Part 4
ARBOR VITAE
=Thuja occidentalis=, L.
=Form=.—Height 40-50 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk often divided; crown compact, pyramidal.
=Leaves=.—In 4 ranks on the stems, scale-like, ⅛-¼ inch long, longest and long-pointed on leading shoots, yellow-green, aromatic.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious; staminate round, small, yellow; pistillate larger, oblong, reddish.
=Fruit=.—Cones maturing in early Autumn, oblong, about ½ inch long, reddish-brown, and persisting through the following winter.
=Bark=.—On trunk reddish-brown, slightly furrowed, and separating in ragged and twisted strips.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, durable, fragrant, yellowish-brown; sapwood whitish and thin.
=Range=.—Labrador, Manitoba and Minnesota, southward along the mountains to North Carolina.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Small trees on the South Branch of the Potomac River and on the North Fork of the South Branch in Pendleton County. Reported from Grant and Mineral counties.
=Habitat=.—River banks, swamps, rocky hillsides.
=Notes=.—This tree, often called white cedar, is so rare in West Virginia, and of so small a size that it has but little value, except from the standpoint of the botanist. It is commonly planted throughout the State for hedges and other ornamental purposes.
RED CEDAR
=Juniperus virginiana=, L.
=Form=.—Height 30-40 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; crown pyramidal or rounded, often irregular, dense.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, of two kinds: (1) scale-like overlapping one-sixteenth inch long, (2) awl-shaped, ¼-½ inch long, less common than the other form.
=Flowers=.—April-May; dioecious, or occasionally monoecious; in small lateral catkins.
=Fruit=.—A berry-like strobile, maturing in autumn, about ¼ inch in diameter, dark blue with white bloom, sweet and resinous.
=Bark=.—Thin, peeling off in long strips, reddish-brown.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, fragrant, close-grained, very durable, red, with whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia and Ontario, south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Occasionally found in Randolph, Tucker, Upshur, Pocahontas, Webster, Barbour, Harrison, Taylor, Lewis, and in the mountainous parts of Nicholas, Greenbrier, Grant, Preston and Monongalia counties. A scattered growth throughout the western and southern hilly counties. Plentiful in Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, and in parts of Gilmer, Calhoun and Putnam counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rough limestone soils and dry hillsides, but grows in a variety of soils and situations.
=Notes=.—This species is valued on account of its durable wood and attractive appearance. During the past two or three years many red cedars have been destroyed in the eastern section of the State in order to stamp out apple rust which exists in one of its stages upon this tree.
BLACK WILLOW
=Salix nigra=, Marsh.
=Form=.—Height 30-50 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk often crooked or leaning; crown open with long straggling limbs.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, narrowly lanceolate, taper-pointed, margins finely serrate, 3-6 inches long, ¼-¾ inch broad; large semicordate stipules.
=Flowers=.—March-April, before the leaves; dioecious; both kinds of flowers borne in slender, hairy catkins, 1-3 inches long; calyx and corolla wanting; scales yellow, with 3-6 stamens.
=Fruit=.—A capsule ⅛ inch long, early splitting open and liberating the hairy seeds which are carried about by the wind.
=Bark=.—On twigs reddish-brown; on old trunks thick, and rough with many broad connecting ridges, often becoming shaggy.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, brittle, not durable, very dark colored with light sapwood.
=Range=.—New Brunswick south to Florida, west to Dakota, Arizona and central California.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree along streams in nearly all parts of the State.
=Habitat=.—Banks of streams and pond borders.
=Notes=.—This is the commonest and most easily recognized of the willows. Its greatest value in West Virginia is probably the part it plays in holding stream banks in place. The wood is sometimes used for fuel and charcoal.
AMERICAN ASPEN
=Populus tremuloides=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 30-40 feet, diameter 10-20 inches; trunk usually continuous, supporting a rounded loose crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 1½-2 inches long, roundish, heart-shaped, thin, margins finely serrate; petioles long and slender, permitting the leaves to tremble with the slightest breeze.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; dioecious; both kinds of flowers on drooping aments.
=Fruit=.—A 2-valved capsule ¼ inch long; seeds brown, with long, white hairs.
=Bark=.—Smooth, greenish, sometimes with raised, warty bands and dark blotches below the bases of limbs.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong nor durable, brownish with lighter sapwood.
=Range=.—Alaska to Newfoundland south to Pennsylvania and along the mountains to Kentucky, west to California and Mexico; the widest range of any North American species.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Small trees found growing sparingly in the mountain counties; observed in Randolph, Pocahontas, Pendleton, Grant, Tucker, Preston and Upshur counties. Reported from Calhoun, Gilmer, Monongalia, Mason, Summers and Wirt counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy and gravelly soils, but thrives on others; frequent in high cut-over areas which have been burned.
=Notes=.—This tree, which is locally known as Quaking Asp, can be distinguished from the other poplars by its finely-toothed tremulous leaves. The species is not important in West Virginia, and is seldom used for any purpose.
LARGE-TOOTHED POPLAR
=Populus grandidentata=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 30-60 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk continuous, tapering; slender ascending branches forming a somewhat loose oval crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, round-ovate, coarsely sinuate-toothed, thin, dark green above, paler beneath, smooth; petioles long, slender, laterally flattened.
=Flowers=.—April-May, before the leaves; dioecious; staminate in short catkins; pistillate in elongating looser catkins.
=Fruit=.—Two-halved, cone-shaped, hairy capsules ⅛ inch long on drooping catkins; seeds brown, small, with long white hairs.
=Bark=.—Smooth except near the base, gray-green, resembling that of American Aspen, but with more yellowish or buff color on young trunks and limbs.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong, light brown with almost white sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Minnesota to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Delaware; southward along the Alleghanies to North Carolina.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common. Found in the following localities: Webster, on Elk Mountain; Randolph, Horton and Gandy Creek; Tucker, near Davis; Monongalia, Deckers Creek; Tyler near Middlebourne. Reported from Ohio and Preston counties.
=Habitat=.—Rich, moist, sandy soil.
=Notes=.—This tree can be distinguished by its coarse-toothed leaves. It is comparatively rare and of little importance commercially.
COTTONWOOD
=Populus deltoides=, Marsh.
=Form=.—Height 50-100 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk usually continuous and tapering; horizontal and ascending branches forming a long pyramidal crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, deltoid or broadly ovate, 3-5 inches long, margins coarsely crenate toothed except at base and apex, dark shining green above, paler beneath, petioles 2-3 inches long, laterally flattened.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; dioecious; staminate in short drooping catkins; pistillate in elongating looser catkins.
=Fruit=.—Capsule 2-4-valved on long drooping catkins; brown seeds covered with a dense mat of long white hairs.
=Bark=.—Rough on old trees, with deep fissures and with more or less parallel and connected rounded ridges.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not easily seasoned, brown with thick whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada to Florida and west to the Rocky Mountains.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Infrequent; South Branch of the Potomac River near Romney, Hampshire County, and near Petersburg, Grant County. Found at a few other points along the Potomac and its tributaries.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich moist soil, along the banks of streams.
=Notes=.—The Cottonwood, commonly known as Carolina Poplar, is the largest of our true poplars. It is rare and of little value where it grows naturally in the State, but is extensively planted as a shade tree. This species is a very rapid grower but otherwise has little to recommend it for ornamental planting.
BUTTERNUT
=Juglans cinerea=, L.
=Form=.—Height 20-60 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk short, dividing into an open, broad crown of large horizontal or ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 15-30 inches long; leaflets 11-17, oblong, acute, 2-3 inches long, finely serrate except at the base, yellow-green, rough above, pubescent beneath; petioles hairy.
=Flowers=.—May, with the first leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in drooping catkins the pistillate solitary or several on a spike, bracts covered with white or pink glandular hairs; pistils red.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn; solitary or in clusters of 3-5; nut ovate-oblong, deeply furrowed and sculptured into several longitudinal ribs; husk thin, hairy, sticky; kernel sweet, edible, and oily.
=Bark=.—Light gray on twigs, brownish on old trunks; divided by dark fissures into lighter flat-topped ridges. Inner bark bitter, becoming yellow on exposure to the air.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, light brown, light colored sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota to Delaware and Arkansas, south in the mountains to Georgia.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree, found throughout the State except in the highest mountains and in a few areas south and west, especially in Jackson, Putnam, Mingo, and Wyoming counties. Thrives at higher altitudes than Black Walnut, and grows at 3000 feet, or over, along cold mountain streams and hillsides in Randolph and adjacent counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich, moist soil.
=Notes=.—A less common and less valuable tree than its near relative next described.
BLACK WALNUT
=Juglans nigra=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-6 feet; trunk usually straight and clean; crown round and very open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 1-2 feet long, 13-23 leaflets, 3-3½ inches long, 1-1¼ inches broad, sharply serrate, long, sharp-pointed, yellow-green and smooth above, paler and pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with half developed leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in long, greenish, drooping catkins; the pistillate single or several in a spike.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn, nut round, very rough, 1-2 inches in diameter; husk thick, rough; kernel sweet, edible, oily.
=Bark=.—Brownish and hairy on twigs, dark brown on old trunks, with deep furrows and rounded ridges.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, rich dark brown with light-colored sapwood.
=Range=.—Northern states from Maine to Minnesota and south to Florida.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in all parts of the State, but not found at high elevations. The best stands are now cut out.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich, moist soils, and requires an abundance of light.
=Notes=.—The Black Walnut is classed as one of the most valuable of our trees on account of its superior wood. It is also prized on account of its nuts and is sometimes planted on lawns. Where suitable land is available this rapid-growing species may be profitably planted for commercial purposes.
SHELL-BARK HICKORY
=Carya ovata= (Mill.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk in close stands straight and free from branches to a good height; in the open short and bearing a rounded or oblong crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 8-14 inches long; leaflets usually 5, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrate, ciliate on the margins, firm, dark yellow-green and glabrous above, paler and nearly glabrous beneath; petioles usually smooth, sometimes hairy.
=Flowers=.—May; monoecious; the staminate in pendulous catkins; the pistillate in 2-5-flowered spikes.
=Fruit=.—Round-oval, nearly smooth, 1-2 inches in diameter; husk thick, splitting freely to the base; nut 4-angled, with a thick or thin wall; kernel sweet and edible.
=Bark=.—Gray; on old trunks very rough, separating into long loose strips which give the trunk its characteristic shaggy appearance.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, tough, strong, close-grained, pliable, light brown with nearly white sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree except on the highest mountains. Reported as not plentiful in Wetzel, Roane, Jackson and Summers counties.
=Habitat=.—Thrives best in rich, damp soils, common along streams and on moist hillsides.
=Notes=.—The Shellbark Hickory furnishes much of the valuable wood used where strength and toughness are required. The tree is known best to most people on account of its excellent nuts. It can be profitably grown from seed.
BIG SHELL-BARK HICKORY
=Carya laciniosa=, (Michx. f.) Loud.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 1-2 feet. Similar to that of the smaller shell-bark.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound; leaflets usually 7, sharp-pointed, serrate, dark green and smooth above, paler and covered with soft hairs beneath.
=Flowers=.—Very similar to those of the smaller shell-bark, previously described.
=Fruit=.—Ovoid, with four shallow creases above the middle, 1½-2½ inches in diameter, thick, smooth husk, splitting to the base; nut large, thick-shelled and angled; kernel sweet and edible.
=Bark=.—About the same as that of the smaller shell-bark hickory.
=Wood=.—The wood of this species can hardly be distinguished from that of the shell-bark hickory.
=Range=.—Central New York and Southern Michigan to North Carolina and Arkansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common, found principally near the Ohio River from some distance north of Parkersburg to Kenova. Reported from Harrison, Upshur and Monongalia counties, where possibly the trees have sprung from artificially planted seeds.
=Habitat=.—Rich, damp bottom lands and coves near rivers.
=Notes=.—Too rare to be an important tree in West Virginia. The wood is equal to the best of other species of hickory, but the nuts are rendered less valuable on account of the thickness of their shells.
MOCKERNUT HICKORY
=Carya alba=, (L.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—Height 50-80 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk in the woods straight and free from limbs for about half its length; crown round or oblong, open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 8-12 inches long; leaflets 5-7, of varying lengths; oblong to ovate-lanceolate, serrate, lustrous yellow-green above, paler and pubescent beneath; petioles pubescent.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in pendulous green catkins; the pistillate in 2-5-flowered spikes.
=Fruit=.—Ovoid, 1½-2 inches long; husk thick, splitting nearly to the base; nut indistinctly angled with very hard thick shell and small edible kernel.
=Bark=.—Gray, tight, rough but not shaggy.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, tough, close-grained, elastic, brown with white sapwood.
=Range=.—Massachusetts and Ontario to Nebraska, Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common, especially on the hillsides and ridges east of the Alleghanies. Less frequent and scattered in the central and western counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich, well-drained soils of open wooded hillsides.
=Notes=.—This tree has very thick sapwood which is the most valuable part of hickory wood. It is unsurpassed for handle material and other uses where strength and elasticity are desired. The nut kernels are of good quality but are small and hard to get. The pubescent leaf petioles and the thick husks and thick-walled nuts form easy marks for distinguishing this species from the common shell-bark. Big Bud Hickory and White Heart Hickory are other names for this tree.
PIGNUT HICKORY
=Carya glabra=, (Mill.) Spach.
=Form=.—Height 50-80 feet, diameter, 2-3½ feet; trunk usually straight, clean and long; crown rounded or narrowly oblong.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 8-12 inches long; leaflets usually 5-7, oblong to obovate-lanceolate, long taper-pointed, sharply serrate, dark yellow-green and glabrous above, paler beneath, fragrant when crushed.
=Flowers=.—Similar to those of other hickories.
=Fruit=.—Variable in shape, pear-shaped to ovoid, 1-2 inches long; husk thin, splitting half way or more to the base; nut smooth or obscurely angled, thick-walled and enclosing a sweet or slightly bitter kernel.
=Bark=.—Dark gray, roughened by many flat-topped ridges, the outside layers of which sometimes become detached at one end, giving the trunk a somewhat shaggy appearance.
=Wood=.—As in other species of hickory before described.
=Range=.—Maine, Ontario and Minnesota to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in every county, less frequently found at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Thrives on almost any rich, well-drained soil of ridges and hillsides.
=Notes=.—The abundance of this species in nearly every section of the State makes it one of the most useful hickories, especially for the farmer. Its growth in farm woodlands, as in other places, should be encouraged.
BITTERNUT HICKORY
=Carya cordiformis=, (Wang.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—Height 60-75 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk long and free from limbs; crown rounded, broadest near the top.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 6-10 inches long; leaflets 7-11, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, taper-pointed, serrate, yellow-green above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, monoecious; similar to those of the other hickories.
=Fruit=.—Spherical to obovate; about 1 inch long, coated with a yellow scurfy pubescence; husk thin, splitting half way to the base, sutures winged at the top; nut nearly smooth with a small bitter kernel.
=Bark=.—Not so rough as in other species, but with many narrow connecting ridges.
=Wood=.—Similar to that of other hickories but not so strong and of less fuel value.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota to Nebraska, Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Found in scattered growth in nearly all parts of the State.
=Habitat=.—Prefers low ground along streams, but is often seen on higher ground. The name, Swamp Hickory, is not inappropriate.
=Notes=.—Of less value than our other hickories, but of sufficient worth to warrant its propagation in suitable places. This tree can be distinguished by its more numerous leaflets and by its small bitter-kerneled nuts.
HOP HORNBEAM
=Ostrya virginiana=, (Mill.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—A small tree not often exceeding 30 feet in height and 1 foot in diameter; trunk usually straight and bearing a rounded crown of slender branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, acute at apex, doubly serrate, thin and tough, smooth above, pale and slightly pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—Appear with the leaves, monoecious; staminate flowers in drooping catkins which develop from the wood of the previous summer, usually three in a bunch; pistillate in erect aments; each enclosed in a bladdery bract.
=Fruit=.—Small flat nutlets, enclosed in bracts arranged in pendulous light-green clusters resembling hops.
=Bark=.—Brownish, roughened by narrow ridges with loose flat scales.
=Wood=.—Strong, hard, tough, close-grained, durable, red-brown, with light sapwood.
=Range=.—Cape Breton Island and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common in many sections but scattered locally throughout nearly all parts of the State. Found usually with other species in the rougher, more elevated situations.
=Habitat=.—Rich open woods of slopes and ridges.
=Notes=.—Although this tree has valuable wood it is not sufficiently plentiful nor of such a size as to make it an important species for forestry purposes. It is desirable for parks and lawns. The rough, scaly bark, peculiar fruits, and hard wood are distinguishing marks. Its most common local name is Ironwood.
AMERICAN HORNBEAM
=Carpinus caroliniana=, Walt.
=Form=.—Small tree, usually from 10-25 feet high; trunk short, often leaning, fluted and bearing an irregular crown of slender, often zigzag branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-4 inches long, thin, oval, long-pointed, doubly serrate, dull green above, lighter beneath, scarlet and orange in autumn.
=Flowers=.—Appear in April; monoecious; without petals; staminate catkins 1-1½ inches long; the pistillate shorter, with greenish scales and red styles.
=Fruit=.—Small nuts, enclosed in 3-lobed, leafy bracts grouped on a common drooping stem.
=Bark=.—Gray, smooth, thin, tight.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, tough, close-grained, light brown with thick nearly white sapwood.
=Range=.—Northern states to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State.
=Habitat=.—Moist soil of stream borders, swamps and hillsides.
=Notes=.—This species, commonly called Water Beech, is of no commercial importance, but is attractive on lawns, especially in autumn, and performs a valuable service in preventing the caving in of stream banks where it grows.
BLACK BIRCH
=Betula lenta=, L.
=Form=.—Height 50-85 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk long and clear in dense growths; crown narrow and open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate in pairs, simple, 3-4 inches long; ovate to oblong, taper pointed, doubly serrate, dull dark green above, paler beneath; petioles short, hairy, grooved above.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in pendent yellowish catkins; the pistillate in shorter erect catkins.
=Fruit=.—An oblong, cone-shaped strobile, 1-1½ inches long, erect, 3-lobed scales smooth; nutlets small, winged.
=Bark=.—Very dark and broken into thick, irregular ridges and plates; the young and inside bark having a sweet, wintergreen taste.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, dark reddish brown, with light sapwood.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to Illinois, Tennessee and Florida.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Scattered locally through nearly all parts of West Virginia.
=Habitat=.—Grows in a variety of soils and exposures, but prefers rich moist woodlands.
=Notes=.—Black Birch is a widely-known tree and is highly valued on account of its wood. The local names, Red Birch and Cherry Birch refer to the appearance of the heartwood and the bark, and Sweet Birch to the flavor of the bark. This tree can be distinguished from Yellow Birch, which it most closely resembles, by its darker-colored bark which does not peel off in loose flakes.
YELLOW BIRCH
=Betula lutea=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk short and usually forking near the base; crown rounded, open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, solitary or in pairs, simple, 3-4 inches long, acute at apex, doubly serrate, dull green.
=Flowers=.—April; monoecious; staminate flowers in pendent purplish catkins; the pistillate in shorter, erect, greenish catkins.
=Fruit=.—Cone-shaped strobiles, 1 inch long and erect, scales of strobile downy on the back and edges; nut small, about as broad as its wing.
=Bark=.—Silvery yellow-gray, with thin, papery layers separating and often curling at the edges giving the trunk a ragged appearance; slightly aromatic, and bitter. Campers often use the loose outer bark for starting camp fires in wet weather.
=Wood=.—Heavy, strong, hard, close-grained light reddish-brown, with nearly white sapwood.