Trees - Hudson Valley Natural History

white oak (s)

Quercus alba

white oak (c)

-alternate simple leaves w/ rounded lobes

-bark is light grey, flat + flakey

-clustered buds at top rounded and blunt

-twigs have light color

northern red oak (s)

Quercus rubra

northern red oak (c)

-alternate simple leaves w/ pointed lobes, shiny, axels not fuzzy

-bark deeply ridged: coarse redish furrows + flat shiny ridges (zebra striping)

American hornbeam/musclewood (s)

Carpinus caroliniana

American hornbeam/musclewood (c)

-alternate simple leaves, doubly serrated

-bark is smooth grayish blue

sweet birch (s)

Betula lenta

sweet birch (c)

-alternate simple leaves, doubly serrated

-shiny purplish bark w/ lenticles, becomes blocky + plated w/ age

-2-tone buds (brown+green)

-wintergreen fragrance

-spur shoots on twigs

river birch (s)

Betula nigra

river birch (c)

-alternate simple leaves - each lateral vein ends in distinct tooth

-white papery bark

American chestnut (s)

Castenea dentata

American chestnut (c)

-alternate simple leaves w/ very sharp tooth at end of lateral vein

-golden brown cone-shaped buds

American sycamore (s)

Platanus occidentalis

American sycamore (c)

-alternate simple leaves- maple-like very large

-flakey grey bark exposes white trunk

-stipule leaves scar under bud

tulip tree (s)

Liriodendron tulipifera

tulip tree (c)

-alternate simple leaves w/ truncated tip

-valvate buds

-purplish-brown speckles on twigs

-bark is smooth topped shallow ridged interwoven —> medium grey + light grey

witch-hazel (s)

Hamamelis virginiana

witch-hazel (c)

-alternate simple leaves - base of leaf offset, roughly oval-shaped wl wavy margins

-sickle-shaped naked furry buds

-saffron looking flowers

black tupelo (s)

Nyssa sylvatica

black tupelo (c)

-alternate simple leaves - entire, sometimes wavy margins

sassafrass (s)

Sassafrass albidum

sassafrass (c)

-alternate simple leaves - 3 types: entire, mitten, 3-lobed

-twigs have fruity pebble fragrance

chestnut oak (s)

Quercus montana (prinus)

chestnut oak (c)

-alternate simple leaves - lateral vein ends in shallow lobes

-bark extremely furrowed w/ age, medium gray

-clustered golden buds w/ overlapping scales

black cherry (s)

Prunus serotina

black cherry (c)

-alternate simple leaves - single serration, orange pubescence on axil

-older bark: dark + flakey (burnt potato chips), younger bark: light w/ lenticels

-gross/bitter/burnt smell of twigs

slippery elm (s)

Ulmus rubra

slippery elm (c)

-alternate simple leaves - sandpaper sound, lateral vein ends in tooth

-buds have rusty hairs

Eastern hophornbeam/Ironwood (s)

Ostrya virginiana

Eastern hophornbeam/Ironwood (c)

-alternate simple leaves doubly serrated

-bark has long narrow flakes

-buds are sharply tipped, green + brown, linear striations (claw marks)

-fruit: brown papery bladders that hop

American basswood (s)

Tilia americana

American basswood (c)

-alternate simple leaves - lopsided heart-shaped, sharply serrated

-bark deeply irregularly furrowed

-fruit: green spheres w/ leaf-like bract

-spherical red smooth buds

redbud (s)

Cercis canadensis

redbud (c)

-alternate simple leaves - heart shape

-dark red rounded buds

-seeds hang

-arching pattern

red maple (s)

Acer rubrum

red maple (c)

-opposite simple leaves - 3-lobed, serrated margins, gray matte underside

-red petioles

-young bark: smooth + light gray, old bark: plated + scaled (variable)

-circular pattern on bark where branches fall off (spiderwebish)

-rounded green and red bud w/ scales - not very big

sugar maple (s)

Acer saccharum

sugar maple (c)

-opposite simple leaves - multicolored, matted on underside

-bark slightly fissured

-tan twigs

-sharp buds medium-dark brown

-bark has pink caste

striped maple (s)

Acer pensylvanicum

striped maple (c)

-opposite simple leaves - 3-lobed, wide

-striped bark

-valvate buds

-smooth redish twigs

Norway maple (s)

Acer platanoides

Norway maple (c)

-opposite simple leaves - shiny underside, white secretion when plucked

-interwoven bark

-blunt broad bud thick

shagbark hickory (s)

Carya ovata

shagbark hickory (c)

-alternate compound leaves - hair on serrations, pubescence

-shaggy bark

-non-deciduous scales on buds fuzzy

pignut hickory (s)

Carya glabra

pignut hickory (c)

-alternate compound leaves - hair tufts in major axils

-deciduous scales on buds

bitternut hickory (s)

Carya cordiformis

bitternut hickory (c)

-alternate compound leaves

-naked golden buds

black walnut (s)

Juglans nigra

black walnut (c)

-alternate compound leaves - serrated arrow-shaped leaflets

-fruit: thick green sphere husk

-fuzzy white buds

-terminal bud ¼ inch long

-leaf scars have monkey face

-lemon fragrance

-robust twigs

staghorn sumac (s)

Rhus hirta

staghorn sumac (c)

-alternate compound leaves - long thin serrated leaflets

-twigs really fuzzy/hairy

white ash (s)

Fraxinus americana

white ash (c)

-opposite compound leaves - usually 7 leaflets (5-9)

-deep gray bark

-terminal buds are rounded/dome-shaped

-lateral buds had u-shaped scar

-twigs are smooth shiny gray

Eastern white pine (s)

Pinus strobus

Eastern white pine (c)

-coniferous

-5 needles, flexible, single white stripe

pitch pine (s)

Pinus rigida

pitch pine (c)

-coniferous

-3 needles

-deeply plated bark

-cone has prickles

Eastern hemlock (s)

Tsuga candensis

Eastern hemlock (c)

-coniferous

-single flat needle w/ 2 white stripes

-tiny cones w/ brown spread out scales

Eastern redcedar (s) 

Juniperus virginiana

Eastern redcedar (c)

-coniferous

-needles 3D w/ overlapping scales - soft

-bark looks shredded

-herbal smell

Northern white cedar (s)

Thuja occidentalis

Norther white cedar (c)

-coniferous

-flat 2D needles

-tightly interwoven vertical bark

Douglas fir (s)

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Douglas fir (c)

-coniferous

-flat blunt needles spread out very long w/ 2 white stripes

-radial arrangement

-mouse-like cone

-terminal bud is pointy

-citrus sent

Red pine (s)

Pinus resinosa

Red pine (c)

-coniferous

-2 needles

-bark has light plats 

-erratic structure

Norway spruce (s)

Picea abies

Norway spruce (c)

-coniferous

-droopy structure/Christmas tree

-sharp pointy needles

-twigs bronze/tan

-rough where needles fall off

-buds look like flowers

Silver Maple (s)

Acer saccharinum

Silver maple (c)

-opposite simple leaves - very deep lobes, pronounced teeth, coarsely toothed margin, matte underside

-flakey bark, silver, orange underbark

-blunt buds w/ light colored 4 scales

flowering dogwood (s)

Cornus florida

flowering dogwood (c)

-opposite simple leaves - droopy, wavy margins, lateral veins curve

-flowers look like meringues 

-red buds

black locust (s)

Robina pseudoacacia

black locust (c)

-alternate compound leaves - leaflets round, entire margins, slightly lopsided

-deeply interwoven irregular bark 

-heart-shaped leaf scar

-invisible bud

horse chestnut (s)

Aesculus hippocastanum

horse chestnut (c)

-opposite palmately compound leaves

-huge buds look glossy

-nuts contained in spiny husk

-twigs stout dips down

common holly (s)

Ilex aquifolium

common holly (c)

-alternate simple leaves - evergreen broadleaf feels like plastic, sharp thorns

-tan bark

gingko (s)

Gingko biloba

gingko (c)

-glowing yellow leaves

-leafs look like fans

-almost white bark

paper birch (s)

Betula papyrifera

paper birch (c)

-bright white papery bark