Transcript Forest Tree Identification

Forest Tree
Identification
by
Gordon K. Weddle
Photographs by Robert Doty and
G. Weddle
May 26 2004
Outdoor Classroom Institute 2004
Forested Ecosystems
Introduction
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Study of forests requires knowledge of the
species that compose them but……..
Leaves of forest trees are often
inaccessible
Species must be identified primarily by
their bark and fruit as leaves are too far
away for careful examination
Here we use photographs of bark for
identification
Bark Characteristics
Texture
 Color
 Thickness
 Tightness
 Pattern
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Bark Texture
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Smooth
Rough with ridges
and fissures
Tight barked
Loose
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Flaky
Shreddy
Delaminating
Color
Bark Thickness
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Bark on many trees is quite thin.
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Examples would be American Beech, Black
Cherry and Ironwood
Thin Barked trees generally do not have a lot
of texture in their bark
Thick Barked trees include ash, walnut,
and yellow poplar.
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All trees develop thicker bark with age.
Bark Tightness
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This is a measure of how firmly attached
the bark is to the woody tissue.
It is not related to bark thickness as Oaks
have thick bark but bark that is also very
tight.
If the Bark is exfoliating, shredding and
scaling off then the bark would be said to
be loose
Bark Pattern
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Bark consists of ridges and valleys or
fissures separating them
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Some have wide fissures
Some have narrow fissures
Some have fissures “painted white”
Thin barked trees can have pigment-based
patterns. For example tree of heaven has
diamond-shaped patches.
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana, is our only
native cone bearing tree. This
species is the source of cedar
lumber so often used in cedar
chests. It is identifiable by its
shreddy reddish bark and by the
persistence of dead limbs on the
lower part of the tree. Leaves
are scale-like.
Black Willow
Salix nigra, is a wetland
species that is common
along streams and lakes.
At Clay Hill it occurs only
where the soil is
persistently wet. Bark is
black and deeply
furrowed with scaly
ridges. Leaves are 3-6
inches long and lance
shaped.
Walnuts (Juglandaceae)
Alternate pinnately compound leaves
Fruit encased in a fleshy husk
Twigs with chambered pith
Species of forest openings and gaps
intolerant of shade
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra, has
compound alternate
leaves, deeply furrowed
reddish black bark
superficially resembling
ash. Bark of walnut is
layered as seen in the
insert on the left.
Walnuts are usually
found near these trees.
Twigs have chambered
pith.
Butternut
Juglans cinerea, white walnut
is identifiable by its sinuous
dark ridges that separate flat
white patches between. The
leaves are walnut-like. The
nut looks like an elongated
walnut. The roots of larger
trees are distinctively
buttressed
Hickories (Juglandaceae)
Alternate pinnately compound leaves
Nut enclosed in a woody husk
Pith solid
Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis, has bark
that contains shallow
furrows and ridges that
are more or less parallel
to one another. Fruits are
about 1 “ or less and
distinctively winged. This
species has sulfur yellow
buds and yellowish color
on the nuts. Bitternut
differs from the other
hickories because its buds
are slender.
Pignut Hickory
Carya glabra, resembles
bark of mockernut hickory
but differs in having 5
leaflets rather than 7-9.
and in the size and shape
of the nut. Pignut fruits
are smaller than those of
either mockernut or
shagbark. They also are
differently shaped being
somewhat oval with an
elongate stem such that
they appear pendant.
Mockernut Hickory
Carya tomentosa, is one of three
so-called tight-barked hickories we
have at CHMF. Its bark is fissured.
The fissures are arranged such
that the ridges between them
appear braided or interlaced. The
tree has compound leaves with 7-9
leaflets. Nuts of this species are
large (1 1/2 -2 inches) and similar
to those of shagbark hickories.
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata, is a common,
easily identified forest
tree. The only other tree
with such shaggy bark is
the kingnut hickory and it
is a bottomland species.
Leaves have 5-7 leaflets.
Winter buds are quite
large to ¾ “. Nuts are
edible and a favorite of
humans and squirrels
alike
Birches (Betulaceae)
Leaves alternate and simple
Leaf edges serrated
Generally small trees
Two woodland species, hornbeam and
eastern hornbeam both also called
ironwood. Both species are slow growing
understory trees.
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)
Ostrya virginiana, is a distinctive
understory tree seldom reaching
a diameter of 10 “ or more.
Ironwood has a distinctively
shreddy bark, oval unlobed
leaves with saw-toothed edges
and a distinctively hops shaped
fruit in autumn.
This species is one of the
slowest growing species in the
forest. This slow growth makes
growth rings incredibly small
and the wood incredibly hard.
Bluebeech
Carpinus caroliniana, has
bark that resembles
American beech, but it
has a very sinuous
appearance. Bark is
often mottled with light
and dark patches. The
photograph was taken
when this tree was wet
so it appears darker than
it normally would
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia, is one of
the more easily identified
trees. This large forest
species has thin gray bark
that does not change much
with age. It gets covered
with patches of algae and
lichen occasionally giving it
a greenish tint. The leaf
edges are serrated and the
leaves are ovate in shape.
In winter the buds are very
elongate and sharp, often
resembling needles or awns.
Oaks (Fagaceae)
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Leaves simple and alternate
Leaves have highly variable margins
Fruit is an acorn
Acorn shape and size is species-specific
Terminal buds are clustered at the end of
stems
Pith is obviously star-shaped
White vs Red Oaks
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White Oaks
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Leaf edges are smooth or scalloped
Acorn matures in one year
Nut shell smooth inside
Red Oaks
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Leaf lobes commonly sharp and bristle tipped
Acorn matures in two years.
Nut shell woolly inside
White Oak
Quercus alba, is one of the
more important trees in
forests of Kentucky. This
species is easily identifiable
by is light gray color, by its
relatively thin bark and by
shreddy nature of its bark.
Leaves are distinctively
lobed and its acorns are
quite small (~1/2 “)
relative to those found in
red oaks.
Black Oak
Quercus velutina, is a
large forest tree with dark
bark that is very hard and
deeply fissured. In older
trees the fissures fragment
horizontally forming a bark
with a very blocky
appearance. Leaves
resemble those of red oak
but have flat bases. Acorn
is distinctive with cup
covering ½ of nut and
having loose scales.
Kernel is yellow
Northern Red Oak
Quercus borealis, is an
important, large forest
species. Its bark is similar
to that of most other red
oaks except that in the
younger branches there
are silvery streaks
between darker patches.
Northern red is also easily
identifiable by its
distinctive acorn which is
¾-1 inch in length and
capped by a saucer
shaped cup.
Shumard Oak
Quercus shumardii, leaves are
more distinctive than the
bark or acorn. Leaf notches
or sinuses tend to be
narrower at the edge of the
leaf than they are closer to
the mid-vein. Bark most
closely resembles that of
black oak. Acorn cup is
shallow and identifiable by
elongate pointed scales.
American Elm
Ulmus americana, was one of our
largest forest species until the
introduction of Dutch Elm
Disease. Now most of the trees
are small. It is recognizable by
having thinly fissured bark with
ridges between these fissures
flakey. The general color is
brownish red. The tree is also
identifiable by its distinctive
simple leaves. They are ovate
and serrate-edged with uneven,
asymmetrical bases.
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis, is common in
fencerows and other openings but
not common in woodlands.
Younger trees have bark that is
similar to American Beech but as
they age the develop warty ridges
of layered bark. Leaf base is
uneven or lopsided.
Yellow Poplar
(Tulip Tree)
Liriodendron tulipifera, is a very
common species at CHMF. This
straight tall tree is characterized
in younger species by shallow
white-colored patches between
narrow ridges. Also the tree
leaves triangular limb scars as
the lower limbs are lost. In the
spring this member of the
magnolia family has showy
yellow flowers that eventually
produce a winged fruit.
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum, is a
distinctive tree young or
old. This specimen is quite
large. Its bark has a
reddish cast and a
distinctive spicy odor. It is
deeply furrowed and
blocky. Younger trees are
identifiable because the
new twigs are green in
color and the leaves have
distinctively two or tree
different shapes.
Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis, also
known as the plane tree
is one of the larger trees
in North America. This
species has thin peeling
bark with patches of
white in younger
branches. It requires
substantial moisture and
can be considered a
wetland species.
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina, is a
common forest species
that is easily identifiable
by its black scaly bark.
It has a thin platy
appearance. Leaves are
simple, serrate and
alternate. Fruit is a
small (1/4 inch) black
cherry.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis, is a small
understory tree with thin orange
tinted bark that becomes scaly
with age. Leaves are heart
shaped. Flowers are pink-red in
early spring. Seeds are born in a
pod-like fruit .
Tree of Heaven
Ailanthus altissima is an introduced
species. Its origin is China and it
has fast become one of the most
invasive of introduced trees.
Tree of heaven has a thin gray to
black bark with diamond-shaped
markings and a generally sooty
appearance. Leaves of this species
are pinnately compound and they
possess a distinctively foul odor.
Leaflets have a small projection or
yellowish gland at their base.
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum, is the
source tree for hard rock
maple furniture and
maple syrup. Maples all
have opposite leaves,
winged fruits. Bark is
incredibly variable but
generally has long scaly
plates. Red maple has
bark broken up into
smaller scaly plates.
Red Maple
Acer rubrum, is a common
forest tree with oppisite
serrate edged leaves.
The bark in this tree is
much more similar to that
of silver maple (water
maples that is often used
as a shade tree because
of its rapid growth.
Yellow
Buckeye
Aesculus octandra, is a
distinctive tree. Its bark
is thin and platy and
almost always covered
with mosses and algae.
Its leaves are compound
with leaflets arranged like
the fingers of a hand
(palmate). This species is
shade tolerant. It occurs
at moist sites.
Black Gum
(Tupelo)
Nyssa sylvatica, is one of two
species with “alligator bark”.
It is deeply fissured vertically
and horizontally such that it is
quite blocky in appearance.
The edges of these
irregularly-shaped blocks are
often rounded over. Tupelo
leaves are among the first to
change colors in the fall.
Generally they are bright
crimson red.
Flowering
Dogwood
Cornus florida, is perhaps
our most common
understory tree. It is
recognized by opposite
simple leaves. The bark
is thin, reddish and
broken into squarish
plates somewhat similar
to black gum but the
fissures are much
shallower in dogwood
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana, is one of
very few species in which the
bark of young trees is broken
into squarish blocks. Its leaves
are untoothed, oval-shaped
and net-veined. Its twigs are
distinctive because they have
distinctive bundle scars.
White Ash
Fraxinus americanus, is
one of the few species of
tree with opposite
compound leaves. The
bark varies from having
regular diamond shaped
ridges to having the
irregular fragmented
appearance of the tree
figured here. The outer
bark of ash is spongy when
pressed with the
thumbnail.
No attempt was made here to include every
tree. It is my hope that I have included the
more common species. It is also my hope
that this project will serve as incentive for
you to adapt this program for use with your
particular grade level. You may freely use
the images for educational purposes. If
you find a good use for them I would
appreciate seeing what you have done.
Email me at [email protected] or
better yet, stop by CHMF for a longer visit.