Lab Trees 5

Leaf: semi-evergreen, alternate, simple, sometimes curl into spoon shape, pretty waxy

Flower: Tiny, white, bell-shaped

Bark: grey, shreddy bark, red and brown papery patches, shrub, “orange stick”

Note: closely related to blueberries

Family: Ericaceae

Genus: Vaccineum

Species: arboreum

Common Name: Sparkleberry

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, obovate to elliptical, pinnate venation, wavy margin, dark green on top, paler and hairy below.

Flower: cone-like female fruit, 1-2” catkin flower on the end of twig.

Bark: purplish, valvate bud, smooth grey bark covered in bumpy lenticels

Family: Betulaceae

Genus: Alnus

Species: serrulata

Common Name: Hazel Alder

Leaf: deciduous, opposite😍, simple, 2-4” long, palmately lobed, serrated margins, tends to have red petioles (pigment can fade with season), draw a U from the base to both outer lobes

Flower: Small red clusters of flowers in midwinter, fruit is a pair of samaras

Bark: vertical lacerations on older barks

Family: Aceraceae

Genus: Acer

Species: rubrum

Common Name: Red Maple

Leaf: semi-evergreen, opposite, simple, oval with acute tip, smooth, thick, waxy

Flower: small, creamy white, fragrant, clusters of flowers which appear late spring

Bark: red “dagger” buds, light brown stem, hairy root mats (vine)

Family: Hydrangeaceae

Genus: Hydrangea

Species: barbara

Common Name: Climbing Hydrangea

Leaf: leaflets form a star, spine-like structures on bottoms of leaves

Flower: white showy flower, edible fruit

Bark: prickles (cane—has flexible woody stock, also shrub-like)

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Rubus

Species: spp.

Common Name: Blackberry

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, 1-3” long, obovate to elliptical shape, dull green above, hair below

Flower: white to pink, tube-like flower, appears in spring, very showy

Bark: slender brown, hairy twigs, leaves on twigs sometimes appear whorls, multi stemmed

Range: dark, swampy area

Family: Ericaceae

Genus: Rhododendron

Species: canescens

Common Name: Wild Azalea

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, 4-7” long, shiny green on top, finely serrated, sour when chewed

Flower: drooping clusters of small white flowers

Bark: orange-ish bark, kind of like an orange persimmon, grows toward gaps in the canopy

Family: Ericaceae

Genus: Oxydendrum

Species: arboreum

Common Name: Sourwood

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, 2-4” long, doubly-serrate, dull green above, yellowish below

Flower: resembles a hops flower—looks similar to another in Betulaceae family

Bark: Cat scratch bark typical of Cupressaceae

Family: Betulaceae

Genus: Ostrya

Species: virginiana

Common Name: Eastern Hophornbeam

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, 2-4” long, doubly-serrate, dull green above, yellowish below with axillary tufts

Flower: male catkins

Bark: looks muscular

Family: Betulaceae

Genus: Carpinus

Species: caroliniana

Common Name: Musclewood

Leaf: deciduous, simple, serrated and lobed, dark green above and paler below, looks a bit like a smaller version of Maple leaf (difference is that it’s really short)

Flower: red berries, look like tiny tomatoes

Bark: thorns, shoot spurs, pretty small tree with rounded bud

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Crataegus

Species: spp.

Common Name: Hawthorn

Leaf: opposite, simple, 2-4”, ovate to lanceolate, finely toothed, acute apex, bright green and smooth above, paler below, leaves pressed against stem

Flower: 4-lobed red capsule looks like a strawberry

Bark: smooth, green twig and bark, imbricate buds hug the twig

Family: Celastraceae

Genus: Euonymus

Species: americanus

Common Name: Strawberry bush

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, 2” long, narrowly ovate, doubly serrated margin, unequal base, upper surface dark green and smooth

Flower: flat samara with hairy margin

Bark: Misshapen platelets, thin corky two-ranked wings

Family: Ulmaceae

Genus: Ulmus

Species: alata

Common Name: Wahoo elm

Leaf: deciduous, alternate, simple, 2-4” long, oblong, finely serrated, dark green and glabrous above, paler below

Flower: small white flowers in a narrow, tube-shaped cluster

Bark: twigs have almond smell when scratched/crushed, large lenticels

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Prunus

Species: serotina

Common Name: black cherry

Leaf: evergreen, alternate, simple, 2.5-5” long, elliptical shape, margins entire or with a few teeth, glabrous, scratch mid vein and sniff (smells like cherry)

Flower: small, white flowers in leaf axils in spring, persistent shiny black drupe fruit

Bark: smooth with lenticels, grey thin bark

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Prunus

Species: caroliniana

Common Name: Carolina Laurelcherry