=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common timber tree in the more
mountainous parts of the State; once plentiful on rich soils of upland
flats and stream valleys of Tucker, Randolph, Barbour, Webster,
Nicholas, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, and Monroe counties. Smaller and less
common in most other sections.
=Habitat=.—Thrives best in rich, loose soils of slopes and mountain
flats.
=Notes=.—This tree, which is usually called Wild Cherry, produces
excellent lumber for furniture, and interior finish. It can be
distinguished from the Choke Cherry, which it most closely resembles,
by its larger size, longer narrower leaves, and rougher bark. Wild
cherry trees large enough for lumber are now becoming scarce.
[Illustration: CHOKE CHERRY]
CHOKE CHERRY
=Prunus virginiana,= L.
=Form=.—Height 15-30 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk usually short
with a rounded crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 2-4 inches long, oval, oblong, or
obovate, abruptly pointed, very sharply serrate, with slender teeth,
glabrous, dull dark green above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—May-June; perfect; about ½ inch broad, white, arranged in a
drooping, many-flowered raceme 3-6 inches long.
=Fruit=.—Ripens in late summer; a globular, dark crimson drupe, borne
on short pedicels in drooping clusters, astringent.
=Bark=.—Smooth, dark gray, somewhat roughened on old trunks by shallow
fissures. Inner bark has a disagreeable odor.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, light-brown; sapwood light colored.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Georgia and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare in most sections. Scattered
trees grow at high elevations along the Alleghanies. Most common and of
largest size on the borders of swamps from Cranesville, Preston County,
southward to Canaan Valley, Tucker County.
=Habitat=.—Prefers damp soils of swamp borders, streams and thickets.
=Notes=.—The Choke Cherry is in no sense a timber tree but is
attractive when growing wild or planted.
[Illustration: WILD RED CHERRY]
WILD RED CHERRY
=Prunus pennsylvanica=, L. f.
=Form=.—Height 20-35 feet, diameter 8-12 inches; trunk straight,
short, tapering, with upright branches forming a narrow crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, oblong-lanceolate,
pointed, finely and sharply serrate, glabrous, thin, bright green
above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; perfect; about ½ inch wide, white on
slender pedicels in 4-5-flowered umbels.
=Fruit=.—Ripens in July and persists until autumn; a globular drupe,
about ¼ inch in diameter, bright red, thick-skinned, sour.
=Bark=.—Smooth, or somewhat roughened by loose, papery plates, reddish
brown.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, light brown with thin yellowish
sapwood.
=Range=.—Labrador to British Columbia and southward to North Carolina
and Colorado.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in West Virginia along the
mountains, especially in areas from which other timber has been
destroyed by fire.
=Habitat=.—Sandy soils of burned-over mountain-sides and flats, and
along streams at lower elevations.
=Notes=.—Fire Cherry and Bird Cherry are two common names of this
tree, the first denoting its habitat and the second the attractiveness
of its fruit to birds. This species performs its principal service in
covering otherwise bare, fire-burned areas to which the seeds have been
carried and dropped by birds.
[Illustration: WILD PLUM]
WILD PLUM
=Prunus americana=, Marsh.
=Form=.—Height 10-25 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk short
supporting a wide-spreading crown of horizontal and drooping branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple 2-4 inches long, narrowly obovate, long
taper-pointed at apex, sharply and doubly serrate, firm, dark green and
rough above, paler and hairy below.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; perfect; 1 inch wide, white, arranged
in 2-5-flowered umbels.
=Fruit=.—Ripens in early autumn; a globose, red drupe about 1 inch in
diameter, the flesh sweet and edible; stone flattened.
=Bark=.—Grayish-brown and rough on old trunks with thin, flat plates.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, red-brown, with thin light
sapwood.
=Range=.—New York to Florida, west to Texas and Montana.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Scattered throughout the State but
nowhere common except in small areas.
=Habitat=.—Grows principally on swamp borders and along streams.
=Notes=.—The Wild Plum is found growing in dense thickets in some of
our upland swamps where it produces large crops of fruit. The tree is
of little importance commercially but is sometimes used as a stock upon
which domestic plums are grafted.
[Illustration: HONEY LOCUST]
HONEY LOCUST
=Gleditsia triacanthos=, L.
=Form=.—Height 40-50 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk usually short and
armed with branched thorns; crown broad, round-topped.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, singly or doubly compound, 7-8 inches long,
the single compound leaves having 18-28 leaflets; the double
compound leaves 8-14 divisions each, with 18-20 leaflets; leaflets
lanceolate-oblong, somewhat serrate.
=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamous; small, greenish.
=Fruit=.—A flattened and twisted pod, 10-18 inches long, containing
oval brownish seeds.
=Bark=.—Sometimes smooth but often roughened on old trunks, by shallow
fissures and thick ridges with projecting edges, and by branched thorns.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, durable in contact with the soil, bright
reddish brown heartwood, whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common in any part of West
Virginia, but found in scattered stands throughout the State, except at
high elevations. Rare in Upshur and other high hilly counties west of
the Alleghanies, and also in the Eastern Panhandle.
=Habitat=.—Thrives best in fertile soil of river bottoms, but grows
well in other situations.
=Notes=.—The wood of Honey Locust is used principally for fencing,
wheel hubs, and general construction; but the tree is too rare and not
of sufficient size to give it any commercial importance.
[Illustration: RED BUD]
RED BUD
=Cercis canadensis=, L.
=Form=.—Height 15-25 feet, diameter 6-10 inches; trunk usually
inclined and short; crown broad, open and shallow.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, rounded, 3-5 inches long, with
heart-shaped base, and blunt apex; smooth, entire, bright pale green
above, paler beneath.
=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; perfect; in form like the sweet
pea, red-purple, arranged in umbel-like clusters along the branches of
the last or preceding years.
=Fruit=.—A flattened, many-seeded pod, the upper suture with a winged
margin.
=Bark=.—Thin, with shallow fissures and scaly reddish brown ridges.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, not strong, reddish brown with thick whitish
sapwood.
=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Minnesota and Kansas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in most parts of the State,
forming thickets along borders of woods and streams. Rare in the higher
counties.
=Habitat=.—Rich moist soil of abandoned fields, open woods and stream
banks.
=Notes=.—This tree is chiefly ornamental. Its profuse purplish flowers
give it attractiveness early in the spring, when the Service and
Flowering Dogwood are in bloom.
[Illustration: COMMON LOCUST]
COMMON LOCUST
=Robinia Pseudo-Acacia=, L.
=Form=.—Height 50-75 feet, diameter 2-3 feet; trunk when grown in the
forest often tall and free from limbs; crown loose and more or less
irregular.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, odd-pinnate, 8-14 inches long; leaflets
7-21, ovate or oblong, 1-2 inches long, entire, very thin, smooth, dull
green above, paler beneath; stipules thorny or spine-like.
=Flowers=.—May, after the leaves; perfect, pea-shaped, white, very
fragrant, borne on slender pedicels in loose drooping racemes 4-5
inches long.
=Fruit=.—A flat pod 3-4 inches long, containing 4-8 small brown seeds.
=Bark=.—Deeply furrowed into firm, prominent ridges, reddish-brown.
=Wood=.—Heavy, very hard and strong, close-grained, very durable in
contact with the soil, brownish with thin yellow sapwood.
=Range=.—Pennsylvania to Georgia west to Iowa and Kansas. Naturalized
over a large area in America and extensively cultivated in Europe.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout West Virginia, but
most abundant and healthiest in high limestone areas.
=Habitat=.—Prefers rich limestone soil, but adapts itself to other
soils and to almost all exposures and elevations.
=Notes=.—Black Locust, Yellow Locust, and False Acacia are other names
of this tree. According to Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North
America” locust trees are “most abundant and of largest size on the
western slopes of the Alleghanies of West Virginia.” It is a rapid
grower, its wood is unsurpassed for many purposes and, as a legume, it
adds fertility to the soil wherever it grows.
[Illustration: HOP TREE]
HOP TREE
=Ptelea trifoliata=, L.
=Form=.—A shrub occasionally attaining the size and form of a small
tree.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 3-foliate, the leaflets entire, ovate,
pointed, downy when young.
=Flowers=.—June; polygamous; small, greenish-white, arranged in
compound terminal cymes.
=Fruit=.—A 2-celled, 2-seeded, nearly circular samara, winged all
around, in drooping cymes; bitter, used as a substitute for hops.
=Bark=.—Smooth, light brownish-gray.
=Range=.—Long Island to Minnesota and southward.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare, collected in Summers and Morgan
counties.
=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy soils of river banks.
=Notes=.—This small, shrubby tree is useful only for ornamental
planting for which purpose it will be found very interesting and
attractive.
[Illustration: STAGHORN SUMACH]
STAGHORN SUMACH
=Rhus typhina=, L.
=Form=.—A shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 15-20
feet and a diameter of 8-10 inches; trunk short, bearing a broad crown
of ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 16-24 inches long, and with 11-31
leaflets; leaflets oblong, 2-5 inches long, nearly sessile,
oblanceolate, pointed, serrate, when mature dark green and smooth
above, pale beneath.
=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamous, arranged in compact oblong
yellowish-green panicles.
=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer and persists through the winter;
numerous dry drupes aggregate in a compact pyramidal panicle, 5-8
inches long; drupes thickly studded with red acid hairs, not poisonous.
=Bark=.—On old trunks somewhat roughened by loose brown scales. Twigs
and leaf stalks are densely velvety-hairy.
=Wood=.—Soft, light, coarse-grained, orange-colored, showing plainly
the annual growths.
=Range=.—New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Alabama.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State and
reaching higher altitudes than some of the other sumachs.
=Habitat=.—Fertile dry upland soil, preferring abandoned fields,
borders of woods and fence rows.
=Notes=.—The wood of this species is sometimes used for sugar spiles
and for the manufacture of napkin rings, cups, etc. The leaves are rich
in tannin; the wood has little commercial value. Its beautiful foliage
and red fruit spikes give it value for ornamental planting.
[Illustration: DWARF SUMACH]
DWARF SUMACH
=Rhus copallina=, L.
=Form=.—A shrub or small tree often attaining in West Virginia a
height of 15-20 feet and a diameter of 3-5 inches; trunk straight or
angular, supporting a loose irregular crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 6-12 inches long, with petioles
wing-margined between the 9-21 oblong or ovate lanceolate, nearly
entire leaflets which are smooth and shining above and pubescent
beneath.
=Flowers=.—July; polygamous; in terminal compact panicles.
=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer; small dry drupes in compact erect
panicles, red, turning dark later in the year, the panicles finally
drooping; not poisonous.
=Bark=.—Roughened on old trunk by brown papery scales or elevated
brown projections.
=Wood=.—Soft, coarse-grained, light brown, richly striped with yellow
and black.
=Range=.—Maine to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in most sections of the State
except at high elevations.
=Habitat=.—Dry hillsides and ridges, frequenting abandoned fields.
=Notes=.—This sumach, like others of the genus, is chiefly valuable
for landscape work, being especially ornamental in its autumnal
foliage. The wood is sometimes used in the manufacture of small wooden
novelties.
[Illustration: POISON SUMACH]
POISON SUMACH
=Rhus vernix=, L.
=Form=.—A shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 10-15
feet; trunk usually branching near the ground and separating into a
loose irregular head.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, leaflets 7-13, oblong-obovate, entire,
poisonous.
=Flowers=.—June-July; polygamous; small, yellowish-green, arranged in
long drooping panicles.
=Fruit=.—Small, nearly spherical, glossy, dull white drupes in long,
loose, drooping, axillary panicles; ripening in early autumn and
persisting into the winter.
=Bark=.—Thin, streaked, smooth, covered with numerous raised lenticels.
=Wood=.—Soft, brittle, light yellow.
=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Louisiana and Minnesota.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare, found in swamps at Cowen,
Webster County and near Elkins, Randolph County.
=Habitat=.—Thrives best in swamps but may be found on moist slopes.
=Notes=.—Poison Dogwood, Poison Elder, and Poison Oak are other
names of this species. This is one of our most poisonous plants and
should be avoided except by those who are immune. It has no commercial
importance.
[Illustration: AMERICAN HOLLY]
AMERICAN HOLLY
=Ilex opaca=, Ait.
=Form=.—Height 15-30 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk short; branches
slender, spreading and ascending, forming a conic crown.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, evergreen, leathery, glabrous, oval,
margins wavy with scattered spiny teeth, dark green above, pale green
beneath.
=Flowers=.—May to June; dioecious, or polygamo-dioecious, the
staminate 2-9 on a common stalk, the pistillate usually solitary;
small, white.
=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer and persists through the following
fall and winter; a bright red berry-like drupe about the size of a pea,
smooth, shining, containing a 4-ribbed, brown nutlet.
=Bark=.—Smooth, or slightly rough with age, grayish or grayish-brown.
=Wood=.—Hard, tough, close-grained, chalky-white in color.
=Range=.—Maine to Florida, west to Texas and Missouri.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Observed in the following counties:
Boone, Braxton, Fayette, Logan, Mingo, McDowell, Nicholas, Randolph,
Upshur, Webster and Wyoming. Rare east of the mountains and sparsely
scattered in other counties along the Ohio River.
=Habitat=.—Prefers moist soil near rivers or rich loamy and rocky
ground.
=Notes=.—Holly wood is very valuable for inlaid work, cabinet making,
interior finish, and piano keys, but the trees in West Virginia are
usually small, and afford little timber. During the holidays the
evergreen foliage with bright red fruits are much sought after. The
tree is slow-growing but is otherwise very desirable for ornamental
planting.
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN HOLLY]
MOUNTAIN HOLLY
=Ilex monticola=, Gray.
=Form=.—Height 15-25 feet, diameter 2-8 inches; a shrub or small tree
with short trunk and slender ascending branches.
=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, deciduous, 4-5 inches long, ovate or
lance-oblong, taper-pointed, thin-membranaceous, smooth, sharply
serrate.
=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamo-dioecious; staminate and pistillate
flowers on very short pedicels, white, clustered, about one-third of an
inch across.
=Fruit=.—Ripens in early autumn; globose, about two-fifths of an inch
in diameter, bright scarlet, containing 4-6 striate nutlets ridged on
the back.
=Bark=.—Thin, somewhat rough and warty on old trees, light
brownish-gray.
=Wood=.—Hard, close-grained, nearly white.
=Range=.—New York, southward along the Alleghanies.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common except locally. Found
principally at high altitudes. Common near Davis, Tucker County, and in
various parts of Randolph and Pocahontas counties.
=Habitat=.—Upland sandy flats, cool mountainsides, and swamp borders.
=Notes=.—This small tree is not important except for ornamental use.
Its bright foliage and fruits recommend it for this purpose. The
species may easily be confused with Winterberry (_Ilex verticillata_,
(L.) Gray) which often grows with it. The nutlets of the latter,
however, are smooth and smaller, its flowers are shorter-stalked and
its leaves somewhat downy beneath.
[Illustration: STRIPED MAPLE]
STRIPED MAPLE
=Acer pennsylvanicum=, L.
=Form=.—Height 10-25 feet, diameter 6-12 inches; trunk medium short;
crown irregular, usually broad.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, simple, 5-6 inches long, nearly as broad, 3-lobed
above the middle with short, pointed lobes, sharply and doubly serrate,
rounded or cordate at base, rather smooth above and rusty pubescent
beneath.
=Flowers=.—May-June; usually monoecious, yellow, bell-shaped, in long,
drooping, terminal racemes.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn; paired samaras in long racemose drooping
clusters, wing ¾ inch long, widely divergent, marked on one side of
each nutlet by a small cavity.
=Bark=.—Smooth, thin, greenish or reddish-brown, marked longitudinally
by pale stripes.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, pinkish brown, with thick sapwood.
=Range=.—Novia Scotia south along the mountains to Georgia, west to
Minnesota.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in shaded ravines and rich
slopes in the mountainous parts of the State, especially in Webster,
Randolph, Upshur, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties.
=Habitat=.—Thrives best in rich soil of rocky or sandy woods.
=Notes=.—This small maple is also called Moosewood and Goosefoot
Maple, the latter name referring to the goosefoot shape of the leaf. It
is not a commercially valuable species, but always attracts attention
whether growing in its shady mountain habitat or on the lawn.
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN MAPLE]
MOUNTAIN MAPLE
=Acer spicatum=, Lam.
=Form=.—A small tree or shrub sometimes reaching a height of 20-25
feet and a diameter of 6-10 inches.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, simple, 4-5 inches long, 3-lobed, coarsely
serrate, the lobes taper-pointed, glabrous and dark green above,
somewhat downy beneath, petioles long and slender.
=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamo-monoecious; small, yellow-green,
arranged in upright, dense, somewhat compound racemes.
=Fruit=.—Early autumn; small, paired samaras, red, turning brown and
drooping when mature, in racemose clusters.
=Bark=.—Nearly smooth, light brown, thin; twigs reddish, slightly
hairy.
=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, light brown, with thick sapwood.
=Range=.—Newfoundland and Labrador, south to Georgia and west to
Minnesota.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common in mountainous sections and
sometimes occurring at low elevations adjacent to the mountains. Found
growing from elevation 850 feet, in Monongalia County, to elevation
4,800 feet, in Pendleton County.
=Habitat=.—Damp mountain forests, along streams and on rocky slopes;
thrives in the shade of other trees.
=Notes=.—The Mountain Maple is often seen fruiting when only 4
or 5 feet high, but it frequently reaches tree size in favorable
locations. The wood is not found on the market. This species is one
of the most ornamental of the maples and should be planted more
generally. The erect flower spikes, small red fruits, reddish twigs,
and coarse-toothed leaves are characters that distinguish it from other
maples.
[Illustration: SUGAR MAPLE]
SUGAR MAPLE
=Acer saccharum=, Marsh.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk of trees in close
stands long, clear and straight; crown conical or round-topped, with
many ascending and horizontal branches.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, simple, 3-5 inches long, 5-lobed with rounded
sinuses and sparingly sinuate-toothed margins; smooth and dark green
above, paler and somewhat downy on the veins beneath.
=Flowers=.—April-May; polygamo-monoecious or dioecious; both kinds of
flowers on thread-like, hairy pedicels in drooping corymbs; greenish
yellow.
=Fruit=.—Matures in early autumn; clustered groups of paired samaras,
glabrous, with slightly diverging wings about 1 inch long.
=Bark=.—Deeply fissured and with prominent dark gray, flaky ridges.
=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, durable, light brown to
reddish.
=Range=.—Newfoundland to Florida and Texas.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Found in nearly all parts of the
State; most abundant on upland flats and in rich coves along the
Alleghanies from Preston County through Tucker, Barbour, Randolph,
Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Monroe; common in the high hilly sections
lying west of the mountains, rare in the Eastern Panhandle.
=Habitat=.—Moist, rich soils of river valleys, coves, and high flats
and rocky loams of hillsides.
=Notes=.—The Sugar, or Rock Maple is one of our best known and most
valuable trees. Its timber is becoming more highly prized as other
species are disappearing. Interior finish, furniture, shoe-lasts and
cross-ties are among the common uses of this wood. It is the principal
species from which maple syrup and sugar are made, and one of the very
best trees for ornamental planting.
[Illustration: BLACK SUGAR MAPLE]
BLACK SUGAR MAPLE
=Acer saccharum nigrum=, (Michx. f.) Britt.
=Form=.—Height 75-90 feet, diameter 2-3½ feet; trunk and crown as in
sugar maple.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, simple, 5-6 inches long, wider than long,
3-5-lobed, the lower lobes often reduced to a shallow rounded tooth,
thick and firm, green and usually downy beneath.
=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; monoecious, arranged in umbel-like
corymbs, yellow, on slender, hairy pedicels.
=Fruit=.—Matures in autumn; paired samaras clustered on drooping
pedicels, wings slightly diverging.
=Bark=.—Usually very dark gray, furrowed deeply.
=Wood=.—Hard, heavy, strong, close-grained, light yellow or brownish,
with thin, lighter sapwood.
=Range=.—Quebec and western New Hampshire, southward and westward.
=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Less common than sugar maple,
but often growing with it on low ground. Observed in the following
counties: Lewis, Monongalia, Randolph, Tyler, Upshur, Webster and
Wetzel.
=Habitat=.—Moist soil of river bottoms and slopes.
=Notes=.—This tree, which is classed as a sub-species of the common
sugar maple, can scarcely be distinguished from the latter, except by
the leaves which are thicker, usually dropping, less deeply lobed and
slightly hairy beneath.
[Illustration: SILVER MAPLE]
SILVER MAPLE
=Acer saccharinum=, L.
=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2-4 feet; trunk usually short and
soon divided into several large, ascending branches which subdivide and
form a large open, rounded, or vase-shaped crown.
=Leaves=.—Opposite, simple, 3-6 inches long, deeply 5-lobed, the
lobes cut and toothed, sinuses deep, light green above, silvery-white
beneath, downy when young, petioles long and slender.
=Flowers=.—March-April; polygamo-monoecious or dioecious, yellow-green
in crowded umbels.
=Fruit=.—Matures in May; large paired samaras, with wings 1-2 inches
long.
=Bark=.—On old trunks roughened by shallow fissures and flat-topped
ridges with thin, loose scales.
=Wood=.—Medium hard, brittle, close-grained, not durable, light brown,
with thick whitish sapwood.
=Range=.—New Brunswick to Florida, and west to Indian Territory.