continuous and tapering; horizontal and ascending branches forming a
long pyramidal crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, deltoid or broadly ovate, 3-5 inches
long, margins coarsely crenate toothed except at base and apex, dark
shining green above, paler beneath, petioles 2-3 inches long, laterally
flattened.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; dioecious; staminate in short
drooping catkins; pistillate in elongating looser catkins.
=Fruit=.—Capsule 2-4-valved on long drooping catkins; brown seeds
covered with a dense mat of long white hairs.
=Bark=.—Rough on old trees, with deep fissures and with more or less
parallel and connected rounded ridges.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not easily seasoned, brown with thick whitish
sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada to Florida and west to the Rocky Mountains.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Infrequent; South Branch of the
Potomac River near Romney, Hampshire County, and near Petersburg,
Grant County. Found at a few other points along the Potomac and its
tributaries.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich moist soil, along the banks of streams.
=Notes=.—The Cottonwood, commonly known as Carolina Poplar, is the
largest of our true poplars. It is rare and of little value where it
grows naturally in the State, but is extensively planted as a shade
tree. This species is a very rapid grower but otherwise has little to
recommend it for ornamental planting.
[Illustration: BUTTERNUT]
BUTTERNUT
=Juglans cinerea=, L.
=Form=.—Height 20-60 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk short, dividing
into an open, broad crown of large horizontal or ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 15-30 inches long; leaflets 11-17,
oblong, acute, 2-3 inches long, finely serrate except at the base,
yellow-green, rough above, pubescent beneath; petioles hairy.
=Flowers=.—May, with the first leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers
in drooping catkins the pistillate solitary or several on a spike,
bracts covered with white or pink glandular hairs; pistils red.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn; solitary or in clusters of 3-5; nut
ovate-oblong, deeply furrowed and sculptured into several longitudinal
ribs; husk thin, hairy, sticky; kernel sweet, edible, and oily.
=Bark=.—Light gray on twigs, brownish on old trunks; divided by dark
fissures into lighter flat-topped ridges. Inner bark bitter, becoming
yellow on exposure to the air.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, light brown, light
colored sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota to Delaware and Arkansas, south
in the mountains to Georgia.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree, found throughout the
State except in the highest mountains and in a few areas south and
west, especially in Jackson, Putnam, Mingo, and Wyoming counties.
Thrives at higher altitudes than Black Walnut, and grows at 3000 feet,
or over, along cold mountain streams and hillsides in Randolph and
adjacent counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich, moist soil.
=Notes=.—A less common and less valuable tree than its near relative
next described.
[Illustration: BLACK WALNUT]
BLACK WALNUT
=Juglans nigra=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-6 feet; trunk usually straight
and clean; crown round and very open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 1-2 feet long, 13-23 leaflets, 3-3½
inches long, 1-1¼ inches broad, sharply serrate, long, sharp-pointed,
yellow-green and smooth above, paler and pubescent beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with half developed leaves; monoecious; staminate
flowers in long, greenish, drooping catkins; the pistillate single or
several in a spike.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn, nut round, very rough, 1-2 inches in
diameter; husk thick, rough; kernel sweet, edible, oily.
=Bark=.—Brownish and hairy on twigs, dark brown on old trunks, with
deep furrows and rounded ridges.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, rich dark brown with
light-colored sapwood.
=Range=.—Northern states from Maine to Minnesota and south to Florida.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in all parts of the State, but
not found at high elevations. The best stands are now cut out.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich, moist soils, and requires an abundance of
light.
=Notes=.—The Black Walnut is classed as one of the most valuable of
our trees on account of its superior wood. It is also prized on account
of its nuts and is sometimes planted on lawns. Where suitable land is
available this rapid-growing species may be profitably planted for
commercial purposes.
[Illustration: SHELL-BARK HICKORY]
SHELL-BARK HICKORY
=Carya ovata= (Mill.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk in close stands
straight and free from branches to a good height; in the open short and
bearing a rounded or oblong crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 8-14 inches long; leaflets usually 5,
ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrate, ciliate on the margins,
firm, dark yellow-green and glabrous above, paler and nearly glabrous
beneath; petioles usually smooth, sometimes hairy.
=Flowers=.—May; monoecious; the staminate in pendulous catkins; the
pistillate in 2-5-flowered spikes.
=Fruit=.—Round-oval, nearly smooth, 1-2 inches in diameter; husk
thick, splitting freely to the base; nut 4-angled, with a thick or thin
wall; kernel sweet and edible.
=Bark=.—Gray; on old trunks very rough, separating into long loose
strips which give the trunk its characteristic shaggy appearance.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, tough, strong, close-grained, pliable, light
brown with nearly white sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree except on the highest
mountains. Reported as not plentiful in Wetzel, Roane, Jackson and
Summers counties.
=Habitat=.—Thrives best in rich, damp soils, common along streams and
on moist hillsides.
=Notes=.—The Shellbark Hickory furnishes much of the valuable wood
used where strength and toughness are required. The tree is known best
to most people on account of its excellent nuts. It can be profitably
grown from seed.
[Illustration: BIG SHELL-BARK HICKORY]
BIG SHELL-BARK HICKORY
=Carya laciniosa=, (Michx. f.) Loud.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 1-2 feet. Similar to that of the
smaller shell-bark.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound; leaflets usually 7, sharp-pointed,
serrate, dark green and smooth above, paler and covered with soft hairs
beneath.
=Flowers=.—Very similar to those of the smaller shell-bark, previously
described.
=Fruit=.—Ovoid, with four shallow creases above the middle, 1½-2½
inches in diameter, thick, smooth husk, splitting to the base; nut
large, thick-shelled and angled; kernel sweet and edible.
=Bark=.—About the same as that of the smaller shell-bark hickory.
=Wood=.—The wood of this species can hardly be distinguished from that
of the shell-bark hickory.
=Range=.—Central New York and Southern Michigan to North Carolina and
Arkansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common, found principally near
the Ohio River from some distance north of Parkersburg to Kenova.
Reported from Harrison, Upshur and Monongalia counties, where possibly
the trees have sprung from artificially planted seeds.
=Habitat=.—Rich, damp bottom lands and coves near rivers.
=Notes=.—Too rare to be an important tree in West Virginia. The wood
is equal to the best of other species of hickory, but the nuts are
rendered less valuable on account of the thickness of their shells.
[Illustration: MOCKERNUT HICKORY]
MOCKERNUT HICKORY
=Carya alba=, (L.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—Height 50-80 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk in the woods
straight and free from limbs for about half its length; crown round or
oblong, open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 8-12 inches long; leaflets 5-7,
of varying lengths; oblong to ovate-lanceolate, serrate, lustrous
yellow-green above, paler and pubescent beneath; petioles pubescent.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious; staminate flowers in
pendulous green catkins; the pistillate in 2-5-flowered spikes.
=Fruit=.—Ovoid, 1½-2 inches long; husk thick, splitting nearly to the
base; nut indistinctly angled with very hard thick shell and small
edible kernel.
=Bark=.—Gray, tight, rough but not shaggy.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, tough, close-grained, elastic, brown with
white sapwood.
=Range=.—Massachusetts and Ontario to Nebraska, Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common, especially on the hillsides
and ridges east of the Alleghanies. Less frequent and scattered in the
central and western counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich, well-drained soils of open wooded hillsides.
=Notes=.—This tree has very thick sapwood which is the most valuable
part of hickory wood. It is unsurpassed for handle material and other
uses where strength and elasticity are desired. The nut kernels are
of good quality but are small and hard to get. The pubescent leaf
petioles and the thick husks and thick-walled nuts form easy marks for
distinguishing this species from the common shell-bark. Big Bud Hickory
and White Heart Hickory are other names for this tree.
[Illustration: PIGNUT HICKORY]
PIGNUT HICKORY
=Carya glabra=, (Mill.) Spach.
=Form=.—Height 50-80 feet, diameter, 2-3½ feet; trunk usually
straight, clean and long; crown rounded or narrowly oblong.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 8-12 inches long; leaflets usually 5-7,
oblong to obovate-lanceolate, long taper-pointed, sharply serrate, dark
yellow-green and glabrous above, paler beneath, fragrant when crushed.
=Flowers=.—Similar to those of other hickories.
=Fruit=.—Variable in shape, pear-shaped to ovoid, 1-2 inches long;
husk thin, splitting half way or more to the base; nut smooth or
obscurely angled, thick-walled and enclosing a sweet or slightly bitter
kernel.
=Bark=.—Dark gray, roughened by many flat-topped ridges, the outside
layers of which sometimes become detached at one end, giving the trunk
a somewhat shaggy appearance.
=Wood=.—As in other species of hickory before described.
=Range=.—Maine, Ontario and Minnesota to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in every county, less
frequently found at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Thrives on almost any rich, well-drained soil of ridges and
hillsides.
=Notes=.—The abundance of this species in nearly every section of the
State makes it one of the most useful hickories, especially for the
farmer. Its growth in farm woodlands, as in other places, should be
encouraged.
[Illustration: BITTERNUT HICKORY]
BITTERNUT HICKORY
=Carya cordiformis=, (Wang.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—Height 60-75 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk long and free
from limbs; crown rounded, broadest near the top.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 6-10 inches long; leaflets 7-11,
lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, taper-pointed, serrate, yellow-green
above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, monoecious; similar to those of the other hickories.
=Fruit=.—Spherical to obovate; about 1 inch long, coated with a yellow
scurfy pubescence; husk thin, splitting half way to the base, sutures
winged at the top; nut nearly smooth with a small bitter kernel.
=Bark=.—Not so rough as in other species, but with many narrow
connecting ridges.
=Wood=.—Similar to that of other hickories but not so strong and of
less fuel value.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Minnesota to Nebraska, Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Found in scattered growth in nearly
all parts of the State.
=Habitat=.—Prefers low ground along streams, but is often seen on
higher ground. The name, Swamp Hickory, is not inappropriate.
=Notes=.—Of less value than our other hickories, but of sufficient
worth to warrant its propagation in suitable places. This tree can
be distinguished by its more numerous leaflets and by its small
bitter-kerneled nuts.
[Illustration: HOP HORNBEAM]
HOP HORNBEAM
=Ostrya virginiana=, (Mill.) K. Koch.
=Form=.—A small tree not often exceeding 30 feet in height and 1 foot
in diameter; trunk usually straight and bearing a rounded crown of
slender branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, acute at apex, doubly
serrate, thin and tough, smooth above, pale and slightly pubescent
beneath.
=Flowers=.—Appear with the leaves, monoecious; staminate flowers in
drooping catkins which develop from the wood of the previous summer,
usually three in a bunch; pistillate in erect aments; each enclosed in
a bladdery bract.
=Fruit=.—Small flat nutlets, enclosed in bracts arranged in pendulous
light-green clusters resembling hops.
=Bark=.—Brownish, roughened by narrow ridges with loose flat scales.
=Wood=.—Strong, hard, tough, close-grained, durable, red-brown, with
light sapwood.
=Range=.—Cape Breton Island and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common in many sections but
scattered locally throughout nearly all parts of the State. Found
usually with other species in the rougher, more elevated situations.
=Habitat=.—Rich open woods of slopes and ridges.
=Notes=.—Although this tree has valuable wood it is not sufficiently
plentiful nor of such a size as to make it an important species for
forestry purposes. It is desirable for parks and lawns. The rough,
scaly bark, peculiar fruits, and hard wood are distinguishing marks.
Its most common local name is Ironwood.
[Illustration: AMERICAN HORNBEAM]
AMERICAN HORNBEAM
=Carpinus caroliniana=, Walt.
=Form=.—Small tree, usually from 10-25 feet high; trunk short, often
leaning, fluted and bearing an irregular crown of slender, often zigzag
branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-4 inches long, thin, oval,
long-pointed, doubly serrate, dull green above, lighter beneath,
scarlet and orange in autumn.
=Flowers=.—Appear in April; monoecious; without petals; staminate
catkins 1-1½ inches long; the pistillate shorter, with greenish scales
and red styles.
=Fruit=.—Small nuts, enclosed in 3-lobed, leafy bracts grouped on a
common drooping stem.
=Bark=.—Gray, smooth, thin, tight.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, tough, close-grained, light brown with thick
nearly white sapwood.
=Range=.—Northern states to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State.
=Habitat=.—Moist soil of stream borders, swamps and hillsides.
=Notes=.—This species, commonly called Water Beech, is of no
commercial importance, but is attractive on lawns, especially in
autumn, and performs a valuable service in preventing the caving in of
stream banks where it grows.
[Illustration: BLACK BIRCH]
BLACK BIRCH
=Betula lenta=, L.
=Form=.—Height 50-85 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk long and clear in
dense growths; crown narrow and open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate in pairs, simple, 3-4 inches long; ovate to
oblong, taper pointed, doubly serrate, dull dark green above, paler
beneath; petioles short, hairy, grooved above.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in
pendent yellowish catkins; the pistillate in shorter erect catkins.
=Fruit=.—An oblong, cone-shaped strobile, 1-1½ inches long, erect,
3-lobed scales smooth; nutlets small, winged.
=Bark=.—Very dark and broken into thick, irregular ridges and plates;
the young and inside bark having a sweet, wintergreen taste.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, dark reddish brown, with light
sapwood.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to Illinois, Tennessee and Florida.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Scattered locally through nearly all
parts of West Virginia.
=Habitat=.—Grows in a variety of soils and exposures, but prefers rich
moist woodlands.
=Notes=.—Black Birch is a widely-known tree and is highly valued on
account of its wood. The local names, Red Birch and Cherry Birch refer
to the appearance of the heartwood and the bark, and Sweet Birch to the
flavor of the bark. This tree can be distinguished from Yellow Birch,
which it most closely resembles, by its darker-colored bark which does
not peel off in loose flakes.
[Illustration: YELLOW BIRCH]
YELLOW BIRCH
=Betula lutea=, Michx.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk short and usually
forking near the base; crown rounded, open.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, solitary or in pairs, simple, 3-4 inches long,
acute at apex, doubly serrate, dull green.
=Flowers=.—April; monoecious; staminate flowers in pendent purplish
catkins; the pistillate in shorter, erect, greenish catkins.
=Fruit=.—Cone-shaped strobiles, 1 inch long and erect, scales of
strobile downy on the back and edges; nut small, about as broad as its
wing.
=Bark=.—Silvery yellow-gray, with thin, papery layers separating
and often curling at the edges giving the trunk a ragged appearance;
slightly aromatic, and bitter. Campers often use the loose outer bark
for starting camp fires in wet weather.
=Wood=.—Heavy, strong, hard, close-grained light reddish-brown, with
nearly white sapwood.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to Minnesota and south to North Carolina.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Frequent, especially in mountain
sections, growing with spruce and hemlock; rare in low hilly parts of
the State and in the Eastern Panhandle; found along streams and in
other damp situations on the outskirts of its range.
=Habitat=.—Moist fertile uplands and along streams.
=Notes=.—This large birch is associated with other mountain species
such as Spruce, Hemlock, Black Cherry, and Black Birch. It furnishes
valuable lumber and is a rapid grower. The characteristic appearance of
the bark, described above, will prevent the confusion of this tree with
its close relative, the Black Birch.
[Illustration: RED BIRCH]
RED BIRCH
=Betula nigra=, L.
=Form=.—Height, 50-90 feet, diameter, 1-3 feet; trunk usually short,
dividing into two or three large ascending limbs; crown irregular,
oblong.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 1½ to 3 inches long, round-ovate, acute,
doubly serrate, sometimes cut or slightly lobed, deep green, pale
yellow-green beneath.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; staminate formed in
the fall and remaining over winter as short aments, usually in clusters
of three and elongating in the spring to 2-3 inches; pistillate, short,
erect, situated on twigs with the staminate flowers and back of them.
=Fruit=.—Cylindrical strobile, 1-1½ inches long; 3-lobed scales of
strobile pubescent; nuts small, hairy, winged.
=Bark=.—On old trunks dark red-brown and rough, with deep furrows and
broken ridges; on younger trees, lighter-colored, the outer papery
layers separating freely into thin sheets and turning up at the edges.
=Wood=.—Light, rather strong, close-grained, light brown with pale
sapwood.
=Range=.—New England, west to Missouri, and south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Observed growing along the banks of
the following rivers: Williams, Gauley, Greenbrier, New, Great Kanawha,
Little Coal, Elk, Guyandot, Twelvepole, Big Sandy, Little Kanawha,
Potomac, Shenandoah, Great Cacapon.
=Habitat=.—Banks of streams, occasionally on drier ground.
=Notes=.—A common name of this species, River Birch, signifies its
preference for river borders as its habitat. While the tree is not
important it serves to hold stream banks from falling in and at the
same time adds much to the attractiveness of river scenery. The bark
and leaves lack the aroma of some of the other birches.
[Illustration: BEECH]
BEECH
=Fagus grandiflora=, Ehr.
=Form=.—Height, 50-100 feet, diameter, 2-3 feet; trunk often long
under forest conditions, in the open short; crown narrow or rounded.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, oblong-ovate, acute, coarsely serrate,
3-5 inches long; dark blue green above, light green and very lustrous
beneath, petioles short and hairy.
=Flowers=.—April-May; monoecious, staminate flowers in loose, light
green globose heads, about 1 inch in diameter and hanging on long,
slender peduncles; the pistillate small, 2-flowered, protected by
awl-shaped bracts, and with long red stigmas.
=Fruit=.—A prickly bur, bearing 2 or 3 triangular brown nuts about ¾
inch long.
=Bark=.—On the trunk smooth, close, light gray and mottled with darker
spots.
=Wood=.—Hard, strong, close-grained, not durable, light red, with
yellowish-white sapwood.
=Range=.—Southern Canada and Wisconsin, south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in nearly all parts of the
State; less frequent or rare locally in the Eastern Panhandle and in
Summers, Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich bottom lands but grows frequently on thin
gravelly slopes and flats, sometimes growing at high elevations.
=Notes=.—This is one of the most familiar of our trees, except in a
few restricted areas. It is shade-loving, and is a valuable tree in
the farmers’ woodland. The wood is used principally for novelty wares,
carpenters’ tool handles, clothespins, fuel and charcoal.
[Illustration: CHESTNUT]
CHESTNUT
=Castanea dentata=, (Marsh) Borkh.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk, in close stands
with few low branches and little taper; in the open having a short
trunk and rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed,
6-8 inches long; coarsely serrate with incurved teeth, thin, dull,
yellow-green, glabrous.
=Flowers=.—June-July; monoecious, the staminate borne in bunches at
intervals on long catkins; the pistillate borne in scattered involucres
near the base of the upper catkins.
=Fruit=.—A large prickly bur, opening at its four sutures in early
autumn; nuts usually 2-3, compressed, ½-1 inch wide, brown, sweet and
edible.
=Bark=.—Moderately rough, with shallow fissures and flat-topped
ridges, gray-brown.
=Wood=.—Soft, light, not strong, easily split and worked,
coarse-grained, durable, red-brown with light sapwood.
=Range=.—Maine and Michigan southward to Arkansas, Mississippi, and
Alabama.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Abundant in most parts of the State;
of best quality along the lower western slopes of the Alleghanies.
=Habitat=.—Thrives in most places in West Virginia, but is less
frequently seen on limestone soils and in swampy places.
=Notes=.—The Chestnut tree is prized for its lumber, its nuts, its
tannin, and for its numerous uses, especially on the farm. It is a
very rapid grower, and sprouts freely from the base of the stump when
cut down. A disease known as chestnut blight has entered the State and
threatens to exterminate this tree.
[Illustration: CHINQUAPIN]
CHINQUAPIN
=Castanea pumila=, (L.) Mill.
=Form=.—Height 20-30 feet, diameter 1-2 feet, in West Virginia usually
much smaller; trunk short, supporting a rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-6 inches long, lanceolate or oblong,
narrowed at both ends, coarsely serrate, thick, smooth and yellow-green
on the upper surface, paler and covered with a whitish down beneath.
=Flowers=.—May-June; monoecious; staminate flowers in clusters along
the catkin; the pistillate borne at the base of the upper catkins in
rounded, prickly involucres.
=Fruit=.—Matures in early autumn; bur covered with stiff spines and
enclosing usually only one ovoid brown nut which is very sweet and
edible.
=Bark=.—On trunk lightly furrowed and with flat ridges broken into
light brown, loose plates.
=Wood=.—Light, hard, strong, coarse-grained, brown, with thin hardly
distinguishable sapwood.
=Range=.—Pennsylvania and New Jersey south to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not widely distributed but common in
some sections. Observed in the following counties: Mercer, Wyoming,
Summers, Fayette, Logan, and Boone. Reported also from Wayne, Monroe,
Mingo, Braxton, Gilmer, Pendleton, Greenbrier, Grant and Nicholas
counties.
=Habitat=.—Dry slopes and flats and stream borders.