Plant trivia! BIO 155 Miami University

Thuja occidentalis/Eastern arborvitae

, is a dense, conical to narrow-pyramidal (sometimes maturing to broad-pyramidal), often single-trunked, evergreen tree that is native to eastern and central Canada south to northern Illinois, Ohio and New York with scattered populations further south in the Appalachians to North Carolina. Mature trees may reach 40-60' tall in the wild over time, but in cultivation typically grow much smaller to 20-30' tall. Scale-like, aromatic, yellow-green to green foliage appears in flattened sprays. Red-brown bark will exfoliate on mature branches and trunks. Foundations and landscapes. A very large number of compact to dwarf cultivars of this plant have become very popular.

Asimina triloba/pawpaw

A Ohio native small understory tree or large shrub which typically grows 15-20' tall (sometimes to 30') and occurs in low bottom woods, wooded slopes, ravines and along streams. Often spreads by root suckers to form colonies or thickets. Large, slightly drooping, elliptical, medium green leaves (6-12" long) retain green color well into fall before turning to a bright (but sometimes undistinguished) yellow. Cup-shaped, purple lowers (3 green sepals and 6 purple petals in two tiers) appear in spring, and give way to edible, oblong, yellowish green fruits which mature in early autumn to a dark brown. Flavor and fleshy consistency of the sweet-flavored fruits resembles bananas. Fruits are frequently eaten raw or used in ice creams or pies, although they can produce nausea in some people. Wildlife (e.g., raccoons, squirrels and opossums) eagerly seek out the fruits and often beat humans to the harvest. Early Americans made a yellow dye from the pulp of the ripened fruit.

Tradescantia ohiensis/Ohio spiderwort

A clump-forming herbaceous perennial which grows up to 3' tall with dark bluish-green, arching, grass-like leaves up to 1.5' long and 1.75" wide which are folded lengthwise forming a channel or groove. Clusters of blue (less frequently rose), three-petaled flowers (0.75-1.5" diameter) bloom from late May into early July. Each flower opens up for only one day. Can self-seed and become somewhat aggressive in ideal growing conditions. A Missouri native plant that is commonly found in prairies, wood margins, meadows, along roadsides, or in waste areas.

Aesculus pavia/red buckeye

A deciduous clump-forming shrub or small tree with an irregular rounded crown. It typically grows 10-20' tall. Showy, erect, 4-10" long panicles of red to orange-red, narrow-tubular lowers appear in spring. Palmately compound, shiny, dark green leaves are attractive in spring and early summer, but usually begin to decline by August. Smooth, light brown, globular (1-2" diameter) seed capsules encase 1-3 shiny seeds that ripen in the fall. Seeds are poisonous and are avoided by most wildlife. Fall foliage color is unremarkable. typically occurs in low rich wooded valleys, at bluff bases, on wooded slopes and along streams. Flowers are attractive to ruby-throated hummingbirds and bloom about the same time that the hummingbirds return to the area in spring migration.

Cornus racemosa/gray dogwood

A deciduous shrub which is native to Ohio and typically occurs in moist or rocky ground along streams, ponds, wet meadows, glade and prairie margins, thickets and rocky bluffs. It grows 10-15' tall and features white flowers borne in terminal racemes (hence the species name of racemosa) in late spring and grayish-green, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves (2-4" long). Foliage turns an interesting (but not always showy) dusky purplish red in fall. Terminal stems holding the flowers are distinctively red and provide interesting contrast to the clusters of small white berries which form after the flowers have dropped. Red stem color is more easily seen after the fruits are gone, and red color often persists into early winter.

Chionanthus virginicus/fringe tree

A deciduous, North American native shrub or small tree with a spreading, rounded habit that typically grows 12-20' tall (to 35' in the wild, however) and most often occurs in rich, moist woods and hillsides, moist stream banks, limestone glade margins and rocky bluffs and ledges. Common name refers to the slightly fragrant, spring-blooming flowers which feature airy, terminal, drooping clusters (4-6" long) of creamy white petals. Dioecious (separate male and female plants), but also may have perfect flowers on each plant. Male flowers are showier than female flowers. Fertilized perfect or female flowers give way to clusters of olive-like fruits which ripen to a dark, bluish black in late summer and are a food source for birds and wildlife. Wide, spear-shaped leaves (to 8" long) turn yellow in autumn.

Cercis canadensis/eastern redbud

A deciduous, often multi-trunked understory tree with a rounded crown that typically matures to 20-30' tall with a slightly larger spread. It is particularly noted for its stunning pea-like rose-purple flowers which bloom profusely on bare branches in early spring (March-April) before the foliage emerges. This tree is native to eastern and central North America from Connecticut to New York to southern Ontario and the Great Lakes south to Western Texas and Florida. It is found in open woodlands, thickets, woodland margins, limestone glades and along rocky streams and bluffs throughout Ohio. Flowers (to ½" wide) bloom in clusters of 4-10. Flowers are followed by flattened leguminous bean-like dry seedpods (to 2-4" long) that mature to brown in summer. Each pod has 6-12 seeds. Pods may remain on the tree into winter. Alternate, simple, cordate, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, dull green to blue-green leaves (3-5" across) have a papery texture and are short pointed at the tip. Leaves turn pale yellow to greenish-yellow in fall.

Parthenocissus quinquefolia/virginia creeper

A deciduous, woody vine that is native to Ohio and occurs statewide in open areas in ravines, rich woods and valleys. A vigorous tendril-climber that needs no support and typically grows 30-50'. Adheres to flat surfaces (e.g., brick, stone or wood walls) via adhesive disks at the tendril ends. Compound-palmate leaves (usually 5 leaflets, with each leaflet to 6" long) emerge purplish in spring, mature to dull green in summer and change to purple to crimson-red in autumn. Fall color can be quite attractive. Clusters of small, greenish-white flowers appear in the upper leaf axils in late spring to early summer, but are generally hidden by the foliage. Flowers give way to dark blue to black berries which are attractive to birds. Excellent covering for walls, trellises, arbors or fences. May also be grown on the ground to cover old stumps, rock piles or other eyesores or for erosion control on slopes.

Fragaria virginiana/wild strawberry

A ground cover plant rising from a fibrous, perennial root system. It will develop new plants by runners. Hairy leaf petioles, up to 6 in. long, each bear a single trifoliate leaf. The hairy flower stalk gives rise to a loose cluster of small, five-petaled flowers followed by tasty berries. Fruit is edible by birds and mammals, including humans.

Quercus alba/white oak

A large deciduous native tree. It typically occurs in dry upland slopes and ledges as well as lowland valleys and ravines throughout the State. Grows to 50-80' tall in cultivation and taller (to 100') in the wild. Pyramidal when young, but matures into a substantial tree with a wide-spreading, rounded crown. Insignificant yellowish-green flowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring shortly after the leaves emerge. Fruits are oval acorns (to 3/4" long) with warty-scaled cups. Leaves (4-9" long) have 7 to 9 deep rounded lobes. Leaves emerge pinkish in spring, but mature to dark green. Variable fall color ranges from uninteresting browns to quality shades of dark red. Grows over much of eastern North America and is an important hardwood timber tree. Widely used in landscapes, but slow growth rate and large size has somewhat tempered its popularity. Species name means white in reference to the light ash-gray bark.

Carya ovata/shagbark hickory

A large deciduous tree that typically grows 70-90' (infrequently to 120') tall with an irregular, oval-rounded crown. It is native from Quebec to Minnesota south to Georgia and Texas. In Ohio, it typically occurs on both dry upland wooded slopes and hills and in moist valleys and lowland woods throughout the state. Trunks mature to 2-3' in diameter. This tree features smooth, medium yellow-green, odd-pinnate, compound leaves, each leaf having 5 (less frequently 7 or 9) finely-toothed, broadly lance-shaped, pointed leaflets. Leaflets range from 3-7" long. Leaves turn yellow to golden brown in fall. Non-showy, monoecious greenish yellow lowers appear in April-May, the male lowers in pendulous catkins (to 3-5" long) and the female lowers in short spikes. Female flowers give way to edible oval-rounded nuts. Each nut is encased in a moderately thick husk which splits open in four sections when ripe in fall. Nuts were an important food source to Native Americans and early settlers, and are commercially sold today. Nuts are attractive to a variety of wildlife. Bark of young trees is gray and smooth, but exfoliates in long strips with age. Wood is often used to cure/smoke meats. It is also an excellent firewood/fuel. The wood is extremely hard and is used to make a variety of products including tool handles, ladders, gun stocks and furniture. Andrew Jackson, 7th president of the U. S., was affectionately known in recognition of his tough character.

Picea abies/Norway spruce

A large pyramidal evergreen conifer that is native to the mountains of northern and central Europe east to the Urals. In its native European habitat, it typically matures to 100-150' (occasionally to 200') tall. It has been widely planted in cool and temperate regions of North American where it typically matures to a much shorter 40-60' (less frequently to 100') tall. It is noted for its rapid growth. Primary branches are slightly upturned but secondary branches become pendulous as the tree matures. Branches are clad with spirally-arranged, four-sided, needle-like, deep green leaves which are attached at their bases to tiny pegs. Cylindrical seed bearing cones (to 9" long) are pendulous. In excess of 150 cultivars (mostly dwarf) have been named over the years.

Taxodium distichum/bald cypress

A long-lived, pyramidal conifer (cone-bearing tree) which grows 50-70' tall (less frequently to 125'). Although it looks like a needled evergreen (same family as redwoods) in summer, it is deciduous ("bald" as the common name suggests). It is native to southern swamps, bayous and rivers, primarily being found in coastal areas from Maryland to Texas and in the lower Mississippi River valley to as far north as the southeast corner of Missouri. In the deep South, it is a familiar sight growing directly in swampy water, often in large strands, with its branches heavily draped with Spanish moss. In cultivation, however, it grows very well in drier, upland soils. Trunks are buttressed (flared or fluted) at the base, and when growing in water, often develop distinctive, knobby root growths ("knees") which protrude above the water surface around the tree. Soft, feathery, yellowish-green foliage (1/4" long, lat needles in two ranks) turns an attractive orange/cinnamon-brown in fall. Rounded, wrinkled, 1 inch diameter, purplish-green cones mature to brown. Heavy, straight-grained, rot-resistant wood has been used for a variety of purposes including barrels, railroad ties and shingles. Closest relative is the dawn redwood (Metasequoia) which is also deciduous. Taxodium in Greek means resembling yews (Taxus) in reference to the lat needles. State tree of Louisiana.

Liquidambar styraciflua/sweetgum tree

A low-maintenance deciduous shade tree that is native to Ohio. It typically occurs in moist low woods. It typically grows to 60-80' (less frequently to 120') tall with a straight trunk. Habit is pyramidal in youth, but it gradually develops an oval-rounded crown as it matures. Glossy, long-stalked, deep green leaves (4-7" across) have toothed margins. Each leaf has 5-7 pointed, star-shaped lobes. Leaves are fragrant when bruised. Fall color at its best is a brilliant mixture of yellows, oranges, purples and reds. Branchlets may have distinctive corky ridges. Non-showy, monoecious, yellow-green lowers appear in spherical clusters in April-May. Female lowers give way to the infamous gum balls which are hard, spherical, bristly fruiting clusters to 1.5" diameter. Gum balls mature to dark brown and usually remain on the tree through the winter, but can create clean-up problems during the general period of December through April as the clusters fall to the ground. In pedestrian areas, fruiting clusters must be cleaned up because they not only create unsightly litter, but also create human safety problems (e.g., turning an ankle by inadvertently stepping on a cluster). The common name refers to an aromatic balsam or gum that exudes from wounds to the tree. This gum has been used in the past for a variety of purposes, including chewing gum, incense, perfumes, folk medicines and flavorings. Tree wood has been widely used for a number of applications including flooring, furniture and home interiors.

Quercus imbricaria/shingle oak

A medium shade tree for large lawns or parks. Street tree. May be pruned for use as a screen or hedge. Considered to be a low-maintenance tree with good pest resistance. The acorns do not ripen until fall of the second year, as is the case with most oaks in the red oak group. Acorns are an important source of food for wildlife. Narrow, oblong, smooth-margined, glossy dark green leaves (3-6" long and 1-2" wide) are pale and pubescent beneath. Fall color is variable, sometimes producing attractive shades of yellow-brown to red-brown. Old leaves tend to persist on the tree throughout most of the winter. Wood was once used by early settlers in the midwest for shingles, hence the common name.

Quercus rubra/red oak

A medium sized, deciduous tree with a rounded to broad-spreading, often irregular crown. Typically grows at a moderate-to-fast rate to a height of 50-75' (often larger in the wild). Dark, lustrous green leaves (grayish-white beneath) with 7-11, toothed lobes which are sharply pointed at the tips. Leaves turn brownish-red in autumn. Insignificant flowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring. Fruits are acorns (with flat, saucer-shaped cups) which mature in early fall. An abundant crop of acorns may not occur before this tree reaches 40 years old. A Ohio native tree which typically occurs on northern- and eastern-facing wooded slopes throughout the State.

Ulmus americana/American elm

A medium to large deciduous tree, typically growing to 60'-80' tall with a vase-shaped, broad-rounded crown. Native to eastern and central north america. Typically occurs in low moist ground and along streams. Although once widely planted as a street/lawn tree, DED has decimated populations. Insignificant small green flowers appear in spring before foliage. Flowers give way to wafer-like samaras, each tiny seed surrounded by a flattened, oval, papery wing. Seeds mature in april/may as leaves reach full size. ROUGH TEXTURE. Ovate elliptic, dark green leaves have toothed margins and asymmetrical bases.

Catalpa speciosa/Northern Catalpa

A medium to large, deciduous tree that typically grows to 40-70' (less frequently to 100') tall with an irregular, open-rounded to narrow-oval crown. It is native to a relatively small area extending from western Tennessee, northeastern Arkansas and the lowlands of southeastern Missouri north to southern Illinois and southern Indiana. It typically occurs along streams, bluff bases and in both low and upland woods. Broad ovate to ovate-oblong leaves (to 12" long) are pointed at the tips and rounded to cordate at the bases. Leaves are light green to yellow green above and densely pubescent below. Foliage turns an undistinguished yellow in fall. Flowers can be a real showstopper, however. Bell-shaped, orchid-like white flowers (to 2" long) with purple and yellow inner spotting appear in panicles in late spring (late May to early June). Flowers give way to long slender green seedpods (12-22" long). The seedpods mature in fall to dark brown and then split open lengthwise to release the seeds within. Seedpods give rise to the common name of cigar tree, although they actually are longer and thinner than most cigars.

Carya glabra/pignut hickory

A medium to large, deciduous tree with a straight trunk and rounded crown that typically grows 50-80' (less frequently to 100') tall. It is primarily native to hillsides and ridges in somewhat dry soils, but may also be found in some moist soils. It grows throughout the eastern and central U. S., with concentrations in Appalachian forests and the Ohio River valley. In Ohio, it is found in dry upland ridges in the far southeastern part of the State. Compound, odd-pinnate, dark yellowish-green leaves (each to 6-12" long) have 5-7, toothed, ovate-lanceolate leaflets. Leaflets grow 3-6" long. Leaves turn an attractive yellow in fall. Gray bark develops scaly ridges as it matures. Non-showy, monoecious, yellowish-green flowers bloom in April-May, with the male flowers in drooping catkins (to 3" long) and the female flowers on short spikes. Female flowers give way to fruits (rounded nuts), but only after the tree reaches about 25 years old. Each nut is encased in a ridged husk which partially splits open in fall when ripe. Although the nuts are usually bitter and unpalatable to humans, some mammals (e.g., squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons and black bears) eat them. Hogs were found by early U. S. settlers to eat the nuts, thus giving rise to the common name. Settlers also split saplings to make brooms, hence the additional common name of broom hickory. Specific epithet comes from Latin meaning smooth in reference to the hairless leaves and twigs of this tree. Not commonly planted for ornamental purposes. A tall shade tree for large properties and parks. Wood is strong and has been used in the past for yokes, wheels, tool handles, ladders and furniture. Wood is an excellent firewood. Wood is harvested for lumber.

Acer rubrum/red maple

A medium-sized, deciduous tree that is native to Eastern North America from Quebec to Minnesota south to Florida and eastern Texas. It typically grows 40-60' tall with a rounded to oval crown. In northern states, it usually occurs in wet bottomland, river flood plains and wet woods, but in Ohio it typically frequents drier, rocky upland areas. Emerging new growth leaves, leafstalks, twigs, lowers, fruit and fall color are red or tinged with red. Quality of red fall color on species plants is variable. Leaves (to 2-5" long) have 3 principal triangular lobes (sometimes 5 lobes with the two lower lobes being largely suppressed). Lobes have toothed margins and pointed tips. Leaves are medium to dark green above and gray green below. Flowers on a given tree are primarily male or female or monoecious and appear in late winter to early spring (March-April) before the leaves. Fruit is a two-winged samara. Red flowers in dense clusters in late March to early April (before the leaves appear), red fruit (initially reddish, two-winged samara), reddish stems and twigs, red buds, and, in the fall, excellent orange-red foliage.

Rubus allegheniensis/Allegheny blackberry

A multi-stemmed shrub, 3-6 ft. tall and between 6-12 ft. wide. Commonly forms broad colonies. Erect branches become arching. Bark is purplish-red and armed with prickles. Dark green summer foliage is palmately or pinnately compound, becoming orange, red and purple in fall. Loose, terminal clusters of five-petaled flowers are followed by thimble-shaped dark berries.

Pinus strobus/eastern white pine

A rapid-growing, long-lived, needled evergreen (conifer) tree that is native to the northeastern United States and Canada (State tree of Maine and Michigan). Although pyramidal in its early years, it matures to a broad oval habit with an irregular crown. Typically grows 50-80' in cultivation, but will grow to 100' tall in the wild, with records existing to over 200'. Landscape size and shape can be controlled through pruning, however, to the extent that it may be sheared and grown as a hedge. Bluish green needles (to 5" long) are soft to the touch and appear in bundles of five. Cylindrical, brown cones ( 4-8" long) are usually not produced until 5-10 years. An important timber tree (perhaps more so in the 18th and 19th centuries than now) which was and is valued for its lightweight, straight-grained wood (orange heartwood and white sapwood.

Achillea millefolium/common yarrow

A rhizomatous, spreading, upright to mat-forming perennial that is considered by many to be an aggressive weed. From Europe and Asia was originally introduced to America in colonial times, and has since naturalized throughout the U. S. primarily along roadsides, fields, waste areas and lawns. These species plants are noted for producing deeply-dissected, fern-like, aromatic, medium green foliage and tiny, long-lasting, white lowers that appear in dense, lattened, compound corymbs (to 2-4" across) throughout the summer on stems typically rising 2-3' tall. Foliage has a strong, somewhat spicy aroma that persists when used in dried arrangements.

Cornus florida/flowering dogwood

A small deciduous tree that typically grows 15-30' tall with a low-branching, broadly-pyramidal but somewhat flat-topped habit. It arguably may be the most beautiful of the native American flowering trees. each flower cluster is surrounded by four showy, white, petal-like bracts which open flat, giving the appearance of a single, large, 3-4" diameter, 4-petaled, white flower. Oval, dark green leaves (3-6" long) turn attractive shades of red in fall. Bright red fruits are bitter and inedible to humans (some authors say poisonous) but are loved by birds. Fruits mature in late summer to early fall and may persist until late in the year. Flowering dogwood, when stressed, is susceptible to a rather large number of disease problems, the most serious of which is dogwood anthracnose.

Amelanchier arborea/serviceberry

A small, deciduous, usually multi-trunked understory tree or tall shrub which typically matures to 15-20' tall. Flowers bloom in April followed by edible fruits (3/8" diameter) in June (hence the sometimes used common name of Juneberry). Berries resemble blueberries in taste and may be used in jams, jellies and pies. Finely-toothed, oval-lanceolate leaves (to 3" long) emerge with bronze tints in spring, mature to dark green from late spring throughout summer before finally turning brilliant red to orange-red in fall. Specific epithet means tree like. Autumn Brilliance has orange red fall color.

Sambucus canadensis/elderberry

A stoloniferous, Ohio native, deciduous shrub which typically grows 5-12' tall and occurs on streambanks, moist woodlands, thickets, fence rows and roadsides throughout the State. Large, terminal, flat-topped clusters of small, fragrant, white flowers appear in spring and are followed by clusters of dark purple to black, berry-like fruits (drupes) in late summer to fall. Fruit may be used to make preserves, jellies, pies and wine. Fruit is also attractive to wildlife. Opposite, Pinnately compound bright green leaves (5-11 leaflets each).

Acer negundo/box elder

A suckering, fast-growing, weak-wooded, medium-sized, deciduous tree that typically grows 30-50' (less frequently to 70') tall with an irregular rounded crown. It is widely distributed throughout the U.S. except in Alaska and Hawaii. In Ohio, it typically occurs in moist to wet soils along streams, river flood plains and low woods. Although it is a maple and produces the familiar maple fruits (paired samaras), it differs from most maples by having odd-pinnate compound leaves (each with 3-5 toothed leafflets) and by being dioecious (separate male and female trees). Leaves with three leaflets are most common, and these resemble poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Leaves are light to medium green, turning an undistinguished yellow in fall. Greenish-yellow lowers appear in pendant clusters in spring on separate male and female trees. Flowers are not showy. Female lowers give way to fruits (samaras) which mature in fall and often persist on the tree well into winter. Fruiting can be abundant.

Ginkgo biloba/ginkgo

A true gymnosperm that matures to 100' tall. It is the only surviving member of a group of ancient plants believed to have inhabited the earth up to 150 million years ago. It features distinctive two-lobed, somewhat leathery, fan-shaped, rich green leaves with diverging (almost parallel) veins. Leaves turn bright yellow in fall. trees are commonly called maidenhair trees in reference to the resemblance of their fan-shaped leaves to maidenhair fern leaflets (pinnae). Are dioecious (separate male and female trees). Nurseries typically sell only male trees (fruitless), because female trees produce seeds encased in fleshy, fruit-like coverings which, at maturity in autumn, are messy and emit a noxious, foul odor upon falling to the ground and splitting open. Seed is used medicinally.

Magnolia grandiflora/southern magnolia

Abroadleaf evergreen tree that is noted for its attractive dark green leaves and its large, extremely fragrant flowers. It typically grows to 60-80' tall with a pyramidal to rounded crown. This is a magnificent tree of the South. It is native to moist wooded areas in the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida and Texas. Leathery evergreen ovate to elliptic leaves (to 10" long) are glossy dark green above and variable pale green to gray-brown beneath. Fragrant white flowers (to 8-12" diameter) usually have six petals. Flowers bloom in late spring, with sparse continued flowering throughout the summer. Flowers give way to spherical cone-like fruiting clusters (to 3-5" long) that mature in late summer to early fall, releasing individual rose-red coated seeds suspended on slender threads at maturity. Multiple fruit, Dehiscing follicle (multiple ovaries of a single flower).

Sassafras albidum/sassafras

An Ohio native, ornamental, small to medium-sized deciduous tree which occurs in wood margins, fence rows, fields, thickets and roadsides. Shrubby in youth, but matures to a dense, pyramidal tree up to 60' tall. Spreads by root suckers to form large colonies in the wild. All of the trees in a colony may rise from the same parent. Dioecious (separate male and female trees). Attractive, greenish-yellow flowers appear in clusters at the branch ends in spring. Flowers on female trees (if pollinated) give way to small pendant clusters of bluish-black berries (drupes) which are borne in scarlet cup-like receptacles on scarlet stalks (pedicils). Fruits mature in September. Variable, 4-7" long leaves in three shapes (ovate, mitten-shaped and three-lobed) are bright green above and glaucous (sp. epipthet meaning white) below. Excellent yellow, purple and red fall color. To Native Americans, its oils were freely used in tonics as medical panaceas. Culinary uses have included: tea (bark), root beer flavoring (root oil) and a gumbo-thickening agent called filé (stem pith). More recently, oils have been determined to contain a carcinogenic substance (safrole) and many of the former uses for the oils are now banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Baptisia australis/blue false indigo

An upright perennial which typically grows 3-4' tall and occurs in rich woods, thickets and along streambanks. It features purple, lupine-like flowers in erect racemes (to 12") atop lower spikes extending well above a foliage mound of clover-like, trifoliate, bluish-green leaves (leaflets to 2" long). Blooms in spring. Flowers give way to inlated seed pods (to 2.5" long) which turn charcoal black when ripe and have considerable ornamental interest. Seeds rattle around in the blackened pods which were once popularly used by children as rattles. Stems with seed pods are valued additions to dried flower arrangement.

Viburnum dentatum/arrowwood viburnum

An upright, rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub which typically matures to 6-10' tall with a similar spread, but may reach a height of 15' in optimum growing conditions. Non-fragrant white flowers in flat-topped corymbs to 4" diameter appear in late spring. Flowers give way to blue-black, berry-like drupes which are quite attractive to birds and wildlife. Ovate, toothed, glossy dark green leaves to 4" long. Variable fall color ranges from drab yellow to attractive shades of orange and red. Native to Ohio and north america. Native Americans reportedly used the straight stems of this shrub for arrow shafts, hence the common name.

Glechoma hederaceae/ground ivy

Blue irregular flowers 1/2 inch long in leaf axils. Leaves opposite. A creeping plant. Leaves long stalked and bluntly toothed. Perennial. When crushed the leaves make a pungent odor. Can be a problem in lawns and gardens. Naturlizd from Europe. A member of the mint family.

Aliaria petiolata/garlic mustard

Brassicaceae family. White flowers, 4 petals growing at the tip of the stem and in leaf axils. Leaves triangular, sharply toothed and smell when crushed. Biennial. Introduced from Europe. This plant is a serious weed throughout Ohio's woodlands.

Hemerocallis fulva/tawny daylily

Common name is for the 5" diameter, orange flowers. Individual flowers open for one day. This large species daylily has flower scapes rising up to 6' tall from a large clump of thick, arching, blade-like, bright green leaves. A superb colonizer that has naturalized in many parts of the country and is commonly seen growing along roads, in alleys and in old gardens, often in very poor soil. It is rarely sold commercially at this point because it has been for the most part replaced by hybrids.

Acer saccharum/sugar maple

Deciduous, Ohio native tree which will typically grow 40' to 80' tall (sometimes to 100') with a dense, rounded crown. This tree is a main component of the Eastern U.S. hardwood forest and is one of the trees which is most responsible for giving New England its reputation for spectacular fall color. Medium green leaves (3-6" wide with 3-5 lobes) turn yellow-orange in autumn, sometimes with considerable color variations. Fruit is the familiar two-winged samara. long-lived trees which grow relatively slowly (somewhat faster in the first 35 years). Native Americans taught the early colonists how to tap these trees to make syrup which has now become a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. and Canada. Excellent shade tree. The national symbol of Canada.

Acer nigrum/black maple

Differs from the Sugar Maple in having stipules at the base of the petiole. Pubescence on the leaf. Showing only a yellow fall color, and preferring mostly moister sites. Some authors consider it to only be a subspecies of Sugar Maple. Leaves only have three lobes.

Platanus occidentalis/sycamore

Generally regarded to be the most massive tree indigenous to eastern North America. It is a deciduous, usually single-trunk tree that typically grows to 75-100' (less frequently to 150') tall with horizontal branching and a rounded habit. Trunk diameter typically ranges from 3-8', with some records up to 16'. Although tulip tree may reach similar heights, its trunk diameters are generally smaller. It's native to lowland areas, typically reaching its largest size along streams, rivers and flood plains. The signature ornamental feature of this huge tree is its brown bark which exfoliates in irregular pieces to reveal creamy white inner bark. Mature trees typically display mottled white bark that facilitates identification from great distances. The large 3-5 lobed medium to dark green leaves (4-10" wide) have coarse marginal teeth. In fall, foliage typically turns an undistinguished yellow-brown. Small, non-showy, monoecious lowers appear in small rounded clusters in April. Male lowers are yellowish and female lowers are reddish. Female lowers give way to fuzzy, long-stalked, spherical fruiting balls (to 1 3/8" diameter) that ripen to brown in October and persist into early winter. Each fruiting ball consists of numerous (GLOBOSE HEAD), densely-packed, tiny seed-like fruits (achenes). Fruiting balls gradually disintegrate as fall progresses, dispursing their seeds, often in downy tufts, with the wind. Wood has been commercially used for a variety of products including furniture, cabinets, barrels, crates and butcher blocks. Native Americans hollowed out trunk sections for dugout canoes. European settlers reportedly gave this tree the common name because the foliage resembled the British Isles (Acer pseudoplatanus) which is actually a maple.

Acer saccharinum/silver maple

Gets its name from the silvery undersides of its leaves. This is one of the largest deciduous trees native to Ohio, typically growing to 50-80' (less frequently to 100') tall with a rounded open spreading crown. It is native to eastern and central North America where it typically occurs in moist to wet, sometimes mucky, often poorly drained soils on floodplains, along the edges of streams and rivers and in low woods. It is a fast-growing, somewhat graceful tree that formerly was a very popular urban landscape selection for lawns and streets, but has more recently fallen somewhat out of favor because of the proclivity of its weak-wooded limbs to split when stressed by high winds or ice/snow. Polygamous greenish yellow lowers bloom in clusters in early spring (March) before the foliage. Flowers give way to paired samaras (to 2" long) that mature in late spring. Bark is gray to brownish gray. Mature tree trunks and limbs develop a shaggy appearance as the bark develops long thin laky scales that exfoliate at the ends. Deeply 5-lobed light green leaves (to 6" across) have silvery undersides. Fall color is usually unremarkable. Tree sap is sweet, hence the species name which comes from the Latin word for sugar, but syrups made therefrom are greatly inferior.

Erigeron annuus/annual fleabane

Grows along roadsides and in fields and woodlands. It has more than 150 threadlike, white ray flowers. The center, disk flowers are yellow, and there are many flower heads to each much-branched stem. The yellow center with the large number of very fine ray flowers, violet in color is the best identification. They are much finer than those of other daisies or asters. Flower heads are 1/2-3/4 inch across. Leaves on flower stems are oblong-oval.

Podophyllum peltatum/mayapple

Herbaceous perennial. Solitary white lowers 1.5-2 inches wide, with 6-9 petals. Flowers grow in the fork below 3 large, deeply cleft umbrella-like leaves. Single leaved plants do not lower. Grow in colonies that make a distinctive appearance with their "umbrellas" covering the forest floor. Leaves, roots, and green fruit are poisonous. Do not eat. Lemon colored, ripe fruit is edible. Grows in rich wooded areas.

Lonicera maackii/amur honeysuckle

Introduced in 1855 from Manchuria and Korea. It was originally planted in the U.S. as an ornamental shrub, but it quickly escaped gardens and naturalized throughout much of the eastern U. S. to the Great Plains into a variety of sites including roadsides and railroads, woodland borders, some forests, fields, unused or disturbed lands and yard edges. Once spread into the wild, it can form dense, shrubby, understory colonies that eliminate native woody and herbaceous plants. densely-branched, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 15' tall (sometimes more). It features tapered, ovate to lanceolate, medium to dark green leaves (to 3" long) and tubular, two-lipped, very fragrant summer white flowers (1" wide at throat) that age to yellow. Flowers bloom in May-June. Flowers give way to juicy, dark red berries which are inedible to humans but loved by birds who help spread the seed. It is distinguished from by its short pedicels (nearly sessile flowers and berries).

Salix nigra/black willow

Is dioecious (male and female lowers appear on separate trees). Non-showy tiny yellowish-green lowers appear in catkins (both male and female catkins to 2" long) in early spring (late March-April) as the leaves emerge. Fruits are reddish-brown capsules. Wood is soft and weak. It is native to moist to wet soils of floodplains, stream/river banks, swamps, marshes, sloughs, and ponds in the U.S.

Juglans nigra/black walnut

Large deciduous tree typically growing 75-100' (less frequently to 125') tall with and an oval to rounded crown. Mature trees characteristically have long trunks, often with an absence of lower branching. Fissured, sharply ridged, dark gray-black bark forms diamond patterns. Black walnut is native from Massachusetts through southern Ontario to South Dakota south to Florida and Texas. It typically occurs in rich woods, in valleys along streams and in open upland woods throughout the state. Features odd-pinnate compound leaves (to 24" long), each with 13-23 oblong to lanceolate leaflets. Leaves are late to emerge in spring and early to drop in fall. Leaves are strongly aromatic when crushed. Fall color is an undistinguished yellow. Yellow green monoecious flowers appear in late spring (May-June), the male flowers in drooping hairy catkins and the female flowers in short terminal spikes. Female flowers give way to edible nuts, each being encased in a yellow-green husk. Nuts mature in autumn, falling to the ground where the husks blacken as they rot away. Kernels are edible but hard to extract. Harvested for commercial sale. The wood from this tree is highly valued for a number of commercial uses including cabinets, furniture, gunstocks and fine veneers. It is perhaps the best furniture wood available from any native American tree. Overharvesting of trees for the wood has greatly reduced the native populations in the wild. Native Americans used the nuts for food and boiled the tree sap for syrup. They also reportedly threw the husks into ponds to poison fish, making them easier to catch. Genus name comes from the Latin words meaning nut of Jove. Species name in reference to the dark bark and nuts.

Populus deltoides/eastern cottonwood

Large, fast-growing, deciduous tree that typically grows 50-80' (less frequently to 120') tall with a broad, open-rounded shaped habit. Yellowish twigs, coarsely toothed leaves and gummy end buds distinguish this from the other poplars. It is native from eastern North America through the Great Plains, typically growing along streams and rivers and in lowland areas and swamps. Settlers who pushed westward into the Great Plains in the 1800s sometimes planted them along small streams and creeks. Tiny male and female flowers appear in separate catkins on separate male and female trees (dioecious). Flowers bloom in early spring (March-April) before the foliage emerges. Male flowers are reddish but not showy. Female lowers give way to dehiscent capsules that split open when ripe (May), broadcasting abundant densely-tufted seeds. Seeds with silky white hairs give the appearance of cotton as they blow through the air and along the ground, typically collecting along gutters, curbs, roadsides and fences. Bark on mature trees is ridged and dark gray. Triangular, acuminate, coarsely toothed, glossy dark green leaves (to 5" long). Leaves turn yellow in fall. Wood is weak and has little commercial value (warps easily) other than for crates, plywood and pulp.

Liriodendron tulipifera/tulip poplar

Large, stately, deciduous tree of eastern North America that typically grows 60-90' (less frequently to 150') tall with a pyramidal to broad conical habit. Native to the state of Ohio. Trunks of mature trees may reach 4-6' in diameter, usually rising column-like with an absence of lower branching. It is named and noted for its cup-shaped flowers that bloom in spring. Flowers are yellow with an orange band at the base of each petal. Although the flowers are 2" in length, they can go unnoticed on large trees because the lowers appear after the leaves are fully developed. Sometimes the lowers are first noticed when the attractive petals begin to fall below the tree. Flowers are followed by dry, scaly, oblong, cone-shaped brown fruits, each bearing numerous winged seeds. Four-lobed bright green leaves (to 8" across) turn golden yellow in fall. Wood is used for furniture, plywood, boatbuilding, paper pulp and general lumber. Native Americans made dugout canoes from trunks. This is the state tree of Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana.

Vitis sp./wild grape

Leaves simple, alternate. Leaves rounded to broad ovate. Cordate. Dentate margins, slightly lobed variably pubescent. It is a woody, climbing, deciduous vine that climbs by tendrils to 35' tall or sprawls over low growing shrubs. Trunks of mature vines will grow over time to as much as 6" across with reddish-brown bark peeling in strips. Cylindrical panicles of fragrant, yellowish-green lowers in late spring (May-June) are followed by drooping clusters (3-8" long) of medium-sized, blue-black fruits (each from .2 to .5" diameter) that ripen in late mid-season (September to October in St. Louis). Flowers are attractive to bees. Ripe fruit often varies considerably in quality from dry and tart to juicy and sweet.

Robinia pseudoacacia 'Purple Robe'/purple robe locust

Medium sized, suckering, deciduous tree that typically grows to 30-40' tall with an oval-upright habit. It is noted for its attractive compound leaves and pendant racemes of violet, pea-like flowers. Advertised as thornless, but plants with thorns are found in commerce. Pinnate bronze-green leaves, with each leaf having up to 23 lance-shaped to ovate leaflets, are attractive during the growing season. Leaves emerge an interesting bronze-red in spring, but eventually turn an uneventful yellow in fall. Fragrant wisteria-like violet purple flowers in pendant racemes (to 8" long) bloom in mid to late spring. Bees are attracted to the flowers. Flowers are followed by smooth, lat, purple-brown seed pods (to 4" long).

Robinia pseudoacacia/black locust

Medium sized, suckering, deciduous tree that typically grows to 30-50' (less frequently to 80') tall. Although originally native to the Allegheny Mountains, it has escaped gardens and naturalized over time to cover much of the United States and southern Canada plus parts of Europe, Asia and South America. At its best, it will grow as a broadly columnar single trunk tree with a narrow oblong crown. It also will grow in suckering thickets. It is noted for its attractive compound leaves and pendant racemes of pea-like lowers. Branches are usually armed with short paired spines (to 1.25" long). Pinnate dark blue-green leaves, with each leaf having up to 23 lance-shaped to ovate leaflets. Leaves turn uneventful yellow in fall. Fragrant wisteria-like white lowers in pendant racemes (to 8" long) bloom in late spring. Bees are attracted to the lowers. Flowers are followed by smooth, flat, purple-brown seed pods (to 4-5" long).

Celtis occidentalis/common hackberry

Medium to large sized deciduous tree that typically grows 40-60' (less frequently to 100') tall with upright-arching branching and a rounded spreading crown. Trunk diameter ranges from 1-3' (less frequently to 4'). This tree is a U. S. native that is widely distributed throughout the east and midwest. It is common in Missouri where it typically occurs statewide in low woods along streams and in drier upland slopes. Mature gray bark develops corky ridges and warty texture. Insignificant, mostly monoecious, greenish lowers appear in spring (April -May), with male lowers in clusters and female lowers solitary. Female lowers give way to an often abundant fruit crop of round fleshy berry-like drupes maturing to deep purple. Each drupe has one round brown seed within. Fruits are attractive to a variety of wildlife. Birds consume the fruits and disperse the seeds. Fleshy parts of the fruit are edible and somewhat sweet. Ovate to oblong-ovate, rough-textured, glossy to dull green leaves (2-5" long) have mostly uneven leaf bases and are coarsely toothed from mid-leaf to acuminate (sharply pointed) tip. Undistinguished yellow fall color.

Quercus muehlenbergii/Chinkapin oak

Medium-sized, deciduous oak of the white oak group that typically grows 40-60' tall with an open globular crown. It is native to central and eastern North America where it is typically found on dry upland sites often in rocky alkaline soils. Insignificant monoecious yellowish-green flowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring as the leaves emerge. Fruits are small oval acorns, with scaly cups that extend to approximately 1/2 the acorn length. Acorns are valued food for a variety of wildlife. Narrow oblong-lanceolate, shiny green leaves 4-7" long have coarse marginal teeth, leaves somewhat resemble the leaves of chestnut whose nut is sometimes called a chinquapin, hence the common name of this oak whose acorn is sweet and edible. A shade tree for large lawns or parks.

Gleditsia triacanthos/honey locust

Native from Pennsylvania to Iowa south to Georgia and Texas. It typically grows 60-80' (less frequently to 120') tall with a rounded spreading crown. Trunk and branches have stout thorns (to 3" long) that are solitary or three-branched. Inconspicuous, greenish yellow to greenish white flowers appear in racemes in late spring (May-June). Flowers are followed by long, twisted and lattened, dark purplish-brown seedpods (to 18" long) which mature in late summer and persist well into winter. Seedpods contain, in addition to seeds, a sweet gummy substance that gives honey locust its common name. Species plants are generally not sold in commerce today because the thorns and seedpods are considered to be significant liabilities.

Penstemon sp./beardtongue

Native herbaceous perennial. White lowers 1" long, with five petals, forming a tube, growing in clusters at the top of a stalk. One of the 5 stamens is sterile and does not produce pollen. It is often modified into a hairy or bearded tongue, and is an adaptation to attract insects for pollination. Leaves opposite, smooth edge.

Pyrus calleryana/Bradford pear

Native to China and Taiwan. It is an upright-branched ornamental tree that grows pyramidal to columnar in youth, but tends to become oval to spreading with age. It is noted for its early profuse spring bloom, quality glossy green foliage and often excellent fall color. Shoots on species plants are thorny, but some cultivars are thornless. It produces small, inedible, greenish-yellow fruits (to 1/2" diameter) which are of little practical value or ornamental interest. It's particularly susceptible to limb breakage or splitting from strong winds, snow or ice. Although once exceedingly popular, it is now frequently not recommended by nurseries because of breakage potential.

Ailanthus altissima/tree-of-heaven

Native to China and was introduced into New York City in 1820 as a street tree and food source for silkworm caterpillars. It has now naturalized throughout much of the United States. In many areas it has become a noxious weed. It is extremely fast-growing and it will grow almost anywhere. It can literally grow up from a crack in the sidewalk, and is strong enough to push up through the blacktop surface of a parking lot. It not only grows in cities, but may also be found in the country along roads, fencerows, clearings and wood margins. It can grow up to 60-80' tall with a loose, open, sometimes graceful form, but is usually seen growing much shorter in urban areas. Wood is weak and tall trees in exposed areas may easily top out in strong winds. Odd-pinnate compound leaves (most often 11-25 leaflets each) tend to give it a certain tropical appearance. Leaflets have large gland-tipped teeth at the base. These teeth distinguish it from the sumacs, which also have long compound leaves. Mostly dioecious (separate male and female trees), but some perfect lowers exist. Male lowers have an unpleasant odor. Actually all parts of the tree have an unpleasant odor. Blooms early summer (June-July). Flowers are greenish. Female lowers produce seeds (twisted samaras) in clusters ripening to reddish-brown in September. Smooth pale gray bark.

Morus alba/white mulberry

Native to China, a rounded, fast-growing, deciduous tree that typically grows to 30-50' tall and as wide. It usually develops a wide-spreading crown with age. The leaves of this tree have been used in China since at least 2600 B.C. as the primary diet for silkworms used to make silk. Trees were introduced into North America in colonial times in an effort to establish a silk industry. Although the industry never took hold, the trees did take hold and have over time escaped cultivation and naturalized in fields, waste areas, forest margins and along roads throughout much of the U. S. This tree has also been planted in various areas for erosion control and windbreaks. Usually dioecious (separate male and female trees), but sometimes is monoecious. Small yellowish-green lowers in drooping catkins bloom in spring (March-April). Fertilized lowers on female trees are followed by sweet, edible blackberry-like fruits (cylindrical drupes to 1" long) that mature in June. Fruits ripen to white or pink, but sometimes to darker reds or purple-blacks. Fruits are loved by birds. Glossy, rounded, usually 2-3 lobed (but sometimes unlobed), dark green leaves (to 8" long) have serrate margins and uneven (sometimes cordate) bases. Glossy leaf surfaces distinguish this tree. Fall color is an unattractive yellow (sometimes green, yellow and brown.

Eleagnus umbellata/autumn olive

Native to Europe and Asia, oleaster is a small, deciduous tree or large shrub. Stems, silver brown with many brownish scales. Fruit is edible, and is sometimes used for making preserves. Fruit is also attractive to wildlife. Has aggressively naturalized in many parts of the East, crowding out native plants, to the point where it is now being considered a noxious weed. Flowers very fragrant. Spines may be present.

Tilia cordata/little-leaved linden

Native to Europe, this tree has been widely planted in the U. S. as an ornamental shade tree because of its (a) attractive foliage, (b) dense, low-branched, pyramidal to ovate form and (c) tolerance for urban conditions. Ornamental features include fragrant pale yellow lowers in late spring, small nutlets with attached leafy wings (to 3.5" long) and ovate, shiny dark green leaves (to 3" long) with acuminate tips, serrate margins and cordate bases. This is a medium to large deciduous tree, typically growing to 50-70' (less frequently to 100') tall. Fragrant, creamy yellow flowers in drooping cymes appear in June. When a tree is in full bloom, bees often visit in such abundant numbers that humming can be heard many feet from the tree. Flowers give way to nutlets that are attached to narrow bract-like wings (top 3.5" long). Nutlets ripen in late summer. Fall color is an undistinguished pale green to pale yellow. A number of narrow pyramidal to fastigiate cultivars are available in commerce.

Acer platanoides/Norway maple

Native to Europe. It has been widely planted in urban areas throughout much of the U. S. It is a medium-sized deciduous shade tree typically growing 40-50' tall with a dense, symmetrical, rounded crown. Leaves (to 7" across) have five sharply pointed lobes. Leaf stems exude a milky sap when cut. Fall color is usually an unremarkable yellow. Small yellow flowers in erect clusters (corymbs) appear in spring before the foliage. Flowers give way to paired seeds with horizontally spreading wings (samaras to 2" long).

Rosa multiflora/multiflora rose

Native to Japan and Korea. It is a rambling plant that is noted for its arching and spreading habit. It was first introduced into the U. S. in 1886. to fight soil erosion. Unfortunately this turned out to be much more invasive than originally thought, and it has over time naturalized throughout many rural areas in the eastern and central U.S., forming dense impenetrable thickets that tend to eliminate native plants and in some cases render land virtually unusable. It spreads through self-seeding, root sprouts and arching stems that root in the ground. Plants feature coarse, prickly, arching canes that typically can grow to 15' tall. Small (.75 to 1.5" across), aromatic, white to light pink roses in pyramidal to globular clusters (to 30 flowers per cluster) explode into bloom in one profuse June display. Flowers give way to small red hips (to 3/8" long) in early fall which persist into winter. Pinnately compound, medium green leaves typically have 7-9, toothed, oval leaflets each. Common name and specific epithet are in reference to the prodigious flowering.

Juniperus virginiana/Eastern red cedar

Native to Ohio where it typically occurs on limestone bluffs and glades, wood margins, fields, pastures and fence rows throughout the state. It is a broadly conical, sometimes columnar, dense, evergreen conifer with horizontal branching that typically grows to 30-65' tall. Gray to reddish-brown bark exfoliates in thin shreddy strips on mature trees. Trunks are often fluted at the base. Heartwood is light brown and aromatic, and is commonly used for cedar chests. Dark blue green scale-like foliage. Foliage may turn brown-green in winter. Cultivars of this species often retain better foliage color in winter. This is a dioecious species (separate male and female trees). Female trees produce round, gray to blackish-green berry-like cones (1/4" diameter) that ripen in fall the first year. Berry-like cones are attractive to many birds.

Prunus serotina/black cherry

Native to eastern North America, Mexico and Central America. It is perhaps most noted for its profuse spring bloom, attractive summer foliage and fall color. Fragrant white flowers in slender pendulous clusters (racemes to 6" long) appear with the foliage in spring (late April-May). Flowers are followed by drooping clusters of small red cherries (to 3/8" diameter) that ripen in late summer to dark purple-black. Fruits are bitter and inedible fresh off the tree, but can be used to make jams and jellies. Fruits have also been used to flavor certain liquors such as brandy and whiskey. Fruits are attractive to wildlife. Narrow oblong-ovate to lanceolate, glossy green leaves (to 5" long) have acuminate tips and serrate margins. Foliage turns attractive shades of yellow and rose in fall. Mature trees develop dark scaly bark. Hard, reddish-brown wood takes a fine polish and is commercially valued for use in a large number of products such as furniture, veneers, cabinets, interior paneling, gun stocks, instrument/tool handles and musical instruments. Medium to large flowering shade tree.

Fagus grandifolia/American beech

Native to eastern North America, a large deciduous tree growing 50-80', less frequently to 120', tall with a dense upright oval to rounded spreading crown. Occurs in rich woods of ravines, slopes, and valleys. It is a low-branched tree with its mature trunk ranging from 2-3' in diameter. Trunks have distinctive thin, smooth, gray bark. Ovate to elliptic dark green leaves to 5" long have coarse, widely-spaced marginal teeth and prominent parallel veins, each vein ending at the tip of a marginal tooth. Foliage turns golden bronze in the fall. Monoecious yellowish green flowers bloom in April-May, the male flowers in drooping, long-stemmed globular clusters and the female flowers in short spikes. Female flowers give way to triangular nuts enclosed by spiny bracts. Beechnuts ripen in fall and are edible.

Fraxinus americana/white ash

Native to eastern North America. In Ohio, it typically occurs in dry and rocky upland woods, glades and moist low woods along streams, bluffs and slopes throughout the state . This is the largest of its genus, typically growing 60-80' tall. Young trees are pyramidal in shape, gradually maturing to a more rounded crown. Primarily dioecious (separate male and female trees). Clusters of a-petalous purplish male and female flowers appear on separate trees in April-May before the late-to-emerge foliage. Fertilized female lowers give way to drooping clusters of winged samaras (to 2" long) that ripen in fall and may persist on the tree throughout winter. Features odd-pinnate compound leaves with 7 leaflets (less frequently 5 or 9). Oval to oblong-lanceolate leaflets (3-5" long) are dark green above and whitish green below. Foliage turns yellow with purple shading in fall. Gray bark develops distinctive diamond-shaped ridging on mature trees.A valuable timber tree. Its wood is commercially used for a variety of products including tool handles, oars, garden furniture and sports equipment. White ash is the wood used for Louisville Slugger baseball bats. Planting new is no longer recommended given the susceptibility of this tree to the EAB. Have typically been used over time in a variety of applications including shade tree, street tree or lawn tree.

Aesculus glabra/Ohio buckeye

Native tree to Ohio and the state tree. It typically occurs in rich or rocky wooded areas of valleys, ravines, bluff bases, slopes and thickets. This is a low-branched, small to medium sized deciduous tree that typically grows 20-40' (less frequently to 75') tall with a broad oval-rounded crown. Bright green palmate compound leaves emerge in spring, each with five spreading ovate-oblong leaflets to 3-6" long. Leaves mature to dark green in summer. Fall color is usually yellow, although foliage may develop interesting and attractive shades of orange and red in some years. Greenish-yellow flowers (to 1" long) appear in clusters in mid-spring (late April-May). Flowers are followed by the familiar fruit, which is a globular dehiscent capsule consisting of 1-2 buckeyes encased by a leathery light brown partitioned husk covered with warty spines. Fruit on the tree is interesting but not particularly ornamental. All parts of this tree, particularly the flowers, bark and twigs, emit an unpleasant odor when bruised, hence the sometimes common name of 'fetid __'.

Aesculus parviflora/bottlebrush buckeye

Noted for being one of the best summer-flowering shrubs for shade areas. It is a dense, mounded, suckering, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub which typically grows 6-12' tall. Features palmate green leaves (5-7 leaflets) and erect, showy, cylindrical panicles (to 12" long) of tubular white flowers with conspicuous red anthers and pinkish filaments. Mid-summer bloom can be spectacular. Flowers give way to glossy inedible, pear-shaped nuts (buckeyes) encased in husks, however these nuts are infrequently produced in cultivation. Foliage turns yellow in autumn.

Lindera benzoin/spice bush

Ohio native, deciduous shrub with broad, rounded habit which typically grows 6-12' high in moist locations in bottomlands, woods, ravines, valleys, and along streams. Clusters of tiny, apetulous, aromatic, greenish-yellow flowers bloom along the branches in early spring before the foliage emerges. Dioecious, with the male flowers being larger and showier than the female ones. Flowers of female plants give way to bright red drupes to (1/2" long) which mature in fall and are attractive to birds. Female plants need a male pollinator in order to set fruit, however. Drupes are very attractive, but are largely hidden by the foliage until the leaves drop. Thick, oblong-obovate, light green leaves to 5" long turn an attractive yellow in autumn. Leaves are aromatic when crushed. The larva of a particular swallowtail butterfly feeds on the leaves of this shrub.

Quercus macrocarpa/burr oak

One of the most majestic of the native North American genus. It is a medium to large sized deciduous oak of the white group that typically grows 60-80' (less frequently to 150') tall with a broad-spreading, rounded crown. Acorn cups are covered with a mossy scale near the rim, hence the common name. It is native to a variety of habitats in central and eastern North America. Best growth occurs in bottomland soils, particularly in the Ohio River valley. Insignificant monoecious yellowish-green lowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring as the leaves emerge. Fruits are oval acorns (to 1 1/2" long), with fringed cups that extend to approximately 1/2 to 3/4 the acorn length. Acorns are an important source of food for wildlife. Leathery, dark green leaves (6-12" long) with 5-9 rounded lobes are variable in shape, but usually have a pair of deep central sinuses that extend nearly to the midrib giving the leaf a waisted appearance. Fall color is an undistinguished yellow-brown. Twigs sometimes are ridged with corky wings.

Asarum canadense/wild ginger

Perennial. Herbaceous. Ground cover. native. Maroon cup shaped flower. Flowers often go unnoticed. Flower grows at ground level in the fork between 2 large heart shaped leaves. Forms large colonies. Root stalks have a ginger scent and taste. American settlers boiled the roots with sugar to make candy.

Gymnocladus dioicus/Kentucky coffee tree

Tall deciduous tree with rough, scaly gray-brown bark and large bipinnate compound leaves. It is native to the Midwest, primarily southern Michigan and Ohio southwest to Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. It grows 60-80' (less frequently to100') tall with an irregular open oval to obovate crown. In Ohio, it typically occurs in low or rich woods, bluff bases and along streams. Large leaves to 3' long, divided into 3-7 pairs of pinnae, with individual leaflets (1-3" long). Leaflets are blue-green in summer, turning an undistinguished yellow in fall. Larger trees typically cast light shade. As the specific epithet suggests, the species is dioecious (separate male and female trees). Greenish white lowers appear in late spring (May-June). Male lowers in clusters to 4" long. Female lowers in panicles to 12" long. Female lowers are fragrant. Fertilized female lowers give way to flattened reddish brown pods (to 10"long) which ripen in October and persist well into winter. Native Americans and early American settlers, especially those in the Kentucky territory, roasted and ground the seeds to brew a beverage (albeit no caffeine), hence the common name. Native Americans roasted the seeds for food. Seeds are very toxic prior to roasting, and should never be eaten fresh of the tree. Trees are late to leaf out in spring and are one of the first to drop leaves in the fall. Genus name is from Greek (naked) and (branch) in probable reference to the absence of foliage for about 1/2 of the year. Good landscape tree for large lawns and parks. Male trees are generally considered more desirable because of the lack of seedpods. However, mature female trees with hanging seedpods can be very attractive in outline against a winter sky.

Galium sp./bedstraw

Tiny white flowers, growing 1-3 in a cluster, in leaf axils. Leaves usually in a whorl of 8. Stems and leaves are scratchy and prickly. A sprawling, reclining plant. Annual.

Conium maculatum/poison hemlock

Tiny white lowers growing in umbels. A large, many branched plant. Leaves inely divided and fern like. Stem spotted with purple. 2-10 ft tall. Biennial. The plant contains conine, a deadly poisonous alkaloid that when consumed, acts on the central nervous system, causing seisures and death. Introduced from Europe.

Toxicodendron radicans/poison ivy

Ultimate weed that no one wants. "Leaflets three, let it be." Native throughout the United States and much of southern Canada in a large variety of locations including dry or wet woodlands, thickets, valleys, clearings, fencerows, roadsides and waste ground. Found in every county in the State of Ohio. It primarily appears as a bushy, erect or trailing shrub or as a woody climbing vine. Climbing vines have aerial rootlets. All parts of the plant contain a toxic plant oil called urushiol which can cause significant and long-lasting skin irritations (allergic dermatitis) in most human beings. Infection can occur from direct contact with the plant, indirect contact (e.g., dog, rake or shoes) or from breathing smoke from a fire of plant material. Some humans seem to be immune. Compound green leaves are alternate, but can be quite variable in characteristics. Each leaf has a stem with three leaflets that are smooth or toothed, rounded or pointed and glossy or dull. Leaflets are glabrous to hairy beneath. Leaves turn red-yellow in fall.

Rubus occidentalis/black raspberry

White flowers, petal's in 5's, 5 stamens and numerous carpels. Stems light purple with the youngest stems having a glaucous bloom. Easily recognized by glaucous arching stems that will root at the tips. Leaves are white on the undersides. Fruit can ripen into an edible berry that are actually "drupelets".

Pinus sylvestris/Scots Pine

is a fast-growing, conical to columnar, medium sized conifer with distinctive laking orange/red-brown bark. It typically grows 30-60' tall in cultivation, but may reach 100' in the wild. It develops an open-rounded, irregular crown as it matures. It is a very widely distributed pine that is native to northern Europe and northern Asia, but has also naturalized in parts of the northeastern and north-central U. S. It is the only pine that is native to Great Britain. Plants will vary in habit, hardiness and needle appearance depending on their specific native geographical growing region. Scots pine generally features (1) twisted, blue-green needles (to 3" long) in bundles of two, (2) gray to light brown cones (to 3" long) and (3) scaly orange/red bark in upper part but darker red-brown near the base. The common name of scotch pine is still popular, but is now considered by some experts to be inappropriate. Specific epithet means of woods and forests.

Picea pungens/Colorado blue spruce

is a medium to large, narrow, pyramidal conifer with horizontal branching to the ground. It typically grows 30-60' tall in cultivation, but may reach 100' or more where it grows naturally. It is native to the central Rocky Mountains from southern Montana and eastern Idaho south to New Mexico where it is typically found growing in moist locations from 6000 to 11000 feet in elevation. Stif, bristly, four-angled, green to blue-green to silver-blue needles (to 1.5" long) point outward from the branches in all directions. Cylindrical light brown cones (to 4" long) have lexible scales. Dark gray bark furrows on mature trees. Speciic epithet means sharp-pointed in reference to the needles. From a horticultural standpoint, trees with blue or silver blue foliage are generally more coveted than trees with green foliage.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides/dawn redwood

is known to have existed as many as 50,000,000 years ago. However, it was not until 1941 that dawn redwood was irst discovered growing in the wild near the town of Modaoqi China by Chinese forester, T. Kan. Seeds collected from the original site were made available to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and Arboreta in 1947. Seedlings grown therefrom were planted across the United States. Dawn redwood is a deciduous, coniferous tree that grows in a conical shape to 100' tall. It is related to and closely resembles bald cypress (Taxodium) and redwood (Sequoia). It features linear, feathery, fern-like foliage that is soft to the touch. Foliage emerges light green in spring, matures to deep green in summer and turns red-bronze in fall. As the tree matures, the trunk broadens at the base and develops attractive and sometimes elaborate fluting. Trees are monoecious, producing oval, light brown female cones (3/4" long) and pendant globose male cones (1/2" long). The twigs, needles and cone scales are in opposite pairs.

Abies concolor/white fir

is primarily native to mountain slopes (3000-9000 feet in elevation) in the western U.S., including the southern Cascades and Sierras from Oregon to southern California and the Rockies from southern Idaho to Arizona and New Mexico. In the wild, it typically grows to 80-130' tall, but on residential landscapes in the Midwest will more typically grow to 40-70' tall with a spread to 20-30'. This is a narrow conical conifer with a straight trunk, spire-like crown and branching to the base. Upper branches tend to grow upward, but the lower branches tend to recline. With age, crowns latten and lower branching begins to disappear. Soft, lattened, pale blue-green needles (to 2 1/2" long) have uniform coloration on both surfaces (speciic epithet is in reference to this). Slightly barrel-shaped cones (to 3-6" long) are most often yellowish-green, maturing to brown or purple. As is distinctive with the irs, the cones appear upright on the branches. Trees may not produce cones and seeds for up to the irst 40 years. Bark is ash-gray and smooth, but will furrow with age.

Tsuga canadensis/eastern hemlock

k, is a dense, pyramidal conifer of the pine family that is native to moist woods, moist slopes, rocky hillsides/ridges, wooded ravines, and stream valleys from eastern Canada south to Maine and Wisconsin and further south in the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and Alabama. It grows to 40-75' tall in the wild. This species is noted for having the smallest needles and cones in the genus. Flat sprays of lacy evergreen foliage give this tree a graceful form. Short dark green needles (to 9/16" long) with two white bands beneath are arranged in two opposite rows. Needles are attached to twigs by slender stalks. Small, pendant, short-stalked, seed-bearing cones (to 3/4" long) are tan-brown. Lower branches often dip toward the ground. Thick and ridged bark on mature trees is red-brown to gray-brown. State tree of Pennsylvania. No part of this tree is poisonous. The poisonous hemlocks (Circuta maculata and Conium maculatum) are herbaceous perennials in the parsley family.