Part 11

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.