What
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 40 feet tall, dominant crown class. Bark flaky on younger stems, turning to wide flat ridges on trunk. Small needles 2-ranked, glossy on top with 2 whitish bands underneath. Small ovoid cones found throughout the crown.
What
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 65 feet tall, dominant crown class. Bark thin, smooth, light gray. Leaves simple, alternate, oblong with serrate margins, glossy above and light green underneath. Distinctive conical bud present along stems. Solitary 3-winged nuts sparsely distributed throughout crown.
What
White Oak (Quercus alba)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 55 feet tall, intermediate crown class. Bark light gray, older bark vertically arranged into small blocks. Leaves simple, alternate, with 6-8 oblong rounded lobes. Few acorns present, found 1 paired set about 1 inch long.
What
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 45 feet tall, intermediate crown class. Bark grayish brown furrowed into close, interlacing flattened ridges. Leaves simple, alternate, with distinctive 6-lobed shape. Distinctive valvate terminal buds. Conleike clusters of samaras found at the end of lower branches.
What
Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 65 feet tall, codominant crown class. Dark gray bark, broken into thick irregular ridges checked across into short segments, giving it a block-like appearance. Leaves simple, alternate, ovate with entire margins. Distinctive bud scars with 3 vascular bundles found along branches. Black oblong drupes found throughout the crown.
What
Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 25 feet tall, suppressed crown class. Dark grey bark with with shallow furrows and narrow flat ridges; the typical exfoliating shaggy bark of this species not present, likely due to the relative youth of this tree. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound with mostly 5 oblong-lanceolate leaves. Underside of leaflets and rachis distinctly pubescent. Many thick-shelled nuts present throughout crown, splitting to reveal small nuts.
What
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)Observer
treejerk1Description
Small tree, approximately 15 feet tall, suppressed crown class. Bark grey brown, furrowed into square fissures. Leaves opposite, simple, ovate, glossy green. Next year's flower buds distinctly present at the terminus of branches. Clusters of red drupes present throughout crown.
What
American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 65 feet tall; codominant crown class. Bark gray-brown, deeply furrowed into narrow, somewhat rounded ridges. Leaves simple, alternate 5-lobed star shaped with finely serrate margins. Distinctive rounded terminal buds. Distinctive capsules found throughout the crown.
What
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 75 feet tall, codominant crown class on the edge of slope. Immature bark smooth and white, becoming flaky brown to furrowed brown with age. Leaves simple, alternate with 3-5 triangular lobes. Many mature achenes present throughout crown.
What
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 60 feet tall, codominant crown class. Bark dark gray-black with distinctive square scaly blocks. Leaves simple, alternate elliptical with entire margins. Many of the namesake distinctive berries present.
What
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 70 feet tall tall, field grown tree. Free standing, dominant crown class. Narrowly fissured grey-brown bark. Leaves simple, alternate with 5-7 bristle tipped lobes with deep sinuses at nearly right angles with respect to their midrib.
What
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)Observer
treejerk1Description
Small tree, less that 15 feet tall. Simple alternate heart-shaped leaves with entire margins. Bark reddish brown, nodes on branches form distinctive angles. Legumes persistent.
What
Box Elder (Acer negundo)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 35 feet tall, suppressed crown class. Leaves opposite, pinnately compound with 3-5 leaflets. Bark grey-brown, narrowly furrowed. The presence of samaras and distinctive compound leaves on green juvenile stems distinctive for this species.
What
Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 50 feet tall, intermediate crown class, deeply furrowed dark grey bark. Leaves simple, alternate with lobed margins (3-5 per leaf) with distinctive elongated apical lobe and rounded base.
What
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 75 feet tall, grey-brown bark with medium furrows. Leaves alternate, simple with 5-7 lobes; sinuses not deeply notched. Large, distinctive acorns with caps nearly enclosing nuts.
What
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)Observer
treejerk1Description
Tree approximately 75 feet tall. Oppositely arranged pinnately-compound leaves, 7-9 per leaf. Bark gray-brown with diamond shaped areas separated by narrow interlacing ridges. "D"-shaped leaf scars distinctive for this species; in contrast to crescent shaped or deeply notched leaf scars on other species.
What
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)Observer
treejerk1Description
Mature tree, field grown, approximately 80 feet tall. Bark greyish, irregular shallow furrows. Distinctive lanceolate leaves with entire margins throughout crown. Acorns approximately 1/2 inches long.
What
Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 50 feet tall, whitish grey bark with distinctive furrows. Simple, alternately arranged leaves with sharply serrate margins. Branches form distinctive sharp angles at irregular intervals throughout the crown. Similar to Q. montana, but leaves have narrower margins and are more distinctively toothed.
What
Carolina Buckthorn (Frangula caroliniana)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 10 feet high, oblong simple alternately arranged leaves with finely toothed margins. Leaf veins almost 45 degrees with respect to midrib. Drupes present; red at the time of collection but expected to turn more blackish as the season progresses.
What
Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 15 feet tall, alternate simple leaves with finely serrate margins with tiny red glands on the tips. Slender reddish twig forming a dense crown. Several mature plums present.
What
Sugar Hackberry (Celtis laevigata)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 30 ft. tall, spreading crown and trunk with corky bark. Lanceolate leaves with minimal serration; surface of the leaf smooth (non-scabrous) to the touch. Several red drupes present.
What
Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 15 feet tall, irregular stout spreading branches similar to Rhus typhina and Rhus glabra. Immature stems are smooth similar to Rhus glabra, and the fruit form a cluster of drupes similar again to R. glabra. The winged rachis of the leaves are distinctive to this species.
What
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)Observer
treejerk1Description
Approximately 20 feet tall; irregular stout spreading branches with deciduous, pinnate compound leaves with serrate margins. Distinctive flower/fruit, forming a dark red cluster of drupes at the terminus of branches. Immature branches notably pubescent.
What
Post Oak (Quercus stellata)Observer
treejerk1Description
Bark similar to Q.alba, except more narrowly fissured and more brownish than grey. The leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate. The leaves of this specimen showed spotting consistent with predation by piercing/sucking insects. The damage was minor, however, and not outside what could be expected this late in the season.
What
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)Observer
treejerk1Description
Deciduous tree with simple, alternate leaves. The leaves are elliptical with narrowly toothed margins. These leaves are beginning to show the red autumn coloring typical to the species. There are several immature capsules forming at the tips where the distinctive bell-shaped racemes formed the previous spring.