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Definition
| Family - Members of this family are usually found in cool regions of the N. hemisphere. The bark is mostly smooth or peeling in papery layers. Alder (Alnus), birches (Betula), hornbeams (Capinus), hophornbeams (Ostrya), hazel (Corylus). Economically important for wood or nuts. |
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Definition
| Family - Resinous evergreen trees and shrubs, the most widely distributed of all gymnosperm families, occurring in diverse habitats on all continents except Antarctica. Includes cypresses, junipers, some “cedars,” previous members of the Taxodiaceae (baldcypress, redwood). Cones are woody, leathery, or berry-like. |
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Definition
| Family - Legumes, >19,400 species, 44 native and six naturalized tree species in NA, three sub-families, pea-like flowers, fruit – generally a pod. |
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Definition
| Family - Chestnuts and chinkapins (Castanea), Oaks (Quercus), beeches (Fagus). 900 species nearly worldwide. |
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Definition
| Family - Carya – hickories and pecan, Juglans – butternut and walnuts, leaves – odd pinnately compound, valuable timber and nut trees, fruit – a nut with a hard shell or drupe with a large oily edible seed. |
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Definition
| Family - In the U.S., Fraxinus (contains the ashes) is the most important genus of forest trees in this family. |
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Term
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Definition
| Family - Includes many commercially important conifers such as pines, spruces, hemlocks, larches, firs, and Douglas fir. Pollen and seeds are borne on the same plant but in separate cones. Male cones are small and herbaceous but female cones are frequently large and woody. |
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Definition
| Family - coextensive with the genus Platanus: plane trees |
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Term
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Definition
| Family - 3100 species of trees, shrubs, vines, extremely valuable agriculturally (apple, plum, raspberries, etc) high prized ornamentals, relatively unimportant in forestry except for cherry wood |
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Term
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Definition
| Family - Willow and poplar family (57 genera). Previously only contained three genera (salix, populous, chosenia). 400 Salix (willows, sallows, osiers) and 25-35 Populus (poplar, aspen, cottonwood) They are found nearly worldwide – mostly in north temperate and arctic regions. Shortlived and require abundant moisture. |
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Term
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Definition
| Family - chiefly tropical New and Old World deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs bearing leathery drupes with yellow translucent flesh; most plants produce toxic saponins |
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Definition
| Family - includes elms (Ulmus) and hackberries (Celtis), tend to have asymmetrical leaves |
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Definition
| Genera - Nine species in the US, common Christmas trees. Cones of trees in this genus are upright on the branches rather than hanging down. The scales fall off as the cones mature. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - Mostly simple, broad and palmately lobed and veined leaves. Paired, flat, long-winged, one seeded samara fruit. Wood, syrup, ornamentals, honeybees. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - Characterisitc bark – horizontal lenticils, pealing and papery. Fine grained pale wood suitable for plywood, cabinets, paper, etc. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - walnut trees characterized by the separation of the pith of the branchlets into thin plants and by the indehiscent husk and furrowed shell of the fruit |
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Definition
| Genera - Oil from some species is used to make perfumes and medicines. Gin derives its characteristic taste from the “berries.” Also an important food for wildlife. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - Leaves are deciduous, solitary, and on lateral spurs. Needles of these deciduous trees are found on spur shoots. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - Needlelike leaves are on short peg-like stalks. Usually found in cooler north temperate regions such as the boreal forest. |
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Definition
| Genera - Important conifers. 36 of the 111+ species are native to the US. Two groups (soft/white and hard). Species within the subgenus Haploxylon usually have needles in groups of five with usually elongated cones. Hard pines have clusters of two or three. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - Rapidly growing, deciduous trees sometimes grown as a biomass or biofuels crop. The fruit is composed of small capsules each containing many minute seeds with long white cottony hairs. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - The most important and widespread hardwood trees in the North Temperate Zone. In the US, this genus provides more timber than any group of broadleaf trees but less than conifers. Fruit – acorn. Five sections within subgenus Quercus. Red or black oaks. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - The two species native to North America are not true cedars despite being called so. They have fibrous, shreddy bark and twigs are flattened in horizontal plane, much branched, forming fanlike sprays. Small scale-like, short pointed leaves. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - hemlocks, 2 eastern and 2 western species in North America. It is frequently easy to identify a tree from a distance due to the slender, nodding leading shoots. |
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Term
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Definition
| Genera - some of the most useful and well-known forest and ornamental trees of the northern hemisphere, many Ulmus susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease, twigs are slightly zigzag, leaves are alternate and have unequal bases, edges are usually doubly serrated |
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Term
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Definition
| Region - This Eco region represents one of the most biologically diverse temperate regions in the world. In northern areas, it is a transition between northeastern and central hardwood regions. In southern areas, it extends to the coastal plains. |
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Definition
| Region - Although only 15% of total land area is forested, 95% of growing stock are hardwoods. |
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Term
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Definition
| Region - A mosaic of forest types. Northern hardwoods or spruce forests predominate. A transition zone between the boreal spruce-fir forest to the north and the deciduous forest to the south. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - Propagation by “layering” occurs from lower branches in contact with soil. Used for Christmas trees, wreathes. |
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Term
| Conifer - Eastern hemlock |
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Definition
| Conifer - grows best in cool, moist environments, flexible terminal, most shade tolerant tree, essential for deer cover, winter browse, and hemlock wooly adelgid introduced in 1924 that has killed thousands of hectares in the south. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - A deciduous (rare for a conifer) conifer with one of the widest ranges of any North American conifer (similar to white spruce). |
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Term
| Conifer - Eastern redcedar |
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Definition
| Conifer - not a true cedar, most important US juniper, “cedar apples” – rust, apples are alternate host, important for wildlife, fruit are high in fat, fiber and carbs |
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Term
| Conifer - Eastern white pine |
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Definition
| Conifer - The largest of the northeastern conifers, it was used for sailing masts in colonial times. One of the most valuable trees in North America. Most important of northeastern conifers. Two major pests include white pine blister rust and white pine weevil. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - The only native southeastern fir, extremely valuable for watershed protection, very valuable Christmas tree, a very limited range where many native trees have been severely damaged by balsam wooly adelgids. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - most widely distributed pine in Canada – also in Lake states and Maine, grows father north than any other American pine, poor self-pruning – scraggy appearance, breeding area for Kirkland’s warbler, a rare and endangered species |
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Term
| Conifer - Northern white-cedar |
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Definition
| Conifer - Widely planted ornamental (over 120 cultivars). Also called Arborvitae “tree of life” because of the scurvy-preventing vitamin C. Decay resistant. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - The common name from use as navel stores, rigida – rigid cone scales and sharply pointed needles, diverse form, fire is serious enemy but sprouting along stem and stump may occur, serotinous cones can stay on tree 2-3 years until a fire melts the pitch, pine barrens – thick wooded area with many endangered species (pygmy pines) |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - bark has red tint after rain, was thought to be Norway spruce by sailors, common, extensively planted large tree, uses: ornamental, shade, general construction (lumber, poles), pulpwood, windbreaks, and erosion control. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - Small range, but important where found – pulp, guitars, pianos, violins – good resonance (common to most spruces), Christmas trees. Best growth – one of two major tree species in the southern Appalachian spruce-fir forests (with Frasier fir). |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - important conifer in SE US, one of 4 most important commercial conifers in the southeast, widest distribution of southern pines – 22 states, has ability to sprout after fire |
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Term
| Conifer - Table-mountain pine |
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Definition
| Conifer - The only pine restricted to the Appalachians. Serotinous – abundant spiny cones in clusters, Important for watershed protection and squirrel food. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - small, often unkept appearing tree with persisting side branches, once considered a weed, now important because it can spread over neglected and abandoned lands, can produce more pulpwood per acre than other pines on adverse sites, used for Chritmas trees – most preferred southern conifer, woodpecker nesting |
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Term
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Definition
| Conifer - The most important species of the boreal forest. Long soft fibers make excellent pulp. Extensive range. |
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Term
| Species - American basswood or linded |
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Definition
| Species - large tree with a long trunk, prolific sprouter – often results in clumps or trees, soft light wood, wood used for musical intruments, good honey – also called bee tree |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - Three races – gray, white, red. One of the most common trees in the NE US. Smooth blue-gray bark that stays smooth in age. Beechnuts – consumed quantities by wildlife. Thin bark and large surface roots make it highly vulnerable to fire. |
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Term
| Species - American chestnut |
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Definition
| Species - Once one of the most important trees in the eastern hardwood forest for both the wood and the nuts but almost eliminated by an introduced disease. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - large tree with spreading habit, interlocked grain difficult to split, once planted widely along streets (#1 street tree) fast growing, hardy, tolerant to stress, dutch elm disease introduced in 1930s on longs from Europe, spread by native elm bark beetles |
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Term
| Species - American sycamore |
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Definition
| Species - one of the most common maples, most widespread maple in NA, doesn’t look like a maple, few forestry uses – brittle and boxelder beetles, drought and cold resistant so widely planted in Great Plains, fruit – many one-seeded narrow nutlets in a ball (achenes) |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - only timber cherry, high quality wood used for furniture, sap used in medicine, rum, and brandy. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - legume, converts atmospheric nitrogen, hard dense wood, now one of the most widely distributed NA trees in Europe. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - Highly valued hardwood – also one of the scarcest, doesn’t curl or warp, nuts proved food for squirrels, woodpeckers, and white-tailed deer, husks can be ground and used as an abrasive, Juglone – from foliage, kills some other plants so don’t mulch garden with it (one of the most notorious allelopathic trees). |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - Largest willow in NA, fast growing and short lived, large fibrous root system – used for erosion control, sap was used for aspirin |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - It is a red/black oak but has tyloses like a white oak. An important species in the Cross Timbers region along with post oak and eastern redcedar. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - one of the most common maples, most widespread maple in NA, does not look like maple, few forestry uses – brittle and boxelder beetles, drought and cold resistant so widely planted in Great Plains. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - The most drought resistant NA oak- invades grasslands of the prairies and Great Plains. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - chestnut-like foliage, preferred by gypsy moth. |
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Term
| Species - Common persimmon |
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Definition
| Species - exceedingly common in south Atlantic and Gulf States, well adapted to an environment of low water supply, known for its fruits, immature fruit contains tannin and is astringent; the wood is heavy, hard, strong, and very close-grained |
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Term
| Species - Eastern cottonwood |
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Definition
| Species - one of the largest eastern hardwoods, stream and bottomland tree, very fast growth on good soils, energy biomass – coppicing. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - The most widely distributed but not the most common ash. Mostly bottomland species. One winged samara seed. Used for tool handles, baseball bats – shock resistant. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - not very important for forestry but increasing (also sugarberry), berries used by birds and wildlife |
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Term
| Species - Mockernut hickory |
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Definition
| Species - The most abundant of the hickories, fruit – husk is thick, strongly four-ribbed nut, with sweet and edible meat, preferred mast for wildlife, wood is used for products where strength, hardness, and flexibility are needed, preferred wood for smoking hams. |
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Term
| Species - Northern red oak |
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Definition
| Species - Valued as ornamental, fall color, form, ease of transplant, rapid growth. Most important lumber species of red oak. Oak wilt, a vascular disease caused by a fungus is destructive. Oak wilt can travel by root grafts. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - attractive ornamental, showy fall foliage, palmately compound leaf (unpleasant odor), clusters of yellow flowers, and limited commercial use as sawtimber because of soft and light wood, bark and seeds contain a narcotic glucoside poisonous to livestock. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - one of most beautiful native trees, peeling white bark, once used for birch bark canoes, valued ornamental, browse and cover for moose and deer. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - One of the most valuable cultivated plants originating in North America. Also the largest of the hickories. Some use as furniture/veneer but mostly used for nuts. State tree of Texas. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - short twigs or pin-like spurs, persistent, stout limbs, pyramid shaped crown, nice fall color, thus ornamental, acorns – important food for migrating ducks, not much use for lumber because of small knots, does well on alkaline soils, most drought resistant NA oak, invades grasslands of prairies and Great Plains, sweet and large acorn, excellent ornamental, no insect/disease problems, grows fast, distinctive leaves (big) and acorns (huge) |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - A drought resistant tree very sensitive to disturbance. The wood is somewhat decay resistant. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - southernmost birch, only birch found at low elevations in south, common along streams, bark is indicative, ornamental – multi-stemmed, drooping effect, seldom cut because of poor form |
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Term
| Species - Shagbark hickory |
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Definition
| Species - Shaggy bark, commercial nuts, also eaten by wildlife, Native Americans, strong tool handles and ladder rungs. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - Leaves have five deeply palmate lobes. The buds are a vital link in the food chain of squirrels. More of a bottomland species than sugar maple. Soft maple. Used as ornamental (rapid growth but brittle). |
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Term
| Species - Slippery/red elm |
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Definition
| Species - inner bark has a slime once used as a medicine, more resistant to Dutch Elm Disease – but still killed, same uses as American elm but wood is inferior |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - One of the largest and most important of the hardwoods in the eastern US. Striking multicolored foliage in autumn. Used for maple syrup. Hard maple. Quality lumber. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - North American liquidambar, which yields a balsam and decorative heartwood that is marketed as satin walnut. |
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Term
| Species - Trembling aspen |
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Definition
| Species - Most widely distributed tree species in NA covering 110° longitude and 47° latitude. Names refer to the leaves which tremble on their flattened leafstalks. Smooth bark. The world’s largest living organism |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - The largest, most common, and most useful ash (but not most widespread). Furniture, bats, hockey sticks, etc. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - High-grade wood useful for all purposes, furnishes ¾ of timber harvested as white oak, outstanding in making tight barrels. |
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Term
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Definition
| Species - Distinctive yellow-bronze exfoliating bark. One of the most valuable birches and one of the largest hardwoods in northeastern North America |
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