American chestnut Fagaceae Castanea dentata

Leaf:Alternate, simple, oblong to lanceolate, 5 to 8 inches long, pinnately veined, sharply and coarsely serrated with each serration bearing a bristle tip, dark green above and paler below. Both sides are hairless.
Flower:Monoecious; many small, pale green (nearly white) male flowers found tightly occuring along 6 to 8 inch catkins; females found near base of catkins (near twig), appearing in late spring to early summer.
Fruit:Large, round spiny husk (very sharp), 2 to 2 1/2 inch in diameter, enclosing 2 to 3 shiny, chestnut brown nuts, 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, mostly round but flattened on 1 or 2 sides ripen in early fall.
Twig:Moderately stout, hairless, chestnut- to orange-brown in color, numerous lighter lenticels; buds are orange-brown, 1/4 inch long, covered with 2 or 3 scales (they somewhat resemble a kernel of wheat), buds are set slightly off center from semicircular leaf scar.
Bark:Smooth and chestnut-brown in color when young, later shallowly fissured into flat ridges, older trees develop distictive large, interlacing ridges and furrows. Blight infested bark is sunken and split, often with orange fungal fruiting bodies.
Form:Once a very tall, well formed, massive tree reaching over 100 feet tall. The chestnut is now found mostly as stump sprouts, less than 20 feet tall. Larger stems are often deformed by blight and sprouting below cankers.

Notes:

scarlet oak Fagaceae Quercus coccinea

Leaf:Alternate, simple, 3 to 7 inches long, oval in shape with very deep sinuses and bristle-tipped lobes, shiny green above, paler and generally hairless below but may have tufts in vein axils.
Flower:Monoecious; males are borne on slender yellow-green catkins; females are borne on very short axilliary spikes, both appear with the leaves in spring.
Fruit:Acorns are 1/2 to 1 inch long, with the cap covering 1/2 of the nut, cap scales are shiny, somewhat resembling a varnished black oak cap, scales on edges of cap genrally not loose; the tip of the acorn may have concentric rings or fine cracks; maturing in two years and ripening in the fall.
Twig:Moderately stout, red-brown with multiple terminal buds; buds reddish brown, plump, pointed, slightly angled, and covered with a light colored pubescence on the top half.
Bark:On young trees, gray-brown, with smooth streaks; later becoming darker and developing irregular broad ridges and narrow furrows especially near the base.
Form:A medium size tree reaching up to 80 feet tall with generally poor form, irregular crown, and many dead branches. A butt-swell is often noticeable, and often is useful in identification.

Notes:

white ash Oleaceae Fraxinus americana

Leaf:Opposite, pinnately compound with 7 serrate to entire leaflets that are ovate to somewhat lanceolate, 8 to 12 inches long, essentially hairless, green above and slightly paler below.
Flower:Dioecious; light green to purplish, both sexes lacking petals, females occuring in loose panicles, males in tighter clusters, appear after the leaves unfold.
Fruit:A one-winged, dry, flattened samara with a full, rounded, seed cavity, maturing in fall and dispersing over winter.
Twig:Stout, gray-olive-green, hairless, leaf scars round at the bottom, notched at the top, with lateral buds in the notch; terminal bud is large, brown, with leathery scales and flanked by two lateral buds.
Bark:Ashy gray to brown in color, with interlacing corky ridges forming obvious diamonds; older trees may be scaly.
Form:A large tree up to 80 feet tall that typically develops a straight, clear bole (particularly on good sites), usually with a narrow oblong crown.

Notes:

witch-hazel Hamamelidaceae Hamamelis virginiana

Leaf:Alternate, simple, broadly ovate to obovate, 3 to 6 inches long, inequilateral, wavy margin (nearly dentate), petiole pubescent, dark green above and paler below.
Flower:Monoecious; bright yellow, with 4, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, very slender petals (look like yellow spiders on plant), appearing in mid to late fall.
Fruit:Woody, brown capsule, 1/2 inch long and nearly as wide, containing two shiny black seeds, 1/4 inch long, seeds are forcibly discharged when capsule splits open. Maturing in late summer and old capsules are persistent.
Twig:Slender, light brown, fine pubescence; light brown vegetative buds (1/3 inch) are stalked and lack scales (resemble a deer foot, they are actually a tiny folded leaf); flower buds are small, round and occur in tight clusters from short stalks.
Bark:Smooth, gray to gray-brown even on very old stems.
Form:A small tree or shrub with arching branches, usually growing in dense multi-stemmed clumps reaching up to 20 feet tall.

Notes:

sourwood Ericaceae Oxydendrum arboreum

Leaf:Alternate, simple, elliptical to lanceolate, 4 to 7 inches long, very finely serrate to ciliate, very slight pubescence on the mid-vein below, green above and paler below. A sour taste is obvious when the leaf is chewed
Flower:Monoecious; white, 1/4 inch long, urn-shaped, borne on drooping panicles, reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley flowers, appear in mid-summer.
Fruit:Dehiscent, 5-valved capsules borne on panicles. Capsules are dry when mature in fall and release the very tiny, 2-winged seeds.
Twig:Olive green, changing to red, with buds that are small, round and oppressed (almost absent); leaf scars are elevated with one bundle scar.
Bark:Grayish brown, very thick with deep furrows and scaly ridges; often the ridges are broken into recognizable rectangles.
Form:A small tree maybe up to 60 feet tall, usually with poor form with crooked branches and an irregular crown.

Notes:

bigtooth aspen Salicaceae Populus grandidentata

Leaf:Alternate, simple, orbicular to ovate, 3 to 4 inches long, pinnately veined, large blunt teeth, petiole flattened vetically, green above and paler below.
Flower:Dioecious; males and females occur on hanging, 2 to 3 inch long fuzzy catkins, appearing before the leaves in early spring.
Fruit:Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long, borne in small dehiscent capsules that occur along catkins, maturing late spring to early summer.
Twig:Medium-textured, gray-brown in color; buds are ovate, pointed, red-brown to gray with some pubescence; leaf scars raised and heart-shaped. When chewed, the twig has a bitter, aspirin taste.
Bark:Thin, gray, olive-green to milky green and smooth on young stems; later gray-brown, ridged with diamond shaped lenticels and splits forming.
Form:A medium sized tree with an irregular, thin crown and a straight bole.

Notes:

bear oak Fagaceae Quercus ilicifolia

Leaf:Alternate, simple, obovate, 2 to 5 inches long (somewhat bell-shaped), 5 to 9 bristle tipped lobes with shallow sinuses, dark green above, much lighter and thickly pubescent below.
Flower:Monoecious; male flowers borne on 2 to 4 inch long pale reddish green catkins; reddish females borne on very short axillary spikes, appears with the leaves in mid-spring.
Fruit:Dark brown striated acorn, 1/3 to 1/2 inch long; saucer-shaped cap covers 1/3 of the nut, cap scales are tightly appressed, matures in the fall after two growing seasons.
Twig:Quite slender, with obvious tan pubescence; relatively small, reddish brown terminal buds are clustered, broadly conical, lateral buds are typically as large as the terminal bud.
Bark:Smooth, gray-brown with a few raised lenticels.
Form:A thicket-forming straggling shrub or small tree reaching up to 25 feet tall.

Notes:

shining sumac Anacardiaceae Rhus copallinum

Leaf:Alternate, pinnately compound, up to 12 inches long, 7 to 15 leaflets per leaf; leaflets are lance-shaped, with entire margins, rachis has prominent wings between the leaflets, shiny, dark green above, paler and a bit fuzzy below.
Flower:Monoecious; greenish-yellow and small, borne on 3 to 5 inch wide, terminal pyramid-shaped panicles in mid to late summer.
Fruit:A dark red, round drupe borne on terminal cluster, 1/8 inch long, covered with short, sticky, red hairs; matures in fall but present through winter.
Twig:Medium-textured, speckled with lenticels, and covered with fine, velvety, reddish brown hair; buds are small, rounded and hairy, leaf scars horseshoe-shaped.
Bark:Light brown or gray, smooth with numerous lenticels when young, later with large, thin scales.
Form:A small tree or large shrub up to 25 feet with a short trunk and spreading branches.

Notes:

pink azalea Ericaceae Rhododendron periclymenoides

Leaf:Alternate (tightly clustered at twig tips appearing whorled), simple, deciduous, ovate, 1 to 3 inches long, pinnately veined, dull green above and green below with a ciliate margin.
Flower:Monoecious; very showy, light pink to violet, 1 1/2 inches long and across, in large clusters appearing with or just before the leaves in mid-spring.
Fruit:An oblong capsule, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, with ascending hairs. The capsule splits when ripe, releasing the very tiny, somewhat winged seeds in late summer.
Twig:Very slender, red-brown to gray, bristly-hairy; buds are multiple terminal, pointed and yellow-green to red-brown, flower buds are much larger 1/2 inch long, broadly ovate.
Bark:Gray to redddish-brown, becoming finely shreddy.
Form:A stoloniferous shrub that branches low, often with a crooked stem, may reach up to 4 feet tall but usually smaller. The multiple terminal buds often result in whorls of twigs from the central stem.

Notes:

spicebush Lauraceae Lindera benzoin

Leaf:Alternate, simple, elliptical, 3 to 5 inches long, pinnately veined, entire margin that may be somewhat ciliate, strong, spicy odor when crushed, green above and slightly paler below.
Flower:Dioecious; small, but due to large numbers they can be showy, yellow, appearing in axillary clusters before the leaves in early spring.
Fruit:A bright red drupe when ripe (green before ripening), 3/8 inch long with a large seed and a peppery taste and scent, maturing in fall.
Twig:Slender, olive-green to brown in color, numerous light lenticels, with distinctive, stalked globose buds covered with 2 to 3 yellow-green to brown scales; when broken, a spicy, peppery smell is obvious.
Bark:Brown to gray-brown and speckled with light colored lenticels.
Form:A large shrub with several stems, usually rounded in outline up to 15 feet tall.

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