Evergreens

Question 1

Abies balsanea

Answer 1

balsam fir

leaves: soft round tip flat needles, curve upwards, much shorter than white fir. v shaped parting between lateral sets of needles. dark green with white stomatic bands

buds & stems: small ovoid resinous buds. smooth stems with fine greyish hairs

fruit & flowers: upright cones, dark violet to grey-brown. scales fall off after releasing seeds, central strucure of cone persistent. male strobilii develop along axils of needles

bark: smooth grey resinous bark with blisters
habit: narrow pyramidal tree
notes: Firs: flat rounded needles, cones point upwards. “firs are friendly”

Question 2

Tsuga canadensis

Answer 2

Canadian hemlock

leaves: short, flat, blunt needle, dark green with white stomatic band on underside; arranged on a parallel flat plane oppositely

buds & stems:

fruit & flowers: small cones, 1/2-1”, medium brown, hang like ornaments. male strobilii terminate twigs

bark: tight blocking dark grey-brown, wide flat ridges
habit: pendulously pyramidal in older age, 40-70’, often a drooping central leader
notes: requires shade & moist soil

Question 3

Taxus cuspidata

Answer 3

Japanese yew

leaves: short-stalked, 2 ranked upright. flattened & curve downward. bright green above & lighter w/ yellow stomatic bands underneath

buds & stems: greenish stems, brown scaled ovoid buds

fruit & flowers: ovoid red fleshy aril covers seed on females

bark: older specimens have reddish exfoliating bark in scales or strips
habit: used as a hedge or barrier, 10-40’. broad or erect crown
notes: fruit poisonous

Question 4

Picea pungens

Answer 4

Colorado blue spruce

leaves: curved prickly 4 sided needles with white stomatic bands. more bluish white on outer growth, green closer to trunk

buds & stems:

fruit & flowers: cones start purplish & erect, drooping & brown mature cones have toothed scales

bark: similar to other picea
habit: pyramidal with low horizontal branches that can swoop upwards

notes:

Question 5

Picea abies

Answer 5

Norway spruce

leaves: needles on upper side overlap & face forward. lower side spread right & left. rhombic needle, 1/2-1”, stiff, straight or curved, ends in blunt horny point light-dark green w/ 2-3 stomatic lines

buds & stems: light brown buds. needles form on pendulous branchlets

fruit & flowers: cylindrical cone, 4-6”, pendulous& slightly curved; purple green to light brown. triangular scales. pink terminal male strobilii

bark: thick bark with thin grey-brown flaking scales, reddish pitch
habit: pendulous branches curve upwards. strong central leader

notes:

Question 6

Juniperus horizontalis

Answer 6

creeping juniper

leaves: scale-like leaves, closely apressed in 4 ranks. shortly pointed. blue green w/ white waxy substance. also awl-shaped in opposite pairs. plume like texture. purple color in cold weather

buds & stems: flexible stems

fruit & flowers: powdery blue-green juniper “berries”

bark:

habit: shrub or low mat groundcover, 1-2’ high, long trailing branches

notes:

Question 7

Picea glauca

Answer 7

white spruce

leaves: needles more whitish, 2-5 stomatic bands on both sides of needle. shorter than other picea; glaucous green to blue green

buds & stems: small chestnut colored buds

fruit & flowers: smaller for a spruce, hanging, 1-2 1/2”; thin rounded scales

bark: similar to norway spruce, thin & scaly
habit: broad dense pyramid in youth. avg 40-60’, up to 100’. spire like top, strong central leader, sweeping lower branches
notes: needles give skunky odor

Question 8

Tsuga caroliniana

Answer 8

Carolina hemlock

leaves: flat needles spiral around stem, creat “bottle brush” effect

buds & stems:

fruit & flowers: small cones, similar to canadensis but larger

bark: similar to canadensis

habit:

notes: native to south, hardy to zone 5

Question 9

Thuja occidentalis

Answer 9

American arborvitae

leaves: scale-like, 1/12” pointed leaves. overlap on flat planes of foliage

buds & stems: flat plane green branchlets in a horizontal spray

fruit & flowers: small green cone w/ big overlapping scales. oblong & yellow when young, fully opened & brown when mature

bark: greyish brown to reddish brown, close connected ridges & furrows
habit: often multistemmed, forms columnar shape, 40-60’ but often cultivated smaller

notes:

Question 10

Pinus resinosa

Answer 10

red pine

leaves: 2 needles per fascicle, 5-6”, brittle. persistent 4 years. sharp, slender, will snap when bent

buds & stems: scaled rough texture from prominence of needle bundles. glabrous stout brown-yellow green branches. small ovoid resinous bud

fruit & flowers: rounded cones, solitary or in pairs

bark: red bark with scaly plates, multicolored with oranges & browns
habit: straight tall trunk, 50-80’, heavily branched on top. branches go out & up
notes: prefers dry sandy soil

Question 11

Pinus mugo

Answer 11

mugo pine

leaves: smaller, thick rigid flattened needles,1-2” finely toothed. stomatic lines on both surfaces. med to dark green, 2 needles per fascicle, stiff & curved

buds & stems: needles arch forward at branch end. buds ovoid smalll w/ reddish brown scales. ridged stems, green to brown with raised fascicles

fruit & flowers: squat round cone

bark: brownish grey with scaly irregular plates, smoother on old trunks
habit: shrublike tree, irregular branching habit, low long spreading. up to 50’ in native habitat

notes:

Question 12

Pinus sylvestris

Answer 12

Scotch pine

leaves: 2 twisted & stiff needle per fascicle, blue green & glaucous, many stomatic lines

buds & stems: oblong-ovate scaled pointed buds

fruit & flowers: smaller egg shaped singular cones, light brown, darker when opened, 1 1/2-3”

bark: lower trunk grey blocky & thick, upper trunk exfoliates to orangish-red
habit: an irregular pyramid in youth, lower branches die off to form umbrella shaped crown, often twisted branches & trunk, 70-150’

notes:

Question 13

Abies concolor

Answer 13

white fir

leaves: short pointed & rounded needles, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2”. 2 white stomatic bands. flattened needles curve upwards; “ribcage” effect. whitsh-greyish bluish & glaucous, become more green with age

buds & stems: large conical blunt resinous buds, light brown. stems horizontal

fruit & flowers: long cylindrical upright cones, 3-6”, brown

bark: smooth to deeply furrowed, grey with flattened ridges
habit: 30-50’, largest is 200’ pyramidal with horizontal branches to the base, upper branches point upwards

notes:

Question 14

Chanaecyparis pisifera

Answer 14

Sawara falsecypress

leaves: scaled leaves, branches arrange upwards. white “x” bands on underside of scales. closely pressed together & flattened w/ spreading tips. shiny dark green

buds & stems: drooping tips create horizontal plane

fruit & flowers: small knobby scaled cone

bark: shredded reddish thin bark in narrow strips
habit: 50-75’, 10-20’ spread. pyramidal with loose open habit

notes:

Question 15

Pinus bungeana

Answer 15

lacepark pine

leaves: needles in bundles of 3, 2-4”, finely toothed. sharp glossy dark green & stiff

buds & stems: smooth greenish grey glabrous stems

fruit & flowers: small ovoid yellowish cones

bark: exfoliating green-white-rust silver grey bark
habit: multistemmed shrub to small tree, rounded or pyramidal, 30-50’
notes: chinese introduction

Question 16

Pinus rigida

Answer 16

pitch pine

leaves: 3 needle per fascicle, 3-8”, long & stout. rigid & twisted, triangular in cross section

buds & stems: only pine with epicormic sprouting

fruit & flowers: waxy-med size cones in whorls of 3-5. persistent green to light brown to grey

bark: heavy plated bark with large flakes, dark black fissures
habit: can grown from 60’, often dwarfed, can be successional. salt tolerant & fire adapted
notes: native, common on seashore

Question 17

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Answer 17

Douglas fir

leaves: flat soft needles, spirally arranged. slightly raised needle scars on twigs. ‘camphor” smell

buds & stems: conical pointed buds are shiny chestnut brown

fruit & flowers: cones point down & disintegrate on stem, 3 pointed bracts under scales. male strobilii in dense clusters

bark: grey scaly bark
habit: up to 150’, pyramidal when young

notes: