Part 68

Bark: Dark brown, broken into square plates.

Twigs: Slender, somewhat rusty-hairy; leaf scars opposite, crescent-shaped, with 3 bundle traces.

Buds: Rusty-hairy, up to ½ inch long.

Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades elliptic to obovate, short-pointed or rounded at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 3 inches long, about half as wide, sharply and finely toothed along the edges, dark green and usually smooth on the upper surface, paler and with some rusty hairs on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ¾ inch long, rusty-hairy.

Flowers: Many in broad, round-topped clusters, appearing during April and May, each flower small and creamy-white.

Fruit: Fleshy, oblong, to obovoid, blue-black, up to ⅔ inch long. sweet, containing a single stone.

Wood: Hard, heavy, strong but brittle, close-grained, dark orange-brown.

Use: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.

Habitat: Dry, rocky woods.

Range: Virginia across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Florida.

Distinguishing Features: The most distinguishing characteristics of the Rusty Nannyberry are the rusty-hairy buds and leaf stalks.

Special Places to Study Trees

A number of places in the state of Illinois provide opportunities to study and to observe woody plants. Some of the major ones are briefly described below.

The Morton Arboretum

A good place to learn the trees of Illinois firsthand is the Morton Arboretum at Lisle, some twenty-five miles west of Chicago. This privately endowed educational and scientific institution is devoted to growing all kinds of woody plants that will survive in northern Illinois. On the Arboretum’s 1500 acres one can find large collections of oaks, maples, elms, ashes, lindens, junipers, pines, firs, spruces, and numerous other groupings of woody plants from places throughout the temperate world.

Certain collections in the Arboretum are along designated trails and are especially useful in learning to identify trees. Perhaps the most popular is the Illinois Trees Trail, where native trees are identified by plaques that show common and scientific names and give other interesting information about the trees. Another is the Evergreen Trail, which features conifers.

Some trails emphasize ecology or other aspects of biology but also feature trees. One of these is the Thornhill Trail, a general nature trail on which trees are prominent. Another trail links nearby nature study areas, including a mini-prairie, a wild flower garden, a northern coniferous forest, and a pond-marsh. A short garden trail, the Viburnum Walk, is unusual in that it utilizes a grouping of Viburnums and their relatives to illustrate some of the principles of plant classification.

Landscape plantings are another important feature in the Arboretum, and the extensive forested areas provide a dramatic backdrop for cultivated plantings that have been blended skillfully into the natural landscape. These are especially spectacular in spring when flowering trees are in bloom and in fall when the foliage is in color.

At the Morton Arboretum there is a continuous effort to learn more about the adaptability of trees and shrubs to the special growing conditions of northern Illinois, especially the soils and climate. The natural forests are being used as an outdoor laboratory for ecological studies, and certain cultivated collections are experimental. The Street Tree Collection, for example, is a large experimental assemblage of various trees thought to be suitable for street and shade purposes. The Heath (Ericaceous) Collection is valuable in determining the cultural requirements for growing certain azaleas and rhododendrons in northern Illinois.

The Morton Arboretum has been designed for learning through outdoor experiences. The grounds are open every day of the year, and visitors are always welcome. A modest admission fee is charged for each car entering. In the Visitor Center, an overall orientation is offered through exhibits and audio-visual presentations explaining the purposes and functions of the Arboretum. Groups planning to visit should request advance information about seasonal features, current hours, special programs, and eating facilities. The varied opportunities and abundant facilities at the Morton Arboretum make visits both pleasant and memorable.

Illinois Natural History Survey

The Illinois Natural History Survey is a research organization devoted to the scientific study of the living natural resources of Illinois. It is one of the Divisions of the Department of Registration and Education and is administered by a Board of Natural Resources and Conservation, consisting of the Director of the Department, the President of the University of Illinois, or his representative, the President of Southern Illinois University, or his representative, members and experts in the fields of geology, biology, chemistry, forestry, and engineering.

The Survey is organized into sections, five of which are engaged in scientific pursuits. These are aquatic biology, botany and plant pathology, economic entomology, faunistic survey, and wildlife. These sections pursue basic and scientific research in systematics, ecology, environmental quality, and control of plant diseases and insect pests. The zoological collections of the Survey, numbering about 8,800,000 specimens, rank among the largest and most valuable in the world. The botanical collections are smaller in size. The vascular plant collections number over 145,000 specimens that are most representative for studies of distribution in Illinois. The mycological collections, with more than 35,000 specimens, include numerous types that are basic to scientific research.

The Survey is housed in the Natural Resources Building and the Natural Resources Studies Annex on the campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana. In addition, the Survey maintains special research facilities at Fox Ridge State Park, Stephen A. Forbes State Park, Havana, Sullivan, and elsewhere for studies of pond management, prairie chickens, pheasants, waterfowl, fish, and wildlife.

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, has both a Department of Botany and a Department of Forestry where students may select courses from a broad curriculum to study various aspects of plant life. Many forest-oriented courses are available, and most of them include actual work in the field. The University has an arboretum on campus where ornamental species are emphasized. Guided tours of these arboreta, as well as of the display greenhouse, can be arranged by contacting the Chairman of the Department of Botany, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901.

DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The department has programs in instruction, research and public service. The instructional program offers professional undergraduate training in forest science and wood science and these are accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Graduate training is provided only at the Master’s level within the department. Doctoral work can be pursued through interdisciplinary programs in genetics, ecology, and plant physiology under the general direction of forestry staff who are members of these respective faculties.