HOW TO IDENTIFY TREES--(Continued)
GROUP IX. THE HICKORIES, WALNUT AND BUTTERNUT
How to tell them from other trees and from each other: The hickory
trees, though symmetrical, have a rugged _appearance_ and the
_branches_ are so sturdy and black as to give a special distinction
to this group. The _buds_ are different from the buds of all other
trees and sufficiently characteristic to distinguish the various
species of the group. The _bark_ is also a distinguishing character.
The walnut and butternut have _chambered piths_ which distinguish
them from all other trees and from each other.
SHAGBARK HICKORY (_Hicoria ovata_)
Distinguishing characters: The yellowish brown *buds* nearly as large as
those of the mockernut hickory, _are each provided with two long,
dark, outer scales_ which stand out very conspicuously as shown in
Fig. 67. The *bark* in older specimens *shags* off in rough strips,
sometimes more than a foot long, as shown in Fig. 68. These two
characters will readily distinguish the tree at all seasons of the
year.
[Illustration: FIG. 66.--A Shagbark Hickory Tree.]
Leaf: The leaf is compound, consisting of 5 or 7 leaflets, the terminal
one generally larger.
Form and size: A tall, stately tree--the tallest of the hickories--of
rugged form and fine symmetry, see Fig. 66.
Range: Eastern North America.
Soil and location: The shagbark hickory grows in a great variety of
soils, but prefers a deep and rather moist soil.
Enemies: The _hickory bark borer_ (_Scolytus quadrispinosus_) is its
principal enemy. The insect is now killing thousands of hickory
trees in the vicinity of New York City and on several occasions has
made its appearance in large numbers in other parts of the country.
Value for planting: It is difficult to transplant, grows slowly and is
seldom found in nurseries.
[Illustration: FIG. 67.--Bud of the Shagbark Hickory.]
Commercial value: The wood is extremely tough and hard and is used for
agricultural implements and for the manufacture of wagons. It is
excellent for fuel and the nuts are of great value as a food.
Other characters: The fruit is a nut covered by a thick husk that
separates into 4 or 5 segments. The kernel is sweet.
Other common names: _Shellbark hickory_.
MOCKERNUT HICKORY (_Hicoria alba_)
[Illustration: FIG. 68.--Bark of the Shagbark Hickory.]
Distinguishing characters: The *bud* is the largest among the
hickories--nearly half an inch long--is hard and oval and covered
with _yellowish brown_ downy _scales_ which _do not project_ like
those of the shagbark hickory, see Fig. 69. The twigs are extremely
coarse. The *bark* is very tight on the trunk and branches and has a
_close_, hard, _wavy_ appearance as in Fig. 70.
Leaf: The leaf consists of 5, 7 or 9 leaflets all of which are large and
pubescent and possess a distinct resinous odor.
Form and size: A tall tree with a broad spreading head.
Range: Eastern North America.
Soil and location: The mockernut hickory grows on a great variety of
soils, but prefers one which is rich and well-drained.
Enemies: The same as for the shagbark hickory.
Value for planting: It is not commonly planted.
Commercial value: The wood is similar to that of the shagbark hickory
and is put to the same uses.
Other characters: The fruit is a nut, larger and covered with a shell
thicker than that of the shagbark. The husk is also thicker and
separates into four segments nearly to the base. The kernel is small
and sweet.
Other common names: _Bigbud hickory_; _whiteheart hickory_.
Comparisons: The _pignut hickory_ (_Hicoria glabra_), sometimes called
broom hickory or brown hickory, often has a shaggy bark, but differs
from both the shagbark and the mockernut hickory in possessing buds
very much smaller, twigs more slender and leaflets fewer. The nut
has a thinner husk which does not separate into four or five
segments. The tree prefers drier ground than the other hickories.
[Illustration: FIG. 69.--Bud of the Mockernut Hickory.]
The _bitternut_ (_Hicoria minima_) can be told from the mockernut
and other species of hickory by its bud, which has no scales at all.
The color of its bud is a characteristic orange yellow. The bark is
of a lighter shade than the bark of the mockernut hickory and the
leaflets are more numerous than in any of the hickories, varying
from 7 to 11. Its nuts are bitter.
BLACK WALNUT (_Juglans nigra_)
Distinguishing characters: By cutting a twig lengthwise, it will be seen
that its *pith* is divided into little _chambers_ as shown in Fig.
71. The bud is dark gray and satiny. The bark is dark brown and
deeply ridged and the fruit is the familiar round walnut.
[Illustration: FIG. 70.--Bark of the Mockernut Hickory.]
Form and size: A tall tree with a spreading crown composed of stout
branches. In the open it grows very symmetrically.
Range: Eastern United States.
Soil and location: The black walnut prefers a deep, rich, fertile soil
and requires a great deal of light.
Enemies: The tree is a favorite of many caterpillars.
Value for planting: It forms a beautiful spreading tree on open ground,
but is not planted to any extent because it is hard to transplant.
It grows slowly unless the soil is very deep and rich, develops its
leaves late in the spring and sheds them early in the fall and
produces its fruit in great profusion.
Commercial value: The wood is heavy, strong, of chocolate brown color
and capable of taking a fine polish. It is used for cabinet making
and interior finish of houses. The older the tree, usually, the
better the wood, and the consumption of the species in the past has
been so heavy that it is becoming rare. The European varieties which
are frequently planted in America as substitutes for the native
species yield better nuts, but the American species produces better
wood.
[Illustration: FIG. 71.--Twig of the Black Walnut. Note the large
chambers in the pith.]
[Illustration: FIG. 72.--Twig of the Butternut. Note the small chambers
in the pith.]
Other characters: The _fruit_ is a large round nut about two inches in
diameter, covered with a smooth husk which at first is dull green
in color and later turns brown. The husk does not separate into
sections. The kernel is edible and produces an oil of commercial
value.
The _leaves_ are compound and alternate with 15 to 23 leaflets to
each.
Comparisons: The _butternut_ (_Juglans cinerea_) is another tree that
has the pith divided into little chambers, but the little chambers
here are shorter than in the black walnut, as may be seen from a
comparison of Figs. 71 and 72. The bark of the butternut is light
gray while that of the black walnut is dark. The buds in the
butternut are longer than those of the black walnut and are light
brown instead of gray in color. The form of the tree is low and
spreading as compared with the black walnut. The fruit in the
butternut is elongated while that of the black walnut is round. The
leaves of the butternut have fewer leaflets and these are lighter in
color.
GROUP X. TULIP TREE, SWEET GUM, LINDEN, MAGNOLIA, LOCUST, CATALPA,
DOGWOOD, MULBERRY AND OSAGE ORANGE
TULIP TREE (_Liriodendron tulipifera_)
Distinguishing characters: There are four characters that stand out
conspicuously in the tulip tree--the *bud*, the *trunk*, the
persistent *fruit cups* and the wedged *leaf*.
The bud, Fig. 74, about three-quarters of an inch long, is covered
by two purplish scales which lend special significance to its whole
appearance. The trunk is extremely individual because it rises stout
and shaft-like, away above the ground without a branch as shown in
Fig. 73. The tree flowers in the latter part of May but the cup that
holds the fruit persists throughout the winter. The leaf, Fig. 75,
has four lobes, is nearly as broad as it is long and so notched at
the upper end that it looks different from any other leaf.
[Illustration: FIG. 73.--The Tulip Tree.]
[Illustration: FIG. 74.--Bud of the Tulip Tree.]
Form and size: The tulip tree is one of the largest, stateliest and
tallest of our trees.
Range: Eastern United States.
Soil and location: Requires a deep, moist soil.
Enemies: Comparatively free from insects and disease.
Value for planting: The tree has great value as a specimen on the lawn
but is undesirable as a street tree because it requires considerable
moisture and transplants with difficulty. It should be planted while
young and where it can obtain plenty of light. It grows rapidly.
Commercial value: The wood is commercially known as _whitewood_ and
_yellow poplar_. It is light, soft, not strong and easily worked. It
is used in construction, for interior finish of houses, woodenware
and shingles. It has a medicinal value.
Other characters: The _flower_, shown in Fig. 75, is greenish yellow in
color, appears in May and resembles a tulip; hence the name tulip
tree. The _fruit_ is a cone.
Other common names: _Whitewood_; _yellow poplar_; _poplar_ and _tulip
poplar_.
SWEET GUM (_Liquidambar styraciflua_)
[Illustration: FIG. 75.--Leaf and Flower of the Tulip Tree.]
Distinguishing characters: The _persistent, spiny_, long-stemmed round
*fruit*; _the corky growths on the_ *twigs*, the characteristic
_star-shaped_ *leaves* (Fig. 76) and the very shiny greenish brown
buds and the perfect symmetry of the tree are the chief characters
by which to identify the species.
Form and size: The sweet gum has a beautiful symmetrical shape, forming
a true monopodium.
[Illustration: FIG. 76.--Leaf and Fruit of the Sweet Gum. Note the corky
ridges along the twig.]
Range: From Connecticut to Florida and west to Missouri.
Soil and location: Grows in any good soil but prefers low wet ground. It
grows rapidly and needs plenty of light.
Enemies: Is very often a favorite of leaf-eating caterpillars.
Value for planting: The tree is sought for the brilliant color of its
foliage in the fall, and is suitable for planting both on the lawn
and street. In growing the tree for ornamental purposes it is
important that it should be frequently transplanted in the nursery
and that it be transported with burlap wrapping around its roots.
Commercial value: The wood is reddish brown in color, tends to splinter
and is inclined to warp in drying. It is used in cooperage, veneer
work and for interior finish.
Other characters: On the smaller branches there are irregular
developments of cork as shown in Fig. 76, projecting in some cases
to half an inch in thickness.
Other common names: _Red gum_.
Comparisons: The _cork elm_ is another tree that possesses corky ridges
along its twigs, but this differs from the sweet gum in wanting the
spiny fruit and its other distinctive traits.
AMERICAN LINDEN (_Tilia Americana_)
[Illustration: FIG. 77.--Bud of the Linden Tree.]
Distinguishing characters: The great distinguishing feature of any
linden is the *one-sided* character of its *bud* and *leaf*. The
bud, dark red and conical, carries a sort of protuberance which
makes it extremely one sided as shown in Fig. 77. The leaf, Fig. 78,
is heart-shaped with the side nearest the branch largest.
[Illustration: FIG. 78.--Leaves and Flowers of the European Linden.]
Form and size: The American Linden is a medium-sized tree with a broad
round head.
Range: Eastern North America and more common in the north than in the
south.
Soil and location: Requires a rich, moist soil.
[Illustration: FIG. 79.--European Linden Tree.]
[Illustration: FIG. 80.--Bud of the Umbrella Tree.]
Enemies: Its leaves are a favorite food of caterpillars and its wood is
frequently attacked by a boring insect known as the _linden borer_
(_Saperda vestita_).
Value for planting: The linden is easily transplanted and grows rapidly.
It is used for lawn and street planting but is less desirable for these
purposes than the European species.
Commercial value: The wood is light and soft and used for paper pulp,
woodenware, cooperage and furniture. The tree is a favorite with bee
keepers on account of the large quantities of nectar contained in
its flowers.
Other characters: The _fruit_ is like a pea, gray and woody. The
_flowers_ appear in early July, are greenish-yellow and very
fragrant.
Other common names: _Bass-wood_; _lime-tree_; _whitewood_.
Comparisons: The _European lindens_, Fig. 79, of which there are several
species under cultivation, differ from the native species in having
buds and leaves smaller in size, more numerous and darker in color.
THE MAGNOLIAS
The various species of magnolia trees are readily distinguished by their
buds. They all prefer moist, rich soil and have their principal value as
decorative trees on the lawn. They are distinctly southern trees; some
species under cultivation in the United States come from Asia, but the
two most commonly grown in the Eastern States are the cucumber tree and
the umbrella tree.
[Illustration: FIG. 81.--Bark of the Black Locust.]
CUCUMBER TREE (_Magnolia acuminata_)
Distinguishing characters: The *buds* are _small_ and _slender_ compared
with those of the other magnolia trees and are _covered_ with small
silvery silky _hairs_. The *habit* of the tree is to form a straight
axis of great height with a symmetrical mass of branches, producing
a perfect monopodial crown. The tree is sometimes known as _mountain
magnolia_.
UMBRELLA TREE (_Magnolia tripetala_)
Distinguishing characters: The _buds_, Fig. 80, are extremely _long_,
often one and a half inches, have a _purple color_ and _are smooth_.
The tree does not grow to large size and produces an open spreading
head. Its leaves, twelve to eighteen inches long, are larger than
those of the other magnolia trees. The tree is sometimes called
_elkwood_.
BLACK LOCUST (_Robinia pseudacacia_)
Distinguishing characters: The *bark* of the trunk is _rough_ and
_deeply ridged_, as shown in Fig. 81. The *buds* are _hardly
noticeable_; the twigs sometimes bear small spines on one side. The
leaves are large, compound, and fern-like. The individual leaflets
are small and delicate.
Form and size: The locust is a medium-sized tree developing a slender
straight trunk when grown alongside of others; see Fig. 82.
Range: Canada and United States.
Soil and location: The locust will grow on almost any soil except a wet,
heavy one. It requires plenty of light.
Enemies: The _locust borer_ has done serious damage to this tree. The
grubs of this insect burrow in the sapwood and kill the tree or make
it unfit for commercial use. The _locust miner_ is a beetle which is
now annually defoliating trees of this species in large numbers.
Value for planting: It has little value for ornamental planting.
Commercial value: Though short-lived, the locust grows very rapidly. It
is extremely durable in contact with the soil and possesses great
strength. It is therefore extensively grown for fence-posts and
railroad ties. Locust posts will last from fifteen to twenty years.
The wood is valuable for fuel.
[Illustration: FIG. 82.--Black Locust Trees.]
Other characters: The _flowers_ are showy pea-shaped panicles appearing
in May and June. The _fruit_ is a small pod.
Other common names: _Yellow locust_; _common locust_; _locust_.
Comparisons: The _honey locust_ (_Gleditsia triacanthos_) can be told
from the black locust by the differences in their bark. In the honey
locust the bark is not ridged, has a sort of dark iron-gray color
and is often covered with clusters of stout, sharp-pointed thorns as
in Fig. 83. The fruit is a large pod often remaining on the tree
through the winter. This tree has an ornamental, but no commercial
value.
[Illustration: FIG. 83.--Bark of the Honey Locust.]
HARDY CATALPA (_Catalpa speciosa_)
Distinguishing characters: The tree may be told by its *fruit*, which
hang in long slender pods all winter. The leaf-scars appear on the
stem in whorls of three and rarely opposite each other.
Form and size: The catalpa has a short, thick and twisted trunk with an
irregular head.
Range: Central and eastern United States.
[Illustration: FIG. 84.--Hardy Catalpa Trees.]
[Illustration: FIG. 85.--Bark of the Flowering Dogwood.]
Soil and location: It grows naturally on low bottom-lands but will also
do well in poor, dry soils.
Enemies: Practically free from disease and insects.
Value for planting: The catalpa grows very rapidly and is cultivated in
parks for ornament and in groves for commercial purposes. The _hardy
catalpa_ is preferable to the _common catalpa_ for planting.
Commercial value: The wood is extremely durable in contact with the soil
and is consequently used for posts and railroad ties.
Other characters: The _flowers_, which appear in late June and early
July, are large, white and very showy.
Other common names: _Indian bean_; _western catalpa_.
Comparisons: The _white flowering dogwood_ (_Cornus florida_) is a small
tree which also has its leaves in whorls of three or sometimes
opposite. It can be readily told from other trees, however, by the
small square plates into which the outer bark on the trunk divides
itself, see Fig. 85, and by the characteristic drooping character of
its branches. It is one of the most common plants in our eastern
deciduous forests. It is extremely beautiful both in the spring and
in the fall and is frequently planted for ornament. There are many
varieties of dogwood in common use.
WHITE MULBERRY (_Morus alba_)
A small tree recognized by its _small round reddish brown buds_ and
_light brown, finely furrowed_ (wavy looking) _bark_.
The tree, probably a native of China, is grown under cultivation in
eastern Canada and United States. It grows rapidly in moist soil and is
not fastidious in its light requirements. Its chief value is for
screening and for underplanting in woodlands.
The _red mulberry_ (_Morus rubra_) is apt to be confused with the white
mulberry, but differs in the following characters: The leaves of the red
mulberry are rough on the upper side and downy on the under side,
whereas the leaves of the white mulberry are smooth and shiny. The buds
in the red are larger and more shiny than those of the white.
The _Osage orange_ (_Toxylon pomiferum_) is similar to the mulberry in
the light, golden color of its bark, but differs from it in possessing
conspicuous spines along the twigs and branches and a more ridged bark.