Part 5
=Range=.—Newfoundland to Minnesota and south to North Carolina.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Frequent, especially in mountain sections, growing with spruce and hemlock; rare in low hilly parts of the State and in the Eastern Panhandle; found along streams and in other damp situations on the outskirts of its range.
=Habitat=.—Moist fertile uplands and along streams.
=Notes=.—This large birch is associated with other mountain species such as Spruce, Hemlock, Black Cherry, and Black Birch. It furnishes valuable lumber and is a rapid grower. The characteristic appearance of the bark, described above, will prevent the confusion of this tree with its close relative, the Black Birch.
RED BIRCH
=Betula nigra=, L.
=Form=.—Height, 50-90 feet, diameter, 1-3 feet; trunk usually short, dividing into two or three large ascending limbs; crown irregular, oblong.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 1½ to 3 inches long, round-ovate, acute, doubly serrate, sometimes cut or slightly lobed, deep green, pale yellow-green beneath.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; staminate formed in the fall and remaining over winter as short aments, usually in clusters of three and elongating in the spring to 2-3 inches; pistillate, short, erect, situated on twigs with the staminate flowers and back of them.
=Fruit=.—Cylindrical strobile, 1-1½ inches long; 3-lobed scales of strobile pubescent; nuts small, hairy, winged.
=Bark=.—On old trunks dark red-brown and rough, with deep furrows and broken ridges; on younger trees, lighter-colored, the outer papery layers separating freely into thin sheets and turning up at the edges.
=Wood=.—Light, rather strong, close-grained, light brown with pale sapwood.
=Range=.—New England, west to Missouri, and south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Observed growing along the banks of the following rivers: Williams, Gauley, Greenbrier, New, Great Kanawha, Little Coal, Elk, Guyandot, Twelvepole, Big Sandy, Little Kanawha, Potomac, Shenandoah, Great Cacapon.
=Habitat=.—Banks of streams, occasionally on drier ground.
=Notes=.—A common name of this species, River Birch, signifies its preference for river borders as its habitat. While the tree is not important it serves to hold stream banks from falling in and at the same time adds much to the attractiveness of river scenery. The bark and leaves lack the aroma of some of the other birches.
BEECH
=Fagus grandiflora=, Ehr.
=Form=.—Height, 50-100 feet, diameter, 2-3 feet; trunk often long under forest conditions, in the open short; crown narrow or rounded.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, oblong-ovate, acute, coarsely serrate, 3-5 inches long; dark blue green above, light green and very lustrous beneath, petioles short and hairy.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious, staminate flowers in loose, light green globose heads, about 1 inch in diameter and hanging on long, slender peduncles; the pistillate small, 2-flowered, protected by awl-shaped bracts, and with long red stigmas.
=Fruit=.—A prickly bur, bearing 2 or 3 triangular brown nuts about ¾ inch long.
=Bark=.—On the trunk smooth, close, light gray and mottled with darker spots.
=Wood=.—Hard, strong, close-grained, not durable, light red, with yellowish-white sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Wisconsin, south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in nearly all parts of the State; less frequent or rare locally in the Eastern Panhandle and in Summers, Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich bottom lands but grows frequently on thin gravelly slopes and flats, sometimes growing at high elevations.
=Notes=.—This is one of the most familiar of our trees, except in a few restricted areas. It is shade-loving, and is a valuable tree in the farmers’ woodland. The wood is used principally for novelty wares, carpenters’ tool handles, clothespins, fuel and charcoal.
CHESTNUT
=Castanea dentata=, (Marsh) Borkh.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk, in close stands with few low branches and little taper; in the open having a short trunk and rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed, 6-8 inches long; coarsely serrate with incurved teeth, thin, dull, yellow-green, glabrous.
=Flowers=.—June-July; monoecious, the staminate borne in bunches at intervals on long catkins; the pistillate borne in scattered involucres near the base of the upper catkins.
=Fruit=.—A large prickly bur, opening at its four sutures in early autumn; nuts usually 2-3, compressed, ½-1 inch wide, brown, sweet and edible.
=Bark=.—Moderately rough, with shallow fissures and flat-topped ridges, gray-brown.
=Wood=.—Soft, light, not strong, easily split and worked, coarse-grained, durable, red-brown with light sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine and Michigan southward to Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Abundant in most parts of the State; of best quality along the lower western slopes of the Alleghanies.
=Habitat=.—Thrives in most places in West Virginia, but is less frequently seen on limestone soils and in swampy places.
=Notes=.—The Chestnut tree is prized for its lumber, its nuts, its tannin, and for its numerous uses, especially on the farm. It is a very rapid grower, and sprouts freely from the base of the stump when cut down. A disease known as chestnut blight has entered the State and threatens to exterminate this tree.
CHINQUAPIN
=Castanea pumila=, (L.) Mill.
=Form=.—Height 20-30 feet, diameter 1-2 feet, in West Virginia usually much smaller; trunk short, supporting a rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-6 inches long, lanceolate or oblong, narrowed at both ends, coarsely serrate, thick, smooth and yellow-green on the upper surface, paler and covered with a whitish down beneath.
=Flowers=.—May-June; monoecious; staminate flowers in clusters along the catkin; the pistillate borne at the base of the upper catkins in rounded, prickly involucres.
=Fruit=.—Matures in early autumn; bur covered with stiff spines and enclosing usually only one ovoid brown nut which is very sweet and edible.
=Bark=.—On trunk lightly furrowed and with flat ridges broken into light brown, loose plates.
=Wood=.—Light, hard, strong, coarse-grained, brown, with thin hardly distinguishable sapwood.
=Range=.—Pennsylvania and New Jersey south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not widely distributed but common in some sections. Observed in the following counties: Mercer, Wyoming, Summers, Fayette, Logan, and Boone. Reported also from Wayne, Monroe, Mingo, Braxton, Gilmer, Pendleton, Greenbrier, Grant and Nicholas counties.
=Habitat=.—Dry slopes and flats and stream borders.
=Notes=.—This species is usually a shrub in West Virginia, often bearing fruit when only a few feet high. Several trees observed south of the Kanawha River were well-formed, 20-25 feet tall, and with straight trunks 6-8 inches in diameter. The Chinquapin is chiefly prized on account of its nuts. It is susceptible to the attack of chestnut blight and may eventually be killed out by this disease.
WHITE OAK
=Quercus alba=, L.
=Form=.—Height 75-100 feet, diameter 3-6 feet; trunk long and free from limbs and with slight taper; crown broad and open with wide-spreading and often twisted branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-8 inches long, obovate-oblong, rounded at the apex and with usually 7 rounded lobes with entire edges, bright green above, glaucous beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, when leaves are one-third grown; monoecious; the staminate in long pendulous catkins; the pistillate borne above on short stalks in the leaf axils.
=Fruit=.—Acorns maturing in autumn after flowering; cup with small brown tomentose scales, enclosing about ¼ of the nut; nut ovoid, rounded at apex, light brown, shining; kernel bitter-sweet.
=Bark=.—On old trunks rough with deep fissures, and ridges which are often broken into short flat light gray scales.
=Wood=.—Strong, heavy, close-grained, durable, light reddish brown with thin sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine and Minnesota to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Found in every county and in almost every locality except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Grows on many different types of soils and from moist bottom lands to the tops of dry ridges.
=Notes=.—The White Oak ranks as one of the most valuable timber trees. It is known to more persons than any of our other oaks, and is generally praised as a beautiful and useful tree.
POST OAK
=Quercus stellata=, Wang.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet, trunk usually short; the crown rounded, with spreading branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, about 4-5 inches long, usually with five lobes, the middle pair largest but all short and broad; thick and leathery, nearly smooth above, covered beneath with dense grayish or yellowish stellate pubescence.
=Flowers=.—May; monoecious; the staminate on long drooping catkins; the pistillate short-stalked and woolly, with bright red stigmas.
=Fruit=.—Acorn ripening in autumn after flowers; cup small, thin, hairy inside, scales flat and woolly; nut small, oval ½-¾ inch long, brown, sometimes marked with nearly black longitudinal stripes.
=Bark=.—Similar to that of White Oak, but usually rougher and more yellowish.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, durable in contact with the soil, brown with thick sapwood.
=Range=.—New England, where it is a shrub, southward to Florida and Texas, and west to Kansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Distributed in nearly all the hilly parts of the State, though nowhere very common and in some sections rare.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry sandy or gravelly soil.
=Notes=.—The Post Oak in winter may easily be mistaken for a White Oak, but in summer and fall the small acorns and the peculiar lobing of the leaves assist the student in distinguishing it from other species. It is not commercially important but should be encouraged to grow on account of the superior lasting qualities of the wood when used for fence posts or otherwise in contact with the soil.
BUR OAK
=Quercus macrocarpa=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 40-75 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk usually short, bearing a rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-12 inches long, wedge-shaped at the base, usually crenate lobed toward the apex with deep sinuses and rounded lobes in the middle; thick and firm, dark green and glossy above, pale pubescence beneath.
=Flowers=.—Similar to the other annual oaks, before described.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn of first season; very large acorn with a deep cup heavily fringed on the rim; nut ovoid, 1-1½ inches long, brown, pubescent, about one-third enclosed in the cup.
=Bark=.—Deeply furrowed and similar to that of White Oak; corky on the twigs.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable, brownish, with thin sapwood.
=Range=.—Nova Scotia and Manitoba south to West Virginia and west to Kansas and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare. Observed in the following localities: Hardy County, between Romney and Moorefield; Grant County, several trees on Lunice Creek near Petersburg; Morgan County, near Great Cacapon station. Reported from Tyler County.
=Habitat=.—Usually on rich soils near streams.
=Notes=.—This is a very large and valuable oak in Kansas and other states but is too rare to merit much attention in West Virginia. The beautifully-lobed leaves and large acorns will not fail to interest the student of trees.
SWAMP WHITE OAK
=Quercus bicolor=, Willd.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk, in the open, usually short, supporting a broad round-topped crown; in close stands the trunk is longer and well-formed; lower branches usually drooping.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long, 3-5 inches broad, obovate, coarsely sinuate or shallow-lobed, margins thick and firm, smooth and shining above, paler and tomentose beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate on long drooping catkins; the pistillate few-flowered, borne above on relatively long peduncles.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn after the flowers; acorns on pubescent stems 1-4 inches long; cup deeply saucer-shaped, enclosing about one-third of the nut, which is ¾ to 1¼ inches long, chestnut brown, usually hairy at apex.
=Bark=.—Rough on trunks with deep furrows and flat-topped and scaly ridges; on branches soon becoming rough, with scales which often curl back at the edges.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, tough, light brown, with thin and hardly distinguishable sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine, south to Georgia and west to Michigan and Arkansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Infrequent. Found in the following localities: Grant County, on Lunice Creek; Hardy, near Moorefield; Pocahontas, near Marlinton; Greenbrier, near White Sulphur Springs; Berkeley, on Back Creek; Randolph, near Huttonsville; Upshur, at Lorentz.
=Habitat=.—Borders of swamps and low ground along streams.
=Notes=.—The Swamp White Oak can easily be distinguished from its near relatives; in the winter, by the bark ridges of the small branches and the drooping lower limbs; in the summer and fall by the wavy or sinuate-margined leaves and the long-stemmed acorns. This tree is not considered of much importance in this State.
YELLOW OAK
=Quercus Muhlenbergii=, Engelm.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk usually short, sometimes buttressed at the base; crown round-topped with relatively short, ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 4-7 inches long, oblong, tapering at both ends, margins with coarse, sharp-pointed teeth which somewhat resemble those of the Chestnut and Chestnut Oak; bright yellow-green above, pale and pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in long pendulous catkins; the pistillate in short spikes.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in autumn after the flowers; cup enclosing about ½ of the light brown, ¾-inch-long nut; kernel sweet and more edible than that of most other acorns.
=Bark=.—On trunks moderately rough, the light gray ridges broken into scales; resembles the bark of White Oak.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable, brown with brownish sapwood.
=Range=.—Vermont and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common. Observed in the following counties: Boone, Doddridge, Fayette, Grant, Hardy, Kanawha, Monongalia, Morgan, Summers and Webster. This tree is more common near Petersburg, Grant County, and on Long Island Creek, Doddridge County, than at any other places where it was found.
=Habitat=.—River banks and limestone hillsides.
=Notes=.—The wood of this oak is inferior to that of some other species and it occurs here too infrequently to be classed as very valuable.
CHESTNUT OAK
=Quercus Prinus=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-90 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk long but usually more or less bent and often divided, forming a loose, open irregular crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-8 inches long, usually obovate, coarsely crenate, firm or leathery, smooth, dark green above, paler and finely pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in long catkins; the pistillate in short spikes.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in autumn after the flowers; cup thin, deep, enclosing about ½ of the smooth, light brown, oblong-ovoid nut.
=Bark=.—Very rough with deep fissures and long, dark gray, continuous or broken ridges; rich in tannin.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable in contact with the soil, dark brown with light sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine to West Virginia and south along the mountains to Georgia and Alabama.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry gravelly hillsides and ridges.
=Notes=.—The Chestnut Oak is one of our common trees in the hilly sections and can easily be distinguished by its thick, dark-colored bark, crenate-margined leaves and large, deep-cupped acorns. Many of the best stands have been cut for tan bark. Rock Oak is a common name in some localities.
RED OAK
=Quercus rubra=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-5 feet; trunk long and free from limbs when standing in close growth, with a narrow or rounded open crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-9 inches long, with 5-7 toothed, bristle-tipped lobes, becoming narrower outward from rounded sinuses, thin and firm, smooth, lusterless dark green above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in long hairy catkins, the pistillate on short smooth stalks.
=Fruit=.—Acorns maturing the second autumn after the flowers; cup shallow, saucer-shaped, enclosing only the base of the nut; scales closely-appressed and somewhat glossy; nut oblong-ovoid, 1 inch long; kernel white, bitter.
=Bark=.—Rough with long fissures and flat-topped ridges, gray brown, inner bark light red, not bitter.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, light red-brown.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree in all parts of the State. Most abundant and of superior size and quality in the high hilly and mountain sections.
=Habitat=.—Rich loamy or gravelly soils of bottom lands, slopes and ridges.
=Notes=.—The Red Oak is most frequently confused with the Black Oak from which it can be distinguished by the light red inner bark, the shallow-cupped acorns and the dull green leaves. This oak is extensively sawed into lumber which is easily worked and capable of a fine finish for furniture and interior work. As a tree for the park or lawn there are few which surpass it.
PIN OAK
=Quercus palustris=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk usually straight and bearing a conic, well-shaped crown, lower limbs usually drooping and curving upward at the tips.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, much smaller than those of the Red Oak, with 3-7, coarse-toothed, bristle-tipped lobes, with rounded sinuses; dark green and shining above, pale below, and smooth except for bunches of brownish tomentum in the axils of the principal veins.
=Flowers=.—Appear with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in catkins 2-3 inches long; pistillate short-stalked and with red styles.
=Fruit=.—Acorns maturing in autumn of second year after the flowers; cup thin, shallow, about ½ inch across, enclosing about ¼ of the nut; kernel yellowish, bitter.
=Bark=.—Not as rough as that of most of the oaks, but with shallow fissures and broad flat ridges.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, light-brown.
=Range=.—Massachusetts and Michigan to Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not a common tree. Plentiful near Princeton, Mercer County, and less common in Hardy and Morgan counties; doubtless growing locally in most of the counties south of the Great Kanawha River.
=Habitat=.—Prefers low ground along streams and borders of swamps.
=Notes=.—Pin Oak leaves resemble those of Scarlet Oak, but the appearance of the whole tree is quite different from it. The drooping lower branches and the location of the tree most readily distinguish it, and a comparison of its small acorns with the large acorns of the Scarlet Oak will serve to separate the two species. It is unexcelled as a tree for parks where it grows with a straight trunk and beautiful rounded crown.
SCARLET OAK
=Quercus coccinea=, Muench.
=Form=.—Height, 60-80 feet; diameter 2-3 feet; trunk tapering, usually straight; crown open, and narrow when crowded.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, usually with 7 lobes which are deeply toothed and bristle-tipped at the apex, and separated by oblique sinuses; thin and firm, bright green above, paler beneath, lustrous on both sides; brilliant scarlet in the fall.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers on long catkins; the pistillate on short stalks in the leaf axils.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature in second autumn after flowering; cup deep, covering about ½ of the nut, with closely appressed, sharp-pointed scales, somewhat glossy or slightly pubescent, forming a fringe around the edge which is closely appressed to the large ovoid, reddish-brown and sometimes striate nut.
=Bark=.—On trunks resembling that of Red Oak, but with shallower fissures and narrower ridges; inner bark reddish.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, reddish-brown.
=Range=.—Maine to North Carolina and west to Minnesota and Nebraska.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in all parts of the State except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Prefers dry sandy soil of hillsides and ridges.
=Notes=.—The wood of Scarlet Oak is of less value than that of several other oaks, but is frequently used for lumber, cross-ties, and other purposes. The tree is desirable for streets or parks and in autumn is especially attractive.
BLACK OAK
=Quercus velutina=, Lam.
=Form=.—Height 50-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk long, clear, slightly tapering; crown spreading and rounded.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-10 inches long, lobes usually 7, with coarse, bristle-tipped teeth, thick and firm, dark green and shining above, paler beneath; on lower limbs and young trees, often with rounded, mucronate lobes; petioles yellowish.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate flowers in long, hairy catkins; the pistillate on short stalks, reddish.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature the second autumn after flowering; cup deep, cup-shaped, enclosing about ½ of the nut; scales reddish-brown pubescent, tightly appressed at the base, and loosely over-lapping at the edge forming a fringe-like margin; nut small, light reddish-brown, often pubescent; kernel yellow, bitter.
=Bark=.—Rough with thick cross-fissured ridges, nearly black, inner bark yellow and bitter.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, brown, with thin lighter sapwood.
=Range=.—Northern New England and Ontario, west to Minnesota and Nebraska, south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Rich soils of slopes or drier gravelly soils of ridges.
=Notes=.—Black Oak is very common but of less value than several of the other oaks. The lumber is similar to that of Red Oak. For the characteristics which distinguish this oak from the species with which it is most often confused, see “Notes” on Red Oak. Yellow Oak and Black Jack are two local names for this oak in West Virginia.
SPANISH OAK
=Quercus falcata=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 60-80 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; crown round-topped.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 6-7 inches long; variable in shape, with 3-7 toothed bristle pointed lobes, terminal lobes often elongated and falcate, dark green and lustrous above, paler and downy beneath.
=Flowers=.—April-May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in long catkins, the pistillate on short hairy stalks.
=Fruit=.—Acorns mature the second autumn after flowering; cup hemispheric, ½-¾ inch across, reddish-brown inside and with reddish, pale, pubescent scales; nut ½ inch long, ovoid, pale orange-brown.
=Bark=.—On trunks with shallow fissures and brownish scaly ridges.
=Wood=.—Hard, strong, not durable, coarse-grained, reddish with light sapwood.
=Range=.—New Jersey to Florida and west to Missouri and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Confined, as far as known, to a few trees on the north side of Great Kanawha River near Charleston.
=Habitat=.—Dry soil.