Part 4

CAROLINA COTTONWOOD (Populus balsamifera)

Trunks often forking from the base, often leaning. Bark gray green; in age gray, furrowed, with braiding ridges. Twigs ocher, sometimes corky ridged. Buds sticky, brown. Leaves with a translucent border, paler beneath, yellow in fall. Range: Que. and N. B. to Fla., Tex. and Kans. A small tree of shores and low plains, with rainy-sounding, twinkling foliage, sending forth at fruiting time clouds of downy seeds. FREMONT COTTONWOOD (Populus Fremontii) has leaves tapering at tip, not paler beneath. Centr. Calif. to N. Mex. and s. Colo. GREAT PLAINS POPLAR (Populus Sargentii) has lighter yellow twigs, hoary buds, leaves broader than long, lighter green, fewer toothed. High plains and mts. from Albt. to w. Tex. and N. Mex. Groves of this tree, sighted by pioneers, indicated the presence of water. From their flimsy wood were run up the first towns of the old West.

MOCKER NUT HICKORY (Carya alba)

Shape oval, 50-70 ft. tall. Trunk somewhat swollen at base. Branches more or less down sweeping except the upper ones. Bark not shaggy but broken by rough, corky, braided ridges that appear as if sand-papered. Twigs stout, ruddy, downy. Buds pale gray, thick, densely hairy, many-scaled. Leaves of 7-9 resinous leaflets, paler beneath. Fruit a large husk splitting into 4 segments; nut brownish; kernel sweet. Range: Gulf States to s. Gt. Lakes region and s. N.E. The wood is used like that of shagbark and not commercially differentiated. PIGNUT (Carya glabra) is similar, but the twigs and shining, heavy leaves are without hairs; leaflets 5-7; fruit pear-shaped; shell very bony. The kernel is far inferior to that of Shagbark and Mocker Nut. It is found throughout the e. deciduous forest belt.

SHAGBARK HICKORY (Carya ovata)

Shape narrowly oblong, up to 140 ft. tall. Bark smoke gray, shaggy and peeling off in long thick strips. Branches pendulous. Twigs erect, stout. Buds large, many scaled. Leaves of 5-7 leaflets. Fruit with a thick husk splitting into 4 segments; nut whitish, 4-ridged, the kernel delicious. Range: Gt. Lakes region to Tex. and Fla., e. to N. E. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, employed for all implements requiring strength, such as axles, axe handles, ploughs, and skiis. This noble tree leafs out late and early drops its bronze foliage. KING NUT HICKORY (Carya laciniosa) is similar in every way but the leaflets are 7-9 in number, downier beneath; nut very large, yellowish, in a thinner husk. As a nut tree this is decidedly superior to Shagbark. Centr. N. Y. and down the Ohio Valley, Mo., Ia., and e. Okla. Bark scaly rather than shaggy, but peeling off.

BUTTERNUT (Juglans cinerea)

Shape oval, up to 90 ft. tall. Bark deeply fissured, gray; twigs stout, downy and sticky when young, as are the stout buds. Leaves with downy, sticky stalk and central axis, consisting in 11-19 leaflets. Fruits 3-5 on a branch, ½ in. long, coated with matted, clammy, rusty hairs; the husk not splitting; nut 2-celled at base, ridged, with sweet kernel. Range: N.B. to Va., s. in the mts. to Ga., w. to centr. Minn. and s. to Ark. The light brown, soft wood is used for furniture and interior finish. The green husks are still employed in the s. Appalachians to dye cloth orange and yellow; sugar of excellent quality can be made from the sap. CALIFORNIA WALNUT (Juglans Hindsii) differs from Black Walnut in having 11-17 narrower leaflets and smaller nuts. Coast from San Francisco south. MEXICAN WALNUT (Juglans rupestris) is a small tree, with 9-23 very slender leaflets. W. Tex. to Ariz.

BLACK WALNUT (Juglans nigra)

Shape round headed, short trunked, up to 150 ft. tall. Bark brown, furrowed. Twigs thick, downy at first. Buds flattened, with 4 scales. Leaves with 15-25 pairs of leaflets, minutely downy beneath, becoming smooth and shiny above. Fruit solitary or paired, about 2 in. thick, the husk not splitting, thick, bitter-smelling; kernel sweet inside the 4-celled, black nut. Range: s. N.E. to Gt. Lakes region and centr. Neb., s. to e. Tex., and s. on the piedmont to Ga. and Ala. The very strong heavy, durable wood is a beautiful rich dark brown. It has played an interesting role in American history. Its husks dyed the homespuns of the first settlers; its wood furnished the colonial cabinet makers, and in the Civil War it was in great demand for gunstocks. The craze for this tree reached fantastic lengths and resulted in its widespread destruction.

CANOE BIRCH (Betula papyrifera)

Shape broadly pyramidal: up to 80 ft. tall. Bark soft, chalky white (gray, or orange, in some regions) peeling around the stems in papery strips. Branches horizontal, often pendulous at the ends. Leaves shining above, black-dotted below. Range: Lab. to Alaska and Wash., s. to Pa., s. Mich., s. Wis., and w. to Neb. and Mont. The wood is valued for woodenware. This lovely tree with cheerful foliage and softly gleaming bark, lightens the somberness of northern forests, and furnished Indians with canoes. BLACK BIRCH (Betula fontinalis) is similar, but with close bronze bark and doubly toothed leaves. Alaska to Ore., in the Rockies to Colo. RIVER BIRCH (Betula nigra) has ragged, flaky, silvery gray to reddish brown bark and rhombic-oval leaves, the undersides whitish and downy. River-banks, Mass. to s. Minn. (but s. of the Gt. Lakes) and to n. Fla. and e. Tex. Not in the higher Appalachians.

CHERRY BIRCH (Betula lenta)

Shape pyramidal in youth, broad topped in age; up to 80 ft. tall. Bark on young parts lustrous red brown, on old brown and cracked. Branches ultimately wide spreading, drooping at the ends. Twigs slender, lustrous red brown. Leaves fragrant, like the bark, 2½-6 in. long with yellow midrib, the undersides veiny and downy in the axils. Range: Me. to the mts. of Ala., w. to Ohio. The wood is heavy, strong, dark and satiny. It is used for ships and furniture. It yields birch oil which is employed medicinally and as a flavoring. Birch beer is made from the sugary sap. Very beautiful in spring, when the golden catkins clothe the tree, this is the most valuable timber tree among our birches. YELLOW BIRCH (Betula lutea) is similar, but the bark is gray and flaky and the twigs are downy. Newf. to Man., s. to the mts. of Ga. The wood is valued for agricultural implements.

AMERICAN BEECH (Fagus grandifolia)

Shape broad topped; up to 100 ft. tall. Trunk massive. Bark smooth, bluish gray. Branches greatly forked, terminating in many delicate pale gray twigs. Leaves thin and filmy or becoming thicker and darker in the South, turning a soft gold in autumn. Fruit a small brown edible nut enclosed in a box-like rusty, knobby husk which splits, after frost, by 4 valves. Range: N.B. to e. Wis., s. to e. Tex. and n. Fla. The wood is strong, tough and handsome but warping and not durable. The bark is an ingredient in skin ointments and the nuts are gathered for the market, but fruiting is scarce except far North. Beech woods, formerly of great extent on limestones of the Middle West, were the gathering place of the passenger pigeon which subsisted largely on beech nuts. The beech forms open and airy but cool and emerald forest glades.

HOP HORNBEAM (Ostrya virginiana)

Shape with a round branchy top; to 70 ft. tall. Bark gray, scaly, rough. Twigs slender, tough. Leaves 3-5 in. long, light yellow green below, with downy tufts in the axils of the veinlets. Range: Cape Breton to the Black Hills, s. to Fla. and e. Tex. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, used for tool handles, woodenware, etc. This shady graceful tree is birch-like in form and bark, but beech-like in leaf; its autumn foliage being clear yellow. IRONWOOD (Carpinus caroliniana) is a similar but smaller tree, the trunk frequently forking near the ground, bark close and blue-gray; stem and branches fluted and sinewy. Nutlet not enclosed in a hop-like bag as in the Hop Hornbeam, but borne on a papery bract. This graceful, leaning tree, with scarlet autumn leaves, is also called Blue Beech. Que. to Minn., Fla. and Tex.

WHITE ELM (Ulmus americana)

Shape, with a broadly umbrella-form top, up to 120 ft. tall. Trunk often forking. Bark light gray, scaly and fissured. Branches very numerous but only at the tip where they spread upwards like the spokes of an umbrella, drooping at the ends. Leaves rough above, paler beneath, a bright clear yellow in autumn. Range: Throughout the e. half of the United States; n. to Newf.; reaching the Rockies from Sask. to Colo. This magnificent tree characterizes stream banks and valleys in the wild, and in cultivation the old villages, manor grounds, and colleges of the northeastern states. CORK ELM (Ulmus racemosa) has twigs and undersides of leaves downy even at maturity. Branchlets finally corky winged. Middle West and Tenn. to Que. and nw. N. E. Both kinds are used for hubs, beams of heavy agricultural implements and boats.

SLIPPERY ELM (Ulmus fulva)

Shape with a broad, open, flat topped head: 60-70 ft. tall. Bark dark brown tinged with red, divided by shallow fissures and covered by large scales. Twigs stout, bright green, rough and downy. Leaves very scratchy above, densely downy beneath, turning dull yellow in autumn. Range: Throughout the e. half of the country and se. Can. A massive, handsome tree, whose wood is used for agricultural implements, fence posts and ties. The thick fragrant inner bark of the branches is mucilaginous and was formerly used as a chewing-stick; it is employed in medicine against inflammations. CEDAR ELM (Ulmus crassifolia) differs from all other elms in being autumn-flowering. From the above it differs in its corky winged pendulous branchlets and broader, shorter, lustrous leaves. A handsome tree. Miss. to s. Ark, w. Tex. and adj. Mex.

COMMON HACKBERRY (Celtis occidentalis)

Shape round topped: to 120 ft. tall. Trunk slender. Branches spreading or pendulous. Bark light brown to silver gray, smooth until old age when broken into scales or warty knobs. Leaves lustrous and rough above, turning yellow in autumn; Fruit orange red to dark purple, with thin edible flesh and large stone. Range: N. C. to Kans. and n. to Que. and Man. This handsome tree has not much timber value; its leaves in the South are sometimes heavy and dark green. MISSISSIPPI HACKBERRY (Celtis laevigata) differs in its much narrower and longer leaves, the margins not toothed; fruits smaller. S. Ind. and Ill. through Ky., Tenn. and Ala. to s. Fla., Ark., Tex., Mex., and Bermuda. WESTERN HACKBERRY (Celtis reticulata) is a small tree with very veiny, thick leaves and orange fruits. Colo. and Tex. to Wash. and s. Calif.

SOUTHERN CHINQUAPIN (Castanea pumila)

Bark light brown, furrowed with narrow cracks. Leaves 3-5 in. long, white-downy beneath, dull yellow in fall. Flowers in dangling white catkins. Fruit a spiny husk containing 1 small, sweet, brown nut. Range: e. Tex. to Mo. and up the Ohio to Pa. Also uplands from Ala. to Tenn. and Md. A mere shrub over much of its range, Chinquapin is a tree 50 ft. tall in the far South. The nuts are offered in the southern markets. CHESTNUT (Castanea dentata) has been almost annihilated by chestnut blight. GIANT CHINQUAPIN (Castanopsis chrysophylla) is similar but the leaves are shiny, evergreen, golden-downy beneath; catkins erect. A tree 50-115 ft. tall, with ruddy or gray, deeply furrowed bark. Cascades of Ore. to the outer Coast ranges of Calif.

TANBARK OAK (Lithocarpus densiflora)

Shape symmetrical, pyramidal, short-trunked, 40-150 ft. tall. Bark on young trunks white-mottled, on old brown, smoothish or checked into rough plates. Leaves 2-5 in. long, evergreen, the undersides densely white downy beneath, becoming smooth, with a white bloom; nerves parallel, conspicuous beneath. Fruit acorn-like but the cup scales almost prickly. Range: Mts. of sw. Ore. and n. Coast Ranges of Calif.; also in the Sierra Nevada to Mariposa Co. The wood is hard and strong, used for furniture and interior construction. The bark is highly valuable for tanning; it is stripped in May, June, and July. This magnificent tree resembles a chestnut in leaf, flower, and the cup of its acorn, but is oak-like in its shape and nut. Popularly often called “Sovereign Oak.”