Applied Dendrology Module 1 Tree ID

week one of identifying trees module one

Latin Name for Eastern Redcedar

Juniperus virginiana

Family of Cupressaceae

Leaf: Scale-like leaves; dark blue-green needle-like leaves that are more common on young trees

Fruit: males have yellow-brown little buds; females have light blue-green berry like cones

Bark: Red brown in color, long fibrous strips, often ashy gray

Uses: construction, wood, furniture, fragrances

Habitat: prefers well-drained soils, tolerate wetter conditions, sometimes nutrient-poor or exposed sites

Eastern redcedar; Juniperus virginiana

Latin name for Gingko

Ginkgo biloba

Family of Ginkgoaceae

Leaf: alternate, simple, fan-shaped 2-3 inches long and wide

Fruit: naked seed, 1 inch long, fleshy covering with unpleasant odor

Flower: tiny green males are born on 1 inch long catkins: female cones are 1-2 inch long peduncles

Bark: light grayish brown with irregular ridges

Uses: used for medicines to deal with brains and blood support; used heavily in traditional Medicine

Habitat: deciduous forests, valleys, stream banks, rocky slopes, and sun-exposed limestone outcrops, often on acidic loess or well-drained soils

Ginkgo

Latin Name for Baldcypress

Taxodium distichum

Family is Cupressaceae

Leaf: linear and small, 1/4-3/4 inch long, appearing two-ranked, resembles a feathery pinnately, compound leaf, green to yellow-green

Flower: males in drooping, long panicles, females are sub globose, have peltate scales, and tend to occur near to the end of branches

Fruit: cones are composed of peltate scaels forming a woody, brown sphere with rough surfaces,

Bark: Fibrous, red-brown but may be gray where exposed to the weather; old, thick bark may appear scaly

Uses: rot-resistant heartwood; uses like building homes, canoes, fence posts, flooring, cabinetry, boats; used for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties

Habitat: swamps, bayous, river floodplains, seasonally inundated bottomlands

baldcypress

Latin Name for Eastern Hemlock

Tsuga canadensis

Family is Pinaceae

Leaf: evergreen, flat, single needles, ½ inch long, tapering to a dull point, two-ranked primarily, shiny dark green

Flower: males yellow, small, round; females light green at branch tips

Fruit: ovoid light brown cone, ¾ inch long with rounded, entire scales, maturing in early fall

Bark: initially gray-brown and smooth then turning scaly, older trees are red-brown with ridges and furrows

Uses: historically used for coughs, fevers, wounds, and scurvy, ideal for outdoor construction

Habitat: cool, humid environments with low winter temperatures, Appalachian mountains to Georgia and Northern Alabama

Eastern hemlock

Latin name for shortleaf pine

Pinus echinata

Family of Pinaceae

Leaf: evergreen needles, 3-5 inches long, two or three, slender and flexible needles per fascicle, dark yellow-green in color

Flower: males cylindrical, red to yellow, in clumps at the end of twigs; females light green to red and armed

Fruit: egg-shaped cone, 2 inches long, red to brown in color, umbo is armed with a small prickle, maturing in fall; scales stay relatively flexible

Bark: scaly and dark on young trees, eventually developing flat, scaly plates; very small resin pockets may be apparent

Uses: plywood, heavy construction, paper and pulp manufacturing

Habitat: humid continental to humid subtropical climate, adaptable to stiff clay, gravel, sand, and rocky upland soils

Shortleaf pine

Latin name for Loblolly pine

Pinus taeda

Family of Pinaceae

Leaf: evergreen needles, 6-9 inches long, with usually three yellow-green needles per fascicle

Fruit: ovoid to cylindrical; 3-6 inch red-brown cones; umbo is armed with a short spine, maturing in early fall

Flower: males long cylindrical, red to yellow, in clusters at branch tips; females yellow to purple

Bark: initially red to gray-brown and scaly; older trees are ridged and furrowed, with somewhat rounded scaly plates; very old trees have red-brown, flat scaly plates

Uses: construction, soul stabilization, erosion control, pulpwood, paper

Habitat: warm, humid, lowland, and upland habitats, warm-temperate

Loblolly pine

Latin name for Longleaf pine

Pinus palustris

Family of Pinaceae

Leaf: evergreen needles, very long and feathery 8-18 inches long, three dark green needles per fascicle, tend to be tufted at branch tips

Flower: males yellow-red, long, in clusters; females oval, purple

Furit: very large 6-10 inches long, ovoid to conical in shape, sessile, red-brown, umbo is arms with a curved prickle, maturing in the fall

Bark: quite scaly, orange-brown to gray, eventually developing flat plates

Uses: timber and construction, naval stores, mulch and groundcover

Habitat: sandy, dry, acidic soils that are well-drained, often with deep sand

Longleaf pine

Latin Name for Virginia Pine

Pinus virginiana

Family of Pinaceae

Leaf: evergreen needles, 1 ½ to 3 inches long, with 2 yellow-green, twisted, somewhat divergent needles per fascicle

Flower: males cylindrical, yellow, near branch tip; females yellow to red, curved prickle present

Fruit: conical to ovoid cones are 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long, sessile and persistent, with red-brown scales and an umbo armed with a sharp, needle-like prickle, maturing in the fall

Bark: orange-brown and scaly on young trees; older stems develop thin, small, scaly plates, cinnamon colored patches often on upper parts of trunk

Uses: lumber and wood pulp, Christmas tree and seasonal decoration

Habitat: humid subtropical climates with annual precipitation; moderately well-drained to well-drained soils

Virginia pine

Latin Name for Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus

Family of Pinaceae

Leaf: evergreen needless, 3-5 inches long, with five, slender, flexible needles per fascicle; fascicle sheath deciduous, needles appear blue-green because of 3 or more glaucous lines of stomata

Flower: males cylindrical, yellow, in clusters near branch tips; females light green, tinged in red, at ends of branches

Fruit: cones are 4-7 inches long, cylindrical, with thick, rounded cone scales, very resinous, borne on a long stalk and matruing in late summer.

Bark: on young trees, thin, smooth, and gray-green with some lighter spotty patches; later becoming thick, reddish brown to gray-brown with prominent finely scaly, rounded, long ridges and darker furrows

Uses: construction, some edible uses and medicinal properties

Habitat: cool, humid climates, fertile, well-drained sandy loams

Eastern white pine