Part 1

Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Trees You Want to Know

By DONALD CULROSS PEATTIE

Illustrations of the eastern trees from the classic “Sylva of North America” by Francois Andre Michaux; illustrations of western trees by Ethel Bonney Taylor.

COPYRIGHT 1934 WHITMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY RACINE, WISCONSIN

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

PREFACE

Every American wants to have at least a speaking acquaintance with the trees that make up our great national heritage, the unequalled forests of North America. The camper, the tramper, the woodsman, the gardener, the motorist, and the inquisitive school girl and boy, all wish to know the names, the uses, and the ranges of our native trees. There are more than 400 tree species in North America, north of Mexico, and in so small a book it is impossible to include all. Species from every section of the country have been selected so that this little book is as serviceable near San Francisco as near New York, in Alaska as in Georgia, and throughout Canada.

The names of trees are confusing to learn only because lumbermen, farmers, foresters, guides, and botanists all have different names for the same tree. Again, one name, like Bull Pine or Scrub Oak, may be applied to a dozen kinds of trees, in different regions. It has been thought best in most cases to use only one name, chosen from the least provincial and most literate sources. The Latin names are those now used at the great Arnold Arboretum, except in a few cases that might confuse the beginner.

Measurements and other characterizations of trees in the text apply to mature growths of the season or to trees at the height of their life cycle, not to early spring condition, nor to the appearance of saplings or ancient, decrepit trees. Particularly the shape as described applies to trees growing in the open. Under crowded forest conditions all trees tend to have spindling outlines. At the limits of their ranges many trees become mere shrubs. They develop most luxuriously near their centers of distribution.

CALIFORNIA NUTMEG (_Torreya californica_)

Shape with a pyramidal head, becoming round topped in age, 15-90 ft. tall. Bark smoothish, thin, dark gray-brown, fissured into narrow ridges. Branches spreading, slightly pendulous. Needles flat, scattered along the twigs, the undersides marked with two whitish lines. Fruit olive-like or plum-like, green becoming purple-streaked, consisting in a fleshy aril in an open pit of which is buried the nutmeg-like seed. Range: n. Coast Ranges and central Sierra Nevada of Calif. Of tree size only near the coast, this curious tree is unlike any other in America except FLORIDA YEW (_Torreya floridana_) a little tree, rare in nw. Fla. with dark purple flesh on the fruit. PACIFIC YEW (_Taxus brevifolia_) has short, slender, yellowish-green needles and a scarlet fleshy coat around the seed. Alaska to Mont., and Sierra Nevada.

LIMBER PINE (_Pinus flexilis_)

Shape broadly round topped; 40-50 ft. tall. Trunk massive, short. Bark on young growth light gray, on old breaking into scales, furrowed and finally black. Branches whorled and open. Needles in clusters of five, stout, rigid, short, forming clusters at branch ends. Cones 3-4 in. long; scales thick; seeds not winged. Range Albt. to w. Tex., mts. of the Gt. Basin and up the e. slopes of the Sierras; rare on the Calif. side. WHITE BARKED PINE (_Pinus albicaulis_) similar, with silvery bark, short needles, small cones, and edible seeds. Goes to the timberline in the Rockies and Pacific Coast Ranges. SILVER PINE (_Pinus monticola_) resembles the next species but has stouter, rigid leaves without white lines. A splendid timber tree reaching 150 ft. Mont. to Ida., s. in the Sierras to Calif.

WHITE PINE (_Pinus Strobus_)

Shape pagoda-like, up to 250 ft. tall. Bark bluish-black, smooth or in age forming large plates. Branches whorled on young trees, horizontal. Needles clustered in fives, soft, slender, 3-4 in. long, bluish-green with white lines. Cones often curved, 4-6 in. long. Range: Newf. to Gt. Lakes region and Minn., s. from the Virginias on the mts. to Ga. The wood is light, soft, even-grained and beautiful, used for interior finishing. “Soft Pine” has played a great role in our history. In the days of wooden battleships it made the tallest masts. Appreciated by the first colonists, it was wildly exploited in the last century. Railroads were bent to great stands of it, wooden cities and mushroom fortunes arose from its exploitation and great fleets were built to export it. Now desolate stump lands tell the decline of an empire.

SUGAR PINE (_Pinus Lambertiana_)

Shape with a broad, flat topped crown. Trunk up to 220 ft. tall, massive, usually clothed with branches to the ground. Bark smooth, dark gray on young branches, thick and scaly on old trunks, the plates purplish brown to cinnamon. Branches in remote regular whorls, the upper in age very elongated, bending under the weight of many big cones. Needles 5 in a cluster, stout, rigid, 3-4 in. long, dark green. Cones very large, 12-18 in. long. Range: mts. of extreme s. Ore. along Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada of Calif. This wood is like that of White Pine, easily worked, pale, lustrous, handsome, similarly employed. Tallest and mightiest of all pines in the world, it is famous for its stateliness. A sugary matter exudes from cuts in this tree, but it may only be safely eaten in small quantities.

PIÑON PINE (_Pinus edulis_)

Shape bushy finally broad topped, 10-40 ft. tall. Trunk slim, straggling. Bark irregularly ridged, becoming covered by light ruddy scales. Branches horizontal, crooked. Needles in clusters of 2 (rarely 3) stout, rigid, ¾-1½ in. long. Cones only ½-¾ in. long, with thick scale-ends, yellowish-green, lustrous. Range: Foothills of the Rockies from Colo. to w. Tex. and through interior desert states to Mex. The sweet edible seeds are an article of commerce in Mexico and the West. A precious fuel in the desert states, wood of this scrubby tree gives off a fragrant smoke that is characteristic of the southwestern towns and Indian villages. ONE NEEDLE PINE (_Pinus monophylla_). Needles solitary, blue-green. Cone brown. A little tree. Calif. to Ariz. and Colo. NUT PINE (_Pinus Parryana_) Needles 4 in a cluster, blue-green, in-curved, 1½-2 in. long. Cone brown. Seeds edible. Centr. and s. Calif.

RED PINE (_Pinus resinosa_)

Shape broadly pyramidal in youth, broad topped in age; up to 150 ft. tall. Trunk 2-5 ft. thick. Bark gray, shallowly fissured into broad flat ridges, loosely scaly. Branches stout, spreading, often drooping, but twigs generally ascending. Needles in clusters of 2, rigid, stout, triangular, dark, glossy, 5-6 in. long. Cones thin scaled, 2-6 in. long. Range: e. Can. N.E., N.Y., n. Gt. Lakes region, w. Pa. The strong, ruddy wood is greatly in demand for bridges and buildings. Masts and spars made from it went round the world in the old clipper ships. Often erroneously called “Norway Pine” (a name also given to a European spruce) this is what the old lumberjacks of the North Woods meant by “Hard Pine.” This stately, colorful pine is one of the most picturesque of our trees.

WESTERN YELLOW PINE (_Pinus ponderosa_)

Shape spire-like, round topped, up to 200 ft. tall. Trunk massive. Bark ruddy, round ridged, scaly in age, with huge plates. Branches short, thick, forked, often drooping. Needles in clusters of 3, densely crowded at branch tips, dark yellow-green. Cones densely clustered, oval-oblong, lustrous, ruddy, sometimes hook-scaled. Range B.C. to Ore. and s. in the Sierra Nevada to Calif. ROCKY MT. YELLOW PINE (_Pinus scopulorum_) differs in little except its shorter stature (not over 75 ft.), shorter needles, often in clusters of 2, blackish bark, and smaller, stouter cones. Black Hills and Big Horn Mts., high lands of w. Neb., and Rockies from Wyo. to N. Mex. Both are among the most important timber trees of the West. Lumbermen recognize many varieties of their woods. JEFFREY’S PINE (_Pinus Jeffreyi_) is similar, symmetrical, with long bluish green needles; twigs bloomy. Ore. to s. Calif.

SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE (_Pinus echinata_)

Shape oblong, 50-100 ft. tall. Trunk ponderous, often clean and branchless high up. Bark deep ruddy brown, broken in age into broad armor-like plates built up of flaky scales. Needles 3-6 in. long in clusters of 2, deep olive green, slender. Cones very small. Range: Staten Island to s. Ga., and centr. Miss., not on the s. coast plain or in high Appalachians or bottom lands of Mississippi valley. Again in Ark., sw. Mo., ne. Tex., sw. Ill., Ky. and Tenn. Lumbermen recognize two varieties of this important tree, the upland wood which is hard and heavy, much valued for interior finish, and a weak, fast-growing type from lowlands. BLACK PINE (_Pinus rigida_) has dark needles in threes, 3-4½ in. long, and cones 2-2½ in. long, ranging from Me. to n. Ga. and w. Tenn.; this is a picturesque, short, dark, contorted tree without much timber value.

LOBLOLLY PINE (_Pinus Taeda_)

Shape high branched, broad crowned; up to 150 ft. tall. Bark rough, gray-brown, or ruddy, separating in big, long scales. Branches wide spreading, at maturity confined to top of stem. Needles slender, rigid, lustrous light green, 3 or 4 in a cluster, 6 in. long. Cones large with thick bristly scales. Range: Del. to n. Fla., rarely reaching the Appalachians except in the Virginias: along the Gulf to e. Tex., n. in Mississippi Basin to Tenn. The wood is soft, coarse grained and brittle in the case of second-growth trees. Formerly virgin Loblolly timber (now rare) was among the strongest and most durable of American pine woods. The man-of-war “Roanoke” carried an immense mast cut from N. C. Loblolly that had 302 annual rings; this tree regularly furnished the best naval construction material.

LONG LEAF PINE (_Pinus palustris_)

Shape spindling, a little broader at the crown, 50-100 ft. tall. Bark smooth, thin, with red-brown plates. Branches short, horizontal, scaly. Needles in threes, 10-15 in. long, gleaming and beautiful. Cones 6-10 in. long. Range: Norfolk Va. along the coast to centr. Fla.; far inland in the Gulf States, up to e. Tenn. The wood, strong and durable when not tapped for turpentine, is used for interior finish, bridges, trestles, masts, spars and especially for railway carriages. This valuable tree, with the longest needles and largest cones in the eastern states, is the great tar, pitch, and turpentine tree that has supplied the world with most of its naval stores. With the vanishing of virgin timber, the flow of turpentine has become greatly diminished. SLASH PINE (_Pinus caribaea_) is a similar, very slender spindly tree with small high crown, which forms monotonous open grooves from S. C. to Fla. and Cuba.

JACK PINE (_Pinus Banksiana_)

Shape if well developed broad topped, but usually stunted and scraggling; 15-100 ft. tall. Trunk slim, often contorted. Bark ruddy brown, gray and shaggy with age, forming irregular ridges. Branches wide spreading, their twigs often drooping and ruddy. Needles scrubby, rigid, twisted. Cones 1-2 in. long, remaining closed and grayish for years, finally brown, 1-2 in. long. Range: N.S. to L. Mistassinie and the Mackenzie R., skirting well south of James’ Bay; Gt. Lakes region to centr. Minn. Though of little value save for fuel, this tree grows in acid, rocky country where no other tree would. Everywhere associated with poor soil, poverty, and bleak conditions, it is called “Unlucky Tree” and superstitiously feared by French Canadians. The old lumberjacks of the North Woods designated this contemptuously as “scrub pine.”

BIG CONE PINE (_Pinus Coulteri_)

Shape broad spreading at the top; 40-90 ft. tall. Bark dark, with braided fissures. Branches clothing stem near to base, lower extended. Needles pale, 3 in a cluster, 5-14 in. long, very scant. Cones 10-13 in. long, 5-7½ in. thick. Range: Coast Ranges of centr. and s. Calif. Scarcely prepossessing in stature or foliage, this tree has the largest cones among all pines. DIGGER PINE (_Pinus Sabiniana_) is similar, ranging in a circle of the lower mts. surrounding the interior valleys of Calif. Shape an open, broom-like crown, trunks usually leaning and soon forking umbrella-wise. Needles grayish, scanty, clustered at twig ends, 7-13½ in. long. Cones 6-10 in. long, 5-7 in. thick; scales with big down-bent hook prickles. Seeds large, black-coated, sweet, eaten by the Indians (“Diggers”) of Calif.

LODGEPOLE PINE (_Pinus Murrayana_)

Shape narrowly pyramidal, 70-80 ft. tall. Bark close, firm, light orange-brown. Branches ascending near the top, the lower down sweeping. Needles stout, 2-3 in. long. Cones clustered, ¾-2 in. long. Also called Tamarack Pine, this lofty slender tree makes dense monotonous forests from the Yukon along the Rockies to s. Colo. and Utah, and along the Sierras to s. Calif. It is used for mine timbers, railway ties, and its very tall, slender, straight stems furnished the western Indians with tepee poles. BEACH PINE (_Pinus contorta_) differs in being a stunted tree of bogs, shores, and windswept dunes from Alaska to Calif.; stems twisted: hark thick and dark; head broad and picturesque; needles darker green, 1-1½ in. long. The two species intergrade, but the second, in contrast, is quite useless.

EASTERN LARCH. TAMARACK (_Larix laricina_)

Shape narrow or in old trees broadly pyramidal; 30-90 ft. tall. Trunk slender. Bark smooth, ruddy brown, or on old trees rough with rounded scales. Branches, horizontal or sweeping down, with young ones, borne in thick clusters at the tip of the knob-like projections from the twigs, falling in winter, renewed each spring, soft, ¾-1 in. long. Cones remaining on the tree all winter, brown turning black. Range: Bogs throughout the Can. forest belt to the arctic tree line; not on the Rockies; s. to Gt. Lakes basin, n. Mississippi basin, N.E., N.Y., n. Pa. The wood, heavy, strong, rather coarse, is durable in contact with the soil. It is employed for ship timbers, ties, and fence posts. The gum was used as a wound balm by the Pilgrims. When leafing out in spring the Larch is very lovely.

WEST. LARCH. TAMARACK (_Larix occidentalis_)

Shape narrowly pyramidal; 80-200 ft. tall. Bark very dark, on old trunks becoming bright crimson and divided into huge plates. Branches short, horizontal. Needles in clusters, except on the young growth, from woody knobs, rigid, short, pointed, pale, renewed each spring, falling in winter. Cones many scaled, 1-1½ in. long, with long slender bracts protruding from between the scales. Range: Mts. of B.C. to w. Mont., and s. to the Blue Mts. of Ore. No other American conifer produces such hard, heavy wood; this is terra cotta in hue, valued for house construction and furniture. Aided by the thickness of its bark this tree withstands forest fires better than any other in the West and remains the king of all larches in height and value. The sweet sap, issuing from the tree, is eaten by Indians.

RED SPRUCE (_Picea rubra_)

Shape loosely pyramidal; 40-75 ft. tall. Trunk slender. Bark reddish brown, flaky with thin scales. Branches ascending near the top of the tree, the lower down sweeping. Needles fragrant, 4-angled, scarcely more than ½ in. long. Cones 1½-2 in. long, clustered near the summit. Range: Marit. Provs. of Can., N.E., N.Y., s. on the mts. to Pa., and highest peaks of Va. and N. C. Employed for construction, pulp, and flooring, this is also considered the best American wood for resounding boards of musical instruments. WHITE SPRUCE (_Picea canadensis_) ranges from Labr. to Alaska, s. to N.E., centr. parts of Mich. and Wis., the Black Hills. w. slopes of the Rockies in Can. and Mont. Not a large or valuable tree except for paper pulp, it is the most ornamental eastern spruce. It differs in its smooth twigs and longer cones: the needles are unpleasantly scented.

BLACK SPRUCE (_Picea mariana_)

Shape very narrow, spire-like; 20-90 ft. tall or sometimes a knee-high dwarf even when very old, on the muskeags of the Northwest. Bark grayish brown, flaky, thin-scaly. Branches very short, horizontal or a little down sweeping, lightly up curving at the tips. Needles bluish green with a whitish bloom, ½-¾ in. long, 4-angled. Cones ½-1½ in. long; scales stiff and thin. Range: Throughout the forest belt of Can., except the Rockies, s. to Pa. and thence on the high mts. to N.C., centr. parts of Mich., Wis., Minn. Individually beautiful, this becomes a monotonous and somber tree through the northern interior of the continent. The wood is not useful except for paper pulp, but in that form it is employed by almost every newspaper in the eastern states. Formerly its sap was the basis of chewing gum, before chicle was employed.

SITKA SPRUCE (_Picea sitchensis_)

Shape a loose open pyramid, spire-like at the summit; up to 200 ft. tall. Trunk massive, often buttressed at the base. Bark broken into large, thin, loose, reddish scales. Branches close, slender, horizontal with rigid leading shoots. Needles flat, ½-1 in. long, silvery white above, often twisted. Cones 2½-4 in. long with stiff scales. Range: Alaska to Mendocino Co. Calif., always near the coast. This, the most important lumber tree of Alaska, is used for interior finish, boat-building, barrels, and packing cases. With its silvery foliage and spire-like growth, it is unsurpassed in beauty by any evergreen. WEEPING SPRUCE (_Picea Breweriana_) is similar, the needles also flat but not silvery, and the branchlets sharply bent down from the trunk, the lower sweeping to the ground. Mts. of sw. Ore. and adj. Calif.

WHITE FIR (_Abies concolor_)

Shape a symmetrical pagoda-like tapering cone, up to 220 ft. tall. Trunk massive. Bark thin, smooth, whitish-gray, in age deeply furrowed; ridges rounded, with ashy scales. Branches widely spaced, whorled, on old trees the lower sweeping to the ground. Needles flat, pale blue with a bloom. Cones 3-6 in. long, their thin scales overlapping, deciduous. Range: On the Sierra Nevada of Calif. and s. Ore. Also mts. of w. Colo., Utah, Ariz. and N. Mex. ALPINE FIR (_Abies lasiocarpa_) is almost identical, but the leaves green. Albt. to N. Mex. and Ore. RED FIR (_Abies magnifica_) reaches 200 ft. height, with majestic lower branches and cones 5-8 in. long. Needles bluish, quadrangular. Cascades of Ore. to Mt. Shasta, and w. slope of the Sierra Nevada, where it forms vast, splendid forests. The wood is moderately valuable for light construction.

CANADA BALSAM (_Abies balsamea_)

Shape pyramidal, up to 70 ft. tall. Trunk slender. Bark grayish brown becoming scaly, with raised blisters containing resin. Branches in whorls, horizontal. Needles appearing all in 1 plane on young or sterile twigs, bristling all around the twig on old and cone-bearing branches, pale below with grayish lines. Cones with sticky, shedding scales. Range: Labr. to James’ Bay and nw. to Mackenzie R., N.E. N.Y. and s. on the mts. to Va. This beautiful, fragrant tree, the finest eastern Christmas tree, is chiefly valuable for its resin and Canada Balsam which is gathered from the stem blisters in summer and used in painting and scientific laboratories. The fragrant needles are put into pillows. On the mts. of N.C. and Tenn. its place is taken by SHE BALSAM (_Abies Fraseri_) which is similar, but with cones only 1-2 in. long, the fringed bracts showing between the scales.

CANADIAN HEMLOCK (_Tsuga canadensis_)

Shape a broad-based pyramid, the tip feathery; 50-80 ft. tall. Trunk often fluted. Bark reddish to gray brown, with shallow, broad, connecting ridges, somewhat scaly. Branches long, slender, horizontal or drooping at base, ascending near top. Needles all in 1 plane, shining, paler below, flattened, ½ in. long, short-stalked. Cones small, short-stalked, hanging, few-scaled, 3-4 in. long. Range: N.S. to Wis., and Minn., s. to Del. and along the mts. to Ga. The value of this tree lies chiefly in its bark, rich in tannin, though the frail wood is sometimes used in exterior finishing. A lovely ornamental but not so much so as the CAROLINA HEMLOCK (_Tsuga caroliniana_) in the Blue Ridge from Va. to Ga., which has needles bristling all around the twigs, like a fir, and a very compact, pyramidal, elegant small stature.

WESTERN HEMLOCK (_Tsuga heterophylla_)

Shape broadly pyramidal, becoming narrow in age; up to 200 ft. tall. Bark ridged and ruddy. Branches slender and pendulous, the twigs bright red, upright. Needles spirally arranged around the twigs, curved, acute, round or keeled, slender, light bluish green with whitish lines on both sides, ½-1 in. long. Cones 2-3 in. long. Range: se. Alaska to Marin Co. Calif., s. in the Rockies to Ida. and Mont. The wood is strong, easily worked. The bark is rich in tannin and the inner bark is eaten by Indians. This magnificent tree is the king of hemlocks. MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK (_Tsuga Mertensiana_) has much the same range and also extends along the w. slopes of the Sierra Nevada. It has cones up to 3 in. long, bright purplish or reddish, and beautiful drooping branches and long thick needles.

DOUGLAS FIR (_Pseudotsuga taxifolia_)

Shape with a broad or narrow pyramidal crown; up to 200 ft. tall. Bark smooth, shiny, dark gray-brown; in age deeply fissured, forming broad ridges. Branches: lower drooping, middle and upper ascending. Needles ¾-1¼ in. long. Cones 2-4 in. long with thin scales from which finally protrude the 3-forked bracts. Range: B. C. to centr. Calif. and n. Mex., along the Rockies from Mont. to w. Tex. and N. Mex. This is an important timber tree, especially in Oregon; it is used for all kinds of construction and for ties. For wharf piles it is preferred in all the Pacific ports: it makes spars and masts of unequalled strength. BIG CONE DOUGLAS FIR (_Pseudotsuga macrocarpa_) has much larger cones with scales projecting at right angles from the axis. Mts. of s. Calif.

BALD CYPRESS (_Taxodium distichum_)

Shape broadly or narrowly pyramidal, to 150 ft. tall. Trunk massive, buttressed and fluted, becoming hollow with age, and accompanied by outlying “knees” or spongy breathing knobs sometimes 10 ft. tall, and long horizontal surface roots. Bark light cinnamon brown, flaky. Branches erect or spreading, the much forked twigs drooping. Needles falling in autumn. Cones 1 in. long, with thickened woody scales. Range: Swamps near the coast, Gulf States n. to Del., and up the Mississippi to s. Ind. The wood, light brown to very dark, is very durable. This mysterious, very slow growing, very long lived tree is one of the most valuable of American lumber trees. Often gloomy and even unsightly where it forms dense swamps, it can be very lovely when its needles bud out in spring and its lofty feathery summits are seen waving across the everglades and savannahs.