Tree Information

Question 1

Fraxinus

Answer 1

Ash; opposite and compound leaves, fruit a single seeded samara; threatened by EAB

Question 2

Betula

Answer 2

Birch - sweet, gray, paper / white, yellow - native to eastern US; threatened by Bronze Birch Borer; 40-50’ T X 35-45’ W, oval, pyramidal; moderate growth rate

Question 3

Prunus

Answer 3

Serrulata, flowering; showy many varieties, can get very tall dependent on species, serrated leaves, attracts pollinators - often short lived dues to susceptibility to pests and diseases

Question 4

Cornus

Answer 4

kousa and florida; florida - flowers before foliage, berries in the fall beautiful peeling bark at maturity 25-35’ tall

Question 5

Ulmus

Answer 5

Elm, vase shaped, can grow 60-80’ and eventually pendulous and rounded in habit - often wider than high. highly susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease

Question 6

Ginkgo

Answer 6

very hardy, pest resistant, often used as a street tree or a tree in tough areas, can grow 50-80’ at maturity, broad pyramidal, female ginkgo’s are extremely messy

Question 7

Nyssa

Answer 7

sylvatica (black tupelo), medium sized, 40-70’ tall but generally less than 30’ in cultivation, medium to wet soil preference, slow growing

Question 8

Liquidambar styraciflua

Answer 8

Sweetgum; gum oozes from wounds, full sun to part shade; highly resistant to environmental factors; can grow 60-100’ tall, shallow root system should always be planted in the spring due to the longer root recovery time, can be susceptible to webworms / caterpillars / borers

Question 9

Crataegus

Answer 9

hawthorn, 20-30’ tall and wide, full sun, flowering but dependent on species can be foul smelling, thorny

Question 10

Carya ovata

Answer 10

shagbark hickory, characteristic peeling bark, can grow 60-80’ tall, narrow oblong crown, bright yellow green pinnately compound leaves and hickory nuts

Question 11

Ilex opaca

Answer 11

american holly, pyramidal evergreen, dark non glossy spine tipped leaves, moderately salt tolerant, highly resistant to deer, 40-60’ tall 10-20’ wide - susceptible to spider mites, ash whitely, soft scales and scorch

Question 12

Aesculus

Answer 12

horsechestnut; easily identifiable leaves divided palmately into 5-7 leaflets, flowering in late spring and early summer, can reach 50’, oval to round in habit

Question 13

Tilia

Answer 13

stately, spreading; lindens 60-80’ tall conical to rounding, broadly oval leaves, blooms yellow in spring

Question 14

Robinia

Answer 14

black locust, can reach up to 80’, becomes thick and deeply furrowed, spines found at each leaf or leaf scar - leaves pinnately compound with 3-9 pairs of opposite leaflets plus a terminal leaflet, long white clusters of flowers from april to early june; aggressive spreaders can be considered invasive in some areas

Question 15

Gleditsia

Answer 15

triacanthos, very durable somewhat overused in street tree plantings, typically var inermis is what is sold, 30-70’ tall narrow longer leaflets than robinia

Question 16

Magnolia

Answer 16

small growing ornamental tree, susceptible to scale insects, generally less that 30’ spring bloomer, prefers consistent, regular moisture

Question 17

Acer palmatum

Answer 17

Japanese Maple, growth habit varies dependent on cultivar, often dome shaped and less than 25’ tall

Question 18

Acer platanoides

Answer 18

Norway Maple; 40-60’ in height, very tolerant, aggressive spreaders

Question 19

Acer rubrum

Answer 19

Red Maple, narrow to compact crown, red flowers and leaf stalks as well as autumn foliage. 40-60’ tall, 3-5 lobed leaves

Question 20

Acer saccharinum

Answer 20

Silver Maple, fast growing, weak limbed with narrow crotch angles, 50-70’ tall, messy

Question 21

Acer Saccharum

Answer 21

Sugar maple; 60-75’ tall, rounded dense crown, susceptible to salt and heat damage

Question 22

Sorbus

Answer 22

Mountainash, small - 15-20’ tall but can grow up to 30’. narrow crown, pinnately compound leaves, short lived generally susceptible to fire blight, mildew, borers, etc

Question 23

Quercus velutina

Answer 23

black oak, can be used as a street tree, 50-60’ tall, alternate simple leaves with 5-7 bristle tipped lobes, deeply cut sinuses, shiny on top fuzzy on the bottom, angular yellowish fuzzy buds on twigs

Question 24

Quercus montana

Answer 24

chestnut oak, 60-70’ tall, rounded, messy, leaves look similar to chestnut leaves, many lobed with shallow sinuses, tolerant of poor soils

Question 25

Quercus palustris

Answer 25

pin oak; medium sized, faster growing red oak typically found in marshes or swamps, shallow rooted and easily transplanted. pyramidal crown when young that becomes more rounded and oval with age, branching pattern unique - lowermost branches angle sharply downward, middle branches horizontal and upper branches ascending - often used in urban environments, dark green leaves on both sized 5-7 sharply pointed lobes with deep U shaped sinuses

Question 26

Quercus rubra

Answer 26

red oak, medium sized moderate to fast growing, rounding to broad spreading crown that branches low to the ground. 50-75’ wide, green leaves on top that are gray-white underneath, 7-11 pointed lobes that are sharp at the tips, once established become very tolerant

Question 27

Quercus coccinea

Answer 27

scarlet oak, also called black oak, rounded open habit 50-80’ tall, vibrant scarlet foliage in the fall, prefers more dry soils - difficult to transplant due to large tap root, often confused with pin oak lobes on scarlet oak are C shaped

Question 28

Quercus alba

Answer 28

white oak, white oaks have rounded lobes, 50-80’ tall can be 100’ wide, drought tolerant, broad to round form at maturity

Question 29

Juglans nigra

Answer 29

eastern black walnut, valuable forest tree, intolerant of shade, 50-90’ height with an upright spreading, open form. very deep taproot making transplanting difficult, often loses its lower branches - contains juglone which inhibits the growth of some plants

Question 30

Juglans cinerea

Answer 30

butternut, small to medium sized, 40-60’ tall and equally wide, short trunk often forked with stout branches. dark green, pinnately-compound leaves with 11-19 leaflets, does not tolerate shade or competition

Question 31

Zelkova

Answer 31

closely related to Elms but resistant to DED, tolerates urban conditions and is often used as a street tree, 50-80’ tall, can tolerate shade, vase shaped with fast to moderate growth, highly susceptible to ice damage

Question 32

Thuja

Answer 32

arborvitae, tons of cultivars, dense, columnar-shaped often used for screening; leaves are flat, scaly and arranged in fan like clusters. naturally can grow to be 50-60’ tall - susceptible to winter damage, deer browse and bagworm

Question 33

Juniperus

Answer 33

in the cypress family, tons of species generally can get very large with needle and / or scale like leaves

Question 34

Pseudotsuga

Answer 34

douglas fir, in the pine family - medium to extremely large in size, leaves are flat, soft, linear needles similar looking to firs but occur singly and completely encircle the branch

Question 35

Abies balsamea

Answer 35

balsam fir, 50-70’ tall, best in full sun; aromatic, symmetrical, narrow pyramidal to conical - needles are unstalked with circular bases and are white banded underneath

Question 36

Abies concolor

Answer 36

concolor fir, 40-70’ best in full sun with even moisture, dislikes heat and humidity, upper branches tend to grow upward and lower branches tend to recline, soft, flattened pale blue green needles with uniform coloration on both sides

Question 37

Abies fraseri

Answer 37

fraser fir, silvery green foliage typically grown in the christmas tree industry, medium sized narrow pyramidal habit. needles are dense on the stem, flattened short turpentine scented needles, shiny dark green on the top with two silver bands beneath 30-50’ tall

Question 38

Tsuga

Answer 38

hemlock, sun to part shade, not tolerant of drought, can hedge prune, drooping branches with tiny cones, 40-75’ tall, needles are in flat planes on the branches underside has two parallel white bands

Question 39

Larix

Answer 39

larch, deciduous conifers, among the earliest trees to begin leaf out in the spring. clusters of needle like, green to blue green leaves, very adaptable, best to transplant when dormant, require full sun

Question 40

Pinus nigra

Answer 40

austrian pine, densely branches and conical when young that becomes umbrella shaped with age, long dark green needles. tolerates poor soils and winds, excellent for windbreaks 40-60’ tall

Question 41

Pinus thunbergii

Answer 41

Japanese black pine, striking irregular form, dark green needles, tolerant of salt, range of sizes dependent on the cultivar

Question 42

Pinus strobus

Answer 42

eastern white pine, 50-80’ tall, tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, intolerant of air pollution, bluish green soft needles in cluster of five

Question 43

Pinus mugo

Answer 43

mugo pine, bushy rounded conifer, varies based on cultivar, generally 20-25’ tall, generally tolerant of urban conditions, easy to transplant, medium to dark green needles in bunches of two

Question 44

Pinus resinosa

Answer 44

red pine, susceptible to a number of disease and insect problems, grows 40’ plus and is shade and dry site tolerant

Question 45

Pinus sylvestris

Answer 45

Scotch pine, fast growing medium sized conifer, 30-60’ tall with a conical to columnar habit that becomes open and irregular with age, distinguishing bark flaking, cinnamon colored, needles are short, twisted blue green and in bundles of two, tolerant of urban conditions and easily transplanted

Question 46

Picea pungens

Answer 46

colorado blue spruce, can grow up to 75’ tall but is much smaller in the landscape, waxy green / gray needles which are arranged radially on the shoots and curve upwards

Question 47

Picea abies

Answer 47

norway spruce, rapid growing often grown in the christmas tree industry, dislikes heat, wet feet and hot dry summers, needles are up to one inch long, green, four sided saber like and arranged on the branch in rows

Question 48

Picea glauca

Answer 48

white spruce, large pyramidal evergreen with aromatic foliage and a uniform habit, 40-60’ tall, shade tolerant