BOX ELDER
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 65 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½ feet; crown broad, with several upright branches.
Bark: Dark brown to black, smooth when young, soon becoming furrowed and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, brown, smooth, often with pale lenticels; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, dark brown, finely hairy, up to one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long and nearly as broad, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, drooping on the sides, the edges of the leaves sparsely and coarsely toothed, green and smooth on the upper surface, yellow-green and smooth or hairy on the veins on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 5 inches long, smooth or hairy. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, yellowish, appearing as the leaves unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base, reddish-brown to greenish, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, coarse-grained, brown.
Uses: Furniture, cabinets.
Habitat: Rich woodlands.
Range: New Hampshire across to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to Louisiana, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Black Maple is distinguished from the Sugar Maple by its drooping leaves. It differs from the Southern Sugar Maple, which also has drooping leaves, by its larger, thinner leaves.
BLACK MAPLE
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown oval or rounded.
Bark: Gray and smooth when young, becoming darker and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, mostly smooth, more or less reddish, usually with pale lenticels; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish, usually hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long, nearly as broad, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sharply toothed to nearly toothless, pale green and smooth on the upper surface, white or gray and either smooth or hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks smooth or finely hairy, up to 4 inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, bright red or yellow, opening in February and March before the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of an erect wing with a seed at the base, red or yellow, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Furniture, gun-stocks.
Habitat: Swamps, low woods, upland slopes, bluff tops.
Range: Newfoundland across to Ontario, south to eastern Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Red Maple is characterized by its white lower leaf surfaces and its shallowly lobed leaves. The similar Silver Maple has very deeply lobed leaves.
RED MAPLE
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot; crown narrow.
Bark: Gray and smooth when young, becoming darker and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, white-hairy when young, usually becoming smooth or nearly so, reddish; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, reddish, hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long, nearly as broad, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves toothed, green and somewhat hairy on the upper surface, densely white-hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks stout, densely hairy, up to 4 inches long.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense red clusters, opening before the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of an erect wing with a seed at the base, bright red, over 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, coarse-grained, light brown.
Use: Furniture.
Habitat: Wooded swamps.
Range: New Jersey across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Swamp Red Maple is distinguished from the Red Maple by the dense coat of white hairs on the undersurface of the leaves and by the longer fruits.
SWAMP RED MAPLE
Other Name: Soft Maple.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5 feet; crown usually broadly rounded.
Bark: Gray or silvery, smooth at first, becoming loose and scaly or even somewhat shaggy when old.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, smooth, often curving upward; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded, reddish-brown, smooth to finely hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 8 inches long, nearly as broad, deeply palmately 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sharply toothed, pale green and smooth on the upper surface, silvery-white and usually smooth on the lower surface, except in the leaf axils; leafstalks smooth, up to 5 inches long, often reddish.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, greenish-yellow, opening in February and March before the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a curved wing with a seed at the base, green or yellow, up to 3 inches long.
Wood: Hard, close-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture; sometimes grown as an ornamental, but the branchlets are brittle.
Habitat: Wet soil.
Range: New Brunswick across to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to Oklahoma, Texas, east to northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The deeply lobed leaves which are silvery-white on the flower surface best distinguish this tree.
SILVER MAPLE
Other Name: Hard Maple.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown broadly rounded, with many branches.
Bark: Gray to dark brown to black, becoming furrowed and scaly.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, brown, often with pale lenticels; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, dark brown, smooth or a little hairy, shiny, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 5 inches long, nearly as broad or a little broader, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sparsely and coarsely toothed, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, green or paler on the lower surface and usually smooth, or sometimes hairy on the veins; leafstalks up to 3 inches long, smooth and sometimes hairy. The leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, greenish-yellow, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base, greenish-yellow to brownish, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, close-grained, light brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing, cabinets; maple sugar is derived from the sap; frequently grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to eastern Texas, east to northern Florida.
DistinguishingFeatures: Leaves of the Sugar Maple differ from those of the Black Maple and the Southern Sugar Maple by being flat, rather than drooping along the edges. {Sap differs from the Norway Maple,Acer platanoides, by being clear rather than milky.}
SUGAR MAPLE
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches; crown rounded and spreading.
Bark: Gray to tan, smooth.
Twigs: Rather stout, gray to tan, smooth; leaf scars opposite, triangular, with 3 groups of bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown, up to ½ inch long, not hairy, not sticky.
Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 leaflets; leaflets elliptic to obovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and finely hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Numerous, red, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1 foot long, appearing in April.
Fruit: Spherical or punching-bag shaped, up to 2 inches across, light brown, not prickly, containing 1 or 2 light reddish-brown seeds.
Wood: Soft, close-grained, light in weight, pale brown.
Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental because of its showy flowers.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: North Carolina across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The smooth fruits and the beautiful red flowers distinguish this species from other members of the genus in Illinois.
RED BUCKEYE
Growth Form: Medium tree to 55 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 15 inches; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Gray to pale gray, deeply furrowed and roughened when mature.
Twigs: Stout, pale brown, smooth; leaf scars opposite, triangular, with 3 groups of bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown to yellowish, up to ⅔ inch long, not hairy, not sticky.
Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 or 7 leaflets; leaflets obovate to oblanceolate, long-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, green or much whitened on the lower surface.
Flowers: Numerous, yellow-green, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1 foot long, appearing in April and May, the petals of each flower of different lengths.
Fruit: Prickly, spherical or nearly so, up to 1½ inch in diameter, pale brown, containing 1 large, smooth and shiny seed.
Wood: Soft, close-grained, light in weight, pale brown to nearly white.
Uses: Paper pulp. The tree is also sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Usually rich woods.
Range: Pennsylvania across to Nebraska, south to Oklahoma, east to Alabama.
DistinguishingFeatures: The Ohio Buckeye differs from the Horse Chestnut {Aesculus hippocastanum} by its non-sticky buds. It differs from the Red Buckeye by the greenish-yellow flowers and prickly fruits.
OHIO BUCKEYE
Growth Form: Medium to large tree to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown spreading and irregular. The tree readily spreads by underground root-suckers.
Bark: Smooth or slightly roughened, light brown to dark brown.
Twigs: Stout, angular, smooth, gray to light brown, with lenticels; leaf scars alternate, large, broadly heart-shaped, slightly elevated, with usually 9 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, smooth or a little hairy, brown.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 41 leaflets; leaflets lanceolate, tapering to a long point at the tip, rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, smooth or somewhat hairy on both surfaces, often with some teeth along the edges. The leaves have an unpleasant odor when crushed.
Flowers: Some flowers with both stamens and pistils, others with one or the other, in large green or yellow clusters, each flower small, with 5 petals. The staminate flowers produce a very unpleasant odor. The flowers appear in June and July.
Fruit: Large clusters of winged seeds, yellow or orange, each fruit up to 2 inches long with one seed about in the middle.
Use: Tree-of-Heaven is grown as an ornamental, principally in urban areas where it is able to withstand considerable smoke and smog.
Habitat: Disturbed woods; readily adapts to urban conditions.
Range: Native of Asia; frequently planted in the United States and readily spreading from cultivation.
Distinguishing Features: The pinnately compound leaves with up to 41 leaflets, unpleasantly scented when crushed, make this a readily recognizable species.
TREE-OF-HEAVEN
Growth Form: Small or medium tree to 45 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 12 inches; crown broadly rounded when mature.
Bark: Smooth at first, becoming shallowly fissured with age.
Twigs: Slender, gray or gray-brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate, with 3 bundle traces.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades nearly round or obovate, rounded at the tip, rounded or somewhat tapering to the base, up to five inches long, often nearly as broad, irregularly and rather coarsely toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, green and smooth beneath, or sometimes hairy on the veins; leafstalks stout, up to 1 inch long, usually smooth.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately but on the same tree, appearing before the leaves unfold, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins up to 3 inches long, the pistillate in erect, oblong “cones” less than 1 inch long.
Fruit: Cone-shaped, up to ¾ inch long, composed of several nut-like seeds, each subtended by a woody segment of the “cone.”
Wood: Soft, straight-grained.
Uses: The wood is easily carved and used in the making of small wooden objects. It is also used for charcoal and fuel. The bark has reputed medicinal properties.
Habitat: Moist, disturbed areas.
Range: Native of Europe, Asia, and Africa; naturalized throughout much of northeastern North America.
Distinguishing Features: The small, woody “cones” and the often orbicular, irregularly toothed leaves are the distinguishing marks of this species.
BLACK ALDER
Other Names: Shadblow; Serviceberry.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches; crown rounded and spreading with many slender branchlets; trunk straight, slender, often divided into several trunks.
Bark: Smooth and silvery at first, later becoming darker and divided into loose scales.
Twigs: Slender, brown, with a few hairs when very young; leaf scars alternate, 2-ranked, slightly elevated, narrowly crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, slender, brown, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oval to broadly lanceolate, pointed at the tip, rounded or sometimes a little heart-shaped at the base, finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth or nearly so on the upper surface, paler and often hairy on the lower surface, up to 4 inches long and about half as broad; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Several produced in drooping clusters before the leaves appear, each showy with 5 white, oblong petals, with much of the flower hairy.
Fruit: Mostly spherical, up to ¼ inch in diameter, reddish-purple, capped by the persistent calyx, dry, 1- to 2-seeded.
Wood: Rather heavy, hard, close-grained, reddish-brown.
Uses: Fuel, tool handles; the fruit is edible.
Habitat: Wooded slopes; edge of cliffs.
Range: Quebec across to Minnesota, south to Nebraska, east to Louisiana and Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Shadbush is recognized by its alternate, simple leaves which are usually heart-shaped at the base, and by its distinctive white flowers.
SHADBUSH
Other Name: Smooth Serviceberry.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 15 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches; crown narrowly round-topped, with many slender branchlets.
Bark: Smooth and gray at first, becoming darker and scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or grayish, smooth; leaf scars alternate, slightly elevated, narrowly crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, reddish-brown, smooth, up to ¾ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades elliptic to ovate, pointed at the tip, usually rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, about ½ as broad, finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, up to 1 inch long, smooth.
Flowers: Up to 6 in drooping clusters, appearing after the leaves are half grown, each showy with 5 white, narrow petals, with most of the flower smooth.
Fruit: Usually spherical, up to ¼ inch in diameter, dark purple, sweet, fleshy, 1- to 2-seeded.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Fuel, tool handles; the fruits are edible.
Habitat: Moist woods and slopes.
Range: Newfoundland across to Ontario, south to Iowa, Illinois, and Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Smooth Shadbush differs from the Shadbush by its smooth leafstalks and juicy, edible, dark purple fruits.
SMOOTH SHADBUSH
Other Name: Devil’s Walking-stick.
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 6 inches; crown widely spreading.
Bark: Dark brown, roughened, shallowly furrowed, with short, hard prickles.
Twigs: Stout, pale brown or gray, smooth except for many short, hard prickles; leaf scars alternate, broadly U-shaped, with about 15 bundle traces.
Buds: Cone-shaped, brown, smooth, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, doubly or triply pinnately compound, with very numerous leaflets; leaflets ovate to lance-ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, about half as wide, coarsely toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface, except usually for a few prickles along the veins.
Flowers: Numerous, in many umbrella-shaped clusters, appearing during late June and July, each with 5 small white petals and purple stalks.
Fruit: Black, spherical berries up to ⅛ inch in diameter, containing 2-5 seeds.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, brittle, close-grained, pale brown.
Use: Hercules’ Club is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: New Jersey across to Iowa, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The clusters of flowers and the leaves each may be as much as 4 feet long. The short, sharp prickles of the twigs are distinctive.
HERCULES’ CLUB
Growth Form: Small tree rarely up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches; crown broad and spreading; trunk straight, slender; thickets develop by means of root suckers.
Bark: Dark brown, thin, smooth at first, becoming shallowly fissured with age.
Twigs: Slender, smooth, gray; leaf scars alternate, 2-ranked, more or less horseshoe-shaped, usually with 5 or less commonly 7 bundle traces.
Buds: Very narrow, dark rusty-brown, covered with golden hairs, up to ⅔ inch long, without bud scales.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades broadly lance-shaped to elliptic, short-pointed at the tip, narrowed to the base, without teeth along the edges, smooth on both surfaces, paler on the lower surface, up to 1 foot long and 6 inches broad; leafstalks short, slender, smooth.
Flowers: Borne singly when the leaves begin to unfold, up to 2 inches across, green at first, becoming deep maroon, composed of three wrinkled, leathery sepals and six similar petals.
Fruit: Oblong, thick, up to 6 inches long, greenish-yellow, with yellow edible flesh and several dark brown seeds, ripening in September.
Wood: Soft, coarse-grained, light in weight, greenish-yellow.
Use: The fruit is used as a source of food; the wood has few uses.
Habitat: Woods and thickets, often many growing together in a colony.
Range: New York across to Michigan and Iowa, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Pawpaw is distinguished by its large, toothless, alternate leaves, its slender buds without bud scales, and its thick, fleshy fruits.
PAWPAW
Other Name: Gray Birch.
Growth Form: Moderate tree up to 50 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1½ feet; crown broadly rounded, with small branches.
Bark: Smooth and silvery or grayish, curling into strips, very rough when old.
Twigs: Slender, greenish-brown, smooth, with numerous lenticels; leaf scars alternate, half-elliptical, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, brown, usually somewhat hairy, up to ⅙ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, more or less rounded at the somewhat asymmetrical base, up to 5 inches long, and nearly half as wide, double-toothed, dark green and nearly smooth on the upper surface, paler and usually somewhat hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks yellow, hairy, up to one inch long. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately but on the same tree, the staminate crowded in elongated clusters, the pistillate crowded in shorter, thicker clusters, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold.
Fruit: Several winged nuts, crowded together in erect “cones” up to 1½ inches long.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture, flooring, boxes.
Habitat: Wooded slopes.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to Iowa, northern Illinois, northern Indiana, Ohio, and Delaware; also in the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Yellow Birch differs from all other birches in Illinois by its silvery or grayish bark and its ovate leaves. The bark has the faint fragrance of wintergreen.
YELLOW BIRCH
Other Name: Red Birch.
Growth Form: Up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown irregularly rounded.
Bark: Curling, shredding, brownish-pink to reddish-brown.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, with several short hairs; leaf scars alternate, half-elliptical, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Up to one-fourth inch long, pointed, hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades rhombic to ovate, coarsely doubly toothed, paler and densely hairy on the lower surface, up to 3 inches long, acute at the tip, truncate or tapering to the base, the leafstalks woolly.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree, inconspicuous, opening in late April and May, the staminate in slender drooping clusters, the pistillate in short, conelike, woolly clusters.
Fruit: Tiny, hairy nuts, each with a 3-lobed wing, crowded together in a cylindrical cone up to 1½ inches long and ½ inch thick.
Wood: Strong but light, pale brown.
Uses: Wood is used for furniture; sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Along rivers and streams; bottomland woods.
Range: Massachusetts and New Hampshire across to southern Minnesota and eastern Kansas, south to eastern Texas and Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The shaggy, peeling reddish-brown bark readily distinguishes this tree from any other in Illinois, as does its rhombic, doubly toothed leaves.
RIVER BIRCH
Other Name: Canoe Birch.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 70 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown broadly rounded, irregular, with many slender branches.
Bark: Thin and white or creamy, splitting at maturity into papery layers, becoming very dark and furrowed near the base of the trunk at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, zigzag, reddish-brown to blackish, more or less hairy; leaf scars alternate, half-elliptical, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, dark brown, smooth or nearly so, up to one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, more or less rounded at the base, up to 3 inches long, over half as wide, coarsely toothed, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, yellow-green and smooth or somewhat hairy on the lower surface and with black dots on the lower surface; leafstalks yellow, smooth or finely hairy, up to 1 inch long. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on the same tree, developing in the autumn and present on the tree during the winter, the staminate crowded into slender spikes up to 4 inches long, the pistillate crowded into thicker spikes up to 1¼ inches long, the flowers minute, without petals.
Fruit: Cone-like, cylindrical, drooping, composed of many minute seeds attached to 3-lobed wings.
Wood: Light in weight, hard, strong, durable, close-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: Bark used to cover canoes; wood used for pulp, fuel, toothpicks, and spools; sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rich, wooded slopes and stream banks.
Range: Labrador across to Alaska, south to Montana, Colorado, northern Illinois, and West Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: The Paper Birch is readily distinguished by its white bark which peels off into thin, papery layers.
PAPER BIRCH
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches; crown rounded.
Bark: Gray or light brown, smooth.
Twigs: Moderately stout, greenish-gray, smooth or finely hairy, zigzag; leaf scars alternate, nearly spherical, elevated, with 5 bundle traces.
Buds: Cone-shaped, more or less smooth, up to 3 mm long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, tapering to a point at the tip, more or less heart-shaped at the base, up to 8 inches long, sometimes nearly as broad, toothed, sometimes 2- or 3-lobed, usually rough-hairy on both surfaces; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, smooth or finely hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate flowers borne separately, on separate trees, appearing as the leaves unfold, the staminate in pendulous catkins, the pistillate in dense, hairy, spherical heads.
Fruit: Spherical, semi-fleshy, orange, up to 1 inch in diameter, with red fruits projecting.
Use: Often planted as an ornamental.
Habitat: Along roads, around old homes.
Range: Native of Asia; occasionally found along roads and in fencerows in the eastern United States.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves, some of which are 2- or 3-lobed, are very reminiscent of mulberry leaves. Mulberry leaves, however, are not densely rough-hairy.
PAPER MULBERRY
Other Names: Ironwood; American Hornbeam; Musclewood.
Growth Form: Up to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1½ feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Smooth, blue-gray, ridged, appearing “muscular.”
Twigs: Slender, difficult to break, reddish-brown, smooth or finely hairy; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Small, angular, tapering to a short point.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades thin, pointed at the tip, usually rounded at the base, 2-4 inches long and about half as wide, finely doubly toothed, the upper surface smooth, the lower surface either smooth or hairy; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree but in different catkins, opening during May.
Fruit: Nutlets borne at the base of a three-lobed green “leaf,” crowded together into a fruiting cluster.
Wood: Strong and hard, hence the name Ironwood.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Range: Nova Scotia across to central Minnesota, south to eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas, east to central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Several other trees may be confused with the Blue Beech. Beech, which has smooth gray bark, has leaves with fewer teeth and twigs with pointed buds. Hop Hornbeam, with very similar leaves, has a flaky bark. The elms, which also have somewhat similar leaves, usually have the leaves asymmetrical at the base.
BLUE BEECH
Growth Form: Medium tree to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown narrow.
Bark: Reddish-brown, furrowed, becoming somewhat scaly at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or gray, smooth or occasionally slightly hairy; leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, scarcely elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Pointed, reddish-brown with yellow scales, usually hairy, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7-17 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped, curved, pointed at the tip, tapering to the asymmetrical base, up to 5 inches long, up to 2 inches wide, finely toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth or nearly so on the upper surface, brownish and smooth or somewhat hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, the staminate several in slender, drooping catkins up to 3 inches long, the pistillate fewer, in shorter spikes, neither type with petals.
Fruit: Short-ellipsoid, usually tapering to either end, flattened, up to 1½ inches long and two-thirds as broad, the husk 4-winged, dark brown but with yellow scales, thin, splitting only about halfway to the base, the nut flattened, 4-angled, reddish-brown, the shell thin, the seed bitter.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Fence posts, fuel.
Habitat: Swampy woods and drained floodplains.
Range: Virginia across to southeastern Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Water Hickory is similar to Pecan and Bitternut Hickory in having 7 or more leaflets per leaf. However, it lacks the yellow buds of the Bitternut Hickory and the slender, edible nut of the Pecan. The leaves are generally hairier than those of the Pecan.
WATER HICKORY
Other Name: Yellow-bud Hickory.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½ feet; crown broadly rounded and often irregular; trunk straight, columnar.
Bark: Brown, thin, separating into small, platy scales or shallow ridges and fissures.
Twigs: Slender, grayish or orange-brown, smooth, usually with lenticels; leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped, scarcely elevated, with usually several bundle traces.
Buds: Narrow, slender, pointed, covered by a dense, bright yellow coat of glandular dots and small hairs, up to ¾ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with usually 7-9 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped, usually curved, long-pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the base, toothed along the edges, yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, somewhat lighter and usually hairy on the lower surface, up to 6 inches long and usually less than half as wide.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute, without petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 1 or 2.
Fruit: More or less spherical, up to 1¼ inches in diameter, the husk thin, yellowish, with 4 distinct ridges extending about halfway down, the nut somewhat flattened, the seed very bitter.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, dark brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Bottomland woods; dry hills; along roads.
Range: Southern Ontario across to central Minnesota, south to eastern Texas, east to north-central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Bitternut Hickory is easily recognized by its slender, mustard-yellow buds. It differs further from the Water Hickory by its rounded fruits.