Winter Tree ID, pt.2

Villages, public parks, and forest preserves in our area contain thousands of trees for our enjoyment.  Being able to identify some or all of these can make our walks more fun.  In the last blog, I identified several tree characteristics that can be used in tree identification in the winter.  Here are some of the more common trees you may find in this area, along with their winter identification characteristics.

Silver maple, Acer saccharinum, is a native Illinois tree with bright yellow/green fall leaf colors.  When looking at a twig, the terminal and lateral buds will all appear slightly reddish in hue and rounded or pointed.  Remember that lateral buds are where new flowers or leaves will grow.  If the buds are clustered, this is where flowers will bloom on the twig.  The twig is slender and gray to red in color, with buds arranged opposite one another.  If you scratch the twig with a fingernail and take a sniff, there is an unpleasant odor.  The bark is smooth on young trees, becoming shaggy on older trees.

The hackberry, Celtis occidentalis, a favorite street tree, is a large, fast growing tree that can reach heights of 40 to 60 feet.  Native to Illinois, the hackberry may live for 150 years or more.  Twigs in winter lack a terminal bud, but have lateral buds that are brown, flat, and triangular in shape.  Lateral buds display an alternate arrangement  along very thin twigs.  As each new twig grows at a slight angle from the bud, branches take on a zig-zag appearance.  The bark, smooth and light gray, is covered with light colored lenticels, and is often times covered with wart-like bumps, their density being greatly variable.  Cutting open a twig reveals a banded pith with visible cavities.

White oak, Quercus alba, is one of our most popular native hardwood trees.  The state tree of Illinois, white oak is used for building dozens of items including cabinets, watertight barrels, floors, caskets, and pianos.  In winter, look for bark that is light gray to silver in color.  The bark can be quite variable from tight, shallow ridges to broad, loose flaky plating.  Many trees exhibiting different bark formation on different parts of the trunk.  Twigs  display small, rounded, and reddish buds.  Lateral buds are alternate  on twigs that are slender, smooth and slightly reddish in appearance.  Terminal buds are clustered with broad, hairless scales.

Black walnut, Juglans nigra, is a slow growing tree with a large, shady canopy and rich, dark-brown hardwood.  The wood will not warp, can be polished to a high luster, and is highly prized for furniture and veneers.  The buds are gray with a light, fuzzy coating of hairs and arranged alternately along the twig.  The leaf scars are heart-shaped and contain a very distinct bundle scar that looks like a “monkey face”.  The pith is chambered, a distinctive trait found only in black walnut and butternut trees.  The bark on this tree is dark brown, with high ridges and deep furrows often arrayed in a diamond-shaped pattern.

Bitternut hickory, Carya cordiformis, also a member of the walnut family, is a medium sized tree, growing 50′-80′ tall with a narrow canopy.  This wood burns with an intense heat and is often used for smoking ham, bacon, and other meats due to the distinctive flavor imparted by the smoke.  Twigs are thin, shiny, and greenish- to grayish-brown.  The alternately arranged buds are bright yellow to sulfur-yellow, covered by two to four large scales that join one another along the edges without overlapping.  The bark is light gray, appearing in a diamond-pattern with very shallow ridges.

These trees are some of the most commonly planted in urban communities and found in area forest preserves.  All are native to Illinois, are hardy in urban settings, and provide food and shelter for many native wildlife species.  Winter identification characteristics are easily visible and a great place to learn how to use a key.  Take a walk and get started soon!