Part 9

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.