leaf scars bordered by hairs _Cercis canadensis_
119. Leaf scars not hairy _Gleditsia spp._
118. Stipular scars present.
120. Exposed bud scales 2.
121. Milky sap present _Broussonetia papyrifera_
121. Milky sap absent.
122. Twigs gray or brown _Tilia americana_
122. Twigs light red _Tilia heterophylla_
120. Exposed bud scales 3 or more.
123. Exposed bud scales 3-4; lenticels horizontal.
124. Twigs with taste of wintergreen _Betula lutea_
124. Twigs without taste of wintergreen.
125. Twigs and buds smooth; bark white
_Betula papyrifera_
125. Twigs and buds somewhat hairy; bark reddish
_Betula nigra_
123. Exposed bud scales more than 4; lenticels more or less
circular.
126. Bundle scars not in groups of 3; milky sap present.
127. Buds about ¼ inch long _Morus rubra_
127. Buds about ⅛ inch long _Morus alba_
126. Bundle scars in groups of 3; milky sap absent.
128. Exposed bud scales usually about 12
_Carpinus caroliniana_
128. Exposed bud scales usually about 6.
129. Leaf scars and bundle scars slightly elevated
_Ostrya virginiana_
129. Leaf scars and bundle scars depressed.
130. Buds less than ⅛ inch long _Ulmus pumila_
130. Buds at least ⅛ inch long.
131. Some of the twigs with corky wings.
132. Buds about ¼ inch long _Ulmus thomasii_
132. Buds about ⅛ inch long _Ulmus alata_
131. None of the twigs with corky wings.
133. Buds rusty-hairy, about ¼ inch long
_Ulmus rubra_
133. Buds light brown, smooth, about ⅛ inch long
_Ulmus americana_
Trees of Illinois
SOUTHERN SUGAR MAPLE
_Acer barbatum_ Michx.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Smooth and pale brown at first, becoming darker and furrowed when
old.
Twigs: Slender, brown, smooth or hairy, usually with pale lenticels;
leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish-brown, hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 4 inches long, nearly as broad,
palmately 3- to 5-lobed, drooping on the sides, the edges sparsely
and coarsely toothed, green and smooth or a little hairy on the
upper surface, paler and much hairier on the lower surface;
leaf-stalks up to 3 inches long, very hairy. The leaves turn
yellow or orange in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the
same tree, in dense clusters, yellowish-green, appearing as the
leaves unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base,
greenish, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, coarse-grained, light brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing, cabinets.
Habitat: Woodlands.
Range: Virginia across southern Illinois to southeastern Oklahoma, south
to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Southern Sugar Maple resembles the Black
Maple because of its drooping leaves, but differs by its smaller,
thicker leaves.
[Illustration: SOUTHERN SUGAR MAPLE]
BOX ELDER
_Acer negundo_ L.
Other Name: Ash-leaved Maple.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown wide-spreading.
Bark: Light brown, ridged when young, becoming deeply furrowed with age.
Twigs: Smooth, green, glaucous, or rarely purplish, shiny, usually with
white lenticels; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 5-9 bundle
traces.
Buds: Rounded, white-hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, pinnately compound, with 3-7 leaflets; leaflets
elliptic to ovate, up to 4 inches long, about half as broad,
pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the sometimes
asymmetrical base, smooth or usually coarsely toothed along the
edges or even shallowly lobed, light green and smooth on the upper
surface, paler and smooth or hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, several in a
cluster, greenish-yellow, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, in drooping clusters, composed of a curved wing
with a seed at the base, greenish-yellow, up to 2 inches long.
Wood: Light weight, soft, close-grained, white.
Uses: Paper pulp, interior finishing, furniture.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Range: Vermont across to Saskatchewan, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Box Elder most nearly resembles ashes, but
differs by its green or glaucous twigs and its paired fruits.
[Illustration: BOX ELDER]
BLACK MAPLE
_Acer nigrum_ Michx.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 65 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½
feet; crown broad, with several upright branches.
Bark: Dark brown to black, smooth when young, soon becoming furrowed and
scaly.
Twigs: Slender, brown, smooth, often with pale lenticels; leaf scars
opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, dark brown, finely hairy, up to one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long and nearly as
broad, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, drooping on the sides, the edges
of the leaves sparsely and coarsely toothed, green and smooth on
the upper surface, yellow-green and smooth or hairy on the veins
on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 5 inches long, smooth or
hairy. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the
same tree, in dense clusters, yellowish, appearing as the leaves
unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base,
reddish-brown to greenish, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, coarse-grained, brown.
Uses: Furniture, cabinets.
Habitat: Rich woodlands.
Range: New Hampshire across to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to
Louisiana, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Black Maple is distinguished from the Sugar
Maple by its drooping leaves. It differs from the Southern Sugar
Maple, which also has drooping leaves, by its larger, thinner
leaves.
[Illustration: BLACK MAPLE]
RED MAPLE
_Acer rubrum_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown oval or rounded.
Bark: Gray and smooth when young, becoming darker and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, mostly smooth, more or less reddish, usually with pale
lenticels; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish, usually hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long, nearly as broad,
palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sharply toothed
to nearly toothless, pale green and smooth on the upper surface,
white or gray and either smooth or hairy on the lower surface;
leafstalks smooth or finely hairy, up to 4 inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the
same tree, in dense clusters, bright red or yellow, opening in
February and March before the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of an erect wing with a seed at the
base, red or yellow, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Furniture, gun-stocks.
Habitat: Swamps, low woods, upland slopes, bluff tops.
Range: Newfoundland across to Ontario, south to eastern Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Red Maple is characterized by its white
lower leaf surfaces and its shallowly lobed leaves. The similar
Silver Maple has very deeply lobed leaves.
[Illustration: RED MAPLE]
SWAMP RED MAPLE
_ rubrum_ L. var. _drummondii_ (H. & A.) Sarg.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1
foot; crown narrow.
Bark: Gray and smooth when young, becoming darker and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, white-hairy when young, usually becoming smooth or
nearly so, reddish; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle
traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish, hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long, nearly as broad,
palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves toothed, green
and somewhat hairy on the upper surface, densely white-hairy on
the lower surface; leafstalks stout, densely hairy, up to 4 inches
long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the
same tree, in dense red clusters, opening before the leaves begin
to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of an erect wing with a seed at the
base, bright red, over 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, coarse-grained, light brown.
Use: Furniture.
Habitat: Wooded swamps.
Range: New Jersey across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Swamp Red Maple is distinguished from the
Red Maple by the dense coat of white hairs on the undersurface of
the leaves and by the longer fruits.
[Illustration: SWAMP RED MAPLE]
SILVER MAPLE
_Acer saccharinum_ L.
Other Name: Soft Maple.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 5 feet; crown usually broadly rounded.
Bark: Gray or silvery, smooth at first, becoming loose and scaly or even
somewhat shaggy when old.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, smooth, often curving upward; leaf scars
opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded, reddish-brown, smooth to finely hairy, up to
⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 8 inches long, nearly as broad,
deeply palmately 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sharply toothed,
pale green and smooth on the upper surface, silvery-white and
usually smooth on the lower surface, except in the leaf axils;
leafstalks smooth, up to 5 inches long, often reddish.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the
same tree, in dense clusters, greenish-yellow, opening in February
and March before the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a curved wing with a seed at the
base, green or yellow, up to 3 inches long.
Wood: Hard, close-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture; sometimes grown as an ornamental, but the branchlets
are brittle.
Habitat: Wet soil.
Range: New Brunswick across to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to
Oklahoma, Texas, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The deeply lobed leaves which are silvery-white
on the flower surface best distinguish this tree.
[Illustration: SILVER MAPLE]
SUGAR MAPLE
_Acer saccharum_ Marsh.
Other Name: Hard Maple.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 3 feet; crown broadly rounded, with many branches.
Bark: Gray to dark brown to black, becoming furrowed and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, brown, often with pale lenticels; leaf scars
opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, dark brown, smooth or a little hairy, shiny, up to ¼ inch
long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 5 inches long, nearly as broad or
a little broader, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves
sparsely and coarsely toothed, dark green and smooth on the upper
surface, green or paler on the lower surface and usually smooth,
or sometimes hairy on the veins; leafstalks up to 3 inches long,
smooth and sometimes hairy. The leaves turn brilliant shades of
yellow and orange in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the
same tree, in dense clusters, greenish-yellow, appearing as the
leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base,
greenish-yellow to brownish, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing, cabinets; maple sugar is derived
from the sap; frequently grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to eastern Texas, east to
northern Florida.
_Distinguishing_ Features: Leaves of the Sugar Maple differ from those
of the Black Maple and the Southern Sugar Maple by being flat,
rather than drooping along the edges. {Sap differs from the Norway
Maple, _Acer platanoides_, by being clear rather than milky.}
[Illustration: SUGAR MAPLE]
RED BUCKEYE
_Aesculus discolor_ Pursh
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches;
crown rounded and spreading.
Bark: Gray to tan, smooth.
Twigs: Rather stout, gray to tan, smooth; leaf scars opposite,
triangular, with 3 groups of bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown, up to ½ inch long, not hairy, not
sticky.
Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 leaflets; leaflets elliptic
to obovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6
inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along the edges,
green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and finely hairy on
the lower surface.
Flowers: Numerous, red, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1 foot long,
appearing in April.
Fruit: Spherical or punching-bag shaped, up to 2 inches across, light
brown, not prickly, containing 1 or 2 light reddish-brown seeds.
Wood: Soft, close-grained, light in weight, pale brown.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental because of its showy flowers.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: North Carolina across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to
Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The smooth fruits and the beautiful red flowers
distinguish this species from other members of the genus in
Illinois.
[Illustration: RED BUCKEYE]
OHIO BUCKEYE
_Aesculus glabra_ Willd.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 55 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 15
inches; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Gray to pale gray, deeply furrowed and roughened when mature.
Twigs: Stout, pale brown, smooth; leaf scars opposite, triangular, with
3 groups of bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown to yellowish, up to ⅔ inch long, not
hairy, not sticky.
Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 or 7 leaflets; leaflets
obovate to oblanceolate, long-pointed at the tip, tapering to the
base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along
the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, green or much
whitened on the lower surface.
Flowers: Numerous, yellow-green, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1
foot long, appearing in April and May, the petals of each flower
of different lengths.
Fruit: Prickly, spherical or nearly so, up to 1½ inch in diameter, pale
brown, containing 1 large, smooth and shiny seed.
Wood: Soft, close-grained, light in weight, pale brown to nearly white.
Uses: Paper pulp. The tree is also sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Usually rich woods.
Range: Pennsylvania across to Nebraska, south to Oklahoma, east to
Alabama.
_Distinguishing_ Features: The Ohio Buckeye differs from the Horse
Chestnut {_Aesculus hippocastanum_} by its non-sticky buds. It
differs from the Red Buckeye by the greenish-yellow flowers and
prickly fruits.
[Illustration: OHIO BUCKEYE]
TREE-OF-HEAVEN
_Ailanthus altissima_ (Mill.) Swingle
Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
2 feet; crown spreading and irregular. The tree readily spreads by
underground root-suckers.
Bark: Smooth or slightly roughened, light brown to dark brown.
Twigs: Stout, angular, smooth, gray to light brown, with lenticels; leaf
scars alternate, large, broadly heart-shaped, slightly elevated,
with usually 9 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, smooth or a little hairy,
brown.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 41 leaflets; leaflets
lanceolate, tapering to a long point at the tip, rounded at the
base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, smooth or
somewhat hairy on both surfaces, often with some teeth along the
edges. The leaves have an unpleasant odor when crushed.
Flowers: Some flowers with both stamens and pistils, others with one or
the other, in large green or yellow clusters, each flower small,
with 5 petals. The staminate flowers produce a very unpleasant
odor. The flowers appear in June and July.
Fruit: Large clusters of winged seeds, yellow or orange, each fruit up
to 2 inches long with one seed about in the middle.
Use: Tree-of-Heaven is grown as an ornamental, principally in urban
areas where it is able to withstand considerable smoke and smog.
Habitat: Disturbed woods; readily adapts to urban conditions.
Range: Native of Asia; frequently planted in the United States and
readily spreading from cultivation.
Distinguishing Features: The pinnately compound leaves with up to 41
leaflets, unpleasantly scented when crushed, make this a readily
recognizable species.
[Illustration: TREE-OF-HEAVEN]
BLACK ALDER
_Alnus glutinosa_ (L.) Gaertn.
Growth Form: Small or medium tree to 45 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
12 inches; crown broadly rounded when mature.
Bark: Smooth at first, becoming shallowly fissured with age.
Twigs: Slender, gray or gray-brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate, with 3
bundle traces.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades nearly round or obovate, rounded at
the tip, rounded or somewhat tapering to the base, up to five
inches long, often nearly as broad, irregularly and rather
coarsely toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth on the
upper surface, green and smooth beneath, or sometimes hairy on the
veins; leafstalks stout, up to 1 inch long, usually smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately but on the
same tree, appearing before the leaves unfold, the staminate in
slender, drooping catkins up to 3 inches long, the pistillate in
erect, oblong “cones” less than 1 inch long.
Fruit: Cone-shaped, up to ¾ inch long, composed of several nut-like
seeds, each subtended by a woody segment of the “cone.”
Wood: Soft, straight-grained.
Uses: The wood is easily carved and used in the making of small wooden
objects. It is also used for charcoal and fuel. The bark has
reputed medicinal properties.
Habitat: Moist, disturbed areas.
Range: Native of Europe, Asia, and Africa; naturalized throughout much
of northeastern North America.
Distinguishing Features: The small, woody “cones” and the often
orbicular, irregularly toothed leaves are the distinguishing marks
of this species.
[Illustration: BLACK ALDER]
SHADBUSH
_Amelanchier arborea_ (Michx. f.) Fern.
Other Names: Shadblow; Serviceberry.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8
inches; crown rounded and spreading with many slender branchlets;
trunk straight, slender, often divided into several trunks.
Bark: Smooth and silvery at first, later becoming darker and divided
into loose scales.
Twigs: Slender, brown, with a few hairs when very young; leaf scars
alternate, 2-ranked, slightly elevated, narrowly crescent-shaped,
with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, slender, brown, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to broadly lanceolate, pointed at
the tip, rounded or sometimes a little heart-shaped at the base,
finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth or nearly so on
the upper surface, paler and often hairy on the lower surface, up
to 4 inches long and about half as broad; leafstalks up to 2
inches long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Several produced in drooping clusters before the leaves appear,
each showy with 5 white, oblong petals, with much of the flower
hairy.
Fruit: Mostly spherical, up to ¼ inch in diameter, reddish-purple,
capped by the persistent calyx, dry, 1- to 2-seeded.
Wood: Rather heavy, hard, close-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Fuel, tool handles; the fruit is edible.
Habitat: Wooded slopes; edge of cliffs.
Range: Quebec across to Minnesota, south to Nebraska, east to Louisiana
and Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Shadbush is recognized by its alternate,
simple leaves which are usually heart-shaped at the base, and by
its distinctive white flowers.
[Illustration: SHADBUSH]
SMOOTH SHADBUSH
_Amelanchier laevis_ Wieg.
Other Name: Smooth Serviceberry.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 15 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6
inches; crown narrowly round-topped, with many slender branchlets.
Bark: Smooth and gray at first, becoming darker and scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or grayish, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
slightly elevated, narrowly crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, reddish-brown, smooth, up to ¾ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to ovate, pointed at the tip,
usually rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, about ½ as
broad, finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the
upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks
slender, up to 1 inch long, smooth.
Flowers: Up to 6 in drooping clusters, appearing after the leaves are
half grown, each showy with 5 white, narrow petals, with most of
the flower smooth.
Fruit: Usually spherical, up to ¼ inch in diameter, dark purple, sweet,
fleshy, 1- to 2-seeded.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Fuel, tool handles; the fruits are edible.
Habitat: Moist woods and slopes.
Range: Newfoundland across to Ontario, south to Iowa, Illinois, and
Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Smooth Shadbush differs from the Shadbush
by its smooth leafstalks and juicy, edible, dark purple fruits.
[Illustration: SMOOTH SHADBUSH]
HERCULES’ CLUB
_Aralia spinosa_ L.
Other Name: Devil’s Walking-stick.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches;
crown widely spreading.
Bark: Dark brown, roughened, shallowly furrowed, with short, hard
prickles.
Twigs: Stout, pale brown or gray, smooth except for many short, hard
prickles; leaf scars alternate, broadly U-shaped, with about 15
bundle traces.
Buds: Cone-shaped, brown, smooth, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, doubly or triply pinnately compound, with very
numerous leaflets; leaflets ovate to lance-ovate, pointed at the
tip, tapering to rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, about
half as wide, coarsely toothed along the edges, green and smooth
on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface,
except usually for a few prickles along the veins.
Flowers: Numerous, in many umbrella-shaped clusters, appearing during
late June and July, each with 5 small white petals and purple
stalks.
Fruit: Black, spherical berries up to ⅛ inch in diameter, containing 2-5
seeds.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, brittle, close-grained, pale brown.
Use: Hercules’ Club is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: New Jersey across to Iowa, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The clusters of flowers and the leaves each may
be as much as 4 feet long. The short, sharp prickles of the twigs
are distinctive.
[Illustration: HERCULES’ CLUB]
PAWPAW
_Asimina triloba_ Dunal.
Growth Form: Small tree rarely up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
10 inches; crown broad and spreading; trunk straight, slender;
thickets develop by means of root suckers.
Bark: Dark brown, thin, smooth at first, becoming shallowly fissured
with age.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, gray; leaf scars alternate, 2-ranked, more or
less horseshoe-shaped, usually with 5 or less commonly 7 bundle
traces.
Buds: Very narrow, dark rusty-brown, covered with golden hairs, up to ⅔
inch long, without bud scales.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades broadly lance-shaped to elliptic,
short-pointed at the tip, narrowed to the base, without teeth
along the edges, smooth on both surfaces, paler on the lower
surface, up to 1 foot long and 6 inches broad; leafstalks short,
slender, smooth.
Flowers: Borne singly when the leaves begin to unfold, up to 2 inches
across, green at first, becoming deep maroon, composed of three
wrinkled, leathery sepals and six similar petals.
Fruit: Oblong, thick, up to 6 inches long, greenish-yellow, with yellow
edible flesh and several dark brown seeds, ripening in September.
Wood: Soft, coarse-grained, light in weight, greenish-yellow.
Use: The fruit is used as a source of food; the wood has few uses.
Habitat: Woods and thickets, often many growing together in a colony.
Range: New York across to Michigan and Iowa, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Pawpaw is distinguished by its large,
toothless, alternate leaves, its slender buds without bud scales,
and its thick, fleshy fruits.
[Illustration: PAWPAW]
YELLOW BIRCH
_Betula lutea_ Michx.
Other Name: Gray Birch.
Growth Form: Moderate tree up to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1½
feet; crown broadly rounded, with small branches.
Bark: Smooth and silvery or grayish, curling into strips, very rough
when old.
Twigs: Slender, greenish-brown, smooth, with numerous lenticels; leaf
scars alternate, half-elliptical, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, brown, usually somewhat hairy, up to ⅙ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, more or
less rounded at the somewhat asymmetrical base, up to 5 inches
long, and nearly half as wide, double-toothed, dark green and
nearly smooth on the upper surface, paler and usually somewhat
hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks yellow, hairy, up to one
inch long. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately but on the
same tree, the staminate crowded in elongated clusters, the
pistillate crowded in shorter, thicker clusters, appearing after
the leaves have begun to unfold.
Fruit: Several winged nuts, crowded together in erect “cones” up to 1½
inches long.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture, flooring, boxes.
Habitat: Wooded slopes.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to Iowa, northern
Illinois, northern Indiana, Ohio, and Delaware; also in the
Appalachian Mountains to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Yellow Birch differs from all other birches
in Illinois by its silvery or grayish bark and its ovate leaves.
The bark has the faint fragrance of wintergreen.
[Illustration: YELLOW BIRCH]
RIVER BIRCH
_Betula nigra_ L.
Other Name: Red Birch.
Growth Form: Up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown
irregularly rounded.
Bark: Curling, shredding, brownish-pink to reddish-brown.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, with several short hairs; leaf scars
alternate, half-elliptical, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Up to one-fourth inch long, pointed, hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades rhombic to ovate, coarsely doubly
toothed, paler and densely hairy on the lower surface, up to 3
inches long, acute at the tip, truncate or tapering to the base,
the leafstalks woolly.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree, inconspicuous, opening
in late April and May, the staminate in slender drooping clusters,
the pistillate in short, conelike, woolly clusters.
Fruit: Tiny, hairy nuts, each with a 3-lobed wing, crowded together in a
cylindrical cone up to 1½ inches long and ½ inch thick.
Wood: Strong but light, pale brown.
Uses: Wood is used for furniture; sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Along rivers and streams; bottomland woods.
Range: Massachusetts and New Hampshire across to southern Minnesota and
eastern Kansas, south to eastern Texas and Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The shaggy, peeling reddish-brown bark readily
distinguishes this tree from any other in Illinois, as does its
rhombic, doubly toothed leaves.
[Illustration: RIVER BIRCH]
PAPER BIRCH
_Betula papyrifera_ Marsh.
Other Name: Canoe Birch.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown broadly rounded, irregular, with many slender
branches.
Bark: Thin and white or creamy, splitting at maturity into papery
layers, becoming very dark and furrowed near the base of the trunk
at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, zigzag, reddish-brown to blackish, more or less hairy;
leaf scars alternate, half-elliptical, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, dark brown, smooth or nearly so, up to
one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, more or
less rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, over half as wide,
coarsely toothed, dark green and smooth on the upper surface,
yellow-green and smooth or somewhat hairy on the lower surface and
with black dots on the lower surface; leafstalks yellow, smooth or
finely hairy, up to 1 inch long. The leaves turn yellow in the
autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on the same tree,
developing in the autumn and present on the tree during the
winter, the staminate crowded into slender spikes up to 4 inches
long, the pistillate crowded into thicker spikes up to 1¼ inches
long, the flowers minute, without petals.
Fruit: Cone-like, cylindrical, drooping, composed of many minute seeds
attached to 3-lobed wings.
Wood: Light in weight, hard, strong, durable, close-grained, light
reddish-brown.
Uses: Bark used to cover canoes; wood used for pulp, fuel, toothpicks,
and spools; sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rich, wooded slopes and stream banks.
Range: Labrador across to Alaska, south to Montana, Colorado, northern
Illinois, and West Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: The Paper Birch is readily distinguished by its
white bark which peels off into thin, papery layers.
[Illustration: PAPER BIRCH]
PAPER MULBERRY
_Broussonetia papyrifera_ (L.) Vent.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown rounded.
Bark: Gray or light brown, smooth.
Twigs: Moderately stout, greenish-gray, smooth or finely hairy, zigzag;
leaf scars alternate, nearly spherical, elevated, with 5 bundle
traces.
Buds: Cone-shaped, more or less smooth, up to 3 mm long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, tapering to a point at the tip,
more or less heart-shaped at the base, up to 8 inches long,
sometimes nearly as broad, toothed, sometimes 2- or 3-lobed,
usually rough-hairy on both surfaces; leafstalks up to 2 inches
long, smooth or finely hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately, on separate
trees, appearing as the leaves unfold, the staminate in pendulous
catkins, the pistillate in dense, hairy, spherical heads.
Fruit: Spherical, semi-fleshy, orange, up to 1 inch in diameter, with
red fruits projecting.
Use: Often planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Along roads, around old homes.
Range: Native of Asia; occasionally found along roads and in fencerows
in the eastern United States.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves, some of which are 2- or 3-lobed,
are very reminiscent of mulberry leaves. Mulberry leaves, however,
are not densely rough-hairy.
[Illustration: PAPER MULBERRY]
BLUE BEECH
_Carpinus caroliniana_ Walt.
Other Names: Ironwood; American Hornbeam; Musclewood.
Growth Form: Up to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1½ feet; crown
rounded.
Bark: Smooth, blue-gray, ridged, appearing “muscular.”
Twigs: Slender, difficult to break, reddish-brown, smooth or finely
hairy; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, elevated, with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Small, angular, tapering to a short point.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades thin, pointed at the tip, usually
rounded at the base, 2-4 inches long and about half as wide,
finely doubly toothed, the upper surface smooth, the lower surface
either smooth or hairy; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree but in different catkins,
opening during May.
Fruit: Nutlets borne at the base of a three-lobed green “leaf,” crowded
together into a fruiting cluster.
Wood: Strong and hard, hence the name Ironwood.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Range: Nova Scotia across to central Minnesota, south to eastern
Oklahoma and eastern Texas, east to central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Several other trees may be confused with the
Blue Beech. Beech, which has smooth gray bark, has leaves with
fewer teeth and twigs with pointed buds. Hop Hornbeam, with very
similar leaves, has a flaky bark. The elms, which also have
somewhat similar leaves, usually have the leaves asymmetrical at
the base.
[Illustration: BLUE BEECH]
WATER HICKORY
_Carya aquatica_ (Michx. f.) Nutt.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet;
crown narrow.
Bark: Reddish-brown, furrowed, becoming somewhat scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or gray, smooth or occasionally slightly
hairy; leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, scarcely elevated, with
several bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, reddish-brown with yellow scales, usually hairy, up to ¼
inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7-17 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped, curved, pointed at the tip, tapering to the
asymmetrical base, up to 5 inches long, up to 2 inches wide,
finely toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth or nearly so
on the upper surface, brownish and smooth or somewhat hairy on the
lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, the staminate
several in slender, drooping catkins up to 3 inches long, the
pistillate fewer, in shorter spikes, neither type with petals.
Fruit: Short-ellipsoid, usually tapering to either end, flattened, up to
1½ inches long and two-thirds as broad, the husk 4-winged, dark
brown but with yellow scales, thin, splitting only about halfway
to the base, the nut flattened, 4-angled, reddish-brown, the shell
thin, the seed bitter.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel.
Habitat: Swampy woods and drained floodplains.
Range: Virginia across to southeastern Missouri, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Water Hickory is similar to Pecan and Bitternut
Hickory in having 7 or more leaflets per leaf. However, it lacks
the yellow buds of the Bitternut Hickory and the slender, edible
nut of the Pecan. The leaves are generally hairier than those of
the Pecan.
[Illustration: WATER HICKORY]
BITTERNUT HICKORY
_Carya cordiformis_ (Wang.) K. Koch
Other Name: Yellow-bud Hickory.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½
feet; crown broadly rounded and often irregular; trunk straight,
columnar.
Bark: Brown, thin, separating into small, platy scales or shallow ridges
and fissures.
Twigs: Slender, grayish or orange-brown, smooth, usually with lenticels;
leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped, scarcely elevated, with
usually several bundle traces.
Buds: Narrow, slender, pointed, covered by a dense, bright yellow coat
of glandular dots and small hairs, up to ¾ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with usually 7-9 leaflets;
leaflets lance-shaped, usually curved, long-pointed at the tip,
tapering or rounded at the base, toothed along the edges,
yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, somewhat lighter and
usually hairy on the lower surface, up to 6 inches long and
usually less than half as wide.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute,
without petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the
pistillate in groups of 1 or 2.
Fruit: More or less spherical, up to 1¼ inches in diameter, the husk
thin, yellowish, with 4 distinct ridges extending about halfway
down, the nut somewhat flattened, the seed very bitter.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, dark brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Bottomland woods; dry hills; along roads.
Range: Southern Ontario across to central Minnesota, south to eastern
Texas, east to north-central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Bitternut Hickory is easily recognized by its
slender, mustard-yellow buds. It differs further from the Water
Hickory by its rounded fruits.
[Illustration: BITTERNUT HICKORY]
PIGNUT HICKORY
_Carya glabra_ (Mill.) Sweet
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown oblong or obovoid, with many small, spreading
branchlets; trunk straight, columnar, sometimes branching fairly
low to the ground.
Bark: Light gray to black, not scaly or peeling off into shreds, at
maturity furrowed and ridged.
Twigs: Slender, brown or gray, shiny, smooth, tough, usually with
lenticels; leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped or 3-lobed,
scarcely elevated, usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded but coming to a short point at the tip, tan
or grayish, the outermost scales tipped with a few small hairs,
never with small yellow dots, the inner scales hairy all along the
edges, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with usually 5, sometimes 7
leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, tapering at
the bottom, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper
surface, green and smooth or sometimes hairy on the veins on the
lower surface, up to 5 inches long and up to 2 inches broad, the
upper three leaflets larger than the lower two.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to expand, minute,
without petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the
pistillate in groups of 1-3.
Fruit: Spherical to pear-shaped, up to 1 inch long, not quite as broad,
the husks thin, greenish, usually not splitting all the way to the
base, the nut somewhat compressed and with a very hard shell, the
seed sweet. Occasional trees have fruits up to 2 inches long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, hard, brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts, tool handles.
Habitat: Wooded slopes and ridges.
Range: Vermont across to southern Michigan and northern Illinois, south
across Missouri to eastern Texas, east to central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Pignut Hickory is best recognized by its rather
small leaflets which usually are five in number, the tight bark,
and the characteristic pear-shaped fruits.
[Illustration: PIGNUT HICKORY]
PECAN
_Carya illinoensis_ (Wang.) K. Koch
Growth Form: Large tree up to 150 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown widely spreading and rounded; trunk rather short,
stout, straight.
Bark: Reddish-brown, becoming roughened into platy scales.
Twigs: Rather stout, brown, hairy when young, but becoming smooth; leaf
scars alternate, 3-lobed, scarcely elevated, with 3-18 bundle
traces.
Buds: Long-pointed, covered with yellow glandular dots and fine hairs,
up to one-half inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 9-19 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped, curved, long-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering
to the asymmetrical base, finely doubly-toothed, yellow-green and
usually smooth on the upper surface, paler and either smooth or
hairy on the lower surface, up to 8 inches long and 3 inches
broad.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, the staminate
many in slender, drooping, yellow-green catkins, the pistillate
fewer in shorter spikes, neither type with petals.
Fruit: Ellipsoid, pointed at the tip, up to 2 inches long and 1 inch
broad, the husk narrowly 4-winged, dark brown but with yellow
scales, thin, usually splitting nearly to the base, the nut
pointed at the tip, reddish-brown with black markings, the shell
thin, the seed sweet.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: The nuts are prized for their tastiness; the wood is used for
interior finishing, furniture, fuel, and tool handles.
Habitat: Moist woods, particularly along rivers.
Range: Indiana to Iowa, south through southeastern Kansas to eastern
Texas, east to Alabama; Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: The Pecan differs from all other hickories by
its greater number of leaflets. The Black Walnut and Butternut,
which may have as many leaflets, have a partitioned pith. In every
case, the fruit of the Pecan is distinctive.
[Illustration: PECAN]
KINGNUT HICKORY
_Carya laciniosa_ (Michx. f.) Loud.
Other Names: Big Shellbark Hickory; Riverbank Hickory.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown oblong to ovoid, with drooping lower branches; trunk
straight, columnar, stout.
Bark: Light gray, soon separating into long, thick, vertical plates
which curve away from the trunk.
Twigs: Stout, gray or brown, conspicuously dotted with orange lenticels;
leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped or 3-lobed, not elevated,
usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: Elongated, dark brown, hairy, up to ¾ inch long, the outer scales
with a long, stiff point.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-9 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at
the base, finely toothed along the edges, dark green and mostly
smooth on the upper surface, paler and softly hairy on the lower
surface, up to 10 inches long and up to half as wide.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute,
without petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the
pistillate in clusters of 2-5.
Fruit: Spherical, often depressed at the top, up to 2¼ inches across,
the husk divided all the way to the base into four sections,
minutely orange-speckled and sometimes hairy, the nut with
conspicuous ridges, the seed very sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Wood is used for tool handles and fuel; nuts are sold commercially
because of their edible qualities.
Habitat: Rich bottomlands.
Range: Southwestern Pennsylvania and southern Michigan across to central
Illinois and southern Iowa, south to northeastern Oklahoma,
Arkansas, and eastern Tennessee; also in scattered areas of New
York, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Distinguishing Features: The shaggy bark and large leaflets resemble
those of the Shagbark Hickory, but the Kingnut Hickory has
orange-dotted twigs and usually seven leaflets which lack minute
tufts of hairs at the tip of each tooth.
[Illustration: KINGNUT HICKORY]
SWEET PIGNUT HICKORY
_Carya ovalis_ (Wang.) Sarg.
Other Names: False Shagbark Hickory; Small-fruited Hickory.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk up to 2 feet
in diameter; crown oblong or broadly rounded, with upright,
spreading upper branches and drooping lower branches; trunk
straight, columnar.
Bark: Gray, tight and rather smooth when young, usually peeling off into
narrow plates at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, brown or gray, tough, smooth, usually with lenticels;
leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, not elevated, usually with several
bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded but coming to a short point at the tip, tan
or grayish, usually minutely yellow-dotted, the scales hairy all
along the edges up to ⅔ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with usually 7, sometimes 5,
leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped sometimes curved, pointed at the
tip, tapering or somewhat rounded at the base, finely toothed
along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, minutely
dotted and sometimes with some hairs on the lower surface, up to 6
inches long, up to 2 inches broad.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping catkins, the
pistillate in groups of 1-2.
Fruit: Ellipsoid, rarely spherical, up to 1¼ inch long, the husk green
and minutely warty, thin, splitting all the way to the base, the
nut somewhat 4-angled, the seed sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, brown.
Uses: Tool handles, fuel.
Habitat: Wooded slopes.
Range: New Hampshire across to Wisconsin, south to Arkansas, east to
Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: This Hickory cannot always be reliably
distinguished from the Pignut Hickory. However, it usually has a
somewhat scaly bark, seven leaflets, minutely yellow-dotted buds,
and fruits which split all the way to the base.
[Illustration: SWEET PIGNUT HICKORY]
SHAGBARK HICKORY
_Carya ovata_ (Mill.) K. Koch
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 3½ feet; crown rounded, with some of the branches often
hanging.
Bark: Gray, separating into long, shreddy scales giving the trunk a
shaggy appearance.
Twigs: Stout, reddish-brown to gray, smooth or somewhat hairy; leaf
scars alternate, 3-lobed, not elevated, with several bundle
traces.
Buds: Ovoid, rounded or short-pointed at the tip, up to 1 inch long,
hairy, the scales conspicuously yellow-green or reddish as they
unfold in the spring.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-7 leaflets; leaflets
ovate, obovate, or less commonly lance-shaped, usually
short-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 10 inches
long, up to 5 inches wide, finely toothed along the edges, with
the tip of each tooth with a minute tuft of hairs, green or
yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth or
somewhat hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute,
without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping
catkins, the pistillate in groups of 2-5.
Fruit: Spherical or occasionally punching-bag shaped, up to 2 inches
across, the husk yellow-green to reddish-brown, up to ½ inch
thick, splitting all the way to the base, the nut 4-angled, nearly
white, the seed sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, light brown, close-grained.
Uses: Tool handles, fuel; the nuts are tasty.
Habitat: Low, shaded woods.
Range: Maine across to Minnesota, south to eastern Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Shagbark Hickory is distinguished by its
shaggy bark, its usually 5 large leaflets, and its large winter
buds.
[Illustration: SHAGBARK HICKORY]
BLACK HICKORY
_Carya texana_ Buckl.
Other Names: Red Hickory; Texas Hickory; Buckley’s Hickory.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown oblong to rounded, with numerous, small branchlets; trunk
straight or somewhat crooked, slender but sturdy.
Bark: Brown to black, not scaly or peeling off into shreds, becoming
somewhat furrowed and ridged at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, gray, tough, almost always smooth; leaf scars alternate,
three-lobed, not elevated, usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, short-pointed, up to ½ inch long, covered by shiny
silvery-golden scales and tipped with a small tuft of hairs.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-7 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, finely
toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth or sometimes hairy
on the upper surface, paler and smooth or hairy on the lower
surface, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, the stalks
covered with reddish and yellowish scales and hairs.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute,
without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping
catkins, the pistillate in groups of 1-2.
Fruit: Spherical to ellipsoid, up to 1½ inches across, the husk
yellow-green, thin, minutely hairy or scaly, splitting nearly to
the base, the nut 4-angled, the seed sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Dry ridges and cliffs.
Range: Southern Indiana across to Kansas, south to Texas and Louisiana.
Distinguishing Features: The Black Hickory differs from the somewhat
similar Pignut and Sweet Pignut Hickories by the yellow scales
along the leafstalks.
[Illustration: BLACK HICKORY]
MOCKERNUT HICKORY
_Carya tomentosa_ (Poir.) Nutt.
Other Name: White Hickory.
Growth Form: Medium or tall tree to 90 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown rounded, the branchlets either erect or hanging.
Bark: Dark gray, shallowly furrowed, not scaly, often with a
diamond-shaped pattern.
Twigs: Slender or relatively stout, usually hairy, gray; leaf scars
alternate, 3-lobed, not elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, rounded or pointed at the tip, up to nearly 1 inch long,
reddish-brown, hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-9 leaflets; leaflets
broadly lanceolate to oblanceolate, pointed at the tip, rounded or
tapering to the base, up to 8 inches long, about half as wide,
finely toothed along the edge, yellow-green and hairy on the upper
surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute,
without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping
catkins, the pistillate in groups of 2-5.
Fruit: Ellipsoid or obovoid or spherical, up to 2 inches across, the
husk reddish-brown, up to ¼ inch thick, smooth or slightly hairy,
the nut sometimes 4-angled, reddish-brown, the seed sweet but
small.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Tool handles, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Dry wooded slopes; shaded woods.
Range: Massachusetts across to southern Ontario, south to eastern Texas,
east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Mockernut Hickory is distinguished from all
other Illinois hickories by its usually 7 or 9 hairy leaflets with
hairy leafstalks and hairy twigs. The large fruits with the small
seeds within, which may account for the common name, are also
distinctive.
[Illustration: MOCKERNUT HICKORY]
CHESTNUT
_Castanea dentata_ (Marsh.) Borkh.
Growth Form: Large tree, formerly attaining a height of 100 feet; trunk
diameter up to 3 feet; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Dark brown, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, angular, glabrous or nearly so; leaf
scars alternate, half-round, elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, up to ⅓ inch long, dark brown, smooth.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate,
pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 8 inches long and
less than half as broad, coarsely toothed along the edges,
yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth on
the lower surface; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, usually finely
hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing in June after the leaves are fully grown, without
petals, greenish or yellowish, the staminate many in elongated
catkins up to 8 inches long, the pistillate 1-3 together.
Fruit: Spiny bur up to 2 inches in diameter, brown, splitting open to
reveal 3 flattened nutlets.
Wood: Soft, light in weight, reddish-brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing, fuel. The nuts are edible
delicacies.
Habitat: Formerly in rocky woods, once occupying several acres near
Olmstead in Pulaski County. Now virtually extinct, except for a
few sprouts, due to a disease of the bark. A tree about 40 feet
tall still exists near Little Grassy Lake in Williamson County.
Range: Maine to southern Ontario and southern Minnesota, south to
Delaware, Kentucky, and southern Illinois, and in the mountains to
central Alabama.
Distinguishing Features: In addition to its large, spiny fruits, the
Chestnut can be distinguished by its sharply toothed leaves.
Yellow Chestnut Oak may sometimes have similar leaves, but the
pith of the oak is star-shaped.
[Illustration: CHESTNUT]
COMMON CATALPA
_Catalpa bignonioides_ Walt.
Other Names: Lady Cigar Tree; Indian Bean.
Growth Form: Short to medium tree up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 1 foot; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Light brown, with thin, platy scales.
Twigs: Stout, smooth or slightly hairy, orange-brown to grayish, with
conspicuous lenticels; leaf scars in whorls of 3, round-elliptic,
elevated, with 12 or more bundle traces.
Buds: Round, reddish-brown, slightly hairy, very small.
Leaves: Whorled, simple; blades ovate, short-pointed at the tip,
heart-shaped at the base, up to 8 inches long and about as broad,
smooth along the edges, yellow-green and smooth on the upper
surface, paler and finely hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks
stout, smooth, up to 6 inches long.
Flowers: Large, showy, several in a large cluster, appearing in May and
June, the clusters usually more than 6 inches long, each flower up
to 2 inches long, the petals white and spotted with purple.
Fruit: Elongated capsules up to 1½ feet long and ½ inch thick, brown,
splitting into 2 parts to reveal several winged, hairy seeds about
1 inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fence posts, railroad ties; ornamental.
Habitat: Along railroads, streams, in fields; planted elsewhere.
Range: Native from Texas to Georgia and Florida; widely planted
elsewhere.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves of this species, when crushed, give
off a very unpleasant aroma.
[Illustration: COMMON CATALPA]
CATALPA
_Catalpa speciosa_ Engelm.
Other Names: Western Catalpa; Lady Cigar Tree; Indian Bean.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown broad, widely spreading.
Bark: Light brown, dark brown, or black, usually with rather deep
furrows.
Twigs: Stout, smooth, brown, with conspicuous lenticels; leaf scars in
whorls of 3, with one of the 3 scars smaller than the other 2,
round-elliptic, elevated, with 12 or more bundle traces.
Buds: Round, brown to black, smooth, very small.
Leaves: Whorled, simple; blades ovate, long-pointed at the tip,
heart-shaped at the base, up to 1 foot long and about ⅔ as broad,
smooth along the edges, dark green and smooth or sparsely hairy on
the upper surface, soft hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks
stout, up to 6 inches long.
Flowers: Large, showy, several in an elongated cluster, appearing in May
and June, the clusters up to six inches long, each flower up to 2½
inches long, the petals white and lined with purple.
Fruit: Elongated capsules up to 1½ feet long and ¾ inch thick, brown,
splitting into 2 parts to reveal several winged, hairy seeds about
1 inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fence posts, interior finishing, railroad ties.
Habitat: Low woods; often planted in a variety of habitats.
Range: Southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and southern Missouri, south
to Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee; commonly planted elsewhere.
Distinguishing Features: The two Catalpas in Illinois are hard to tell
apart. This one usually has deeply furrowed bark, shorter clusters
of flowers, petals merely lined with purple rather than spotted,
and leaves which are not unpleasantly scented when crushed.
[Illustration: CATALPA]
SUGARBERRY
_Celtis laevigata_ Willd.
Other Names: Southern Hackberry; Mississippi Hackberry.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½
feet; crown open and broad, with drooping branches.
Bark: Gray, with many conspicuous warts.
Twigs: Slender, gray or reddish-brown, smooth, sometimes zigzag; leaf
scars alternate, usually crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with
3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, smooth, brown or gray, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades usually lance-shaped, long-pointed at
the tip, tapering or rounded at the asymmetrical base, up to 6
inches long, less than half as broad, with few or no teeth along
the edges, usually smooth or barely roughened on one or both
surfaces; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: One to several in drooping clusters, appearing after the leaves
are partly grown, greenish-yellow, without petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, ellipsoid to nearly round, reddish-orange to yellowish,
about ¼ inch in diameter, with 1 seed, ripening in September or
October, borne on slender, drooping stalks.
Wood: Heavy, soft, close-grained, pale yellow.
Uses: Fence posts, furniture.
Habitat: Lowland woods to dry hilltops.
Range: Virginia across to southern Missouri, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Sugarberry differs generally from other
hackberries by its narrower, mostly toothless leaves.
[Illustration: SUGARBERRY]
HACKBERRY
_Celtis occidentalis_ L.
Other Name: Sugarberry.
Growth Form: Medium or large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 5 feet; crown usually oblong, with many small branchlets.
Bark: Gray, smooth on young trees and soon bearing “warts,” becoming
rough and scaly on old trees.
Twigs: Slender, gray to reddish-brown, smooth, sometimes zigzag; leaf
scars alternate, usually crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, oval, pointed, brown or gray, finely hairy, about ¼ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate or broadly lance-shaped,
long-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering at the asymmetrical
base, up to 6 inches long and up to half as broad, usually
coarsely toothed along the edges except sometimes near the base,
smooth or more often rough-hairy on one or both surfaces;
leafstalks up to 1 inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Arranged in drooping clusters, or sometimes solitary, appearing
after the leaves are partly grown, greenish-yellow, without
petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, nearly round, dark purple, about ⅓ inch in diameter, with
1 seed, ripening in September and October, borne on slender,
drooping stalks.
Wood: Heavy, soft, close-grained, pale yellow.
Uses: Fence posts, furniture.
Habitat: Low woodlands.
Range: Massachusetts across to Manitoba and South Dakota, southern
Oklahoma, Alabama, and Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: Hackberry leaves resemble those of some elms,
but have 3 main veins arising from the base of the blade. This
Hackberry differs from other hackberries in Illinois by its
larger, usually coarsely toothed leaves and its larger, dark
purple fruits.
[Illustration: HACKBERRY]
DWARF HACKBERRY
_Celtis tenuifolia_ Nutt.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches;
crown irregular, with numerous slender branchlets.
Bark: Gray, smooth on young trees and soon bearing “warts,” becoming
rough and scaly on old trees.
Twigs: Slender, green to reddish-brown, smooth at maturity; leaf scars
alternate, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, oval, pointed, grayish-brown, finely hairy, up to ⅛ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, rounded or
somewhat heart-shaped at the base, up to 3 inches long, often at
least half as broad, with a few coarse teeth along the edges, or
sometimes lacking teeth, often leathery, smooth or hairy on one or
both surfaces; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: One or a few in drooping clusters, appearing after the leaves
are partly grown, finely hairy, greenish-yellow, without petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, spherical, reddish-purple, up to ½ inch in diameter,
1-seeded, ripening September and October.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, yellowish.
Use: Fence posts.
Habitat: Edge of bluffs, woods.
Range: New Jersey across to Illinois and Kansas, south to Oklahoma,
Louisiana, and northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This small tree is extremely variable in that
its leaves may or may not have teeth, they may or may not be
hairy, and they may or may not be leathery. It differs from the
Sugarberry primarily by its broader leaves and from the Common
Hackberry by its smaller fruits and usually less-toothed leaves.
[Illustration: DWARF HACKBERRY]
REDBUD
_Cercis canadensis_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 35 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown usually broad and flattened.
Bark: Reddish-brown, separating into long plates and thin scales.
Twigs: Slender, zigzag, smooth, angular, brown; leaf scars alternate,
somewhat elevated, triangular, hairy across the top, with 3 bundle
traces.
Buds: Small, rounded, chestnut-brown, smooth or nearly so.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades heart-shaped, contracted to a short
point at the tip, up to 6 inches long and nearly as broad, smooth
on the upper surface, smooth or with some hairs on the lower
surface, without teeth along the edges; leafstalks slender, up to
5 inches long, usually smooth.
Flowers: In small clusters on last year’s branches or on the trunks,
rose-purple, each pea-shaped, about ½ inch long, appearing when
the leaves are first beginning to unfold.
Fruit: Legumes up to 4 inches long and ½ inch broad, flat, smooth, brown
at maturity, with several seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, dark reddish-brown.
Use: The major importance of this small tree lies in its value as an
ornamental, because of its spectacular appearance when in flower.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: Connecticut across to southern Wisconsin, south to Texas, east to
northern Florida; also Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: The heart-shaped, toothless leaves easily
identify this tree.
[Illustration: REDBUD]
YELLOWWOOD
_Cladrastis lutea_ (Michx. f.) K. Koch
Growth Form: Small to medium tree to 45 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
14 inches; crown widely spreading.
Bark: Gray, smooth.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, with some lenticels, somewhat zigzag;
leaf scars alternate, narrow and completely encircling the bud,
with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Three or four crowded together, resembling at first a single bud,
hairy, without scales, covered at first by the hollow base of the
leafstalk.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7-11 leaflets; leaflets
oval, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 4 inches
long and up to half as wide, smooth on both surfaces, toothless
along the edges. The leaflets turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: In long, drooping clusters up to 1 foot long, white, slightly
fragrant, appearing during June.
Fruit: Legumes up to 4 inches long and about ½ inch wide, flat, smooth,
pale brown, with 4-6 seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, yellow to light brown.
Uses: Fuel. In olden days, a yellow dye was extracted from this tree.
Habitat: Rich, wooded slopes.
Range: North Carolina across to southern Missouri and Arkansas, south to
northern Alabama and northern Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The large, pinnately compound leaflets and the
smooth, gray trunk distinguish this tree.
[Illustration: YELLOWWOOD]
ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD
_Cornus alternifolia_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 inches;
crown flattened.
Bark: Brown, slightly roughened, with shallow furrows.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or greenish, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
crescent-shaped, somewhat elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Narrowly ovoid, pointed, smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, although often clustered toward the tip of the twig,
simple; blades oval to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or
rounded at the base, up to 5 inches long, about half as broad, the
edges smooth or finely round-toothed, green and mostly smooth on
the upper surface, paler and frequently hairy on the lower
surface; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, usually finely hairy.
Flowers: Several in crowded round-topped clusters, appearing in May and
June, each flower white, with 4 narrow petals.
Fruit: Blue, spherical berries up to ⅓ inch in diameter, borne on a red
stalk.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, brown.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: Newfoundland across to southern Ontario and Minnesota, south to
Missouri, Alabama, and Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: This is the only American dogwood with the
leaves arranged in an alternate manner.
[Illustration: ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD]
ROUGH-LEAVED DOGWOOD
_Cornus drummondii_ Meyer
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 inches;
crown open and irregular.
Bark: Reddish-brown, scaly, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, pale brown, purplish, or gray, smooth or slightly hairy;
leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, flattened, pointed, finely hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic to narrowly ovate, pointed at
the tip, tapering to rounded at the base, up to 4 inches long, up
to half as wide, smooth along the edges, green and with short
hairs on the upper surface, paler and hairy on lower surface;
leafstalks up to ½ inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Several in round-topped clusters, appearing in May and June,
each flower white, with 4 narrow petals.
Fruit: White, spherical berries up to ¼ inch in diameter, borne on red
stalks.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, brown.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Woods; edges of prairies.
Range: New York across to Minnesota, south to Nebraska and Texas, east
to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This is the only dogwood in Illinois that is
rough-hairy on the upper surface of the leaves.
[Illustration: ROUGH-LEAVED DOGWOOD]
FLOWERING DOGWOOD
_Cornus florida_ L.
Growth Form: Small to medium tree to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter rarely
more than 2 feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Brown, divided into squarish plates.
Twigs: Slender, greenish to light brown, smooth, often curving upward at
the tip; leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, elevated, with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Of two kinds, the leaf buds slender, pointed, the flower buds flat
and biscuit-shaped.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic to ovate, pointed at the tip,
tapering or rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, less than
half as broad, the veins deeply impressed, the edges without
teeth, green and smooth or sparsely hairy on the upper surface,
pale and finely hairy or sometimes smooth on the lower surface;
leafstalks up to ¾ inch long, smooth or finely hairy.
Flowers: Several crowded together in a yellow-green cluster, each
cluster subtended by 4 large white petal-like bracts, appearing in
late April and May.
Fruit: Red, ovoid berries up to ½ inch long, shiny, with mealy flesh and
1 or 2 seeds.
Wood: Hard, strong, heavy, close-grained, brown.
Uses: The wood is used in the making of tool handles, although the real
value of the Flowering Dogwood is its ornamental potential.
Habitat: Woods.
Range: Maine across to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida; also in
Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: The opposite, toothless leaves with deeply
impressed veins distinguish this species.
[Illustration: FLOWERING DOGWOOD]
OTHER DOGWOODS
Several other dogwoods, most of them rarely if ever attaining the
stature of small trees, occur in Illinois.
Gray Dogwood (_Cornus racemosa_ Lam.). This plant rarely exceeds a
height of 10 feet. It is distinguished by its slender gray twigs, its
small white flowers borne in clusters about as broad as high, and its
white berries about ¼ inch in diameter. The Racemose Dogwood occurs in a
variety of habitats, including prairies and woods.
Stiff Dogwood (_Cornus foemina_ Mill.). This small dogwood has brownish
twigs with white pith and bluish fruits. Its leaves usually are smooth
on both surfaces. It occurs in low, wet woods.
Round-leaved Dogwood (_Cornus rugosa_ Lam.). As the name implies, this
shrubby dogwood has roundish leaves which are woolly on the lower
surface. The greenish twigs have white pith. The berries are pale blue.
The Round-leaved Dogwood grows in dry, rocky woods.
Red Osier (_Cornus stolonifera_ Michx.). Red Osier has dark red twigs
with white pith. The leaves are pale and somewhat hairy on the lower
surface. The berries are white or grayish. Red Osier usually grows along
shores, often forming thickets.
Silky Dogwood (_Cornus obliqua_ Raf.). This plant is usually a shrub,
but may get as much as 15 feet tall. It has twigs with pale brown pith.
The leaves are pale on the lower surface, and usually have white,
appressed hairs. The berries are blue. Silky Dogwood grows in low
ground.
Willow Dogwood (_Cornus amomum_ Mill.). The Willow Dogwood rarely
exceeds a height of 10 feet. Like the Silky Dogwood, it has twigs with
pale brown pith. The leaves usually have reddish-colored hairs on the
lower surface. The berries are pale blue. Willow Dogwood grows in low
ground.
[Illustration: Gray Dogwood]
COCK-SPUR THORN
_Crataegus crus-galli_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Dark brown, scaly.
Twigs: Moderately stout, light brown, smooth, usually with sharp spines
up to 4 inches long; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped,
slightly elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, up to ¼ inch in diameter, reddish-brown, usually smooth.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades broadest above the middle, rounded or
short-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 4 inches
long, up to 1½ inches broad, leathery, toothed along the edges, at
least in the upper half of the leaf, dark green, smooth, shiny on
the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface;
leafstalks stout, up to 1 inch long, smooth.
Flowers: Showy, several in a cluster, appearing in May and June, each up
to ¾ inch across, with 5 white petals.
Fruit: Spherical or nearly so, up to ½ inch in diameter, red, fleshy but
dry, with 1-2 nutlets.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, brown.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Wooded slopes, thickets.
Range: Southern Ontario across to Minnesota, south to Texas, east to
South Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: Cock-spur Thorn differs from most other
hawthorns in Illinois by its leathery, shiny leaves which are
broadest above the middle.
[Illustration: COCK-SPUR THORN]
RED HAW
_Crataegus mollis_ (Torr. & Gray) Scheele
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 14 inches;
crown widely spreading.
Bark: Gray-brown, scaly, deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Moderately stout, gray or brown, smooth or slightly hairy, rarely
with spines; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, slightly
elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, up to ¼ inch in diameter, reddish-brown, usually hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, broadest near the base,
short-pointed at the tip, rounded at the base, up to 4 inches long
and nearly as broad, coarsely toothed along the edges,
occasionally with shallow lobes, yellow-green and hairy on the
upper surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks
stout, up to 1 inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Showy, several in a cluster, appearing in April and May, each
up to 1 inch across, with 5 white petals.
Fruit: Spherical or nearly so, up to 1 inch in diameter, red, fleshy but
dry, with 4-5 nutlets.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, brown.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Range: Southern Ontario across to Minnesota, south to Oklahoma, east to
Alabama.
Distinguishing Features: The Red Haw is distinguished by its densely
hairy, ovate leaves which are often shallowly lobed.
[Illustration: RED HAW]
PRUINOSE HAW
_Crataegus pruinosa_ (Wendl.) K. Koch
Growth Form: Small tree to 15 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown broad and irregular.
Bark: Dark gray, scaly, furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, smooth, with spines up to 2 inches long;
leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, reddish-brown, smooth or nearly
so.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades mostly ovate, broadest below the
middle, pointed at the tip, rounded at the base, up to 3 inches
long and about ⅔ as broad, coarsely toothed along the edges and
frequently shallowly lobed, bluish-green and smooth on the upper
surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks stout,
up to 1 inch long, smooth or somewhat hairy.
Flowers: Showy, several in a cluster, appearing in May and early June,
each up to 1 inch across, with 5 white petals.
Fruit: Spherical or nearly so, up to ¾ inch in diameter, dark red to
purple, fleshy but dry, with 5 nutlets.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, brown.
Habitat: Woods and thickets.
Range: Newfoundland to southern Ontario, south to Arkansas, east to
North Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: The Pruinose Haw is distinguished by its
bluish-green leaves which are widest just below the middle.
[Illustration: PRUINOSE HAW]
OTHER HAWTHORNS
Many other hawthorns occur in Illinois. Several of them have been found
only a very few times. Most of them are difficult to distinguish unless
leaves, flowers, and fruits are available. A few of the hawthorns which
are likely to be encountered are described on this and the following
page.
Scarlet Hawthorn (_Crataegus coccinioides_ Ashe). This hawthorn grows to
a height of 15 feet and has very scaly brown bark. The slender gray
twigs have many stout, sharp spines up to 2 inches long. The ovate
leaves are coarsely toothed and usually shallowly lobed. There are some
hairs on both surfaces of the leaves. The spherical fruits, when mature,
are deep red speckled with several pale dots. There are usually 5
nutlets inside each fruit. The Scarlet Hawthorn is found primarily on
rocky hills.
Urn-shaped Hawthorn (_Crataegus calpodendron_ (Ehrh.) Medic.) The
Urn-shaped Hawthorn is named for the shape of its fruit, which is
usually about ½ inch long, red, with sweet flesh and 2-3 nutlets inside.
This small tree only grows to a height of about 15 feet. The leaves are
usually ovate and are coarsely toothed and often shallowly lobed. They
have a greenish-yellow color and are hairy, at least on the underneath
surface. This hawthorn frequently grows along rocky streams.
[Illustration: Urn-Shaped Hawthorn]
Green Haw (_Crataegus viridis_ L.). The Green Haw is primarily a tree of
low, wet woods, where it grows to a height of nearly 30 feet and has a
gray, scaly bark. The rather variable leaves range from elliptic to
elliptic-ovate and toothed to occasionally shallowly lobed. The leaves
are thin and smooth on both surfaces, except for some tufts of hair
along the axils of the veins on the lower surface. The orange-red fruits
are spherical and about ⅓ inch in diameter. There are 5 nutlets embedded
in the rather sweet flesh.
Dotted Haw (_Crataegus punctata_ Jacq.). This hawthorn grows to a height
of about 20 feet and has many stout thorns on its twigs. The leaves
generally are broadest above the middle and are obovate. The edges of
the leaves are usually toothed from the middle to the tip. Sometimes
lobes are formed. The leaves have a relatively thick texture and are
hairy on the veins of the under surface of the leaves. The usually
spherical fruit is about ¾ inch in diameter and contains 3 or 5 nutlets.
The Dotted Thorn often forms thickets along the edges of woods or in
rocky fields.
[Illustration: Green Hawthorn
Dotted Hawthorn]
PERSIMMON
_Diospyros virginiana_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1
foot; crown broad and rounded or flattened. (At one time in the
Wabash Valley, Persimmon trees nearly 3 feet in diameter were
known.)
Bark: Dark gray to black, broken at maturity into squarish blocks.
Twigs: Slender, brown, smooth or hairy, usually with lenticels; leaf
scars alternate, half-elliptic, with 1 bundle trace.
Buds: More or less rounded, smooth, dark reddish-brown, up to ⅛ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to oval, pointed at the tip,
tapering or rounded at the base, up to 5 inches long and about
half as broad, smooth along the edges, dark green, smooth, and
shiny on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface;
leafstalks stout, up to 1 inch long, smooth or sparsely hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate usually borne on separate trees,
appearing after the leaves are half grown, the staminate in
clusters of 2-3, tubular, up to ½ inch long, the pistillate
solitary, ½ to ¾ inch long. Sometimes flowers with both stamens
and pistils can be found.
Fruit: Fleshy, spherical, but with the greenish calyx persistent at one
end, yellow-orange to orange (rarely blue), up to 2 inches in
diameter, sweet when ripe, few-seeded.
Wood: Heavy, hard, the heartwood nearly black.
Uses: Golf club heads, billiard cues.
Habitat: Dry woods, rich bottomland woods, edge of fields, fence rows.
Range: Connecticut across to southern Iowa and eastern Kansas, south to
eastern Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves of the Persimmon are most often
confused with those of the Sour Gum, but usually the tip is not as
abruptly pointed in the Persimmon. The pith of the Persimmon also
lacks the distinct partitions found in the Sour Gum.
[Illustration: PERSIMMON]
BEECH
_Fagus grandifolia_ Ehrh.
Growth Form: Large tree to nearly 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown widely spreading, usually rounded.
Bark: Smooth, gray, thin, often marred by human carving.
Twigs: Gray or yellowish, slender, smooth, more or less zigzag; leaf
scars alternate, half-round, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, narrow, long-pointed, smooth, reddish-brown, up to ¾ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades up to 4 inches long and 2½ inches
broad, oblong, pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the
somewhat asymmetrical base, coarsely toothed along the edges,
blue-green to yellow-green, smooth and shiny on the upper surface,
smooth or finely hairy on the lower surface; leaf stalk very
short, sometimes hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on the same tree,
appearing after the leaves have unfolded, the staminate numerous
in small spherical heads, the pistillate in groups of 2.
Fruit: Spiny burs up to ¾ inch long, prickly, reddish-brown, containing
1-3 triangular nuts.
Wood: Hard, strong, close-grained, deep reddish-brown.
Uses: Fuel, chairs, tool handles.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: Nova Scotia across to Ontario, south to eastern Texas, east to
northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The stately Beech is recognized by its smooth
gray bark and its long, pointed winter buds.
[Illustration: BEECH]
SWAMP PRIVET
_Forestiera acuminata_ (Michx.) Poir.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5 inches;
crown spreading, irregular.
Bark: Brown, shallowly furrowed or nearly smooth.
Twigs: Slender, brown, warty or smooth; leaf scars opposite,
shield-shaped, with 1 bundle trace.
Buds: Spherical, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, smooth.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic, pointed at the tip, tapering
to the base, up to 4 inches long, up to 1½ inches broad, finely
toothed along part of the edges, yellow-green and nearly smooth on
the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface;
leafstalks slender, usually smooth, up to ½ inch long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on different trees,
appearing before the leaves begin to unfold; staminate many in
rounded clusters, yellow, without petals; pistillate several in
branched clusters, yellowish, without petals.
Fruit: Slender, oblong, slightly curved, dark purple, about 1 inch long,
up to ¼ inch wide, fleshy but dry, containing 1 seed.
Use: Occasionally planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Swamps, along rivers.
Range: South Carolina across to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Swamp Privet is distinguished by its opposite,
pointed leaves which are finely toothed along the edges.
[Illustration: SWAMP PRIVET]
WHITE ASH
_Fraxinus americana_ L.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown pyramidal or ovoid, with slender branches; trunk
straight, columnar.
Bark: Light or dark gray, with diamond-shaped furrows between
flat-topped, sometimes scaly, ridges.
Twigs: Slender, gray or brown, sometimes with a few hairs; leaf scars
opposite, horseshoe-shaped, with several bundle traces forming a
half-moon.
Buds: Rounded, dark brown, finely hairy, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, pinnately compound, with 5-9 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped to lance-ovate, often curved, pointed at the tip,
rounded or tapering to the base, up to 5 inches long and about
half as broad, shallowly toothed along the edges, green and smooth
on the upper surface, paler and smooth or hairy on the lower
surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees before the
leaves begin to expand, minute, without petals, purplish, in
crowded clusters, soon becoming elongated and less crowded.
Fruit: Paddle-shaped, winged, up to 2½ inches long and ¼ inch wide,
several in a cluster, 1-seeded at the base.
Wood: Heavy, strong, hard, coarse-grained, brown.
Uses: Furniture, baseball bats, tool handles, interior finishing.
Habitat: Bottomlands and wooded slopes.
Range: Nova Scotia across to Minnesota, south to Texas and Florida.
Distinguishing Features: White Ash differs from Green Ash in having
distinctly paler lower leaf surfaces. Plants with hairy leaves
resemble Red Ash, but the fruits do not have the wing extending
down beyond the seed in the White Ash.
[Illustration: WHITE ASH]
BLACK ASH
_Fraxinus nigra_ Marsh.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown broadly rounded, with many stout, straight branches.
Bark: Light gray, scaly, without diamond-shaped furrows.
Twigs: Stout, gray or brown, smooth; leaf scars elliptic or oval, with
several bundle traces arranged in a half moon.
Buds: Conical, blue-black, finely hairy, about one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, pinnately compound, with 7-11 leaflets; leaflets
without stalks, lance-shaped, long-pointed at the tip, tapering or
rounded at the sometimes asymmetrical base, up to 6 inches long,
less than one-half as wide, toothed along the edges, dark green
and smooth on the upper surface, paler and with rusty hairs along
the veins on the lower surface. The leaflets turn reddish-brown in
the autumn.
Flowers: Small, in elongated clusters, appearing before the leaves begin
to unfold, purplish, without any petals, some with both stamens
and pistils, others only with stamens, others only with pistils.
Fruit: Oblong, winged fruits, barely notched at the tip, up to 1½ inches
long, up to one-half inch broad, with a single seed at the base.
Wood: Soft, heavy, dark brown.
Uses: Cabinets, baskets, fence posts.
Habitat: Swampy woods.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to Iowa, central Illinois,
West Virginia, and Delaware.
Distinguishing Features: This is the only ash in Illinois where none of
the leaflets has stalks.
[Illustration: BLACK ASH]
RED ASH
_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_ Marsh.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown usually pyramidal; trunk straight, rather stout,
sometimes slightly buttressed at base.
Bark: Light or dark gray, with diamond-shaped furrows between
flat-topped, sometimes scaly ridges.
Twigs: Slender to rather stout, gray or brown, covered by velvety hairs,
leaf scars opposite, half-round and straight across the top, with
several bundle traces forming a half-moon.
Buds: Rounded, dark brown, finely hairy, about ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, pinnately compound, with 7-9 leaflets; leaflets
elliptic to elliptic-ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the
base, up to 6 inches long, about ⅓ as wide, sparsely toothed along
the edges, hairy on both surfaces.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on separate trees, appearing after the
leaves have begun to open, minute, crowded in purplish or greenish
dense clusters.
Fruit: A cluster of paddle-shaped fruits, each fruit up to 2½ inches
long and less than ½ inch broad, with a single seed at one end.
Wood: Hard, strong, heavy, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Tool handles, interior finishing, furniture.
Habitat: Bottomland forests.
Range: Nova Scotia across to North Dakota, south to Kansas, east to
Louisiana and northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Red Ash is characterized by its hairy leaf
stalks and its narrow wings along the stalks between the leaflets.
[Illustration: RED ASH]
GREEN ASH
_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_ Marsh var. _subintegerrima_ (Vahl) Fern.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½
feet; crown broadly rounded, with slender, spreading branches.
Bark: Light or dark gray, with diamond-shaped furrows between
flat-topped, sometimes scaly, ridges.
Twigs: Slender to rather stout, gray or brown, smooth; leaf scars
half-round and straight across the top, with several bundle traces
forming a half-moon.
Buds: Rounded, dark brown, finely hairy, up to one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, pinnately compound, with 7-9 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped to elliptic, long-pointed at the tip, tapering to the
base, up to 6 inches long and one-and-one-half inches wide,
toothed along the edges, green and smooth on both surfaces. The
leaflets turn reddish-brown or yellowish in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees, in
branched clusters, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, small,
purplish, without petals.
Fruit: Lance-shaped or reversely lance-shaped, winged fruits, usually
rounded at the tip, up to 2½ inches long and less than one-third
inch broad, with a single seed at the base.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, light brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, tool handles, baseball bats; sometimes grown
as an ornamental.
Habitat: Bottomland forests.
Range: Maine across to Saskatchewan and Minnesota, south to Texas, east
to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Green Ash has leaflets which are green on
both surfaces.
[Illustration: GREEN ASH]
BLUE ASH
_Fraxinus quadrangulata_ Michx.
Other Name: Square-stemmed Ash.
Growth Form: Moderate tree to seventy feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown irregular, with many short, sturdy branches.
Bark: Gray, scaly, without diamond-shaped furrows.
Twigs: Stout, square, gray or brown, smooth; leaf scars half-round and
concave across the top, with several bundle traces forming a
half-moon.
Buds: Rounded, gray, finely hairy, up to one-half inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, pinnately compound, with 5-11 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped, long-pointed at the tip tapering to the sometimes
asymmetrical base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide,
coarsely toothed along the edges, yellowish-green and smooth on
the upper surface, paler and usually with tufts of hairs along the
veins on the lower surface. The leaflets turn yellow in the
autumn.
Flowers: Small, in branched clusters, appearing as the leaves begin to
unfold, purplish, without any petals.
Fruit: Oblong, winged fruits, notched at the tip, up to 2 inches long
and one-half inch broad, with a single seed near the bottom.
Wood: Hard, heavy, yellow-brown.
Uses: Flooring; the inner bark produces a blue dye when placed in water.
Habitat: Wooded slopes, limestone cliffs.
Range: Western Pennsylvania across Wisconsin to Iowa, south to Oklahoma,
Arkansas, and Alabama; southern Ontario.
Distinguishing Features: The square stems immediately distinguish this
tree from any other ash in Illinois.
[Illustration: BLUE ASH]
PUMPKIN ASH
_Fraxinus tomentosa_ Michx. f.
Growth Form: Large tree sometimes nearly 100 feet tall; trunk diameter
up to 3 feet; crown broadly rounded, with stout spreading
branches.
Bark: Gray, becoming scaly.
Twigs: Stout, gray or brown, usually velvety; leaf scars opposite,
horseshoe-shaped, with several bundle traces arranged in a
half-moon.
Buds: More or less conical, brown, hairy, about one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, compound, with 7-9 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped to
elliptic, pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering at the slightly
asymmetrical base, up to 10 inches long and about half as wide,
smooth or finely toothed along the edges, yellow-green and smooth
on the upper surface, paler and velvety-hairy on the lower
surface. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees, in
elongated clusters, appearing before the leaves, small,
greenish-purple, without any petals.
Fruit: Oblong, winged fruits, usually rounded at the tip, up to 3 inches
long and one-half inch broad, with a single seed near the bottom.
Wood: Heavy, strong, hard, close-grained, brown.
Uses: Boxes, paper pulp, fuel.
Habitat: Floodplains, swamps.
Range: New York across Ohio to southern Illinois and southern Missouri,
south to Louisiana, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Pumpkin Ash is the only ash in Illinois
with velvety-hairy twigs and usually toothless leaves.
[Illustration: PUMPKIN ASH]
WATER LOCUST
_Gleditsia aquatica_ Marsh.
Growth Form: Small to medium tree to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
2 feet; crown widely but irregularly spreading; trunk short and
stout.
Bark: Dark gray or dark brown, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, gray or brown, smooth, usually with unbranched thorns;
leaf scars alternate, more or less 3-lobed, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, nearly hidden beneath the leaf scars, dark brown, smooth,
up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, both singly and doubly pinnately compound on the same
tree, with many leaflets; leaflets oblong to oblong-ovate, rounded
or slightly pointed at the tip, rounded at the slightly
asymmetrical base, toothless or minutely toothed along the edges,
smooth except for some hairs along the veins, up to 1 inch long,
about half as wide.
Flowers: Some flowers with both stamens and pistils, others with only
one or the other, in elongated clusters up to 4 inches long,
greenish, small, appearing in May and June.
Fruit: Short, pointed legumes up to 2 inches long and 1 inch broad,
borne several in a drooping cluster, chestnut-brown, smooth, with
1 or 2 seeds and no pulp.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Fence posts, coarse construction.
Habitat: Swampy woods.
Range: North Carolina across to southern Missouri, south to Texas, east
to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The short, 1- or 2-seeded legume without pulp
differentiates this locust from the Honey Locust.
[Illustration: WATER LOCUST]
HONEY LOCUST
_Gleditsia triacanthos_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet;
crown broadly rounded, often with dropping outer branches; trunk
straight, rather stout, usually with large, purple-brown, 3-parted
thorns.
Bark: Dark brown, deeply furrowed and scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, angular, reddish-brown, smooth, zigzag, with 3-parted or
unbranched thorns; leaf scars alternate, more or less 3-lobed,
with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, nearly hidden beneath the leaf scars, dark brown, smooth,
up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, often doubly pinnately compound, with many leaflets;
leaflets oblong to oblong-lanceolate, rounded or slightly pointed
at the tip, rounded at the slightly asymmetrical base, minutely
toothed along the edges, smooth except for some hairs along the
veins, up to 1½ inches long, less than half as wide.
Flowers: Some flowers with both stamens and pistils, others with only
one or the other, in elongated clusters up to 3 inches long,
yellowish, small, appearing in May and June.
Fruit: Elongated legumes up to 1½ feet long and up to 2 inches wide,
flat, often twisted or curved, purple-brown, containing several
seeds embedded in a thick pulp.
Wood: Hard, strong, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Fence posts, coarse construction; a spineless form sometimes
cultivated.
Habitat: Moist, wooded ravines, thickets, along roads.
Range: New York across to South Dakota, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Honey Locust has more leaflets than any other
kind of tree in Illinois. The large 3-parted spines and the long
fruits are also distinctive.
[Illustration: HONEY LOCUST]
KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE
_Gymnocladus dioicus_ (L.) K. Koch
Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 85 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
2½ feet; crown with a narrow, rounded top; trunk stout, usually
branching a few feet above the ground.
Bark: Dark gray, deeply furrowed and scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Stout, dark brown with orange lenticels, slightly hairy; leaf
scars alternate, heart-shaped, with 3 or 5 bundle traces; pith
chocolate-colored.
Buds: Tiny, sunken in hairy cavities immediately above each leaf scar.
Leaves: Alternate, doubly pinnately compound, with many leaflets;
leaflets ovate, pointed at the tip, rounded at the base, up to 2
inches long and about half as broad, without teeth along the edge,
dark green and smooth on the upper surface, yellow-green and
smooth or hairy on the veins on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on separate trees, in
more or less elongated, greenish clusters, appearing after the
leaves have unfolded, each flower with 5 oblong, hairy petals.
Fruit: Short, thick legumes up to 10 inches long and up to 2 inches
wide, dark brown, leathery, smooth, containing several large seeds
embedded in a thick, sweet pulp.
Wood: Heavy, strong, durable, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel, rough construction. The seeds can be used as a
substitute for coffee.
Habitat: Rich, often bottomland, woods.
Range: New York across to South Dakota, south to Oklahoma, east to
Tennessee.
Distinguishing Features: The doubly compound leaves with large leaflets,
the short, thick legumes, and the thick twigs with sunken buds
readily distinguish this tree. It is one of the last trees to put
forth its leaves in the spring.
[Illustration: KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE]
SILVER BELL
_Halesia carolina_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown widely spreading.
Bark: Reddish-brown, with whitish stripes, somewhat scaly.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, usually smooth; leaf scars alternate,
half-round, with a cluster of bundle scars.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown, somewhat hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to elliptic, pointed at the tip,
tapering to rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, about half
as broad, finely toothed along the edges, dark green and usually
smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth or slightly hairy on
the lower surface; leafstalks slender, smooth or finely hairy, up
to ½ inch long.
Flowers: Few in hanging clusters, showy, white, each bell-shaped and up
to one inch long, appearing in April.
Fruit: 4-winged, dry, brown, up to 2 inches long, containing 1 seed.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, close-grained, brown.
Use: Occasionally grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: Virginia across southern Illinois to Oklahoma, south to Texas,
east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The bell-shaped white flowers and the 4-winged
fruits readily distinguish this handsome tree.
[Illustration: SILVER BELL]
WITCH HAZEL
_Hamamelis virginiana_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches;
crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Light brown, eventually broken into small scales.
Twigs: Slender, flexible, brown, hairy at first but becoming smooth;
leaf scars alternate, half-round, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Narrow, pointed, finely hairy, orange-brown, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades obovate, rounded or short-pointed at
the tip, rounded or sometimes tapering to the base, up to 6 inches
long, sometimes nearly half as broad, usually with several low,
rounded teeth, dark green and usually somewhat hairy on the upper
surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ¾
inch long, slightly hairy.
Flowers: Blooming from September to November, several in a cluster, each
with 4 bright yellow, strap-shaped petals up to ⅔ inch long.
Fruit: Capsules up to ½ long, brown, hairy, splitting open during the
following autumn to liberate several small, shiny seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Planted as an ornamental. The astringent witch hazel is derived
from this plant.
Habitat: Woodlands.
Range: Southern Quebec across to Minnesota, south to Missouri,
Tennessee, and Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The late-flowering period and the obovate
leaves with shallow, rounded teeth characterize the Witch Hazel.
[Illustration: WITCH HAZEL]
SWAMP HOLLY
_Ilex decidua_ Walt.
Other Name: Possum Haw; Deciduous Holly.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
inches; crown spreading.
Bark: Light brown, more or less warty.
Twigs: Slender, gray, smooth or slightly hairy, often with short spurs;
leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 1
bundle trace.
Buds: Rounded, gray, up to ⅛ inch in diameter.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, sometimes clustered at the tips of the short
spur-like twigs; blades narrowly oblong to elliptic, short-pointed
or rounded at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 3 inches long,
less than ½ as broad, sparsely and finely toothed along the edges,
green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and slightly hairy on
the lower surface; leafstalks slender, hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on different trees,
appearing in April and May; both types of flowers in few-flowered
clusters, greenish or whitish, with usually 4 small petals.
Fruit: Red or rarely orange berries, spherical, up to ¼ inch in
diameter, remaining on the tree during the winter.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, whitish.
Use: The handsome berries make this species an attractive ornamental.
Habitat: Bottomland woods.
Range: Maryland across to eastern Kansas, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Swamp Holly is distinguished by its alternate,
remotely toothed leaves clustered at the ends of spur-like shoots,
and by its red berries.
[Illustration: SWAMP HOLLY]
BUTTERNUT
_Juglans cinerea_ L.
Other Name: White Walnut.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 90 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown flat to broadly rounded; trunk straight, columnar, not
buttressed.
Bark: Light gray, divided by deep furrows into broad scaly ridges.
Twigs: Stout, greenish or orange-brown to gray, smooth or hairy, usually
shiny, with white lenticels; pith chocolate-colored, divided by
partitions; leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped, elevated, with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Blunt at the tip, whitish, hairy, soft, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 17 leaflets; leaflets
up to 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, broadly lance-shaped,
pointed at the tip, rounded at the asymmetrical base, finely
toothed along the edges, yellow-green on the upper surface, paler
on the lower surface, softly hairy and sometimes sticky.
Flowers: Borne separately but on the same tree, appearing when the
leaves are partly grown, the staminate several in thick,
yellow-green catkins, the pistillate much fewer in spikes, neither
of them with petals.
Fruit: In groups of 2-5, ovoid-oblong, up to 2½ inches long,
sticky-hairy, the husk thick, the nut pointed at one end and with
well-developed wings, pale brown, the seed sweet.
Wood: Soft, light in weight, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing; the nut is sought after as a
delicacy.
Habitat: Bottomland woods.
Range: New Brunswick across to Minnesota, south to Arkansas, east to
Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Butternut is distinguished by its bark
pattern, its chocolate-colored, partitioned pith, and its
distinctive fruits.
[Illustration: BUTTERNUT]
BLACK WALNUT
_Juglans nigra_ L.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 150 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5
feet; crown broadly rounded; trunk straight, columnar, not
buttressed at the base.
Bark: Black, thick, deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Stout, greenish or orange-brown, hairy, smooth and gray; pith
brown, divided by partitions; leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped,
elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded at the tip, pale brown, soft, hairy, up to ½
inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 15-23 leaflets; leaflets up
to 3½ inches long and 1½ inches wide, broadly lance-shaped,
pointed at the tip, rounded at the asymmetrical base, toothed
along the edges, yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface,
paler and hairy on the lower surface, turning yellow in the
autumn.
Flowers: Borne separately but on the same tree, appearing when the
leaves are partly grown, the staminate several in thick,
yellow-green, hairy catkins, the pistillate much fewer in small
spikes, neither of them with petals.
Fruit: In groups of 1 or 2, spherical, up to 2 inches in diameter, green
or yellow-green, slightly roughened, the husk thick, the nut very
hard, oval, dark brown, deeply ridged, the seed sweet.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, dark brown.
Uses: The wood is used for furniture, interior finishing, cabinets; the
nuts are edible.
Habitat: Rich woodlands.
Range: Massachusetts across to Minnesota, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Black Walnut is recognized by its
characteristic buds, its chambered pith, and its fruits.
[Illustration: BLACK WALNUT]
RED CEDAR
_Juniperus virginiana_ L.
Other Names: Juniper; Eastern Red Cedar.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 90 feet tall, usually much smaller; trunk
diameter up to 3 feet; crown narrowly pyramidal or broad and
rounded.
Bark: Reddish-brown, splitting into long shreds.
Twigs: Slender, brown.
Leaves: Of 2 types, either flat, triangular, opposite, and up to ¹/₁₆
inch long, or short and needle-like, up to ¾ inch long, blue-green
to green to yellow-green.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on different trees, the staminate in
small, narrow yellowish spikes, the pistillate in small, ovoid,
purplish clusters.
Fruit: Berry-like, spherical, up to ¼ inch in diameter, dark blue with a
whitish covering, with sweet flesh and 1-2 seeds.
Wood: Durable, light in weight, close-grained, red, fragrant.
Uses: Clothing chests, pencils, fence posts.
Habitat: Fields, dry woods, cliffs.
Range: New Brunswick across to North Dakota, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The 2 kinds of leaves readily distinguish this
species.
[Illustration: RED CEDAR]
EUROPEAN LARCH
_Larix decidua_ Mill.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 15
inches; crown straight and more or less columnar.
Bark: Light brown, scaly.
Twigs: Moderately stout, yellowish, with numerous conspicuous leaf scars
or, when older, with short lateral spurs.
Leaves: Needles borne many in clusters from short spurs, or borne singly
on new branchlets, soft, yellow-green, up to about one inch long,
somewhat triangular, falling from the tree in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing as the new leaves begin to appear, the staminate
in nearly round, yellow heads, the pistillate in oblong, bright
red “cones.”
Fruit: Cones oblong, upright, up to 1¼ inches long, containing numerous
small, winged seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, orange-brown.
Use: This tree is sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Around homes where it has persisted from cultivation.
Range: Native of Europe; infrequently escaped from cultivation in
northeastern North America.
Distinguishing Features: The European Larch differs from the American
Larch by its slightly longer cones, its yellow-green needles, and
its yellower twigs.
[Illustration: EUROPEAN LARCH]
AMERICAN LARCH
_Larix laricina_ (DuRoi) Koch
Other Name: Tamarack.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
1½ feet; crown narrowly pyramidal.
Bark: Reddish-brown, broken into scales.
Twigs: Slender, light brown or orange, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
elevated, borne on spurs, with 1 bundle trace.
Buds: Spherical, reddish-brown, up to ⅛ inch in diameter.
Leaves: Needles numerous in clusters, soft, up to about 1 inch long,
light green, falling away during the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate spherical, yellow, usually not subtended by leaves;
pistillate oblong, rose-colored, usually subtended by leaves.
Fruit: Cones oblong, up to ½ inch long, chestnut-brown.
Wood: Heavy, hard, durable, close-grained, orange-brown.
Uses: Fence posts, railroad ties, interior finishing; sometimes grown as
an ornamental.
Habitat: Bogs and swamps.
Range: Labrador to Alaska, south to Minnesota, northern Illinois, and
West Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: American Larch is distinguished by its short,
pale green needles borne many in a cluster or singly on long
shoots.
[Illustration: AMERICAN LARCH]
SWEET GUM
_Liquidambar styraciflua_ L.
Other Name: Red Gum.
Growth Form: Up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter sometimes more than 3
feet; crown usually pyramidal.
Bark: Usually dark gray and broken into scaly ridges.
Twigs: Stout, often bordered by corky wings; leaf scars alternate,
half-elliptical, slightly elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Large, shiny, pointed, sometimes sticky to the touch.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades shaped like 5- to 7-pointed stars,
each point toothed along the edge, as much as six inches long and
nearly as broad. In the autumn, the leaves turn a variety of
colors, from red to yellow to purple.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree crowded together in
rounded clusters, opening at about the same time as the leaves
unfold.
Fruit: Dry “ball” about one inch in diameter, covered by numerous short,
often sharp projections, with many seeds, most of which are
incapable of germinating.
Wood: Hard, strong, durable.
Uses: Lumber, furniture, flooring. The attractive leaves make this tree
a handsome ornamental.
Habitat: Bottomland woods.
Range: Southwestern Connecticut across southern Illinois to eastern
Oklahoma and eastern Texas, east to central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The star-shaped leaves readily distinguish this
tree.
[Illustration: SWEET GUM]
TULIP TREE
_Liriodendron tulipifera_ L.
Other Names: Yellow Poplar; Tulip Poplar.
Growth Form: Stately tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown oblong or pyramidal from a long, columnar trunk.
Bark: Grayish, becoming deeply furrowed at maturity; furrows often
whitish within.
Twigs: Smooth, reddish-brown; leaf scars alternate, nearly spherical,
with several bundle traces, with stipule scars encircling the
twig.
Buds: Flattened, up to 1 inch long, resembling duckbills.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades divided into four broad lobes, the
upper two lobes usually with a conspicuous notch between them,
bright green, averaging 4 to 6 inches long and broad.
Flowers: About two inches long, cup-shaped, with six yellow-green petals
with an orange base surrounding a cone-shaped cluster of pistils;
opening in May.
Fruit: Dry “cones” about 2½ inches long, composed of several winged
seeds.
Wood: Soft, durable.
Uses: Lumber, veneer cores to which other wood can be glued, canoes,
frames.
Habitat: Rich soil.
Range: Connecticut and Vermont across to southern Michigan,
southwestward across Illinois to Louisiana, east to Central
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The shape of the leaf is unlike that of any
other tree in Illinois.
[Illustration: TULIP TREE]
OSAGE ORANGE
_Maclura pomifera_ Schneid.
Other Names: Hedge Apple; Bow Wood.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown rounded or dome-shaped, with several rather stout, spreading
branches.
Bark: Light gray-brown tinged with orange, separating into shaggy
strips.
Twigs: Dull orange-brown, smooth, zigzag, with short, sharp, axillary
spines; leaf scars alternate, half-round, elevated, with usually 3
groups of bundle traces.
Buds: Round, reddish-brown, smooth, very tiny.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate or ovate-lanceolate,
long-pointed at the tip, narrowed or a little bit heart-shaped at
the base, up to 5 inches long and 3½ inches broad, smooth along
the edges, green and smooth on both surfaces; leafstalks smooth,
up to 2 inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, yellow-green,
very tiny, the staminate crowded in short clusters on stalks up to
4 inches long, the pistillate crowded into spherical heads on
short, stout stalks.
Fruit: Large, spherical, greenish-yellow compound fruit up to 6 inches
in diameter, containing many seeds, succulent flesh, and milky
sap.
Wood: Heavy, hard, flexible, durable, coarse-grained, orange when first
cut, becoming brown.
Uses: Bows, fence posts, railroad ties, tool handles; often planted as a
windbreak.
Habitat: Hedge-rows, woods.
Range: Native only in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas; commonly planted
elsewhere and often escaped from cultivation.
Distinguishing Features: The Osage Orange is distinguished by its spiny
branches, its long-pointed, toothless leaves, its milky sap, and
its large, spherical, yellow-green fruits.
[Illustration: OSAGE ORANGE]
CUCUMBER MAGNOLIA
_Magnolia acuminata_ L.
Other Name: Cucumber Tree.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown broadly rounded or pyramidal.
Bark: Gray or brown, with shallow furrows when older.
Twigs: Rather stout, reddish-brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
U-shaped, with several scattered bundle traces.
Buds: Silvery-white, hairy, up to nearly 1 inch long, with a single bud
scale.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades usually elliptic, short-pointed at the
apex, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 10 inches long and
more than half as broad, entire along the edges, yellow-green and
smooth on the upper surface, paler and sometimes hairy on the
lower surface.
Flowers: Greenish-yellow, up to 3 inches long, with usually 6 elongated,
pointed petals, appearing in April.
Fruit: Oblong fruits up to 3 inches long, deep red, with several seeds.
Young fruits look like small cucumbers, thus accounting for the
common name. The fruits ripen from late August to October.
Wood: Light weight, soft, pale brown.
Uses: Cabinets, flooring.
Habitat: Rich woodlands.
Range: New York to southern Illinois and Oklahoma, south to Louisiana
and Georgia, also southern Ontario.
Distinguishing Features: The large toothless leaves are distinctive from
leaves of all other Illinois trees except the Tupelo Gum, a tree
of swamps which usually had 1-3 coarse teeth along the edges of
each leaf. The silvery buds are also distinctive, as are the
flowers and fruits.
[Illustration: CUCUMBER MAGNOLIA]
NARROW-LEAVED CRAB APPLE
_Malus angustifolia_ (Ait.) Michx.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 9 inches;
crown spreading.
Bark: Reddish-brown, deeply furrowed, scaly.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or pale brown, smooth, sometimes
spur-like; leaf scars alternate, narrow, curved, with 3 bundle
traces.
Buds: Rounded, brown, up to ¹/₁₆ inch in diameter, finely hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to oblong, rounded or pointed
at the tip, narrowed to the base, to 2 inches long, less than half
as broad, toothed along the edges, seldom shallowly lobed, green
and smooth on the upper surface, a little paler and smooth or
sparsely hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, up to 1
inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Showy, up to 1 inch across, on long stalks, usually 3 or more
in a cluster, with 5 narrow, rose petals, appearing during May and
June.
Fruit: Apples up to 1 inch across, yellow-green, edible.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, brown.
Use: The fruit is used in making jelly.
Habitat: Rather moist woods.
Range: Maryland across to southern Missouri, south to Louisiana, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This crab apple is distinguished by its narrow
leaves which are usually unlobed.
[Illustration: NARROW-LEAVED CRAB APPLE]
PRAIRIE CRAB APPLE
_Malus coronaria_ (L.) Mill.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown widely spreading.
Bark: Gray-brown to red-brown, with rather deep furrows between the
scales.
Twigs: Moderately stout, reddish-brown, often spurlike, sometimes spiny,
usually smooth at maturity; leaf scars alternate, narrow, curved,
with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish, about ¼ inch in diameter, smooth or nearly so.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval, rounded to short-pointed at the
tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 3 inches long, about
half as broad, toothed along the edges and sometimes slightly
lobed, yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, paler on the
lower surface; leafstalks stout, up to 2 inches long, smooth or
hairy.
Flowers: Showy, up to 1½ inches across, on long stalks, usually 3 or
more in a cluster, with 5 rounded, white or pinkish petals,
appearing during May and June.
Fruit: Apples up to 1 inch across, yellow-green, edible.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Wood is used for tool handles; crab apples used in making jelly.
Habitat: Woods; edge of fields; edge of prairies.
Range: New York and southern Ontario across to Wisconsin, south to
Kansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: The Prairie Crab Apple differs from the
Narrow-leaved Crab Apple by its broader leaves and from the Iowa
Crab Apple by its usually less-lobed leaves and smooth flowers.
[Illustration: PRAIRIE CRAB APPLE]
IOWA CRAB APPLE
_Malus ioensis_ (Wood) Britt.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown spreading.
Bark: Reddish-brown, scaly.
Twigs: Moderately stout, reddish-brown, sometimes spiny, usually
somewhat hairy at maturity; leaf scars alternate, narrow, curved,
with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish-brown, less than ⅛ inch in diameter, finely
hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to oval, rounded or pointed
at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 4½ inches long
and less than half as broad, toothed along the edges and often
shallowly lobed, dark green and smooth on the upper surface,
yellow-green and usually somewhat hairy on the lower surface;
leafstalks stout, up to 1 inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Showy, up to 2 inches across, on long stalks, usually 3 or more
in a cluster, with 5 rounded, white or rose petals, appearing
during May and June.
Fruit: Apples up to 1¾ inches across, yellow-green, edible.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, brown.
Use: The fruit is used in making jelly.
Habitat: Edges of prairies and fields.
Range: Wisconsin and Minnesota, south to Nebraska, Texas, and Louisiana.
Distinguishing Features: The Iowa Crab Apple is distinguished from the
other crab apples in the state by the greater frequency of lobed
leaves and by its hairy flowers.
[Illustration: IOWA CRAB APPLE]
WHITE MULBERRY
_Morus alba_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown broadly rounded, with many short branchlets.
Bark: Light brown, sometimes tinted with orange, divided into long,
scaly plates.
Twigs: Slender, yellowish, smooth or sometimes hairy, more or less
zigzag; leaf scars alternate, half-round, elevated, with numerous
bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, reddish-brown, smooth, about ⅙ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, short-pointed at the tip,
rounded or cut straight across at the base, up to 5 inches long
and nearly as broad, coarsely round-toothed, sometimes 2-lobed,
sometimes 3-lobed, sometimes deeply several-lobed, sometimes
unlobed, green and smooth to the touch on the upper surface, paler
and smooth on the lower surface, except for a few hairs sometimes
on the veins; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately, either on
the same tree or on different trees, appearing as the leaves
unfold, the staminate crowded into narrow green clusters up to 2
inches long, the pistillate crowded into short, thick spikes up to
1 inch long.
Fruit: A cluster of tiny drupes up to 1¼ inches long, white or pinkish,
more rarely red or purple, sweet, juicy.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, orange-brown.
Uses: Fence posts; the fruit is edible.
Habitat: Woods, along roads, in disturbed areas.
Range: Native of Asia; naturalized from Maine to Minnesota, south to
Texas, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The White Mulberry lacks hairs on the lower
surface of the leaves (except sometimes along the veins), thus
differing from the Red Mulberry.
[Illustration: WHITE MULBERRY]
RED MULBERRY
_Morus rubra_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown broadly rounded, with many short branchlets.
Bark: Dark brown, divided into long, scaly plates.
Twigs: Slender, smooth or sometimes hairy, reddish-brown to dark brown,
more or less zigzag; leaf scars alternate, half-round, elevated,
with numerous bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, brown, smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades mostly ovate, abruptly pointed at the
apex, more or less heart-shaped at the base, up to 6 inches long
and sometimes nearly as broad, coarsely toothed, sometimes
2-lobed, sometimes 3-lobed, often unlobed, green and usually rough
to the touch on the upper surface, paler and with short white
hairs on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 1½ inches long,
smooth at maturity. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately, either on
the same tree or on different trees, appearing as the leaves
unfold, the staminate crowded into narrow, green clusters up to 2
inches long, the pistillate crowded into short, thick spikes up to
1 inch long.
Fruit: A cluster of tiny drupes up to 1½ inches long, at first red,
becoming purple or nearly black, rarely remaining pale, sweet,
juicy.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, durable, coarse-grained, orange-brown.
Uses: Fence posts and barrels; the fruit is edible.
Habitat: Woods, particularly along streams.
Range: Vermont across to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to Texas,
east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Red Mulberry differs from White Mulberry in the
presence of some hairs on the lower surface of the leaves.
[Illustration: RED MULBERRY]
TUPELO GUM
_Nyssa aquatica_ L.
Other Names: Swamp Tupelo; Water Tupelo; Cotton Gum.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 85 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4 feet,
often swollen at the base; crown spreading, with numerous
branchlets.
Bark: Light gray to dark gray to brown, broken into thin scales.
Twigs: Stout, more or less angular, gray or brown, smooth; leaf scars
alternate, broadly U-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, smooth, about ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oblong to somewhat ovate, pointed at
the tip, tapering to rounded to even heart-shaped at the base, up
to 8 inches long and about half as broad, the edges smooth or with
a few coarse teeth, dark green, shiny, smooth or somewhat hairy on
the upper surface, paler and soft-hairy on the lower surface;
leafstalks stout, up to 3 inches long, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, appearing as
the leaves begin to unfold, greenish, small, the staminate several
in spherical clusters, the pistillate solitary on long stalks
arising from the leaf axils.
Fruit: Fleshy, oblong, dark purple with pale speckles, up to 1 inch
long, bitter, 1-seeded, ripening in September.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, close-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Paper pulp, broom handles, floors.
Habitat: Swamps and low woods.
Range: Virginia to southern Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Tupelo Gum is characterized by its large,
irregularly toothed leaves and its oblong, purple fruits.
[Illustration: TUPELO GUM]
SOUR GUM
_Nyssa sylvatica_ Marsh.
Other Name: Black Gum.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
3 feet; crown rounded, often with many small, drooping branchlets.
Bark: Brown to black, often broken up into squarish blocks.
Twigs: Rather stout, reddish-brown, smooth, sometimes zigzag; leaf scars
alternate, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces. The pith is
continuous but marked with distinct partitions.
Buds: Short-pointed, yellowish or reddish, smooth, about ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades abruptly pointed at the tip, tapering
or rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long and usually about half
as wide, smooth or with a few coarse teeth along the edges, dark
green, shiny, and usually smooth on the upper surface, paler and
usually somewhat hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 1½
inches long, smooth or sparsely hairy. The leaves turn scarlet in
the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, appearing
after the leaves begin to unfold, greenish, very small, the
staminate several in spherical clusters, the pistillate 2-several
on long stalks arising from the leaf axils.
Fruit: Fleshy, oval, dark blue, up to ⅔ inch long, bitter, 1-seeded,
ripening in October.
Wood: Heavy, strong, soft, not durable, pale yellow.
Uses: Pulpwood, gun-stocks, flooring; sometimes used as an ornamental.
Habitat: Dry wooded slopes, low woods.
Range: Maine across to Michigan and Wisconsin, south to Missouri and
Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Sour Gum is easily confused with Persimmon, but
differs by its leaves which are abruptly short-pointed at the tip,
and by its twigs which have continuous pith marked by distinct
partitions.
[Illustration: SOUR GUM]
HOP HORNBEAM
_Ostrya virginiana_ (Mill.) K. Koch
Other Name: Ironwood.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 35 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown usually rounded.
Bark: Brown and scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, sometimes hairy, tough to break; leaf
scars alternate, crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 3 bundle
traces.
Buds: Small, pointed at the tip.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to ovate, pointed at the tip,
rounded or tapering to the base, up to 5 inches long, finely
doubly toothed, green and usually smooth on the upper surface,
paler and usually slightly hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks
up to ¼ inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately but on the same tree.
The staminate catkins are on the tree through the winter before
opening in late April or May.
Fruit: Nutlets enclosed by an inflated bladder, crowded together in a
cluster resembling hops.
Wood: Hard, strong, durable.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Upland woods; rocky slopes; along streams.
Range: Nova Scotia across to Manitoba and northeastern Wyoming, south to
eastern Texas and northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Blue Beech, with similar leaves, differs by
its scaly bark. Elms, which also have somewhat similar leaves,
usually have their leaves asymmetrical at the base.
[Illustration: HOP HORNBEAM]
PRINCESS TREE
_Paulownia tomentosa_ (Thunb.) Steud.
Other Name: Paulownia.
Growth Form: Small to medium tree to 45 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
1½ feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Gray, more or less smooth.
Twigs: Stout, grayish, finely hairy; leaf scars opposite, nearly
spherical but with a notch at the top, with many bundle traces in
a ring.
Buds: Half-round, minutely hairy.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades mostly heart-shaped, tapering to a
short point at the tip, up to about 10 inches long and nearly as
broad, smooth along the edges, minutely hairy on both surfaces.
Flowers: Large, showy, fragrant, several in a large cluster, appearing
in late April or early May, the clusters sometimes a foot long,
each flower up to 2 inches long, the petals violet with yellow
stripes.
Fruit: Ovoid capsules up to 1½ inches long, pointed at the tip, brown,
containing numerous winged seeds.
Use: Popular as an ornamental because of its handsome flowers.
Habitat: Along roads, around home sites.
Range: Native of Asia; occasionally escaped in the eastern United
States.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves of the Princess Tree resemble those
of the Catalpa, but they are always opposite and never in whorls.
The violet flowers and the short, ovid capsules further
distinguish the Princess Tree.
[Illustration: PRINCESS TREE]
JACK PINE
_Pinus banksiana_ Lamb.
Other Names: Gray Pine; Scrub Pine.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 75 feet tall in some parts of the United
States; trunk diameter up to 2½ feet; crown open but often
irregular.
Bark: Reddish-brown, rough and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, dark brown, becoming roughened.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of 2, stiff, curved, up to 1½ inches long,
dark green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several yellow spikes up to ½ inch long;
pistillate crowded into few to several purple clusters.
Fruit: Cones oblong, curved, upright, up to 2 inches long, each scale
comprising the cone bearing a small curved prickle; seeds
triangular, up to ¹/₁₂ inch long, with a wing up to ⅓ inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, reddish-brown.
Uses: Railroad ties, fence posts, fuel, pulpwood.
Habitat: Rocky woods.
Range: Quebec across to Yukon, south to Minnesota, northern Illinois,
and New York, Nova Scotia.
Distinguishing Features: The Jack Pine is distinguished by its short,
stiff, curved needles in clusters of 2 and by its short, curved
cones.
[Illustration: JACK PINE]
SHORTLEAF PINE
_Pinus echinata_ Mill.
Other Name: Yellow Pine.
Growth Form: Large tree to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet;
crown pyramidal or rounded.
Bark: Reddish-brown, broken into large plates.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, becoming shreddy.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of both 2 and 3 on the same tree, flexible,
up to 5 inches long, dark green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several pale purple spikes up to ¾ inch
long; pistillate in groups of 1-3, rose-colored.
Fruit: Cones 1-3 in a group, ovoid, up to 2½ inches long, each scale
comprising the cone often bearing a small sharp prickle on the
back; seeds triangular; less than ¼ inch long, with an
asymmetrical curved wing up to ½ inch long.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, paper pulp, construction.
Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes; widely planted in a variety of sites.
Range: Southern New York across Pennsylvania and southern Illinois to
Oklahoma, south to Texas, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Shortleaf Pine is distinguished by its needles
which may be in clusters of 2 and 3 on the same tree.
[Illustration: SHORTLEAF PINE]
RED PINE
_Pinus resinosa_ Ait.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 150 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
3 feet; crown pyramidal.
Bark: Reddish-brown, divided irregularly into plates.
Twigs: Stout, reddish-brown, becoming roughened.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of 2, flexible, up to 6 inches long, dark
green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several purple spikes up to ½ inch long;
pistillate crowded into fewer scarlet clusters.
Fruit: Cones ovoid, mostly straight, up to 2 inches long, each scale
comprising the cone without any prickles; seeds triangular, up to
⅛ inch long, with a wing up to ¾ inch long.
Wood: Rather hard, heavy, close-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Ships, bridges, general construction.
Habitat: Dry, rocky woods.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to Minnesota, Michigan,
Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; also north-central Illinois and West
Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: The Red Pine is distinguished by its dark green
needles usually clustered near the tips of the twigs.
[Illustration: RED PINE]
WHITE PINE
_Pinus strobus_ L.
Growth Form: Tall tree well over 100 feet tall in some regions of the
United States; trunk diameter sometimes in excess of 3 feet; crown
pyramidal.
Bark: Brown, divided into broad ridges by shallow fissures.
Twigs: Slender, orange-brown, smooth or slightly hairy.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of 5, very flexible, up to 5 inches long,
blue-green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several yellow spikes up to ⅓ inch long;
pistillate crowded into fewer groups, pink to purple.
Fruit: Cones oblong, curved, drooping, up to 8 inches long, each scale
comprising the cone lacking any prickles; seeds narrowly oblong,
up to ¼ inch long, with a wing up to ¾ inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, light brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, construction.
Habitat: Moist woods, wooded slopes.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to Iowa, northern
Illinois, and in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The soft, blue-green needles in clusters of 5
readily distinguish the White Pine.
[Illustration: WHITE PINE]
SCOTCH PINE
_Pinus sylvestris_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 65 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet;
crown irregular.
Bark: Large branches reddish-brown, broken into plates.
Twigs: Slender, brown, roughened.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of 2, stiff, to 3 inches long, gray-green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several yellow spikes up to ½ inch long;
pistillate crowded into 1 to several clusters.
Fruit: Cones narrowly ovoid, to 2½ inches long, each scale comprising
the cone without any prickles.
Uses: Often planted as an ornamental, Christmas trees.
Habitat: Planted in plantations in Illinois, rarely escaped.
Range: Native of Europe; widely planted in the eastern United States.
Distinguishing Features: The rather short, stiff, gray-green needles in
clusters of 2 distinguish this pine.
[Illustration: SCOTCH PINE]
LOBLOLLY PINE
_Pinus taeda_ L.
Other Name: Old-field Pine.
Growth Form: Large tree sometimes over 125 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 2 feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Reddish-brown, divided into irregular plates.
Twigs: Slender, brown, becoming roughened.
Leaves: Needles in clusters of 3 or occasionally 2, stiff, up to 9
inches long, light green.
Flowers: Staminate crowded into several yellow spikes up to ½ inch long;
pistillate crowded into 1 to several yellow clusters.
Fruit: Cones ovoid to oblong, mostly straight, up to 6 inches long, each
scale comprising the cone with a short, sharp prickle; seeds
rounded, up to ¼ inch long, with a wing up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Weak, brittle, coarse-grained, yellow-brown.
Uses: Pulpwood, construction.
Habitat: Planted in plantations in Illinois, rarely escaped.
Range: New Jersey to Tennessee, south across Arkansas to eastern Texas,
east to central Florida; not native in Illinois.
Distinguishing Features: The Loblolly Pine is distinguished by its
stiff, long needles usually in clusters of 3 and by its long
cones. It is similar to Shortleaf Pine but has longer needles and
cones.
[Illustration: LOBLOLLY PINE]
WATER ELM
_Planera aquatica_ Gmel.
Other Name: Planer-tree.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches;
crown broadly rounded, with slender branchlets.
Bark: Gray or pale brown, smooth at first but later splitting into large
scales.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown to gray, usually smooth; leaf scars
alternate, nearly circular, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, brownish, smooth or somewhat hairy, up to ¼ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades lance-ovate, rounded or somewhat
pointed at the tip, tapering to the usually asymmetrical base, up
to 3 inches long, less than half as broad, regularly coarsely
toothed, smooth or a little roughened on the upper surface at
maturity, smooth or hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ½
inch long, finely hairy.
Flowers: Of three kinds, all on the same tree, appearing after the
leaves have begun to expand, greenish-yellow, without petals, the
staminate in several small clusters, the pistillate and perfect in
drooping clusters of 1-3 flowers.
Fruit: Oblong, fleshy, up to ½ inch long, with warts irregularly
scattered over the surface, pale brown.
Wood: Soft, light in weight, close-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel.
Habitat: Swampy areas.
Range: North Carolina across southern Illinois to southeastern Missouri,
south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Water Elm resembles other native elms in
Illinois, but has only single-toothed leaves. The warty fruits are
also distinctive.
[Illustration: WATER ELM]
SYCAMORE
_Platanus occidentalis_ L.
Other Names: Buttonwood; Plane-tree.
Growth Form: Large tree sometimes more than 100 feet tall; trunk
diameter up to 8 feet; crown broad, often irregular.
Bark: Reddish-brown when young, quickly breaking into thin, flat scales,
falling away in sections to expose large patches of whitish or
greenish inner bark.
Twigs: Smooth, light brown, somewhat zigzag; leaf scars alternate,
encircling the buds, somewhat elevated, with 5-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Light brown, pointed, about one-fourth inch long, entirely covered
by the base of the leafstalk. When the leaves fall off, exposing
the buds, they leave a scar which surrounds the base of each bud.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades circular in outline but divided into 3
or 5 shallow, sharp-pointed lobes, heart-shaped or cut straight
across at the base, up to 7 inches long (longer on vigorous
shoots) and often as broad, bright green and smooth on the upper
surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface except for the
sparsely hairy veins; leafstalks to 5 inches long, slightly hairy;
stipules, resembling the leaves but only about an inch long, often
persist near the base of the leafstalks.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately but on the
same tree, minute, crowded together in dense, round heads.
Fruit: Round light brown heads, about one inch in diameter, on long
drooping stalks, containing many small seeds surrounded by hairs.
Wood: Hard and strong.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing. Sometimes planted as an ornamental
because of its rapid growth and unusual bark.
Habitat: Bottomlands, along streams, around lakes and ponds.
Range: Maine across southern Wisconsin to eastern Nebraska, south to
eastern Texas, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The large palmately lobed leaves and the brown
and gray mottled bark readily distinguish this tree.
[Illustration: SYCAMORE]
WHITE POPLAR
_Populus alba_ L.
Other Names: Silver-leaved Poplar; Abele.
Growth Form: Moderate tree to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet;
crown broadly rounded but often irregular.
Bark: Grayish to whitish, at first smooth, later becoming deeply
fissured and very dark gray to nearly black.
Twigs: Greenish-gray, white-hairy at least when young; leaf scars
alternate, crescent-shaped, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades usually ovate, with a few broad teeth
along the edges, bluntly pointed at the tip, cut straight across
or a little heart-shaped at the base, up to 4 inches long, dark
green on the upper surface, silvery-hairy or white-wooly on the
lower surface; leafstalks up to 3 inches long, densely hairy, not
flat.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, crowded
together in catkins, appearing when the leaves unfold.
Fruit: Often curved, flask-shaped capsules, greenish, hairy, up to ¼
inch long, containing many seeds with cottony hairs attached.
Wood: Light weight, soft.
Use: Grown as an ornamental because of its silvery leaves.
Habitat: Along roads, around old homesteads.
Range: Native of Europe and Asia; frequently planted and escaped from
cultivation in the United States.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves, with their silvery or white-wooly
under-surface and their few broad teeth, provided the best means
of identifying this tree.
[Illustration: WHITE POPLAR]
COTTONWOOD
_Populus deltoides_ Marsh.
Growth Form: Large rapidly growing tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk
diameter up to eight feet; crown spreading or broadly rounded,
with some drooping branches. The largest tree in Illinois, in
Grundy County, is a Cottonwood measuring twenty-eight feet six
inches in circumference.
Bark: Smooth and gray when young, becoming furrowed at maturity.
Twigs: Yellow-green, gray, or tan, smooth, moderately stout, with
numerous pale “dots”; leaf scars alternate, triangular, with 3
large bundle traces.
Buds: Lance-shaped, long-pointed, up to ½ inch long, sticky,
chestnut-colored.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades to 5 inches long and often nearly as
broad, triangular, abruptly pointed at the tip, cut straight
across or even slightly heart-shaped at the base, with coarse
rounded teeth along the edges, green, smooth, and shiny on the
upper surface, paler on the lower surface; leafstalks to 4 inches
long, smooth, often yellow, flat.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, the staminate
crowded in rather thick, reddish catkins, the pistillate crowded
in narrower, greenish-yellow catkins, both sexes appearing before
the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Elliptic, greenish-brown capsules up to ¼ inch long, grouped in
elongated clusters, containing numerous seeds with cottony hairs
attached.
Wood: Light weight, soft, readily warping.
Uses: Pulpwood, fuel.
Habitat: Bottomland woods, along streams.
Range: New Hampshire across to southeastern North Dakota, south central
Texas, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Cottonwood is easily recognized by its
triangular leaves with flattened leafstalks. The cottony seeds,
when the fruits are mature, are also distinctive.
[Illustration: COTTONWOOD]
BIG-TOOTH ASPEN
_Populus grandidentata_ Michx.
Other Name: Large-tooth Aspen.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1½ feet;
crown rounded.
Bark: Grayish-green, smooth at first, becoming shallowly fissured and
broken up into thin scales.
Twigs: Grayish-green, with numerous orange “dots,” hairy when young but
becoming smooth; leaf scars alternate, raised, 3-lobed, each with
3 bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, chestnut-brown, somewhat hairy, up to one-eighth
inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades nearly circular in outline,
short-pointed at the tip, rounded at the base, up to 5 inches
long, nearly as broad, with several rather coarse teeth along the
edges, green on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface,
smooth when mature; leafstalks up to 3 inches long, flat, enabling
the leaf to rustle even in gentle breezes.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, crowded
together in catkins up to 5 inches long, appearing as the leaves
unfold.
Fruit: Long, narrow, flask-shaped, green, slightly hairy capsules,
grouped in elongated clusters, containing many seeds with cottony
hairs attached.
Wood: Light weight, soft, pale brown.
Use: Pulpwood.
Habitat: Wooded slopes, edges of woods.
Range: Quebec across to Manitoba, south to central Illinois, east to
Maryland; Kentucky and north-central Tennessee east to western
North Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: The coarsely toothed, tremoring leaves and the
grayish-green trunks combine to make this a tree easy to
recognize.
[Illustration: BIG-TOOTH ASPEN]
SWAMP COTTONWOOD
_Populus heterophylla_ L.
Other Name: Swamp Poplar.
Growth Form: Up to 90 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown very
irregular, with a few, large, upright branches.
Bark: Gray or brown, smooth when young, becoming scaly ridged at
maturity.
Twigs: Rather stout, smooth or hairy, reddish; leaf scars alternate,
3-lobed, each with 3 bundle traces; pith 5-angled.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, dark brown, sticky, up to one-half inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, rounded or bluntly pointed at
the tip, heart-shaped at the base, up to 8 inches long, up to 6
inches broad, with rounded teeth along the edges, green on the
upper surface, paler on the lower surface, densely white-woolly
when young, becoming essentially smooth at maturity; leafstalks to
4 inches long, smooth or sparsely hairy, not flattened.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, the staminate
crowded in thick catkins up to 4 inches long, the pistillate in
slender catkins up to 6 inches long, both appearing before the
leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Ovoid, reddish-brown capsules up to ½ inch long, grouped in
elongated clusters, containing numerous seeds with cottony hairs
attached.
Wood: Light weight, soft, pale brown.
Uses: Pulpwood, fuel, interior finishing.
Habitat: Swamps, low woods.
Range: Connecticut to southern Michigan, southwestward across southern
Illinois to central Louisiana, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The broad, heart-shaped, toothed leaves readily
distinguish the Swamp Cottonwood from other trees in Illinois.
[Illustration: SWAMP COTTONWOOD]
QUAKING ASPEN
_Populus tremuloides_ Michx.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown rounded or occasionally spreading.
Bark: Pale yellow-green or white, becoming grayish and divided into dark
scaly ridges at maturity.
Twigs: Pale yellow-green or white, slender, smooth; leaf scars
alternate, crescent-shaped, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Lance-shaped, short-pointed, smooth, sticky, up to ⅓ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate to nearly round, short-pointed
at the apex, rounded at the base, up to 4 inches long, nearly as
broad, with many small round teeth along the edges, green, smooth,
and shiny on the upper surface, not shiny on the lower surface;
leafstalks to 3 inches long, smooth, flat. The flat leafstalks
allow for the leaves to tremor at the slightest wind.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne on separate trees, the staminate
crowded in catkins up to 4 inches long, the pistillate crowded in
catkins up to 6 inches long.
Fruit: Narrow, flask-shaped, green capsules up to ¼ inch long, grouped
in elongated clusters, containing numerous seeds with cottony
hairs attached.
Wood: Light weight, soft, pale brown.
Use: Pulpwood.
Habitat: Edge of woods, thickets.
Range: Newfoundland to Alaska, south to California and New Mexico and
Texas, east across Missouri and Tennessee to New Jersey.
Distinguishing Features: The whitish trunk and the ovate, trembling
leaves serve to distinguish this species.
[Illustration: QUAKING ASPEN]
WILD PLUM
_Prunus americana_ Marsh.
Other Name: American Plum.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown broad, often irregular.
Bark: Dark gray to brown, rough and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, brown, speckled with many dots, smooth or hairy; leaf
scars alternate, half-round, elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown, smooth or hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to ovate, pointed at the tip,
rounded or tapering to the base, up to 4 inches long and less than
half as broad, finely toothed along the edges, the teeth not
glandular, green and smooth or hairy on the upper surface, paler
and smooth or hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, up
to 1 inch long, sometimes with 1 or 2 glands near the upper end,
smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Showy, several in a cluster, up to 1 inch across, with 5 white
or pinkish petals, appearing before or as the leaves begin to
unfold.
Fruit: Spherical or nearly so, up to 1 inch in diameter, red or covered
with a whitish wax, juicy, sweet, 1-seeded.
Wood: Hard, close-grained, brown.
Uses: The fruits are used in making jelly and preserves.
Habitat: Woods, thickets.
Range: Southern Ontario to Manitoba, south to New Mexico, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Wild Plum differs from other plums in
Illinois by the absence of glands on the teeth of the leaves. The
Wild Plum may have either smooth or hairy leaves and twigs.
[Illustration: WILD PLUM]
WILD GOOSE PLUM
_Prunus hortulana_ Bailey
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown broad and rounded.
Bark: Gray or brown, becoming scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate, half-round,
elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, rounded at the tip, reddish-brown, smooth, up to ¼ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oblong to oval, pointed at the tip,
rounded or tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long and about ⅓
as broad, finely toothed along the edge, the teeth gland-tipped,
green and usually smooth on the upper surface, paler and sometimes
hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, up to 1 inch long,
with 1-several glands, smooth or sparsely hairy.
Flowers: Showy, several in a cluster, up to 1 inch across, with 5 white
petals, appearing after the leaves are partly grown.
Fruit: Spherical or nearly so, up to 1 inch in diameter, red or rarely
yellowish, fleshy but hard, bitter, 1-seeded.
Wood: Hard, close-grained, brown.
Habitat: Edges of woods, thickets.
Range: Indiana to Iowa, south to Oklahoma, east to Alabama.
Distinguishing Features: Wild Goose Plum flowers when its leaves are
partly grown, thereby distinguishing it from the Wild Plum which
blooms before or as the leaves begin to unfold.
[Illustration: WILD GOOSE PLUM]
OTHER WILD PLUMS
Two other wild plums are occasionally encountered in Illinois.
Munson’s Wild Plum (_Prunus munsoniana_ Wight & Hedrick). Munson’s Wild
Plum is a small tree rarely more than 15 feet tall and often forming
thickets. It has gray or brown scaly bark, smooth brownish twigs, and
small, ovoid buds. The leaves are oval and up to 6 inches long and up to
2 inches wide. The edges of the leaves are finely toothed, with each
tooth gland-tipped. The upper surface of the leaf is smooth, while the
lower surface usually has some hairs. The showy white flowers appear
while the leaves are developing. The fruits are spherical or slightly
oblong red plums with sweet, juicy flesh. Munson’s Wild Plum is found
only in the midwestern states.
Narrow-leaved Plum (_Prunus angustifolia_ Marsh.). Also known as
Chickasaw Plum, this is a small tree up to about 15 feet tall, usually
forming thickets. The smooth, brownish twigs usually have several sharp
spines. Most of the leaves are lance-shaped and up to 2 inches long, and
conspicuously folded lengthwise. The flowers begin to bloom just as the
leaves start to unfold. The red, nearly spherical plum has tart, juicy
flesh. The Narrow-leaved Plum is found mostly in the southeastern United
States.
[Illustration: ANOTHER WILD PLUM]
WILD BLACK CHERRY
_Prunus serotina_ Ehrh.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown rounded, with rigid branches.
Bark: Thin, smooth, reddish-brown at first, becoming deeply furrowed and
black.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, dark brown; leaf scars half-round, each with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, sharp-pointed, dark brown, smooth, up to one-fourth inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oblong or oval, short-pointed at the
tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long and about ⅓ as
broad, finely toothed along the edges, green, smooth, and shiny on
the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface except
for rusty hairs along the veins; leafstalks slender, slightly less
than 1 inch long, smooth, with 1 or more reddish glands near the
tip.
Flowers: Crowded in showy, drooping, elongated clusters up to 6 inches
long, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, each flower
about ¼ inch across, with 5 white petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, juicy, spherical, dark purple, up to ½ inch in diameter.
Wood: Light weight, hard, strong, close-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: Cabinets, interior finishing.
Habitat: Roadsides, fencerows, edge of woods.
Range: Nova Scotia across to Ontario, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Wild Black Cherry is similar to the Choke
Cherry but usually is a larger tree with thicker leaves and with
the teeth tending to curve inward.
[Illustration: WILD BLACK CHERRY]
CHOKE CHERRY
_Prunus virginiana_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall, often only a shrub; trunk
diameter up to 5 inches; crown irregular.
Bark: Thin, smooth and reddish-brown at first, becoming furrowed and
darkened.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, reddish-brown with pale lenticels; leaf scars
alternate, half-round, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, brown, more or less smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oblong or oval, short-pointed at the
tip, tapering to the base, up to 4 inches long and about half as
broad, finely and sharply toothed along the edges, green, smooth
and shiny on the upper surface, paler and smooth or with a few
hairs on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, up to 1 inch long,
smooth, with 2 glands near the tip.
Flowers: Crowded in showy, drooping, elongated clusters up to 6 inches
long, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, each flower up
to ½ inch across, with 5 white petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, juicy, spherical, up to ⅓ inch in diameter, red at first,
becoming deep purple at maturity.
Wood: Heavy, hard, not strong, close-grained, pale-brown.
Uses: Fuel, some interior finishing.
Habitat: Woods, along streams.
Range: Newfoundland across to Saskatchewan, south to Kansas, east to
North Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: Choke Cherry resembles Wild Black Cherry,
differing by its more pointed teeth along the edges of the leaves.
[Illustration: CHOKE CHERRY]
WAFER ASH
_Ptelea trifoliata_ L.
Other Name: Hop-tree.
Growth Form: Small tree or shrub up to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 5 inches; crown rounded.
Bark: Brown, somewhat roughened.
Twigs: Slender, dark brown, often with small “warts”; leaf scars
alternate, large, horseshoe-shaped, slightly elevated, with 3
bundle traces.
Buds: Spherical, pale brown, hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, divided into 3 leaflets; leaflets mostly ovate,
long-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 5
inches long, up to half as wide, smooth or with fine teeth along
the edges, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and
smooth on the lower surface; leaflets without individual stalks.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately but usually
in the same cluster, appearing in late May and June, with 3-5
obscure, greenish-white petals.
Fruit: Thin, flat, nearly spherical winged seed up to 1 inch across.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, yellow-brown.
Use: The fruit at one time was used as a substitute for hops in brewing.
Habitat: Rocky, wooded slopes.
Range: Quebec across Michigan to Iowa, south to eastern Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Wafer Ash is distinguished by its 3-parted
alternate leaves and its flat, spherical, winged seeds.
[Illustration: WAFER ASH]
WHITE OAK
_Quercus alba_ L.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown very broad, with stiff, horizontal branches; trunk
relatively short and rather thick.
Bark: Gray or whitish with gray patches, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, somewhat shiny, gray, whitish, or even purplish;
pith star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate but
crowded near the tip of the twig, half-round, slightly elevated,
with several bundle traces.
Buds: Nearly round, reddish-brown or gray, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades usually with 7 or 9 lobes, the lobes
rounded and not bristle-tipped, the sinuses varying from shallow
to deep, the upper surface green and smooth, the lower surface
paler and smooth, up to 10 inches long, up to half as wide,
turning red in the autumn; leafstalks up to 1 inch long, rather
stout, smooth. Leaves on the same tree may vary considerably.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate many in drooping, yellow catkins, the
pistillate few in a group, red.
Fruit: Acorns borne 1 or 2 together, with or without a stalk, the nut
oblong, up to ¾ inch long, green to greenish-brown, shiny, the cup
covering up to ¼ of the nut, yellow-brown, often minutely hairy.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, durable, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, cabinets, general construction, fence posts,
fuel, tight cooperage.
Habitat: Moist woods; wooded slopes; dry woods.
Range: Maine across to Minnesota, south to eastern Texas, east to
northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: White Oak is recognized by its grayish bark and
its 5-7 round-lobed, smooth leaves which are usually whitish on
the lower surface. Its oblong, greenish-brown, shiny acorns are
also distinctive.
[Illustration: WHITE OAK]
SWAMP WHITE OAK
_Quercus bicolor_ Willd.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet;
crown rounded and broad.
Bark: Grayish-brown, deeply furrowed, becoming flaky.
Twigs: Stout, grayish-brown to yellowish-brown; leaf scars alternate,
half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle traces; pith
star-shaped in cross-section.
Buds: Clustered at the tips of the twigs, ellipsoid to spherical, up to
⅛ inch long, yellow-brown, smooth or with a few hairs at the tip.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades usually broadest above the middle, up
to 6 inches long and 4 inches broad, coarsely round-toothed or
sometimes with a few shallow lobes, smooth or somewhat hairy on
the upper surface, white and softly hairy on the lower surface;
leafstalks nearly an inch long, smooth or slightly hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
in groups of 2-4.
Fruit: Acorns in pairs, on stalks 1 inch long or longer, the nut ovoid,
pale brown, 1-1½ inches long, enclosed about ⅓ its length by the
cup, the cup thick, light brown, hairy, roughened.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, cabinets, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Bottomland woods.
Range: Maine and southern Quebec across to southern Minnesota, south to
Oklahoma, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Swamp White Oak is distinguished by its
leaves which are coarsely round-toothed and softly white hairy on
the lower surface of the leaves.
[Illustration: SWAMP WHITE OAK]
SCARLET OAK
_Quercus coccinea_ Muench.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½ feet;
crown narrow but open.
Bark: Reddish-brown, shallowly fissured when mature.
Twigs: Slender, brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate, but crowded near
the tip, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle
traces; pith star-shaped in cross-section.
Buds: Pointed, reddish-brown, hairy at the tip, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades divided more than half-way to the
middle into 5-7 bristle-tipped lobes, bright green, shiny and
smooth on the upper surface, paler and with tufts of hairs along
the veins on the lower surface, up to 6½ inches long and 4 inches
broad; leafstalks up to 2½ inches long, slender, usually smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
in groups of 1 or 2.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or paired, with or without stalks, the nut oval
or hemispherical, up to ¾ inch across, reddish-brown with
occasional darker rings around it, enclosed up to ½ its length by
the cup, the cup thin, top-shaped, reddish-brown, finely hairy.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts, coarse construction.
Habitat: Dry woods.
Range: Maine to southern Ontario, south to Oklahoma, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: Scarlet Oak looks very much like Pin Oak, but
differs in habitat and structure of the acorn cup. It sometimes
resembles Black Oak but has shorter, less hairy buds and acorns
without loosely arranged scales on the cup.
[Illustration: SCARLET OAK]
HILL’S OAK
_Quercus ellipsoidalis_ E. J. Hill
Other Name: Northern Pin Oak.
Growth Form: Moderate tree to about 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2
feet; crown rounded, with the drooping lowermost branches often
reaching nearly to the ground.
Bark: Gray-black, rather smooth to shallowly fissured.
Twigs: Rather slender, smooth at maturity, grayish-brown to
reddish-brown; pith star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars
alternate, but clustered near the tip of the twig, half-round,
slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Nearly smooth, one-fourth inch long, ovoid, reddish-brown.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades 3-9 inches long, slightly tapering or
usually cut nearly straight across at the base, with 2-4 pairs of
bristle-tipped lobes usually cut over half-way to the mid-vein,
deep green and shiny on the upper surface at maturity; leafstalks
smooth, up to 3 inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree, appearing as the leaves
unfold, inconspicuous, the staminate crowded in a catkin, the
pistillate solitary or 2-3 together.
Fruit: Ripening in October of the second year, on very short stalks;
acorns longer than broad, short-pointed at the base, about ½ inch
across, the cup bowl-shaped covering ⅓ to ½ of the acorn.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Shingles and interior finishings.
Habitat: Dry upland woods, often where Black Oak occurs.
Range: Northwestern Ohio and central Michigan to southeastern Minnesota,
south to eastern Iowa and north-central Illinois.
Distinguishing Features: The elongated acorn of the Hill’s Oak
distinguishes it from pin oak, which it closely resembles.
[Illustration: HILL’S OAK]
SPANISH OAK
_Quercus falcata_ Michx.
Other Name: Southern Red Oak.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4 feet;
crown broadly rounded, with stiff, stout, spreading branchlets;
trunk straight, rather stout.
Bark: Dark brown to nearly black, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Reddish-brown to gray, smooth or nearly so at maturity; pith
star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate but clustered
near the tip, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle
traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, chestnut-brown, hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades broadly rounded at the base, 3- to
5-lobed, the terminal lobe usually long, narrow, and strongly
curved, all lobes bristle-tipped, up to 8 inches long, up to 6
inches wide, green on the upper surface, pale and densely
soft-hairy on the lower surface; leaf stalk up to 2½ inches long,
slender, usually hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping, densely hairy catkins,
the pistillate few in a rusty-hairy cluster, with dark red
stigmas.
Fruit: Acorn usually solitary, with or without a short stalk, the nut
spherical or ellipsoid, up to ½ inch long, orange-brown, the cup
covering only up to ⅓ of the nut, with hairy, reddish-brown
scales.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel, general construction.
Habitat: Dry and usually poor upland soil; occasionally in bottomlands.
Range: Central New Jersey south to central Florida, across to eastern
Texas, up the Mississippi Basin to central Missouri, south-central
Illinois, southeastern Indiana, western Kentucky, and western
Tennessee.
Distinguishing Features: The Spanish Oak is the only bristle-tipped oak
in Illinois in which the lower leaf surface is covered with a mat
of fine hairs.
[Illustration: SPANISH OAK]
SHINGLE OAK
_Quercus imbricaria_ Michx.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown rounded or oblong, with many branches; trunk straight,
columnar.
Bark: Dark brown, deeply furrowed between flat, tight plates.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, reddish-brown; pith star-shaped in
cross-sections; leaf scars alternate but crowded near the tip of
the twigs, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle
traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, brown, smooth, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades without lobes or teeth, lanceolate to
oblong, with a bristle tip, narrowed to the base, up to 6 inches
long, up to 2 inches wide, dark green, smooth and shiny on the
upper surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up
to ½ inch long, stout, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, yellow, drooping catkins, the
pistillate few in a cluster.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, stalked, the nut nearly spherical,
dark brown, less than half enclosed by the cup, the cup
reddish-brown and slightly hairy.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: Shingles, general construction.
Habitat: Moist soil along streams or in woods; occasionally on dry,
exposed sandstone cliffs.
Range: New Jersey across to Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska, south to
Kansas, east to Arkansas and South Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: Only the Shingle Oak and the Willow Oak, among
all the oaks, have leaves without any teeth or lobes. The Shingle
Oak generally has broader leaves than does the Willow Oak. The
Shingle Oak can be told from Magnolias by its star-shaped pith and
the formation of acorns.
[Illustration: SHINGLE OAK]
OVERCUP OAK
_Quercus lyrata_ Walt.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 3 feet; crown rounded to oblong, with several branches, the
lowermost often drooping; trunk straight, columnar.
Bark: Gray or grayish-brown, divided into flat, sometimes squarish,
plates.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, buff-colored; pith star-shaped in cross-section;
leaf scars alternate, but clustered near the tip of the twig,
half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Nearly round, smooth, pale brown, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades divided into 5-7 rounded lobes, the
sinuses shallow to deep, up to 10 inches long, up to 4½ inches
broad, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, pale and softly
hairy to nearly smooth on the lower surface; leafstalk up to 1
inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
plant, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, yellow, drooping catkins, the
pistillate few in a group.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without a stalk, the nut
nearly spherical, up to 1 inch in diameter, pale brown, often
nearly entirely enclosed by the cup, the cup finely hairy, with
some of the scales forming a ragged rim near the base.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, dark brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, cabinets, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Bottomland woods; swamps.
Range: Southern Virginia across to eastern Texas, north up the
Mississippi Valley to southern Missouri, southern Illinois, and
southern Indiana; also in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey;
southward to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The best identifying characteristic of this
plant is the acorn in which the nut often is nearly enclosed by
the cup.
[Illustration: OVERCUP OAK]
BUR OAK
_Quercus macrocarpa_ Michx.
Other Name: Mossy-cup Oak.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 120 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5
feet; crown rounded, with stout branches; trunk straight, stout,
sometimes slightly buttressed at the base.
Bark: Dark brown or yellow-brown, rather deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Stout, dark brown, often with corky ridges; pith star-shaped in
cross-section; leaf scars alternate but clustered near the tip,
half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded or slightly pointed at the tip, yellowish-brown to
reddish-brown, finely hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades broader at the upper end, coarsely
round-toothed, usually with a pair of deep sinuses just below the
middle, often with as many as 5-7 lobes, the lobes not
bristle-tipped, dark green and smooth or slightly hairy on the
upper surface, paler and softly hairy on the lower surface, up to
14 inches long and 7 inches wide; leaf stalks up to 1 inch long,
stout, smooth or finely hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
few in a group, with red stigmas.
Fruit: Acorn usually solitary, with or without a stalk, the nut ovoid to
ellipsoid, dark brown, up to 1¾ inches long, the cup covering half
to nearly all the nut, hairy, the lowermost scales long-fringed.
Wood: Heavy, hard, durable, close-grained, brown.
Uses: Cabinets, ship-building, fenceposts, fuel, tight cooperage.
Habitat: Dry ridges to bottomland woods.
Range: Vermont across to North Dakota, south to Texas, east to Arkansas,
Tennessee, and Maryland.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves of the Bur Oak are distinctive
because they are very broad in the upper half with a pair of deep
sinuses a little below the middle. The large, fringed cups are
also distinctive.
[Illustration: BUR OAK]
BLACKJACK OAK
_Quercus marilandica_ Muench.
Other Name: Scrub Oak.
Growth Form: Relatively small tree, at most attaining a height of 50
feet, usually much shorter and often very gnarled; trunk diameter
up to 1½ feet; crown exceedingly round-topped, with numerous lower
branches hanging downward.
Bark: Dark brown, shallowly ridged.
Twigs: Moderately stout, brown, more or less hairy; pith star-shaped in
cross-section; leaf scars alternate but clustered near the top,
half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Angular, from ¼-½ inch long, somewhat hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades about 4-8 inches long, leathery, very
much broader near the apex than the base, mostly rounded or even
somewhat heart shaped at the base, more or less 3-lobed and
bristle-tipped nearer the apex, the upper surface hairy at first,
becoming shiny dark green at maturity, the lower surface
permanently hairy; leafstalks less than 1 inch long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on the same tree, appearing as the
leaves unfold, inconspicuous, the staminate crowded in a catkin,
the pistillate solitary or 2-3 together.
Fruit: Ripening in October of the second year, on very short stalks, or
the stalks sometimes lacking; acorns nearly round, usually at most
only ½ inch in diameter, the cup enclosing ½ the acorn, with
rather loosely arranged scales.
Wood: Hard, strong, heavy, dark brown.
Uses: Excellent as a source of charcoal and fuel.
Habitat: Poor soil, particularly on dry, exposed rocky cliffs.
Range: New York across to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
southern Iowa to southeastern Nebraska, south into eastern Kansas,
eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas, then east to northern
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The 3-lobed leaf, much broader at the apex, is
the most distinctive characteristic of this oak.
[Illustration: BLACKJACK OAK]
SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK
_Quercus michauxii_ Nutt.
Other Names: Basket Oak; Cow Oak.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to nearly 100 feet tall; trunk
diameter up to 6 feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Gray or silvery-white, scaly.
Twigs: Stout, reddish-brown to gray, smooth or nearly so; leaf scars
alternate but crowded near the tip, half-round, slightly elevated,
with several bundle traces; pith star-shaped in cross-section.
Buds: Pointed, finely hairy, reddish-brown, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades obovate, pointed at the tip, rounded
or tapering to the base, up to 10 inches long and 6 inches broad,
coarsely scalloped along the edges, thick, green and sparsely
hairy on the upper surface, whitish and densely hairy on the lower
surface; leafstalk up to 1½ inches long, hairy.
Flowers: Borne separately but on the same tree, minute, without petals,
the staminate crowded into long, slender catkins, the pistillate
few in a cluster.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or paired, with or without short stalks, the nut
ovoid to ellipsoid, brown, up to 1½ inches long, enclosed about ⅓
its length by the cup, the cup thick, cup-shaped, hairy,
short-fringed along the rim.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, pale brown.
Uses: General construction, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Low woods.
Range: New Jersey across to southern Missouri, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Swamp Chestnut Oak is distinguished from
other coarsely toothed oaks by the densely hairy, whitish lower
leaf surfaces and its short-stalked acorns.
[Illustration: SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK]
YELLOW CHESTNUT OAK
_Quercus muhlenbergii_ Engelm.
Other Names: Chinquapin; Chinquapin Oak.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown oblong or rounded, with many branches; trunk straight,
columnar, buttressed at the base.
Bark: Pale gray, with scaly ridges.
Twigs: Slender, yellow-brown or reddish-brown; pith star-shaped in
cross-section; leaf scars alternate but clustered near the tip,
half-round, with several bundle traces; pith star-shaped in
cross-section.
Buds: Pointed, smooth, chestnut-brown, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades narrowly to broadly lanceolate,
pointed at the tip, narrowed or rounded at the base, coarsely
toothed along the edges, smooth and yellow-green on the upper
surface, paler and usually finely hairy on the lower surface, up
to 8 inches long and 5 inches broad; leafstalk up to 1½ inches
long, slender, usually smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded into long,
slender catkins, the pistillate few in a group, with red stigmas.
Fruit: Acorns borne in groups of 1 or 2, usually on a short stalk, the
nut ovoid, chestnut-colored, up to ¾ inch long, the cup covering
about ½ the nut, the scales of the cup hairy and usually with a
short fringe.
Wood: Heavy, strong, durable, close-grained.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel, railroad ties.
Habitat: Low rich slopes; wooded hillsides; dry cliffs.
Range: Vermont across to southern Minnesota, south to eastern Nebraska
and eastern Texas, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Yellow Chestnut Oak is distinguished from
the other coarsely toothed oaks by its usually sharper pointed
teeth and by the size and shape of its acorns.
[Illustration: YELLOW CHESTNUT OAK]
CHERRYBARK OAK
_Quercus pagodaefolia_ Ell.
Other Name: Swamp Spanish Oak.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown broadly rounded; trunk straight, columnar.
Bark: Dark gray, broken by narrow ridges into small scales.
Twigs: Rather stout, reddish-brown or gray, usually hairy when young,
becoming smooth; pith star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars
alternate but clustered near tip of the twigs, half-round,
slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, angular, hairy, chestnut-brown, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades divided into 5-11 pointed lobes, the
sinuses cut about half-way to the midvein, up to 10 inches long,
up to 7 inches wide, dark green, smooth and shiny on the upper
surface, pale and hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 2
inches long, stout, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
plant, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
few together.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without a stalk, the nut
ellipsoid, about ½ inch long, brown, enclosed for less than ⅓ its
length by the cup, the cup finely hairy.
Wood: Strong, hard, coarse-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, furniture, cabinets.
Habitat: Bottomlands and river banks.
Range: Southeastern Virginia to southeastern Missouri, south to Texas,
east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The shape of the leaf is distinctive for this
oak.
[Illustration: CHERRYBARK OAK]
PIN OAK
_Quercus palustris_ Muench.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter usually less
than 3 feet; crown narrowly rounded or oblong, but with the lower
branches drooping; trunk straight, with pin-like stubs developing
rather low on the trunk.
Bark: Light brown or dark brown, scarcely furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, reddish-brown to dark gray; pith star-shaped in
cross-section; leaf scars alternate but crowded near the tip,
half-round, usually slightly elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, reddish-brown or dark gray, smooth, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades divided more than half-way to the
middle into 5-7 bristle-tipped lobes, dark green, shiny and more
or less smooth on the upper surface, paler and with tufts of hairs
along the veins on the lower surface, up to 7 inches long and 4
inches broad; leafstalk up to 2 inches long, slender, usually
smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
in groups of 1-3.
Fruit: Acorns 1-4 together, with or without stalks, the nut
hemispherical, up to ½ inch across, pale brown, frequently with
darker lines, enclosed less than ¼ by the cup, the cup thin,
saucer-shaped, reddish-brown, finely hairy.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: General construction, fuel, fence posts, ornamental.
Habitat: Moist soil; in floodplain woods; along streams; edges of swamps
and ponds.
Range: Massachusetts across to southeastern Iowa, south to northeastern
Oklahoma, east to northern Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: Pin Oak is recognized by its drooping lower
branches and its small acorns.
[Illustration: PIN OAK]
WILLOW OAK
_Quercus phellos_ L.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet;
crown narrowly round-topped.
Bark: Reddish-brown, smooth at first, becoming irregularly and shallowly
furrowed with age.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, reddish-brown; pith star-shaped in
cross-section; leaf scars alternate but crowded near the tip of
the twigs, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle
traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, smooth, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades without lobes or teeth, narrowly
lanceolate to narrowly oblong, with a bristle tip, narrowed to the
base, up to 5 inches long, up to 1 inch broad, light green and
smooth on the upper surface, usually smooth and paler on the lower
surface; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, smooth or slightly hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
few in a cluster.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without a short stalk, the
nut more or less spherical, pale yellow-brown, enclosed less than
¼ its length by the cup, the cup reddish-brown, finely hairy.
Wood: Heavy, rather soft, strong, coarse-grained, pale reddish-brown.
Use: General construction.
Habitat: Swampy woods.
Range: New York across to southern Illinois and eastern Oklahoma, south
to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This and the Shingle Oak are the only oaks in
Illinois with unlobed, untoothed leaves. The leaves of the Willow
Oak are usually much narrower than those of the Shingle Oak.
[Illustration: WILLOW OAK]
ROCK CHESTNUT OAK
_Quercus prinus_ L.
Other Name: Chestnut Oak.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 55 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½
feet; crown broad but irregular.
Bark: Dark brown, with conspicuous furrows between the rounded ridges.
Twigs: Rather stout, reddish-brown, smooth or nearly so; leaf scars
alternate, but clustered near the tip of the twig, half-round,
with several bundle traces; pith star-shaped in cross-section.
Buds: Pointed, brown, somewhat hairy, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades obovate to broadly lanceolate, pointed
at the tip, narrowed to the base, thick and leathery, coarsely
round-toothed along the edges, smooth, shiny, and yellow-green on
the upper surface, finely hairy over all the lower surface, up to
9 inches long and up to 4 inches broad; leafstalk up to 1 inch
long, smooth or slightly hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded into long,
slender catkins, the pistillate few in a group.
Fruit: Acorns borne in groups of 1 or 2, usually on a short stalk, the
nut ovoid to ellipsoid, chestnut-colored, up to 1½ inches long,
the cup covering about ½ the nut or less, the scales of the cup
reddish-brown and warty.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained.
Uses: Fence posts, railroad ties, fuel.
Habitat: Dry, rocky, wooded slopes.
Range: Maine across to southern Illinois, south to Mississippi and
Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The acorns of the Rock Chestnut Oak are about
twice the size as those of the Yellow Chestnut Oak. The teeth of
the leaves of the Rock Chestnut Oak tend to be more rounded than
the pointed teeth of the Yellow Chestnut Oak.
[Illustration: ROCK CHESTNUT OAK]
NORTHERN RED OAK
_Quercus rubra_ L.
Other Name: Red Oak.
Growth Form: Medium to tall tree to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3
feet; crown broadly rounded, with large spreading branches; trunk
straight, columnar, often buttressed at the base.
Bark: Grayish-brown, reddish-brown, blackish, or gray, with dark
stripes.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, reddish-brown; pith star-shaped in
cross-section; leaf scars alternate, but clustered near the tip of
the twig, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle
traces.
Buds: Pointed, smooth, reddish-brown, shiny, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades rather shallowly 7- to 11-lobed, the
lobes bristle-tipped, dark green and smooth or somewhat hairy on
the upper surface, paler and smooth or often with hairs along the
veins on the lower surface, up to 10 inches long, up to 6 inches
broad; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, stout, usually smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate
in groups of 1-3.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without stalks, the nut
ovoid, up to 1½ inches long, pale brown, covered less than ¼ by
the cup, the cup reddish-brown, with tight scales.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Interior finishing, furniture, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Rich, upland woods; along river banks; on well-drained slopes.
Range: New Brunswick, across southern Quebec and Ontario, to
northcentral Minnesota, south to eastern Kansas, east across
Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and in the mountains of eastern
Tennessee and northeastern Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The acorn with its very shallow, saucer-shaped
cap is the best identifying characteristic for the Red Oak. The
leaves are generally more shallowly lobed than those of the Black
Oak, Southern Red Oak, and Scarlet Oak.
[Illustration: NORTHERN RED OAK]
SHUMARD’S OAK
_Quercus shumardii_ Buckl.
Other Names: Southern Red Oak; Schneck’s Oak.
Growth Form: Up to 120 feet tall; trunk up to 5 feet in diameter; crown
broad and open, with wide-spreading branches.
Bark: Firmly ridged and dark brownish-black.
Twigs: Generally stouter than those of the Red Oak, smooth; pith
star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate, but clustered
near the tip of the twig, half-round, slightly elevated, with
several bundle traces.
Buds: Smooth, red-brown, about one-third inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades up to 8 inches long, straight across
or somewhat wedge-shaped at the base, with 2-4 pairs of lobes
divided over ⅔’s the way to the mid-nerve, each lobe toothed and
bristle-pointed at the tips, the sinuses broadly rounded, dark
green and shiny above, with white tufts of hair in the vein axils
beneath; leafstalks slender, smooth, up to 2½ inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on the same tree, appearing as the
leaves unfold, inconspicuous, the staminate crowded in a catkin,
the pistillate solitary or 2-3 together.
Fruit: Ripening in October of the second year, on stalks less than ¼
inch long, usually produced singly; acorns broadly egg-shaped,
short-pointed at the base and flat at the top, up to 1¼ inches
long and about ¾ as broad, light brown; cup shallow, about ¼-⅓
covering the acorn, with closely appressed, densely short-woolly
scales.
Wood: Light, strong, durable; not distinguished commercially from Red
Oak.
Uses: Interior finishing and furniture.
Habitat: Bottomland woods and stream banks.
Range: Most abundant in the Mississippi basin, but known from Florida
and Texas, north to Maryland, Pennsylvania, eastcentral Kentucky,
Indiana, central Illinois, the eastern half of Iowa, and
southeastern Kansas. The largest known Shumard’s Oak in the
country occurs at Beall Woods in Wabash County, Illinois.
Distinguishing Features: Deeply lobed, shiny leaves with broadly rounded
sinuses.
[Illustration: SHUMARD’S OAK]
POST OAK
_Quercus stellata_ Wang.
Growth Form: Small to medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 3 feet; crown rounded or obovoid, with rather stout branches;
trunk gnarled or straight, usually not buttressed.
Bark: Gray or light brown, divided into flat, sometimes squarish,
plates.
Twigs: Stout, brownish, covered when young by a tawny-colored fuzziness;
pith star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate but
densely clustered toward the tip, half-round, usually slightly
elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Spherical but often short-pointed, reddish-brown, up to ⅛ inch
long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades thick, 5-lobed, the upper three lobes
squarish, separated from the lowest pair of lobes by a deep sinus,
up to 6 inches long, up to 4½ inches wide, dark green and hairy on
the upper surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface;
leafstalks up to 1 inch long, stout, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, yellow, drooping catkins, the
pistillate few in a cluster.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without a short stalk, the
nut oval to oblong, up to 1 inch long, pale brown, less than half
enclosed by the cup, the cup reddish-brown, hairy.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, brown.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel, general construction.
Habitat: Dry woods; dry bluffs.
Range: Massachusetts across to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The 3 squarish lobes at the upper end of the
thick leaves distinguish the Post Oak.
[Illustration: POST OAK]
BLACK OAK
_Quercus velutina_ Lam.
Other Name: Yellow-bark Oak.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3½
feet; crown broadly rounded or oblong, with spreading branches;
trunk straight, columnar, scarcely buttressed at the base.
Bark: Black, with a yellow or orange inner bark, deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Slender or rather stout, reddish-brown to dark brown; pith
star-shaped in cross-section; leaf scars alternate but clustered
near the tip, half-round, slightly elevated, with several bundle
traces.
Buds: Pointed, angular, gray or reddish-brown, hairy, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades deeply to shallowly 7- to 9-lobed, the
lobes bristle-tipped, dark green, shiny and usually smooth on the
upper surface, smooth, finely hairy, or hairy only along the veins
on the lower surface, up to 10 inches long and 8 inches wide; leaf
stalk up to 5 inches long, stout, smooth or finely hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same
tree, appearing when the leaves begin to unfold, minute, without
petals, the staminate in slender, drooping clusters, the
pistillate in groups of 1-4.
Fruit: Acorns solitary or 2 together, with or without a short stalk, the
nut ovoid or ellipsoid, up to ¾ inch long, reddish-brown, not more
than ½ enclosed by the cup, the cup with scales not appressed at
the tip, thus appearing ragged.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: General construction, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Mostly upland woods.
Range: Maine across to south-central Minnesota, south to eastern Texas,
east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Black Oak is easily distinguished by its large,
angular, gray-hairy buds and its acorns with their ragged-edged
cup.
[Illustration: BLACK OAK]
CAROLINA BUCKTHORN
_Rhamnus caroliniana_ Walt.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches;
crown spreading.
Bark: Gray, somewhat roughened.
Twigs: Slender, gray or pale brown, smooth or somewhat hairy; leaf scars
alternate, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Lance-shaped, pointed, up to ¼ inch long, very hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic, short-pointed at the tip,
tapering or somewhat rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, up
to 2 inches broad, finely toothed or toothless along the edges,
dark green, smooth, and glossy on the upper surface, paler and
smooth or finely hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks finely
hairy, up to 1 inch long.
Flowers: Few in umbrella-like clusters, inconspicuous, appearing when
the leaves are nearly grown, each flower with 5 small petals.
Fruit: Spherical berries, up to ⅓ inch in diameter, red and shiny,
containing 2-4 seeds.
Wood: Hard, light in weight, close-grained, light brown.
Use: Fuel.
Habitat: Rocky woods and along streams.
Range: Virginia across to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Carolina Buckthorn is distinguished by its
shiny, elliptical leaves, its red berries, and its small stature.
[Illustration: CAROLINA BUCKTHORN]
COMMON BUCKTHORN
_Rhamnus cathartica_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall, often branching from near the
base; trunk diameter up to 10 inches; crown spreading and
irregular.
Bark: Gray to brown, roughened when mature.
Twigs: Gray to brown, usually smooth, some of them usually ending in a
spine; leaf scars opposite to nearly so, narrow, with 3 bundle
traces.
Buds: Lanceolate, brown, smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Broadly elliptic to ovate to nearly orbicular, rounded to
pointed at the tip, usually rounded at the base, up to 2½ inches
long and up to 1½ inches wide, finely toothed along the edges,
smooth on both surfaces, the veins prominent; leafstalks slender,
smooth, up to 1 inch long.
Flowers: Borne in clusters from the axils of the leaves, during May and
June, some of them either only staminate or only pistillate, some
of them with both stamens and pistils, each flower with 4 small
petals.
Fruit: Nearly round, fleshy, black, up to ¼ inch in diameter, bitter,
containing 3 or 4 seeds.
Wood: Heavy, hard, durable, yellowish, fine-grained.
Uses: This tree is sometimes planted as an ornamental hedge. The wood is
used in making such things as tool handles. The fruits serve as a
powerful purging agent.
Habitat: Thickets.
Range: Native of Europe and Asia; naturalized throughout much of
northeastern North America.
Distinguishing Features: The spine-tipped twigs, nearly opposite leaves,
and small black fruits readily distinguish this species.
[Illustration: COMMON BUCKTHORN]
SHINING SUMAC
_Rhus copallina_ L.
Other Names: Dwarf Sumac; Winged Sumac.
Growth Form: Small tree to 35 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches;
crown widely spreading.
Bark: Dark brown, roughened.
Twigs: Rather stout, gray-brown to reddish-brown, sometimes hairy, with
conspicuous red lenticels; leaf scars alternate, U-shaped,
elevated with 6-9 bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded, rusty-hairy, about ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with as many as 21 leaflets;
leaflets oblong to elliptic, up to 3 inches long and 1 inch broad,
sharp pointed at the apex, tapering or rounded at the sometimes
asymmetrical base, smooth or with low teeth along the edges, dark
green, smooth and shiny on the upper surface, paler and hairy on
the lower surface, all leaflets attached to a winged stalk. The
leaves turn a deep red or wine color in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate sometimes borne on separate plants,
sometimes on the same plant, sometimes in the same flower,
numerous in much branched clusters, appearing from late May to
mid-August, each flower greenish-yellow, small.
Fruit: Cluster of red berries, each berry round, finely hairy, up to ⅛
inch in diameter, containing a single orange seed.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Dry hills, fields.
Range: Maine across southern Michigan to eastern Nebraska, south to
Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Shining Sumac is readily distinguished by
the winged stalk to which the leaflets are attached.
[Illustration: SHINING SUMAC]
SMOOTH SUMAC
_Rhus glabra_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8
inches; crown widely spreading.
Bark: Light brown, smooth on young plants, becoming somewhat rough at
maturity.
Twigs: Stout, angular, smooth, reddish-brown or greenish-brown and
covered by a whitish coat which can be wiped off, leaf scars
alternate, nearly encircling the bud, elevated, with 6-9 bundle
traces.
Buds: More or less rounded, smooth, about ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 31 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped, up to 4 inches long, less than 2 inches broad, sharp
pointed at the apex, tapering or rounded at the often asymmetrical
base, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper
surface, nearly white and smooth on the lower surface. The leaves
turn red in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate sometimes borne on separate plants,
sometimes on the same plant, sometimes in the same flower,
numerous in much branched clusters, appearing from late May to
mid-August, each flower greenish-yellow, small.
Fruit: Cluster of red berries, each berry round, smooth, up to ⅛ inch in
diameter, containing a single brown seed.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, pale.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Woods, fields, disturbed areas.
Range: Nova Scotia across to Manitoba and North Dakota, south to Texas,
east to Florida; also in Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: This species lacks the winged leaf stalks of
the Shining Sumac and lacks the velvety twigs of the Staghorn
Sumac.
[Illustration: SMOOTH SUMAC]
STAGHORN SUMAC
_Rhus typhina_ L.
Growth Form: Small to medium tree up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 15 inches; crown broadly rounded or sometimes flat.
Bark: Dark brown, smooth at first, becoming scaly in age.
Twigs: Stout, dark brown, covered by velvety hairs; leaf scars nearly
encircling the twigs, with 6-9 bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded, hairy, about ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 31 leaflets; leaflets
lance-shaped, up to 5 inches long, less than 2 inches broad,
pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the usually
asymmetrical base, toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth
on the upper surface, paler and smooth except for the hairy veins
on the lower surface. The leaves turn purple to red to orange in
the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate sometimes borne on separate plants,
sometimes on the same plant, sometimes in the same flower,
numerous in much branched clusters, appearing from June to August,
each flower greenish, greenish-yellow, or reddish.
Fruit: Dense cluster of red berries, each berry round, conspicuously
hairy, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, containing a single brown seed.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, orange.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Woods and thickets.
Range: Nova Scotia across to Minnesota, south to Iowa and Kentucky, east
to North Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: The densely velvety twigs are distinctive for
this species.
[Illustration: STAGHORN SUMAC]
POISON SUMAC
_Rhus vernix_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree or shrub to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5
inches; crown narrowly rounded.
Bark: Gray, smooth.
Twigs: Rather stout, smooth, orange-brown to gray; leaf scars alternate,
rounded except for where the bud is, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded or somewhat pointed, about ¼ inch in diameter, except for
the larger, terminal one, hairy, often purplish.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7-13 leaflets; leaflets
elliptic to obovate, pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to
the base, up to 4 inches long, up to half as wide, dark green and
smooth on the upper surface, paler and usually smooth on the lower
surface, the edges without teeth. The leaves turn a brilliant
scarlet in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate sometimes borne on separate plants,
sometimes on the same plant, sometimes in the same flower,
numerous in much branched clusters, appearing from May to July,
each flower greenish-yellow, small.
Fruit: Cluster of white or creamy berries, each berry round, smooth,
shiny, up to ½ inch in diameter, containing a single yellow seed.
Wood: Soft, light in weight, coarse-grained, yellow-brown.
Use: Little used because of the extremely poisonous nature of most parts
of the plant to the touch.
Habitat: Bogs and swampy woods.
Range: Maine across southern Ontario to Minnesota, south to Texas, east
to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This species differs from other sumacs with
numerous leaflets by the absence of teeth along the edges of the
leaves and by the absence of a winged stalk between the leaflets.
[Illustration: POISON SUMAC]
BLACK LOCUST
_Robinia pseudoacacia_ L.
Growth Form: Moderate tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½
feet; crown narrowly oblong, with irregularly ascending or
spreading branches.
Bark: Gray or black, deeply furrowed, with numerous, elevated, scaly
ridges.
Twigs: Slender but strong, angular, often zigzag, reddish-brown, with a
pair of short, sharp thorns where each leaf is attached; leaf
scars alternate, three-lobed, with 3 bundle traces per lobe.
Buds: Sunken in the twigs, dark brown, without bud scales, up to
one-eighth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7-21 leaflets; leaflets
oval, rounded at both ends but usually with a short point at the
tip, without teeth, blue-green and smooth on the upper surface,
paler and smooth on the lower surface except for the veins, up to
two inches long and nearly half as wide. The leaflets turn yellow
in the autumn.
Flowers: In long, drooping clusters, white with a yellow spot, very
fragrant, up to 1 inch long, appearing in May and June.
Fruit: Legumes up to 4 inches long and about ½ inch wide, flat, smooth,
reddish-brown, with 4-8 seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, brown.
Uses: Fence posts, tool handles; often planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Woodlands, thickets, roadsides.
Range: Pennsylvania across to Oklahoma, east to Georgia; often planted
in other regions of the eastern United States.
Distinguishing Features: The pinnately compound leaves with up to 21
oval, smooth-edged leaflets, together with the pairs of spines,
serve to distinguish this species.
[Illustration: BLACK LOCUST]
PEACH-LEAVED WILLOW
_Salix amygdaloides_ Anders.
Growth Form: Moderate tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1½
feet; crown narrowly rounded.
Bark: Grayish-brown, shallowly furrowed, becoming somewhat scaly.
Twigs: Slender, pale brown to grayish, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
U-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Small, oblong, brown, up to one-sixth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades broadly lance-shaped, long-pointed at
the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 5 inches long,
finely toothed along the edges, dark green and shiny on the upper
surface, pale on the lower surface; leaf stalks up to ½ inch long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees,
minute, crowded into elongated catkins, appearing as the leaves
begin to unfold.
Fruit: Several rather broad, flask-shaped, brown capsules up to
one-sixth inch long, crowded in elongated clusters.
Wood: Light weight, soft, pale brown.
Use: Fuel.
Habitat: Along streams, around lakes and ponds.
Range: Vermont across southern Ontario to British Columbia, south to New
Mexico, east across southern Illinois to central New York.
Distinguishing Features: This willow has broader leaves than almost any
other willow in Illinois. The pale lower surface of the leaves
also distinguishes it from the Black Willow.
[Illustration: PEACH-LEAVED WILLOW]
CAROLINA WILLOW
_Salix caroliniana_ Michx.
Other Name: Ward’s Willow.
Growth Form: Medium tree to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown widely spreading, often irregular.
Bark: Dark brown to gray to black, scaly and ridged.
Twigs: Slender, brown, usually finely hairy; leaf scars alternate,
U-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Small, oblong, reddish-brown, smooth, up to one-eighth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades lanceolate, long-pointed at the tip,
tapering to the base, up to 5 inches long and up to 1 inch broad,
finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper
surface, whitish and smooth on the lower surface; stipules
conspicuous; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees,
appearing as the leaves begin to unfold, crowded in elongated,
yellowish, hairy catkins.
Fruit: Several narrow, flask-shaped, brownish capsules up to ¼ inch
long, crowded in elongated clusters.
Wood: Light weight, soft, not strong.
Use: Fuel.
Habitat: Moist woods, along streams.
Range: Maryland across southern Illinois to Kansas, south to Texas and
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves of the Carolina Willow are shaped
similarly to those of the Black Willow, but differ by being
whitened on the lower surface.
[Illustration: CAROLINA WILLOW]
SANDBAR WILLOW
_Salix interior_ Rowlee
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter less than 1
foot; crown irregular.
Bark: Gray, furrowed, broken into rough scales.
Twigs: Slender, grayish-green, smooth; leaf scars alternate, U-shaped,
with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Small, oblong, pale brown, up to one-sixth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades very narrow, pointed at the tip,
tapering to the base, to 4 inches long, less than one-half inch
broad, with widely spaced teeth along the edges, green and usually
smooth on both surfaces when mature; leafstalks nearly absent.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees,
minute, crowded into elongated catkins, appearing when the leaves
are partly grown.
Fruit: Several flask-shaped, brownish, smooth or silky capsules up to
one-eighth inch long, crowded in elongated clusters.
Wood: Light weight, soft, weak.
Use: Fuel.
Habitat: Along streams, often forming thickets.
Range: Quebec across to Alaska, south to Oklahoma and Arkansas, east to
Maryland.
Distinguishing Features: The best characteristics to identify this small
tree are the narrow leaves with the teeth relatively far apart.
[Illustration: SANDBAR WILLOW]
BLACK WILLOW
_Salix nigra_ Marsh.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 90 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to three feet; crown usually round-topped, but sometimes
irregular.
Bark: Rough, furrowed, forming elongated, vertical, rather tight scales.
Twigs: Slender, olive-green, smooth; leaf scars alternate, U-shaped,
with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Small, oblong, reddish-brown, up to one-eighth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades narrowly lance-shaped, usually curved,
long-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering at the base, up to 6
inches long, finely toothed along the edges, green and shiny on
the upper surface, smooth or hairy on the veins of the lower
surface; leafstalks short, often surrounded at the base by a pair
of green leaf-like stipules.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees,
minute, crowded in elongated catkins, appearing as the leaves
begin to unfold.
Fruit: Several narrow, flask-shaped, reddish-brown capsules up to
one-eighth inch long, crowded in elongated clusters.
Wood: Light weight, soft, not strong.
Uses: Flooring, boxes, crates, fuel.
Habitat: Wet ground, frequently along rivers and streams.
Range: New Brunswick across to Ontario, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The narrow lance-shaped leaves which are green
on the lower surface and which have many fine teeth along the
edges distinguish this willow from other willows in Illinois.
[Illustration: BLACK WILLOW]
SASSAFRAS
_Sassafras albidum_ (Nutt.) Nees
Other Names: White Sassafras; Red Sassafras.
Growth Form: Usually small to moderate tree up to 40 feet tall, but
rarely as much as 80 feet tall; trunk diameter usually up to 2
feet, rarely as much as six feet; crown flat-topped, irregular,
oblong.
Bark: Greenish-gray when young, becoming deeply furrowed and dark
reddish-brown when older.
Twigs: Slender, green, smooth, aromatic; leaf scars alternate, small,
half-round, usually with three bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, scarcely pointed at the tip, greenish, up to one-fourth
inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades of three different shapes, some
3-lobed, some 2-lobed, some unlobed, tapering to the base, up to 6
inches long, without teeth along the edges, green and smooth on
the upper surface, paler and either smooth or hairy on the lower
surface. The leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, red, and
yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne on separate trees, in
few-flowered clusters as the leaves begin to unfold, each flower
about ⅓ inch long, greenish-yellow.
Fruit: Dark blue berries about one-third inch long in deep red cups and
on stalks up to 2 inches long.
Wood: Soft, brittle, orange-brown.
Uses: Fence posts; the roots are strongly aromatic and are dug, dried,
and used in the making of sassafras tea.
Habitat: Roadsides, old fields, woods.
Range: Maine across to Michigan and (formerly) Wisconsin, south to
Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Sassafras is distinguished by its
distinctively shaped, aromatic leaves and its green twigs.
[Illustration: SASSAFRAS]
BALD CYPRESS
_Taxodium distichum_ (L.) Rich.
Growth Form: Large tree to over 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8
feet; crown open and spreading to pyramidal; base of trunk often
swollen; “knees” usually produced if tree is growing in water.
Bark: Pale reddish-brown, broken into numerous thin scales, becoming
fibrous.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown; leaf scars absent.
Buds: Spherical, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, pale brown.
Leaves: Needles borne singly, pointed at the tip, up to ¾ inch long,
yellow-green, falling away during the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate borne in branched clusters up to 5 inches long,
purplish; pistillate few to several near the ends of the twigs,
spherical.
Fruit: Cones nearly spherical, up to 1 inch in diameter, green to brown,
wrinkled in appearance.
Wood: Soft, durable, light in weight, brown.
Uses: Railroad ties, fence posts, barrels, bridges; often planted as an
ornamental.
Habitat: Swamps and low, wet woods.
Range: New Jersey across to southern Illinois and southern Missouri to
eastern Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Bald Cypress is distinguished by the feathery
appearance of its leaves and by its spherical, wrinkled cones.
[Illustration: BALD CYPRESS]
BASSWOOD
_Tilia americana_ L.
Other Name: Linden.
Growth Form: Medium or large tree to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to
2 feet; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Brown, scaly, deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, gray or brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
half-elliptical, with 3 to several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, red, smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip,
heart-shaped at the very asymmetrical base, up to 8 inches long,
up to ⅔ as broad, coarsely toothed along the edges, green and
smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth or with tufts of
hair on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, smooth.
Flowers: Few in clusters on a long stalk attached to a paddle-shaped
structure, each flower fragrant, greenish-yellow, with 5 petals,
appearing in June and July.
Fruit: Hard, spherical but often with a short point at the tip, up to ⅓
inch in diameter, light brown, finely hairy.
Wood: Light in weight, close-grained, strong, not durable.
Uses: Coarse construction, furniture, paper pulp, fuel.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: New Brunswick across to Manitoba, south to Texas, east to North
Carolina.
Distinguishing Features: The large, heart-shaped leaves sometimes
resemble the leaves of the Red Mulberry, but the leafstalks of the
Basswood do not have milky sap in them. The Basswood differs from
the White Basswood by the virtual absence of hairs on the lower
surface of the leaves.
[Illustration: BASSWOOD]
WHITE BASSWOOD
_Tilia heterophylla_ Vent.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 2 feet; crown broadly spreading.
Bark: Brown, scaly, deeply furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, pale red-brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
half-elliptical, with 3 to several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, red, usually smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip,
heart-shaped at the asymmetrical base, up to 6 inches long, about
half as wide, coarsely toothed along the edges, green and more or
less smooth on the upper surface, densely covered with white hairs
on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, more or less
smooth.
Flowers: Several in clusters on a long stalk attached to a paddle-shaped
structure, each flower fragrant, greenish-yellow, hairy, with 5
petals, appearing in June and July.
Fruit: Hard, more or less spherical, somewhat pointed at the tip, up to
⅓ inch in diameter, reddish-brown, finely hairy.
Wood: Light in weight, close-grained, strong, not durable.
Uses: Paper pulp, fuel.
Habitat: Low, moist woods.
Range: New York across to Missouri, south to Mississippi and Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The dense coat of white hairs on the lower
surface of the leaves distinguishes the White Basswood from the
Basswood.
[Illustration: WHITE BASSWOOD]
WINGED ELM
_Ulmus alata_ Michx.
Other Name: Wahoo Elm.
Growth Form: Small or moderate tree to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up
to 2 feet, but usually much smaller; crown oblong and relatively
narrow.
Bark: Dark gray, with shallow furrows.
Twigs: Slender, gray or brown, more or less zigzag, smooth, often with
corky wings; leaf scars alternate, half-round, each with 3 bundle
traces.
Buds: Narrow, pointed, brown, smooth or slightly hairy, up to one-fourth
inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, pointed
at the tip, rounded at the slightly asymmetrical base, up to three
inches long, doubly toothed along the edges, green and smooth or
slightly roughened on the upper surface, paler and hairy on the
lower surface; leafstalks short, stout, hairy.
Flowers: In drooping clusters of 2-7, appearing before the leaves
unfold, greenish, hairy, small.
Fruit: Oblong, winged, up to one-third inch long, hairy along the edges,
each wing notched at the top and surrounding a single central
seed.
Wood: Heavy, hard, pale brown.
Uses: Tool handles, small wooden articles.
Habitat: Dry cliffs, wooded slopes, rarely low woods.
Range: Virginia across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The corky wings identify the Winged Elm from
all other Illinois elms except the Rock Elm. It differs from the
Rock Elm by its shorter, hairy leaf stalks and its usually smaller
leaves.
[Illustration: WINGED ELM]
AMERICAN ELM
_Ulmus americana_ L.
Other Name: White Elm.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4 feet;
crown broadly rounded or sometimes flat-topped, usually with
drooping branchlets.
Bark: Light or dark gray, furrowed, at maturity breaking into thin
plates.
Twigs: Brown, slender, smooth or sparsely hairy, often zigzag; leaf
scars alternate, half-round, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Broadly ovoid, reddish-brown, smooth or sparsely hairy, up to
one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to elliptic, pointed at the tip,
strongly asymmetrical at the base, up to 6 inches long and about
half as wide, coarsely doubly toothed along the edges, the upper
surface dark green and smooth, the lower surface pale and either
softly hairy or smooth; leafstalks very short, usually yellow.
Flowers: In drooping clusters of 3-4, appearing before the leaves
unfold, greenish-red, hairy, small.
Fruit: Oval, winged fruits up to one-half inch long, hairy along the
edges, each wing notched at the top and surrounding a single
central seed.
Wood: Heavy, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Flooring, farm implements, shipbuilding; frequently planted as an
ornamental and as a shade tree, but greatly diminished in number
by the Dutch Elm disease and phloem necrosis.
Habitat: Bottomland woods, along streams.
Range: Nova Scotia across to southern Manitoba, south to central Texas,
east to south-central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: American Elm may be distinguished from the
Winged Elm and the Rock Elm by its lack of corky wings on the
branchlets. It differs from the Slippery Elm by its relatively
smooth leaves and the lack of rusty-colored hairs on its buds. The
Siberian Elm, which is also similar, does not have distinctly
asymmetrical leaves. Hackberry leaves, which are also somewhat
similar in appearance, have three main veins originating at the
base of each leaf blade.
[Illustration: AMERICAN ELM]
SIBERIAN ELM
_Ulmus pumila_ L.
Growth Form: Small tree to 35 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot;
crown broadly rounded, with slender branchlets.
Bark: Gray or brown, shallowly furrowed at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, brown or grayish, smooth; leaf scars alternate,
half-round, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Spherical, reddish-brown, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, somewhat
hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades short-pointed at the tip, tapering or
rounded at the asymmetrical base, up to 7 cm long, up to half as
broad, mostly singly toothed along the edges, smooth on both
surfaces; leafstalks very short, usually smooth.
Flowers: In drooping clusters of 2-5, appearing before the leaves begin
to unfold, greenish, small, without petals.
Fruit: Nearly round, winged fruits, up to ½ inch in diameter, not
notched, smooth, 1-seeded.
Wood: Hard, heavy, pale brown.
Use: Grown chiefly as an ornamental and frequently reproducing around
old buildings.
Habitat: Along roads, around buildings.
Range: Native of Asia; widely planted in the United States and
naturalized from Minnesota to Kansas and eastward.
Distinguishing Features: The Siberian Elm is distinguished by its small,
smooth, singly-toothed leaves.
[Illustration: SIBERIAN ELM]
SLIPPERY ELM
_Ulmus rubra_ Muhl.
Other Name: Red Elm.
Growth Form: Moderate tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4
feet; crown broadly rounded or occasionally flat-topped.
Bark: Reddish-brown to gray, with shallow furrows; the inner bark
becomes slippery when chewed.
Twigs: Rather stout, reddish-brown, with short, gray hairs; leaf scars
alternate, half-round, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Nearly round, up to one-fourth inch in diameter, with
rusty-colored hairs.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to elliptic, pointed at the tip,
strongly asymmetrical at the base, up to 7 inches long, about half
as wide, coarsely doubly toothed along the edges, the upper
surface green and very rough to the touch, the lower surface
smooth or hairy; leafstalks stout, hairy, up to one-half inch
long.
Flowers: In drooping clusters, appearing before the leaves unfold,
greenish, hairy, small.
Fruit: Circular, winged fruits up to three-fourths inch in diameter, not
hairy except over the seed, each wing surrounding a single seed.
Wood: Heavy, strong, dark brown.
Uses: Shipbuilding, farm implements, fence posts.
Habitat: Bottomland woods; along streams; rocky, upland woods.
Range: Quebec across Ontario to North Dakota, south to Texas, east to
Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The rough, sandpapery texture of the
asymmetrical leaves distinguishes this elm from all others in the
state.
[Illustration: SLIPPERY ELM]
ROCK ELM
_Ulmus thomasii_ Sarg.
Other Name: Cork Elm.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to three
feet; crown narrow, oblong, with drooping branches.
Bark: Grayish-brown, with shallow furrows.
Twigs: Slender, brown, smooth or finely hairy, usually with corky wings;
leaf scars alternate, half-round, each with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Lance-shaped, pointed, brown, more or less hairy, up to one-fourth
inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to oblong, pointed at the tip,
rounded at the slightly asymmetrical base, up to 4 inches long,
doubly toothed, green, smooth, and shiny on the upper surface,
paler and hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to one-half
inch long, smooth.
Flowers: In drooping clusters of 2-4, appearing before the leaves begin
to unfold, greenish-red, hairy, small.
Fruit: Oval, winged fruits up to one-half inch long, hairy, each wing
with a shallow notch at the top and surrounding a single seed.
Wood: Hard, strong, heavy, close-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Railroad ties, farm implements, hockey sticks.
Habitat: Wooded slopes, rock ledges.
Range: Quebec to Ontario and Minnesota, southwestward to Kansas, east to
Tennessee.
Distinguishing Features: Rock Elm differs from other elms in Illinois by
its corky-winged twigs and its smooth leafstalks.
[Illustration: ROCK ELM]
SWEET VIBURNUM
_Viburnum lentago_ L.
Other Names: Nannyberry; Wild Raisin; Sheepberry.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5 inches;
crown rounded.
Bark: Reddish-brown, broken into irregular plates.
Twigs: Slender, grayish, sometimes with orange dots, smooth; leaf scars
opposite, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Red, nearly smooth, long-pointed, up to ¾ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or
rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, about half as wide,
sharply and finely toothed along the edges, green and slightly
hairy on the upper surface, yellow-green and minutely black-dotted
on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 1½ inches long, sometimes
rusty-hairy, winged.
Flowers: Many in broad, round-topped clusters, slightly fragrant,
appearing during April and May, each flower small and
creamy-white.
Fruit: Fleshy, oval to ellipsoid, blue-black, up to ½ inch long, sweet,
containing a single stone.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, dark orange-brown.
Use: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rocky woods; woods along streams.
Range: Quebec across to Manitoba, south to Colorado, east across
northern Illinois to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Sweet Viburnum, like other viburnums, has
opposite, simple leaves which are finely and sharply toothed. It
differs from other viburnums in Illinois by its long-pointed
leaves and its winged leaf stalks.
[Illustration: SWEET VIBURNUM]
BLACK HAW
_Viburnum prunifolium_ L.
Other Name: Nannyberry.
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches;
crown irregular.
Bark: Reddish-brown, broken into irregular plates.
Twigs: Slender, grayish, sometimes with orange dots, smooth; leaf scars
opposite, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Brown, nearly smooth, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades oval to ovate, short-pointed at the
tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 3 inches long and 2
inches broad, finely and sharply toothed along the edges, dark
green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the
lower surface; leafstalks up to ⅔ inch long, smooth, scarcely or
not at all winged.
Flowers: Many in broad, round-topped clusters, appearing during April
and May, each flower small and white.
Fruit: Fleshy, oval to ellipsoid, blue-black, up to ⅔ inch long, sweet,
containing a single stone.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong but brittle, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
Use: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rocky woods.
Range: Connecticut across to Michigan, southwest to Kansas, south to
Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Black Haw differs from the Sweet Viburnum by
the absence of wings along the leafstalks. It differs from the
Rusty Nannyberry by the absence of rusty hairs on the buds and
leafstalks.
[Illustration: BLACK HAW]
RUSTY NANNYBERRY
_Viburnum rufidulum_ Raf.
Other Name: Southern Black Haw.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches;
crown irregular.
Bark: Dark brown, broken into square plates.
Twigs: Slender, somewhat rusty-hairy; leaf scars opposite,
crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rusty-hairy, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic to obovate, short-pointed or
rounded at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 3
inches long, about half as wide, sharply and finely toothed along
the edges, dark green and usually smooth on the upper surface,
paler and with some rusty hairs on the lower surface; leafstalks
up to ¾ inch long, rusty-hairy.
Flowers: Many in broad, round-topped clusters, appearing during April
and May, each flower small and creamy-white.
Fruit: Fleshy, oblong, to obovoid, blue-black, up to ⅔ inch long. sweet,
containing a single stone.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong but brittle, close-grained, dark orange-brown.
Use: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Dry, rocky woods.
Range: Virginia across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The most distinguishing characteristics of the
Rusty Nannyberry are the rusty-hairy buds and leaf stalks.
[Illustration: RUSTY NANNYBERRY]
Special Places to Study Trees
A number of places in the state of Illinois provide opportunities to
study and to observe woody plants. Some of the major ones are briefly
described below.
The Morton Arboretum
A good place to learn the trees of Illinois firsthand is the Morton
Arboretum at Lisle, some twenty-five miles west of Chicago. This
privately endowed educational and scientific institution is devoted to
growing all kinds of woody plants that will survive in northern
Illinois. On the Arboretum’s 1500 acres one can find large collections
of oaks, maples, elms, ashes, lindens, junipers, pines, firs, spruces,
and numerous other groupings of woody plants from places throughout the
temperate world.
Certain collections in the Arboretum are along designated trails and are
especially useful in learning to identify trees. Perhaps the most
popular is the Illinois Trees Trail, where native trees are identified
by plaques that show common and scientific names and give other
interesting information about the trees. Another is the Evergreen Trail,
which features conifers.
Some trails emphasize ecology or other aspects of biology but also
feature trees. One of these is the Thornhill Trail, a general nature
trail on which trees are prominent. Another trail links nearby nature
study areas, including a mini-prairie, a wild flower garden, a northern
coniferous forest, and a pond-marsh. A short garden trail, the Viburnum
Walk, is unusual in that it utilizes a grouping of Viburnums and their
relatives to illustrate some of the principles of plant classification.
Landscape plantings are another important feature in the Arboretum, and
the extensive forested areas provide a dramatic backdrop for cultivated
plantings that have been blended skillfully into the natural landscape.
These are especially spectacular in spring when flowering trees are in
bloom and in fall when the foliage is in color.
At the Morton Arboretum there is a continuous effort to learn more about
the adaptability of trees and shrubs to the special growing conditions
of northern Illinois, especially the soils and climate. The natural
forests are being used as an outdoor laboratory for ecological studies,
and certain cultivated collections are experimental. The Street Tree
Collection, for example, is a large experimental assemblage of various
trees thought to be suitable for street and shade purposes. The Heath
(Ericaceous) Collection is valuable in determining the cultural
requirements for growing certain azaleas and rhododendrons in northern
Illinois.
The Morton Arboretum has been designed for learning through outdoor
experiences. The grounds are open every day of the year, and visitors
are always welcome. A modest admission fee is charged for each car
entering. In the Visitor Center, an overall orientation is offered
through exhibits and audio-visual presentations explaining the purposes
and functions of the Arboretum. Groups planning to visit should request
advance information about seasonal features, current hours, special
programs, and eating facilities. The varied opportunities and abundant
facilities at the Morton Arboretum make visits both pleasant and
memorable.
Illinois Natural History Survey
The Illinois Natural History Survey is a research organization devoted
to the scientific study of the living natural resources of Illinois. It
is one of the Divisions of the Department of Registration and Education
and is administered by a Board of Natural Resources and Conservation,
consisting of the Director of the Department, the President of the
University of Illinois, or his representative, the President of Southern
Illinois University, or his representative, members and experts in the
fields of geology, biology, chemistry, forestry, and engineering.
The Survey is organized into sections, five of which are engaged in
scientific pursuits. These are aquatic biology, botany and plant
pathology, economic entomology, faunistic survey, and wildlife. These
sections pursue basic and scientific research in systematics, ecology,
environmental quality, and control of plant diseases and insect pests.
The zoological collections of the Survey, numbering about 8,800,000
specimens, rank among the largest and most valuable in the world. The
botanical collections are smaller in size. The vascular plant
collections number over 145,000 specimens that are most representative
for studies of distribution in Illinois. The mycological collections,
with more than 35,000 specimens, include numerous types that are basic
to scientific research.
The Survey is housed in the Natural Resources Building and the Natural
Resources Studies Annex on the campus of the University of Illinois,
Urbana. In addition, the Survey maintains special research facilities at
Fox Ridge State Park, Stephen A. Forbes State Park, Havana, Sullivan,
and elsewhere for studies of pond management, prairie chickens,
pheasants, waterfowl, fish, and wildlife.
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, has both a Department of
Botany and a Department of Forestry where students may select courses
from a broad curriculum to study various aspects of plant life. Many
forest-oriented courses are available, and most of them include actual
work in the field. The University has an arboretum on campus where
ornamental species are emphasized. Guided tours of these arboreta, as
well as of the display greenhouse, can be arranged by contacting the
Chairman of the Department of Botany, Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale, Illinois 62901.
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The department has programs in instruction, research and public service.
The instructional program offers professional undergraduate training in
forest science and wood science and these are accredited by the Society
of American Foresters. Graduate training is provided only at the
Master’s level within the department. Doctoral work can be pursued
through interdisciplinary programs in genetics, ecology, and plant
physiology under the general direction of forestry staff who are members
of these respective faculties.
Research is conducted at the main campus, the Dixon Springs Agricultural
Center in southern Illinois (Pope County), Sinnissippi Forest in
northern Illinois (Ogle County), and at other smaller outlying areas.
Support is provided by the Agricultural Experiment Station and grants
from industry and governmental agencies. Projects cover a wide range of
subjects related to the production and utilization of wood as well as
the use of forests for non-timber values. The latter includes recreation
and watershed management, with special emphasis on the role of forests
and forestry in water quality.
At Dixon Springs the emphasis has been on the ecology and management of
pine plantations. These plantings represent plant communities that have
been interjected by man into the natural succession of abandoned
agricultural land to forest. Factors affecting the growth of pine, and
the effects of pine on soil conditions, stand composition, and the
regeneration of native hardwood species are being investigated.
Watershed management studies are also concentrated at Dixon Springs.
The 2,500-acre Sinnissippi Forest, a private estate provides the
department with research opportunities. A nature tail is maintained as
an outdoor laboratory that is widely used by both adult and youth
groups. Sinnissippi Forest emphasizes the fact that a managed forest can
be aesthetically pleasing.
Public service activities are carried on through the Cooperative
Extension Service and provide advice and information to landowners,
youth groups, and other citizens of the State. This is accomplished
largely through group meetings and demonstrations and direct replies to
individual requests for information. Major emphasis has been on
establishment of windbreaks on farms in the prairie region; promotion of
sound management practices for farm woodlands; and the care of trees in
plantations and on farmsteads. Extension education emphasizes the
development of an appreciation by Illinois youth for conservation of the
forest resource; the promotion among adults of sound management of rural
and urban woodlands; and program for primary and secondary industries
that concerns the conversion of wood into useful products.
Shawnee National Forest
Much of the forested land in the southern tip of Illinois is in the
Shawnee National Forest. The 257,000 acres of rolling topography in the
forest contain 208 different kinds of native, woody plants. Some of the
areas which have a high concentration of unusual plant life have been
designated Botanical Areas by the United States Forest Service. At these
areas, such as Little Grand Canyon, Jackson Hollow, Stone Face, and six
others, plant life is protected. These are excellent places to observe
many of the woody plants of the State.
At other areas in the Shawnee National Forest, various forest management
practices, such as selective timber-cutting, erosion control, and
watershed protection, can be observed.
Numerous recreation facilities are dotted throughout the Shawnee. At
many of these, nature trails have been developed which bring the hiker
closer to nature. Descriptive brochures are available for most of the
recreation areas. They may be obtained by visiting the district ranger
offices at Vienna, Elizabethtown, Jonesboro, or Murphysboro, or by
writing to the Forest Supervisor, Shawnee National Forest, Harrisburg,
Illinois.
White Oak, the State Tree of Illinois
In 1972, the school children of Illinois selected the white oak,
(_Quercus alba_ L.), as the state tree. It is truly representative for
it can be found throughout the state on a variety of sites. It grows to
its largest size on upland, cool, well-drained coves, slopes, and
terraces where it often reaches 100 feet of height and 3 feet of
diameter.
White oak is one of Illinois’ most valuable trees. It makes an excellent
shade tree of majestic beauty with a broad round head and wide spreading
branches. Commercially it is an extremely valuable species used for
lumber, veneer, barrels, furniture, flooring, and construction.
This species is also a part of our national heritage. In the war of
1812, sailors reported that during battle, cannon balls bounced off the
hull of the U.S.S. Constitution. White oak helped make her “Old
Ironsides” and a part of our history.
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
DIVISION OF FORESTRY
The Legislature has given this Division the responsibility for all
activities concerning the forest and tree resource of Illinois. The
Division strives to fulfill its responsibilities by:
—protecting the resource against all detrimental factors such as fire,
insects and diseases, improper harvesting, etc.
—making the public aware of the importance of this resource to the
state’s health and economy.
—motivating and providing technical guidance to forest and tree owners
for proper management.
—practicing and demonstrating proper forest management principles on
Department lands.
The main objectives of this Division are to promote and achieve on
suitable public and private lands the establishment, protection,
management, use, and perpetuation of our tree resource for all of the
benefits which may be derived from them.
The Division cooperates with and makes full use of federal, state, and
private agency programs, efforts and monies to achieve Division
objectives and benefit forestry in Illinois. Formal cooperative
agreements exist with the United States Forest Service, U.S.D.A. Soil
Conservation Service, Extension Service and other groups, associations
and clubs active in forestry and its related fields.
The efforts of the Division are channeled through five disciplines: fire
control, forest management, reforestation, marketing and utilization,
and urban and community forestry. Each of these sections has technical
leadership at state level plus resource specialists for field
accomplishments. These five efforts intertwine very strongly at field
level where all personnel carry out certain parts of these programs in
designated geographic areas.
ILLINOIS BIG TREE CHAMPIONS
The Division of Forestry is cooperating with the American Forestry
Association in an attempt to find the biggest trees of each kind in the
United States and/or in Illinois. If you know of a tree that you think
might qualify, send the following information to the State Forester’s
office in Springfield: species, trunk circumference in inches (measured
4½ feet above the ground); total tree height in feet; and, average width
of crown in feet. If your candidate appears to be a winner, a state
forester will be sent to determine the exact measurements. If it is a
winner your name, the kind of tree and its dimension will be placed on
our list. You will receive a certificate stating that you have found a
“Big Tree Champion.”
Index to Common and Scientific Names
A
Acer
barbatum 38
negundo 40
nigrum 42
rubrum 44-46
saccharinum 48
saccharum 50
Aesculus
discolor 52
glabra 54
Ailanthus
altissima 56
Alder
Black 58
Alnus
glutinosa 58
Amelanchier
arborea 60
laevis 62
Apple
Iowa Crab 182
Narrow-leaved Crab 178
Prairie Crab 180
Aralia
spinosa 64
Ash
Black 138
Blue 144
Green 142
Pumpkin 146
Red 140
Wafer 232
White 136
Asimina
triloba 66
Aspen
Large-toothed 216
Quaking 220
B
Basswood 298
White 300
Beech
Blue 76
Betula
lutea 68
nigra 70
papyrifera 72
Birch
Paper 72
River 70
Yellow 68
Box Elder 40
Broussonetia
papyrifera 74
Buckeye
Ohio 54
Red 52
Buckthorn 274
Carolina 272
Butternut 160
C
Carpinus
caroliniana 76
Carya
aquatica 78
cordiformis 80
glabra 82
illinoensis 84
laciniosa 86
ovalis 88
ovata 90
texana 92
tomentosa 94
Castanea
dentata 96
Catalpa 100
bignonioides 98
Common 98
speciosa 100
Cedar
Red 164
Celtis
laevigata 102
occidentalis 104
tenuifolia 106
Cercis
canadensis 108
Cherry
Wild Black 228
Choke 230
Chestnut 96
Cladrastis
lutea 110
Cock-spur Thorn 120
Coffee Tree
Kentucky 152
Cornus
amomum 118
alternifolia 112
drummondii 114
florida 116
foemina 118
obliqua 118
racemosa 118
rugosa 118
stolonifera 118
Cottonwood 214
Swamp 218
Crab Apple
Iowa 182
Narrow-leaved 178
Prairie 180
Crataegus
calpodendron 126
coccinioides 126
crus-galli 120
mollis 122
pruinosa 124
puntata 128
viridis 128
Cypress
Bald 296
D
Diospyros
virginiana 130
Dogwood
Alternate-leaved 112
Flowering 116
Gray 118
Rough-leaved 114
E
Elder
Box 40
Elm
American 304
Rock 310
Siberian 306
Slippery 308
Water 208
Winged 302
F
Fagus
grandifolia 132
Forestiera
acuminata 134
Fraxinus
americana 136
nigra 138
pennsylvanica 140-142
quadrangulata 144
tomentosa 146
G
Gleditsia
aquatica 148
triacanthos 150
Gum
Sour 190
Sweet 170
Tupelo 188
Gymnocladus
dioicus 152
H
Hackberry 104
Dwarf 106
Halesia
carolina 154
Hamamelis
virginiana 156
Haw
Black 314
Dotted 128
Green 128
Pruinose 124
Red 122
Scarlet 126
Urn-shaped 126
Hawthorn 120-128
Hercules’ Club 64
Hickory
Bitternut 80
Black 92
False Shagbark 87
Kingnut 86
Mockernut 94
Pignut 82
Shagbark 90
Sweet Pignut 88
Water 78
Holly
Swamp 158
Hop-tree 232
Hornbeam
American 76
Hop 192
I
Ilex
decidua 158
J
Juglans
cinerea 160
nigra 162
Juniperus
virginiana 164
K
Kentucky Coffee Tree 152
L
Larch
American 168
European 166
Larix
decidua 166
laricina 168
Liquidambar
styraciflua 170
Liriodendron
tulipifera 172
Locust
Black 284
Honey 150
Water 148
M
Maclura
pomifera 174
Magnolia
acuminata 176
Cucumber 176
Malus
angustifolia 178
coronaria 180
ioensis 182
Maple
Black 42
Red 44
Silver 48
Southern Sugar 38
Sugar 50
Swamp Red 46
Morus
alba 184
rubra 186
Mulberry
Paper 74
Red 186
White 184
N
Nannyberry 312
Rusty 316
Nyssa
aquatica 188
sylvatica 190
O
Oak
Basket 252
Black 270
Blackjack 250
Bur 248
Cherrybark 256
Hill’s 240
Overcup 246
Pin 258
Post 268
Red 264
Rock Chestnut 262
Scarlet 238
Shingle 244
Shumard 266
Spanish 242
Swamp White 236
White 234
Willow 260
Yellow Chestnut 254
Orange
Osage 174
Ostrya
virginiana 192
P
Paulownia
tomentosa 194
Pawpaw 66
Pecan 84
Persimmon 130
Pine
Jack 196
Loblolly 206
Red 200
Scotch 204
Shortleaf 198
White 202
Yellow 198
Pinus
banksiana 196
echinata 198
resinosa 200
strobus 202
sylvestris 204
taeda 206
Planera
aquatica 208
Platanus
occidentalis 210
Plum
American 222
Munson’s 226
Narrow-leaved 226
Wild Goose 224
Poplar
White 212
Populus
alba 212
deltoides 214
grandidentata 216
heterophylla 218
tremuloides 220
Princess Tree 194
Privet
Swamp 134
Prunus
americana 222
angustifolia 226
hortulana 224
munsoniana 226
serotina 228
virginiana 230
Ptelea
trifoliata 232
Q
Quercus
alba 234
bicolor 236
coccinea 238
ellipsoidalis 240
falcata 242
imbricaria 244
lyrata 246
macrocarpa 248
marilandica 250
michauxii 252
muhlenbergii 254
pagodaefolia 256
palustris 258
phellos 260
prinus 262
rubra 264
shumardii 266
stellata 268
velutina 270
R
Red Bud 108
Rhamnus
caroliniana 272
cathartica 274
Rhus
copallina 276
glabra 278
typhina 280
vernix 282
Robinia
pseudoacacia 284
S
Salix
amygdaloides 286
caroliniana 288
interior 290
nigra 292
Sassafras
albidum 294
Shadbush 60
Smooth 62
Silver Bell 154
Sugarberry 102
Sumac
Poison 282
Shinning 276
Smooth 278
Staghorn 280
Sycamore 210
T
Taxodium
distichum 296
Tilia
americana 298
heterophylla 300
Tree-of-Heaven 56
Tulip Tree 172
U
Ulmus
alata 302
americana 304
pumila 306
rubra 308
thomasii 310
V
Viburnum
lentago 312
prunifolium 314
rufidulum 316
W
Walnut, Black 162
Willow
Black 292
Carolina 288
Peach-leaved 286
Sand-bar 290
Witch Hazel 156
Y
Yellowwood 110
NOTES
DISTRICT FORESTERS
1. MT. CARROLL (815-244-3655)
Junction Rts. 78 & 88
P.O. Box 105 61053
2. OREGON (815-732-6184)
Ogle County Farm Bureau
P.O. Box 223 61061
3. LISLE (312-964-8081)
Morton Arboretum
P.O Box 472 60532
4. CAMBRIDGE (309-937-2122)
301 East North Street
P.O. Box 126 61238
5. PRINCETON (815-875-3125)
222 South Main
P.O. Box 236 61356
6. MACOMB (309-837-1124)
W. Jackson Rd. (Hwy. #136)
P.O. Box 335 61455
7. PEKIN (309-347-5119)
133 Parkway Dr.
P.O. Box 795 61554
8. HAVANA (309-543-3401)
720 S. 10th Street
P.O. Box 401 62644
9. SHELBYVILLE (217-644-2411)
Hidden Springs State Forest
P.O. Box 148 62565
10. CHARLESTON (217-345-2420)
Rt. 16 & Harrison St. Rd.
P.O. Box 129 61920
11. HILLSBORO (217-532-3562)
925 S. Main Street
P.O. Box 603 62049
12. CARROLLTON (217-942-3816)
202 N. 5th Street
P.O. Box 170 62016
13. PITTSFIELD (217-285-2221)
211 South Madison
P.O. Box 244 62363
14. SPARTA (618-443-2925)
1 Mile E. on Rt. 154
P.O. Box 21 62286
15. CARLYLE (618-594-4475)
Eldon Hazlet State Park
P.O. Box 149 62231
16. KINMUNDY (618-547-3477)
Stephen A. Forbes State Park
Rural Route 1 62854
17. OLNEY (618-393-6732)
200½ North Walnut
P.O. Box 313 62450
18. FAIRFIELD (618-847-3781)
1404 West Main
P.O. Box 206 62837
19. MURPHYSBORO (618-687-2622)
1010 N. 14th Avenue
P.O. Box 188 62966
20. HARRISBURG (618-253-7966)
200 S. Granger St.
P.O. Box F 62946
21. GOREVILLE (618-995-2568)
Ferne Clyffe State Park
P.O. Box 67 62939
▲ MASON NURSERY
R.R. 1, Box 71
Topeka, 61867
(309-535-2185)
⍟ UNION NURSERY
R.R. 1, Box 182
Jonesboro 62952
(618-833-6125)
● MAIN OFFICE
DIVISION OF FORESTRY
North West Plaza
600 N. Grand West
Springfield, IL 62706
[Illustration: Illinois Map]
DISTRICT 1
JO DAVIESS
STEPHENSON
CARROLL
WHITESIDE
DISTRICT 2
WINNEBAGO
BOONE
OGLE
DE KALB
LEE
DISTRICT 3
McHENRY
LAKE
KANE
COOK
DU PAGE
KENDALL
WILL
GRUNDY
KANKAKEE
DISTRICT 4
ROCK ISLAND
HENRY
MERCER
KNOX
DISTRICT 5
BUREAU
LA SALLE
STARK
PUTNAM
MARSHALL
DISTRICT 6
HENDERSON
WARREN
McDONOUGH
FULTON
DISTRICT 7
PEORIA
WOODFORD
TAZEWELL
DISTRICT 8
SCHUYLER
CASS
MASON ▲
MENARD
LOGAN
DISTRICT 9
LIVINGSTON
McLEAN
FORD
DE WITT
MACON
PIATT
MOULTRIE
SHELBY
DISTRICT 10
IROQUOIS
CHAMPAIGN
VERMILION
DOUGLAS
EDGAR
COLES
CUMBERLAND
CLARK
DISTRICT 11
SANGAMON ●
MACOUPIN
MONTGOMERY
CHRISTIAN
DISTRICT 12
MORGAN
SCOTT
CALHOUN
GREENE
JERSEY
DISTRICT 13
HANCOCK
ADAMS
BROWN
PIKE
DISTRICT 14
ST CLAIR
MONROE
RANDOLPH
DISTRICT 15
MADISON
BOND
CLINTON
WASHINGTON
DISTRICT 16
FAYETTE
EFFINGHAM
MARION
CLAY
DISTRICT 17
JASPER
CRAWFORD
RICHLAND
LAWRENCE
EDWARDS
WABASH
DISTRICT 18
JEFFERSON
WAYNE
HAMILTON
WHITE
DISTRICT 19
PERRY
JACKSON
FRANKLIN
WILLIAMSON
DISTRICT 20
SALINE
GALLATIN
POPE
HARDIN
MASSAC
DISTRICT 21
UNION ⍟
JOHNSON
ALEXANDER
PULASKI
Transcriber’s Notes
—Silently corrected a few typos.
—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.
—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.
—Material interjected into the eBook is enclosed in {braces}.
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