 Photo Credit: Jason Ksepka, iNaturalist FEATURED NATIVE TREE: Magnolia virginiana, sweetbay magnolia
A semi-evergreen with glistening oval dark green leaves and a frosted-appearing underside. The large, creamy white flowers have a light lemon scent and are visible in late spring and early summer. Red fruit are held in a showy conelike structure. Introduced into European gardens as early as 1688 and called "Beaver tree" by colonists who caught beavers in traps baited with the fleshy roots. For additional information on growing conditions and habitat, click the button below.  FEATURED NATIVE TREE: Prunus serotina, black cherry
Black cherry is known for the beauty and quality of its wood – a favorite of furniture makers. The green leaves turn to yellow in the fall. It is easy to grow and will reward you with dangling, lace-like blossoms in the spring that attract large numbers of native bees. Wildlife eat the fruits. This is a fast-growing, pioneer species. Eastern tent caterpillars prefer black cherries. All parts of Prunus species except the fruits contain poisonous substances and should never be eaten. The plant drops lots of twigs, leaves, and fruit, and in cultivation can be allelopathic to garden plants. For additional information on growing conditions and habitat, click the button below.  FEATURED NATIVE TREE: Quercus alba, white oak
The white oak is a popular and long-lived shade tree which grows to 100 feet, with a wide-spreading rounded crown and with numerous horizontal branches. Its bark is light gray with shallow furrows forming scaly ridges or plates. The leaves are light green and smooth, with a lighter underside, turning red in the fall. The wood is used for furniture, flooring, and specialty items such as wine and whiskey barrels. In colonial times, the wood was used for shipbuilding. Acorns are a favorite food source for birds, squirrels, and deer. The largest known white oak specimen had a circumference of 32 feet and grew in the Wye Oak State Park, Talbot County, Maryland. It was destroyed during a storm on June 6, 2002. For additional information on growing conditions and habitat, click the button below.  FEATURED NATIVE TREE: Pinus virginiana, Virginia pine
This smaller pine colonizes old fields and abandoned farmlands. The short needles of the tree are held in pairs, forming a "V." The seeds are eaten by birds and other animals, and deer will browse the twigs. For additional information on growing conditions and habitat, click the button below.  Photo Credit: Evan Raskin, iNaturalist FEATURED NATIVE TREE: Quercus falcata, Southern red oak
Southern red oak is also referred to as Spanish oak. It is a large tree, up to 80 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 4 feet. The crown is rounded and open, with spreading branches. Long leaves, typically shaped like a turkey foot. For additional information on growing conditions and habitat, click the button below. |
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