Author Topic: Over Wintering Trees - An Aid to Indentify trees by twigs and buds (WIP) (Read 52730 times)

SwampDonkey · « **on:** November 15, 2005, 08:48:24 PM »

Unfortunately, because I live further north than alot of the southern hardwoods I cannot cover all the families with the wide varieties of species that exist. As I work through the families of trees, maybe I can request some photos of branches and buds I don't have, but should be included. We'll see how it goes.

This first section has to do with the birch family betulaceae

White or Paper birch Betula papyrifera

twig with male catkins

bud

bark peeling

bark of older tree

Leaf - September

Yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis

twig

bud

male catkins

Ripe female catkins (September)

bark of Young - mature tree

bark of mature - over mature tree

Leaf -September

Gray birch Betula populifolia

twig

male catkin

female catkin
lenticels are warty glandular, lateral buds are gummy

seed and bracts

bark

Ironwood (hophornbeam) Ostrya virginiana

twig

bud

male catkins.
Notice the near 90 degree orientation to the stem.

Leaf - September

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2005, 08:17:53 AM »

This section deals with the beech family Fagaceae

American beech Fagus grandifolia

twig

bud

bark

Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra

twig

buds

One Year old immature acorns

Bark of mature tree (SPIKER)

Takes two years for acorns to mature in the red oak family

White Oak Quercus alba

twig

buds

We will return to the beech family later

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2005, 08:48:05 AM »

This section deals with the maple family Aceraceae

Sugar maple Acer saccharum

twig

buds

bark

Leaf -September

Boxelder (Manitoba or ash leaf maple) Acer nugundo

twig

buds

bark

Red Maple (swamp or white maple) Acer rubrum

twig

buds

flower buds

bark of mature tree

Leaf -September

Striped maple (moosewood) Acer pensylvanicum

twig

buds

We will return to the maple family later

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2005, 09:04:35 AM »

This section deals with the Linden family Tiliaceae

American basswood Tilia americana

twig

buds
Notice the slight cant of the buds.

bark of young tree

Flowers - July

Ripened basswood fruit with bract - September

Leaf -September

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2005, 09:29:15 AM »

This section deals with the walnut family Juglandaceae

Butternut (white walnut) Juglans cinerea

twig

buds

pith
Pith has thick diaphrams, dark choc brown

bark

Black Walnut Juglans nigra

twig

buds

pith
Pith has thin diaphrams, buff-colored

bark of young tree

Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata

Bark of mature tree (SPIKER)

Twig and buds (Spiker)

Pignut Hickory Carya glabra

Bark of mature tree (SPIKER)

Seed (forum member bitternut)

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2005, 12:49:59 PM »

This section deals with the Willow or Poplar family Salicaceae

Trembling aspen (quaking aspen or popple) Populus tremuloides

twig

Flowers emerging in spring

bark of mature tree

Large tooth aspen (big tooth aspen) Populus grandidentata

twig

buds

bark of young tree

Bark of mature tree

Fall coloration - September

Balsam Poplar (balm-of-gilead, tacamahac) Populus balsamifera

twig

bud

bark

Willow Salix spec

twig

buds
Willow buds have a single caplike bud scale

Flowers emerging in spring

We will return to the Poplar family later

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2005, 01:07:55 PM »

This section deals with the Olive family Oleaceae

Black ash (swamp ash) Fraxinus nigra

twig

buds

bark on young tree

Leaf - September

White ash Fraxinus americana

twig

buds

bark on young tree

Leaf - September

Ash seed, black on the left and white on the right.

We will return to the olive family later

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #7 on:** November 17, 2005, 12:35:37 PM »

This section deals with the Elm Family Ulmaceae

American Elm (white elm) Ulmus americana

zigzag twig

buds

bark

Slippery Elm (red elm) Ulmus rubra

Bark of mature tree (SPIKER)

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** November 18, 2005, 01:49:27 PM »

This section deals with the Rose Family Rosaceae

Black Cherry Prunus serotina

twig sent by member bitternut

buds

bark

Leaf pubescence on underside

Leaf - September

Pin Cherry (fire cherry) Prunus pensylvanica

twig

buds, clustered at terminal (Bitter Cherry is similar)

bark, 8 inch DBH

Leaf - September

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2006, 04:03:05 PM »

This section deals with the Sycamore family Platanaceae

Sycamore planetree Platanus occidentalis

twig sent by member bitternut: leaf scars nearly surround bud, no true terminal bud, buds have single cap-like scale like Salix spp., lateral buds resinous and divergent (turn sharply away from twig).

Bark of mature tree. (sent by member Wesdor)

Typical white bark of limbs and immature trees (sent by member Wesdor)

We will return to the sycamore family later

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2006, 04:08:34 PM »

This section deals with the Magnolia family Magnoliaceae

Yellow-poplar tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera

Twig sent by member Larry

Bark of young tree - 4" sent by member Larry

Cucumbertree Magnolia acuminata

twig image submitted by member bitternut

bud image submitted by member bitternut

We will return to the magnolia family later

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2006, 04:37:05 PM »

As everyone knows this is a Work-in-Progess (WIP). Since I am up here in the north I don't have access to your native hardwoods of the south. I would like to continue with updating this thread with the help of anyone interested. Take a look at the categories I've set up here and you can see alot are incomplete. What we need to complete the thread are images (in focus) of twigs, buds, overwintering flower buds, and bark. And a big help would be to add your comments on what distinguishes one species of oak from another or some tiny little structure of the tree that is unique, but can be seen my the naked eye or 10x magnification. I know the weather is getting kind of rough these days, but this time of year is probably the least busy for some. If anyone wants to contribute with photos, just IM me. What I want to make sure of is that any photo that is used, I will stamp the members forum user name on the image. So make sure the photo name contains your username and species. Photos that I solicit from you have to be within the 30 k and pixel limit. For images of buds there are some really nice digital cameras that some of you members have for good closeups. You might not think buds are important, but sometimes the difference from one species to the other can be the difference in bud scales or even the shape and arrangement of the buds. So have a look at the thread and see what is missing. I know one family that isn't even present yet and that is the magnolia family which includes the infamous Tulip Tree. Our biggest family is going to be Fagaceae (beech, oaks, chestnut) and Juglandacea (walnut, pecan) is nothing toe sneer at either.

I think the thread should be locked for reference and any existing posts can be split into another thread with help from our helpful admins.

When you IM me to make a contribution I will send you a message containing my email address, then you can send the image there. Thanks in advance everyone.

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