BITTERNUT HICKORY
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown oblong or obovoid, with many small, spreading branchlets; trunk straight, columnar, sometimes branching fairly low to the ground.
Bark: Light gray to black, not scaly or peeling off into shreds, at maturity furrowed and ridged.
Twigs: Slender, brown or gray, shiny, smooth, tough, usually with lenticels; leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped or 3-lobed, scarcely elevated, usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded but coming to a short point at the tip, tan or grayish, the outermost scales tipped with a few small hairs, never with small yellow dots, the inner scales hairy all along the edges, up to ½ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with usually 5, sometimes 7 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, tapering at the bottom, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, green and smooth or sometimes hairy on the veins on the lower surface, up to 5 inches long and up to 2 inches broad, the upper three leaflets larger than the lower two.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to expand, minute, without petals, the staminate in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 1-3.
Fruit: Spherical to pear-shaped, up to 1 inch long, not quite as broad, the husks thin, greenish, usually not splitting all the way to the base, the nut somewhat compressed and with a very hard shell, the seed sweet. Occasional trees have fruits up to 2 inches long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, hard, brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts, tool handles.
Habitat: Wooded slopes and ridges.
Range: Vermont across to southern Michigan and northern Illinois, south across Missouri to eastern Texas, east to central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Pignut Hickory is best recognized by its rather small leaflets which usually are five in number, the tight bark, and the characteristic pear-shaped fruits.
PIGNUT HICKORY
Growth Form: Large tree up to 150 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown widely spreading and rounded; trunk rather short, stout, straight.
Bark: Reddish-brown, becoming roughened into platy scales.
Twigs: Rather stout, brown, hairy when young, but becoming smooth; leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, scarcely elevated, with 3-18 bundle traces.
Buds: Long-pointed, covered with yellow glandular dots and fine hairs, up to one-half inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 9-19 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped, curved, long-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the asymmetrical base, finely doubly-toothed, yellow-green and usually smooth on the upper surface, paler and either smooth or hairy on the lower surface, up to 8 inches long and 3 inches broad.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, the staminate many in slender, drooping, yellow-green catkins, the pistillate fewer in shorter spikes, neither type with petals.
Fruit: Ellipsoid, pointed at the tip, up to 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, the husk narrowly 4-winged, dark brown but with yellow scales, thin, usually splitting nearly to the base, the nut pointed at the tip, reddish-brown with black markings, the shell thin, the seed sweet.
Wood: Hard, heavy, coarse-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: The nuts are prized for their tastiness; the wood is used for interior finishing, furniture, fuel, and tool handles.
Habitat: Moist woods, particularly along rivers.
Range: Indiana to Iowa, south through southeastern Kansas to eastern Texas, east to Alabama; Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: The Pecan differs from all other hickories by its greater number of leaflets. The Black Walnut and Butternut, which may have as many leaflets, have a partitioned pith. In every case, the fruit of the Pecan is distinctive.
PECAN
Other Names: Big Shellbark Hickory; Riverbank Hickory.
Growth Form: Large tree up to 100 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown oblong to ovoid, with drooping lower branches; trunk straight, columnar, stout.
Bark: Light gray, soon separating into long, thick, vertical plates which curve away from the trunk.
Twigs: Stout, gray or brown, conspicuously dotted with orange lenticels; leaf scars alternate, shield-shaped or 3-lobed, not elevated, usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: Elongated, dark brown, hairy, up to ¾ inch long, the outer scales with a long, stiff point.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-9 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the base, finely toothed along the edges, dark green and mostly smooth on the upper surface, paler and softly hairy on the lower surface, up to 10 inches long and up to 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 clusters of 2-5.
Fruit: Spherical, often depressed at the top, up to 2¼ inches across, the husk divided all the way to the base into four sections, minutely orange-speckled and sometimes hairy, the nut with conspicuous ridges, the seed very sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Wood is used for tool handles and fuel; nuts are sold commercially because of their edible qualities.
Habitat: Rich bottomlands.
Range: Southwestern Pennsylvania and southern Michigan across to central Illinois and southern Iowa, south to northeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and eastern Tennessee; also in scattered areas of New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Distinguishing Features: The shaggy bark and large leaflets resemble those of the Shagbark Hickory, but the Kingnut Hickory has orange-dotted twigs and usually seven leaflets which lack minute tufts of hairs at the tip of each tooth.
KINGNUT HICKORY
Other Names: False Shagbark Hickory; Small-fruited Hickory.
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk up to 2 feet in diameter; crown oblong or broadly rounded, with upright, spreading upper branches and drooping lower branches; trunk straight, columnar.
Bark: Gray, tight and rather smooth when young, usually peeling off into narrow plates at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, brown or gray, tough, smooth, usually with lenticels; leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, not elevated, usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: More or less rounded but coming to a short point at the tip, tan or grayish, usually minutely yellow-dotted, the scales hairy all along the edges up to ⅔ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with usually 7, sometimes 5, leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped sometimes curved, pointed at the tip, tapering or somewhat rounded at the base, finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, minutely dotted and sometimes with some hairs on the lower surface, up to 6 inches long, up to 2 inches broad.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 1-2.
Fruit: Ellipsoid, rarely spherical, up to 1¼ inch long, the husk green and minutely warty, thin, splitting all the way to the base, the nut somewhat 4-angled, the seed sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, brown.
Uses: Tool handles, fuel.
Habitat: Wooded slopes.
Range: New Hampshire across to Wisconsin, south to Arkansas, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: This Hickory cannot always be reliably distinguished from the Pignut Hickory. However, it usually has a somewhat scaly bark, seven leaflets, minutely yellow-dotted buds, and fruits which split all the way to the base.
SWEET PIGNUT HICKORY
Growth Form: Medium to large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3½ feet; crown rounded, with some of the branches often hanging.
Bark: Gray, separating into long, shreddy scales giving the trunk a shaggy appearance.
Twigs: Stout, reddish-brown to gray, smooth or somewhat hairy; leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, not elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, rounded or short-pointed at the tip, up to 1 inch long, hairy, the scales conspicuously yellow-green or reddish as they unfold in the spring.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-7 leaflets; leaflets ovate, obovate, or less commonly lance-shaped, usually short-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 10 inches long, up to 5 inches wide, finely toothed along the edges, with the tip of each tooth with a minute tuft of hairs, green or yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth or somewhat hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 2-5.
Fruit: Spherical or occasionally punching-bag shaped, up to 2 inches across, the husk yellow-green to reddish-brown, up to ½ inch thick, splitting all the way to the base, the nut 4-angled, nearly white, the seed sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, light brown, close-grained.
Uses: Tool handles, fuel; the nuts are tasty.
Habitat: Low, shaded woods.
Range: Maine across to Minnesota, south to eastern Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Shagbark Hickory is distinguished by its shaggy bark, its usually 5 large leaflets, and its large winter buds.
SHAGBARK HICKORY
Other Names: Red Hickory; Texas Hickory; Buckley’s Hickory.
Growth Form: Small tree up to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot; crown oblong to rounded, with numerous, small branchlets; trunk straight or somewhat crooked, slender but sturdy.
Bark: Brown to black, not scaly or peeling off into shreds, becoming somewhat furrowed and ridged at maturity.
Twigs: Slender, gray, tough, almost always smooth; leaf scars alternate, three-lobed, not elevated, usually with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, short-pointed, up to ½ inch long, covered by shiny silvery-golden scales and tipped with a small tuft of hairs.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-7 leaflets; leaflets lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, finely toothed along the edges, dark green and smooth or sometimes hairy on the upper surface, paler and smooth or hairy on the lower surface, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, the stalks covered with reddish and yellowish scales and hairs.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 1-2.
Fruit: Spherical to ellipsoid, up to 1½ inches across, the husk yellow-green, thin, minutely hairy or scaly, splitting nearly to the base, the nut 4-angled, the seed sweet.
Wood: Heavy, hard, brown.
Uses: Fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Dry ridges and cliffs.
Range: Southern Indiana across to Kansas, south to Texas and Louisiana.
Distinguishing Features: The Black Hickory differs from the somewhat similar Pignut and Sweet Pignut Hickories by the yellow scales along the leafstalks.
BLACK HICKORY
Other Name: White Hickory.
Growth Form: Medium or tall tree to 90 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown rounded, the branchlets either erect or hanging.
Bark: Dark gray, shallowly furrowed, not scaly, often with a diamond-shaped pattern.
Twigs: Slender or relatively stout, usually hairy, gray; leaf scars alternate, 3-lobed, not elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, rounded or pointed at the tip, up to nearly 1 inch long, reddish-brown, hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5-9 leaflets; leaflets broadly lanceolate to oblanceolate, pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 8 inches long, about half as wide, finely toothed along the edge, yellow-green and hairy on the upper surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold, minute, without petals, the staminate crowded in slender, drooping catkins, the pistillate in groups of 2-5.
Fruit: Ellipsoid or obovoid or spherical, up to 2 inches across, the husk reddish-brown, up to ¼ inch thick, smooth or slightly hairy, the nut sometimes 4-angled, reddish-brown, the seed sweet but small.
Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, dark brown.
Uses: Tool handles, fuel, fence posts.
Habitat: Dry wooded slopes; shaded woods.
Range: Massachusetts across to southern Ontario, south to eastern Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: Mockernut Hickory is distinguished from all other Illinois hickories by its usually 7 or 9 hairy leaflets with hairy leafstalks and hairy twigs. The large fruits with the small seeds within, which may account for the common name, are also distinctive.
MOCKERNUT HICKORY
Growth Form: Large tree, formerly attaining a height of 100 feet; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Dark brown, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, angular, glabrous or nearly so; leaf scars alternate, half-round, elevated, with several bundle traces.
Buds: Ovoid, pointed, up to ⅓ inch long, dark brown, smooth.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 8 inches long and less than half as broad, coarsely toothed along the edges, yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, usually finely hairy.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but on the same tree, appearing in June after the leaves are fully grown, without petals, greenish or yellowish, the staminate many in elongated catkins up to 8 inches long, the pistillate 1-3 together.
Fruit: Spiny bur up to 2 inches in diameter, brown, splitting open to reveal 3 flattened nutlets.
Wood: Soft, light in weight, reddish-brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing, fuel. The nuts are edible delicacies.
Habitat: Formerly in rocky woods, once occupying several acres near Olmstead in Pulaski County. Now virtually extinct, except for a few sprouts, due to a disease of the bark. A tree about 40 feet tall still exists near Little Grassy Lake in Williamson County.
Range: Maine to southern Ontario and southern Minnesota, south to Delaware, Kentucky, and southern Illinois, and in the mountains to central Alabama.
Distinguishing Features: In addition to its large, spiny fruits, the Chestnut can be distinguished by its sharply toothed leaves. Yellow Chestnut Oak may sometimes have similar leaves, but the pith of the oak is star-shaped.
CHESTNUT
Other Names: Lady Cigar Tree; Indian Bean.
Growth Form: Short to medium tree up to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot; crown broadly rounded.
Bark: Light brown, with thin, platy scales.
Twigs: Stout, smooth or slightly hairy, orange-brown to grayish, with conspicuous lenticels; leaf scars in whorls of 3, round-elliptic, elevated, with 12 or more bundle traces.
Buds: Round, reddish-brown, slightly hairy, very small.
Leaves: Whorled, simple; blades ovate, short-pointed at the tip, heart-shaped at the base, up to 8 inches long and about as broad, smooth along the edges, yellow-green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and finely hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks stout, smooth, up to 6 inches long.
Flowers: Large, showy, several in a large cluster, appearing in May and June, the clusters usually more than 6 inches long, each flower up to 2 inches long, the petals white and spotted with purple.
Fruit: Elongated capsules up to 1½ feet long and ½ inch thick, brown, splitting into 2 parts to reveal several winged, hairy seeds about 1 inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fence posts, railroad ties; ornamental.
Habitat: Along railroads, streams, in fields; planted elsewhere.
Range: Native from Texas to Georgia and Florida; widely planted elsewhere.
Distinguishing Features: The leaves of this species, when crushed, give off a very unpleasant aroma.
COMMON CATALPA
Other Names: Western Catalpa; Lady Cigar Tree; Indian Bean.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 60 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown broad, widely spreading.
Bark: Light brown, dark brown, or black, usually with rather deep furrows.
Twigs: Stout, smooth, brown, with conspicuous lenticels; leaf scars in whorls of 3, with one of the 3 scars smaller than the other 2, round-elliptic, elevated, with 12 or more bundle traces.
Buds: Round, brown to black, smooth, very small.
Leaves: Whorled, simple; blades ovate, long-pointed at the tip, heart-shaped at the base, up to 1 foot long and about ⅔ as broad, smooth along the edges, dark green and smooth or sparsely hairy on the upper surface, soft hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks stout, up to 6 inches long.
Flowers: Large, showy, several in an elongated cluster, appearing in May and June, the clusters up to six inches long, each flower up to 2½ inches long, the petals white and lined with purple.
Fruit: Elongated capsules up to 1½ feet long and ¾ inch thick, brown, splitting into 2 parts to reveal several winged, hairy seeds about 1 inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fence posts, interior finishing, railroad ties.
Habitat: Low woods; often planted in a variety of habitats.
Range: Southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and southern Missouri, south to Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee; commonly planted elsewhere.
Distinguishing Features: The two Catalpas in Illinois are hard to tell apart. This one usually has deeply furrowed bark, shorter clusters of flowers, petals merely lined with purple rather than spotted, and leaves which are not unpleasantly scented when crushed.
CATALPA
Other Names: Southern Hackberry; Mississippi Hackberry.
Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2½ feet; crown open and broad, with drooping branches.
Bark: Gray, with many conspicuous warts.
Twigs: Slender, gray or reddish-brown, smooth, sometimes zigzag; leaf scars alternate, usually crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, pointed, smooth, brown or gray, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades usually lance-shaped, long-pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the asymmetrical base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as broad, with few or no teeth along the edges, usually smooth or barely roughened on one or both surfaces; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: One to several in drooping clusters, appearing after the leaves are partly grown, greenish-yellow, without petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, ellipsoid to nearly round, reddish-orange to yellowish, about ¼ inch in diameter, with 1 seed, ripening in September or October, borne on slender, drooping stalks.
Wood: Heavy, soft, close-grained, pale yellow.
Uses: Fence posts, furniture.
Habitat: Lowland woods to dry hilltops.
Range: Virginia across to southern Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The Sugarberry differs generally from other hackberries by its narrower, mostly toothless leaves.
SUGARBERRY
Other Name: Sugarberry.
Growth Form: Medium or large tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 5 feet; crown usually oblong, with many small branchlets.
Bark: Gray, smooth on young trees and soon bearing “warts,” becoming rough and scaly on old trees.
Twigs: Slender, gray to reddish-brown, smooth, sometimes zigzag; leaf scars alternate, usually crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, oval, pointed, brown or gray, finely hairy, about ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate or broadly lance-shaped, long-pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering at the asymmetrical base, up to 6 inches long and up to half as broad, usually coarsely toothed along the edges except sometimes near the base, smooth or more often rough-hairy on one or both surfaces; leafstalks up to 1 inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: Arranged in drooping clusters, or sometimes solitary, appearing after the leaves are partly grown, greenish-yellow, without petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, nearly round, dark purple, about ⅓ inch in diameter, with 1 seed, ripening in September and October, borne on slender, drooping stalks.
Wood: Heavy, soft, close-grained, pale yellow.
Uses: Fence posts, furniture.
Habitat: Low woodlands.
Range: Massachusetts across to Manitoba and South Dakota, southern Oklahoma, Alabama, and Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: Hackberry leaves resemble those of some elms, but have 3 main veins arising from the base of the blade. This Hackberry differs from other hackberries in Illinois by its larger, usually coarsely toothed leaves and its larger, dark purple fruits.
HACKBERRY
Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches; crown irregular, with numerous slender branchlets.
Bark: Gray, smooth on young trees and soon bearing “warts,” becoming rough and scaly on old trees.
Twigs: Slender, green to reddish-brown, smooth at maturity; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, oval, pointed, grayish-brown, finely hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades ovate, pointed at the tip, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped at the base, up to 3 inches long, often at least half as broad, with a few coarse teeth along the edges, or sometimes lacking teeth, often leathery, smooth or hairy on one or both surfaces; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, smooth or hairy.
Flowers: One or a few in drooping clusters, appearing after the leaves are partly grown, finely hairy, greenish-yellow, without petals.
Fruit: Fleshy, spherical, reddish-purple, up to ½ inch in diameter, 1-seeded, ripening September and October.
Wood: Heavy, close-grained, yellowish.
Use: Fence posts.
Habitat: Edge of bluffs, woods.
Range: New Jersey across to Illinois and Kansas, south to Oklahoma, Louisiana, and northern Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This small tree is extremely variable in that its leaves may or may not have teeth, they may or may not be hairy, and they may or may not be leathery. It differs from the Sugarberry primarily by its broader leaves and from the Common Hackberry by its smaller fruits and usually less-toothed leaves.
DWARF HACKBERRY
Growth Form: Small tree to 35 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 1 foot; crown usually broad and flattened.
Bark: Reddish-brown, separating into long plates and thin scales.
Twigs: Slender, zigzag, smooth, angular, brown; leaf scars alternate, somewhat elevated, triangular, hairy across the top, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Small, rounded, chestnut-brown, smooth or nearly so.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades heart-shaped, contracted to a short point at the tip, up to 6 inches long and nearly as broad, smooth on the upper surface, smooth or with some hairs on the lower surface, without teeth along the edges; leafstalks slender, up to 5 inches long, usually smooth.
Flowers: In small clusters on last year’s branches or on the trunks, rose-purple, each pea-shaped, about ½ inch long, appearing when the leaves are first beginning to unfold.
Fruit: Legumes up to 4 inches long and ½ inch broad, flat, smooth, brown at maturity, with several seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, dark reddish-brown.
Use: The major importance of this small tree lies in its value as an ornamental, because of its spectacular appearance when in flower.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: Connecticut across to southern Wisconsin, south to Texas, east to northern Florida; also Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: The heart-shaped, toothless leaves easily identify this tree.
REDBUD
Growth Form: Small to medium tree to 45 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 14 inches; crown widely spreading.
Bark: Gray, smooth.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, with some lenticels, somewhat zigzag; leaf scars alternate, narrow and completely encircling the bud, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Buds: Three or four crowded together, resembling at first a single bud, hairy, without scales, covered at first by the hollow base of the leafstalk.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7-11 leaflets; leaflets oval, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 4 inches long and up to half as wide, smooth on both surfaces, toothless along the edges. The leaflets turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: In long, drooping clusters up to 1 foot long, white, slightly fragrant, appearing during June.
Fruit: Legumes up to 4 inches long and about ½ inch wide, flat, smooth, pale brown, with 4-6 seeds.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, yellow to light brown.
Uses: Fuel. In olden days, a yellow dye was extracted from this tree.
Habitat: Rich, wooded slopes.
Range: North Carolina across to southern Missouri and Arkansas, south to northern Alabama and northern Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The large, pinnately compound leaflets and the smooth, gray trunk distinguish this tree.
YELLOWWOOD
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 inches; crown flattened.
Bark: Brown, slightly roughened, with shallow furrows.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or greenish, smooth; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, somewhat elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Narrowly ovoid, pointed, smooth, up to ¼ inch long.
Leaves: Alternate, although often clustered toward the tip of the twig, simple; blades oval to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the base, up to 5 inches long, about half as broad, the edges smooth or finely round-toothed, green and mostly smooth on the upper surface, paler and frequently hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 2 inches long, usually finely hairy.
Flowers: Several in crowded round-topped clusters, appearing in May and June, each flower white, with 4 narrow petals.
Fruit: Blue, spherical berries up to ⅓ inch in diameter, borne on a red stalk.
Wood: Heavy, hard, close-grained, brown.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Range: Newfoundland across to southern Ontario and Minnesota, south to Missouri, Alabama, and Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: This is the only American dogwood with the leaves arranged in an alternate manner.
ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD
Growth Form: Small tree to 30 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 inches; crown open and irregular.
Bark: Reddish-brown, scaly, shallowly furrowed.
Twigs: Slender, pale brown, purplish, or gray, smooth or slightly hairy; leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Slender, flattened, pointed, finely hairy, up to ⅛ inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic to narrowly ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to rounded at the base, up to 4 inches long, up to half as wide, smooth along the edges, green and with short hairs on the upper surface, paler and hairy on lower surface; leafstalks up to ½ inch long, hairy.
Flowers: Several in round-topped clusters, appearing in May and June, each flower white, with 4 narrow petals.
Fruit: White, spherical berries up to ¼ inch in diameter, borne on red stalks.
Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, brown.
Use: Tool handles.
Habitat: Woods; edges of prairies.
Range: New York across to Minnesota, south to Nebraska and Texas, east to Florida.
Distinguishing Features: This is the only dogwood in Illinois that is rough-hairy on the upper surface of the leaves.
ROUGH-LEAVED DOGWOOD
Growth Form: Small to medium tree to 40 feet tall; trunk diameter rarely more than 2 feet; crown rounded.
Bark: Brown, divided into squarish plates.
Twigs: Slender, greenish to light brown, smooth, often curving upward at the tip; leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, elevated, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Of two kinds, the leaf buds slender, pointed, the flower buds flat and biscuit-shaped.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering or rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as broad, the veins deeply impressed, the edges without teeth, green and smooth or sparsely hairy on the upper surface, pale and finely hairy or sometimes smooth on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ¾ inch long, smooth or finely hairy.
Flowers: Several crowded together in a yellow-green cluster, each cluster subtended by 4 large white petal-like bracts, appearing in late April and May.
Fruit: Red, ovoid berries up to ½ inch long, shiny, with mealy flesh and 1 or 2 seeds.
Wood: Hard, strong, heavy, close-grained, brown.
Uses: The wood is used in the making of tool handles, although the real value of the Flowering Dogwood is its ornamental potential.
Habitat: Woods.
Range: Maine across to Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida; also in Mexico.
Distinguishing Features: The opposite, toothless leaves with deeply impressed veins distinguish this species.
FLOWERING DOGWOOD
Several other dogwoods, most of them rarely if ever attaining the stature of small trees, occur in Illinois.
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosaLam.). This plant rarely exceeds a height of 10 feet. It is distinguished by its slender gray twigs, its small white flowers borne in clusters about as broad as high, and its white berries about ¼ inch in diameter. The Racemose Dogwood occurs in a variety of habitats, including prairies and woods.
Stiff Dogwood (Cornus foeminaMill.). This small dogwood has brownish twigs with white pith and bluish fruits. Its leaves usually are smooth on both surfaces. It occurs in low, wet woods.
Round-leaved Dogwood (Cornus rugosaLam.). As the name implies, this shrubby dogwood has roundish leaves which are woolly on the lower surface. The greenish twigs have white pith. The berries are pale blue. The Round-leaved Dogwood grows in dry, rocky woods.
Red Osier (Cornus stoloniferaMichx.). Red Osier has dark red twigs with white pith. The leaves are pale and somewhat hairy on the lower surface. The berries are white or grayish. Red Osier usually grows along shores, often forming thickets.
Silky Dogwood (Cornus obliquaRaf.). This plant is usually a shrub, but may get as much as 15 feet tall. It has twigs with pale brown pith. The leaves are pale on the lower surface, and usually have white, appressed hairs. The berries are blue. Silky Dogwood grows in low ground.
Willow Dogwood (Cornus amomumMill.). The Willow Dogwood rarely exceeds a height of 10 feet. Like the Silky Dogwood, it has twigs with pale brown pith. The leaves usually have reddish-colored hairs on the lower surface. The berries are pale blue. Willow Dogwood grows in low ground.