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THE TREES OF
MILLSAPS COLLEGE
a guide to find noteworthy trees on campus
Mary Harmon was a Belhaven college home
economics professor from 1952-1982. An
advocate of hands-on learning, she helped
her students carry out projects that benefited
their communities.
In October, 2008, Mrs. Harmon celebrated
her 102nd birthday. To honor her on this
extraordinary occasion her daughter, Millsaps alumna Mary Parker Buckles, wanted
to showcase her mother's teaching methodology and her lifelong love of plants and
gardening. Mother and daughter invited
Millsaps professor Debora Mann to work
with her botany students in identifying and
researching noteworthy campus trees. The 25
descriptions that appear here and the coordinated permanent labels attached to trees
throughout the grounds are the result.
The labeled trees are located in five areas
on campus: Whitworth Circle, the Bowl, the
Plaza, the Nicholson Garden, and the south
lawn of the Christian Center. Together they
constitute the Mary Harmon Tree Trail,
represented in the map to the left.
tree placement
1. southern red
oak
2. cherrybark
oak
3. eastern
redcedar
4. black cherry
5. sugarberry
6. flowering
dogwood
7. southern
magnolia
8. live oak
9. catalpa
10. river birch
11. pin oak
12. ginkgo
13. sweetgum
14. Osage
orange
15. water oak
16. white oak
17. eastern
cottonwood
18. willow oak
19. red maple
20. tuliptree
21. bald
cypress
22. fringe tree
23. American
elm
24. eastern
redbud
25. post oak
finding noteworthy trees on campus
THE TREES ARE:
SOUTHERN RED OAK
CHERRYBARK OAK
The leaves of the southern red oak are lobed, bristle-tipped, shiny
green above, with rusty or grayish hairs beneath. The leaf shape
is variable, but often the leaves are deeply divided into three main
lobes, with the endmost lobe slender, elongated, and three-pointed. The base of the leaf is typically U-shaped. The bark is dark
gray, and becomes divided by fissures into broad ridges.
The southern red oak is common on dry, upland soils. Because it is long-lived and can grow in poor soil, it is often planted
as a shade tree. The wood is used for construction lumber.
The large tree at the margin of the Whitworth Circle is a cherrybark oak. The common name is a reference to its dark gray
bark, which becomes scaly on older trees, somewhat like that of
the black cherry. The specific epithet, pagoda, refers to the shape
of the leaves: held upside down, the pointed lobes suggest the
roofline of a pagoda. The bristle-tipped leaves, which are shiny
above, have small, whitish hairs beneath. The lower leaves have
five to eleven lobes, often single-pointed, with shallow sinuses
between the lobes and a broadly V-shaped base. The upper leaves
often have fewer lobes with deeper sinuses, like the leaves of the
southern red oak. In fact, the cherrybark oak is sometimes treated
as a variety of the southern red oak.
The cherrybark oak is one of the larger southern oaks, growing
to heights of 100 to 130 feet with a diameter of over three feet.
It is in found in bottomlands of streams and rivers. Like other
oaks, it bears its male flowers in dangling catkins and its female
flowers in short spikes. The acorns are used by squirrels and other
animals. It is valued for its high quality timber, much of which is
used for furniture.
Quercus falcata Michaux
FAGACEAE Beech Family
The southern red oak is common on
dry, upland soils. Because it is long-lived and
can grow in poor soil, it is often planted as a
shade tree.
Quercus pagoda Raf.
FAGACEAE Beech Family
EASTERN REDCEDAR
BLACK CHERRY
The eastern redcedar is a narrow, conical evergreen tree that
grows to medium height. It may have three-sided needle-like
leaves as well as scale-like leaves, both dark green with a hint
of blue in color. The reddish-brown bark of the tree is thin and
shredding. The cones are about a quarter of an inch in diameter,
dark blue, and berry-like. Wild birds often eat the cones, spreading the seeds over long distances. The heartwood of the eastern
redcedar is red in contrast with the white sapwood. The fragrant
wood is used for furniture, especially storage chests. Due to its
decay-resistance, the wood is also suitable for fence posts.
The eastern redcedar is a pioneer invader, meaning that it is
one of the first species to repopulate an area of damaged land. It
is not uncommon to find it on roadsides and abandoned fields.
It also thrives in calcium-rich soils that are unfavorable for the
growth of many other tree species. The common "cedar apples"
found on twigs of the tree are actually due to the fungus Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae. This fungus completes part of
its life cycle on apple trees, where it causes the disease known as
cedar apple rust. For this reason, the eastern redcedars are unwelcome around apple orchards.
The leaves of the black cherry are narrow, oval, two to five inches
long and about an inch wide, with small teeth along the margins.
They are dark green and shiny on top and paler underneath, often
with rusty hairs along the mid-vein. The small, white flowers
are borne in long clusters. The fruits are about a third of an inch
long and become purplish to black as they ripen. The young bark
is smooth, brown, and marked with horizontal lenticels (corky
air pores). Older bark becomes dark, rough, and cracked. When
bruised, the twigs have a bitter-almond scent that can be useful
for identifying the black cherry.
The wood is valued for furniture and cabinets because of its
close grain and reddish-brown color. Although the fruits are small
and have a stony pit, the flesh is edible and is sometimes used to
make jam and wine. The fruits are also eaten by many kinds of
wild birds and mammals. Livestock should be kept from feeding on damaged black cherry branches, however, because when
wilted, the foliage produces hydrogen cyanide that is harmful
when consumed.
Juniperus virginiana L.
CUPRESSACEAE Cypress or Cedar Family
Prunus serotina Ehrh.
ROSACEAE Rose Family
SUGARBERRY
FLOWERING DOGWOOD
The sugarberry is a medium to large tree that usually has a
straight trunk and slightly drooping branches. The simple leaves
are alternately arranged, two to five inches long, and light green
on both surfaces. They are lance-shaped with a long pointed tip
and three main veins. The two halves of the leaf are unequal
at the base. The leaf margins are variable and may be smooth,
wavy, or with teeth, especially toward the tip. The fruit of the
sugarberry is about one-fourth of an inch in diameter and ranges
in color from orange to reddish-black. The fruits are dry, sweet,
and contain a single, stony seed. The tree can be recognized by its
bark, which is light gray, thin, and smooth with distinct wart-like
bumps.
The sugarberry is native to the southeastern United States,
where it is commonly found in moist soils of floodplains. The
light-colored wood is used for making furniture and crates. The
fruits are often eaten by birds and sometimes by people.
The flowering dogwood is a small understory tree of eastern
hardwood forests. Widely used in landscaping, this tree is beautiful at all times of the year. In the spring before the leaves emerge,
it bears small clusters of yellowish-green flowers; each cluster
is surrounded by four large, white, petal-like bracts. The bark of
the trunk is dark and broken into small squares like a checkerboard. The leaves are oppositely arranged with somewhat wavy
edges and curved veins on each side of the mid-vein of the nearly
hairless leaf. Under a lens, very small teeth are evident along the
margins. During the fall, the leaves turn dark red, and the tree
produces clusters of bright red fruits.
The wood of the flowering dogwood is heavy and strong
enough to be used for the heads of golf clubs and mallets. The
bark and roots were used medicinally by Native Americans to
treat malaria.
Celtis laevigata Willd.
ULMACEAE Elm Family
The sugarberry is native to the southeastern
United States, where it is commonly found
in moist soils of floodplains.
Cornus florida L.
CORNACEAE Dogwood Family
LIVE OAK
Live oaks were once important for building the ribs
and bows of ships. The United States established
large preserves of live oaks to ensure a supply of
the strong, dense wood for the Navy.
SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA
Magnolia grandiflora L.
MAGNOLIACEAE Magnolia Family
The southern magnolia, which is both the State Tree and State
Flower of Mississippi, is emblematic of the South and attractive
throughout the year. The leathery, evergreen leaves are shiny,
dark green above with rusty hairs beneath. The flowers, which are
produced in May and June, are six to eight inches across, white,
and cup-shaped with a powerful fragrance. The cone-like fruit
clusters are covered with rust-colored hairs. When the fruits open
in early autumn, the red seeds can be seen attached to the “cone”
by a thin thread.
The southern magnolia grows naturally in moist bottomlands, but it is widely planted as an ornamental. The leaves are
sometimes used in flower arrangements. The wood of the magnolia is used in the creation of furniture, paneling, and cabinets.
Quercus virginiana Miller
FAGACEAE Beech Family
The leaves of the live oak are thick, leathery, and evergreen. Elliptical in shape, they have smooth margins, a dark green upper
surface, and a lighter underside covered in small, thick hairs. The
bark is a dark brownish color, segmented into scaly ridges. Live
oaks grow only to medium height but develop massive, buttressed trunks with broad, spreading crowns that may reach 100
feet across. They are able to resist hurricane-strength winds common in their native range along the coast from Virginia to Texas.
Often planted as shade trees, live oaks are associated with the
Deep South, where they may be seen draped with Spanish moss
on their limbs.
Live oaks were once important for building the ribs and
bows of ships. The United States established large preserves of
live oaks to ensure a supply of the strong, dense wood for the
Navy. The live oak timber used in the construction of the famous
ship the U.S.S. Constitution contributed to its resistance to battle
shot, earning it the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
CATALPA
RIVER BIRCH
The catalpa is a medium-sized tree with large, heart-shaped
leaves arranged oppositely in pairs or in whorls of three. The
flowers, which are displayed in showy clusters, are tubular and
white with yellow and purple spots. They produce long, slender
cigar-shaped pods that contain flat, winged seeds with fringed
edges.
The catalpa is also called the "Caterpillar Tree" or "Fisherman's Tree" because it attracts the catalpa sphinx moth, Ceratomia catalpae, the larvae of which feed on the leaves. Many
people harvest these caterpillars and use them as fishing bait, and
some people plant this tree specifically for the “catalpa worms.”
The river birch is most easily recognized by the shaggy bark
on young trunks and branches. It varies in color from orangebrown to silvery gray and peels off in thin, curly layers. Older
bark becomes darker, thick, and scaly. The leaves are simple and
alternately arranged, with doubly toothed margins and parallel
side veins. The leaves are dull, dark green above and pale yellowgreen below. The outline of the leaf may look nearly four-sided,
with the two sides toward the base meeting in a broad angle and
the two sides toward the tip meeting in a narrow angle. The male
flowers are produced in the spring on drooping catkins about
an inch-and-a-half long. The female flowers are found in small,
upright, half-inch long catkins that look like miniature cones.
True to its name, the river birch is found in the floodplains
of rivers and in other moist bottomlands. It is useful in restoration projects to stabilize riverbanks. It is also used in landscaping
because of the attractive color and texture of its bark.
Catalpa speciosa Warder ex Engelm.
BIGNONIACEAE
The catalpa is also called the “Caterpillar
Tree” or “Fisherman’s Tree”.
Betula nigra L.
BETULACEAE Birch Family
True to its name, the river birch is found in the floodplains
of rivers and in other moist bottomlands. It is useful in
restoration projects to stabilize riverbanks.
PIN OAK
GINKGO
The leaves of the pin oak are three to five inches long and have
five to seven lobes with the sinuses extending almost to the
midrib. The lobes usually have three teeth with long bristle-tips.
The leaves are shiny, dark green above and smooth beneath when
mature except for tufts of hairs in the axils of the large veins. The
bark is gray-brown and nearly smooth on younger trees, developing low ridges with age.
The common name comes from the thin, pin-like twigs that
extend from the branches. The specific epithet palustris means
of swamps or wet places, an appropriate name since their natural
habitat is in wet bottomlands. Although they are widely planted
for landscaping, pin oaks are not a common forest species in Mississippi, as their natural range is centered to the north.
The leaves of the ginkgo have an easily distinguishable fan shape
with a long leafstalk and forking, parallel veins. Sometimes
divided into two lobes, the leaves are alternately arranged and
are often found in clusters on a short spur. They are light green
on both sides until the autumn, when they turn bright yellow. The
ginkgo has a straight trunk that develops rough, deep furrows in
the gray bark.
The ginkgo is thought to have originated in China. For centuries it was cultivated in temple gardens in China and Japan, and
the few wild populations discovered in China may actually be
remnants of former gardens. Now it is commonly found decorating lawns or lining streets. Its resistance to air pollution, insects,
and disease, as well as its pleasing appearance, makes it ideal
for landscaping. It should be noted, however, that the ginkgo is
dioecious, having the male and female flowers on separate trees.
The seed, produced by the female ginkgo, has a large, smooth,
silvery-white pit surrounded by pale pink flesh that smells like
rancid butter. As a result, the male ginkgo tree is preferred for
landscaping by those who find the seeds objectionable. However,
if the fleshy, malodorous part is removed, the pit can be roasted
and eaten. In fact, the name ginkgo comes from the Chinese
meaning "silver fruit." The ginkgo is also referred to as the
maidenhair tree because its leaves resemble those of the maidenhair fern. A "living fossil," the ginkgo is the only survivor of its
phylum, Ginkgophyta.
Quercus palustris Muenchh. FAGACEAE Beech Family
The pit from the ginko tree can be roasted
and eaten. In fact, the name ginkgo comes
from the Chinese meaning “silver fruit.”
Gingko biloba L.
GINKGOACEAE Ginkgo Family
SWEETGUM
OSAGE ORANGE
The sweetgum has leaves with five pointed lobes in the shape of a
star. The leaves are simple, alternate, and toothed. They are shiny,
dark green above and paler beneath. The leaves and buds have
a spicy odor when crushed. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow,
orange, red, and purple, sometimes all on the same tree. The fruit
is a woody ball consisting of spiky capsules that open to release
small, winged seeds.
The common name, sweetgum, as well as the name of the
genus, Liquidambar, refer to the amber-colored sap, which some
use as chewing gum. The sweetgum sap is also referred to as
storax, hence the specific epithet, styraciflua. The sap, obtained
by tapping the trees, has been used medicinally in skin lotions.
Native Americans used the roots and bark to treat skin disorders,
diarrhea, fevers, and other ailments. The trunk of the tree itself
makes good lumber that is used for furniture, veneers, flooring,
and plywood. Sweet gum trees are planted as ornamentals for
their attractive fall color, and are used in reforestation and land
reclamation projects because they grow quickly and are resistant
to insects and diseases.
The Osage orange is a medium-sized tree that often has a crooked
trunk and arching branches. It was originally found in Texas,
Oklahoma, and Arkansas but is now found throughout many
eastern and northern states. The leaves of the Osage orange are
three to five inches long, alternate, simple, and ovate in shape.
The fruits, which mature in the autumn, resemble pale green oranges three to five inches in diameter. Although they look similar
to oranges, they are actually composed of fruits of many flowers
packed closely together. They contain a white, milky sap that
turns black when exposed to air. In the winter, the Osage orange
sheds its leaves, leaving behind a sharp spine above each leaf
scar; these spines are a good identifying characteristic when fruits
are not present. The wood is extremely durable and is a unique
orange color. The Osage orange is described as dioecious because
the pollen-bearing and seed-bearing flowers are found on separate
trees.
The wood of the Osage orange is used for the construction of archery bows, giving rise to another common name, bois
d’arc. A yellow dye can be extracted from roots. The ridged and
scaly bark of the trunk can be used for obtaining tannin, which is
important in the leather-making process. Farmers used to grow
the trees around their crop fields to form a "living fence" of spiny
branches that would keep out large animals. This is the origin of
yet another common name, hedge-apple.
Liquidambar styraciflua L. HAMAMELIDACEAE Witch Hazel Family
Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneider
MORACEAE Mulberry Family
WATER OAK
WHITE OAK
The water oak is a relatively fast-growing, short-lived oak that
can grow fifty to eighty feet in height and three-and-a-half feet
in diameter. Its simple, alternate leaves, which are two to four
inches long and one to two inches wide, are variable in shape and
may be lobed or unlobed. Often the leaves have three shallow
lobes and are broadest toward the tip. The bark of this tree is dark
gray and smooth when young and develops ridges as it reaches
maturity.
A native of the Southeast, the water oak is most abundant
in bottomlands but can be found in upland soils as well. It is the
most common large tree species at Millsaps. The small, round
acorns, which it produces in abundance, support a large population of gray squirrels on the campus.
The white oak is a slow-growing, long-lived tree that can live
more than 300 years and exceed 100 feet in height and four feet
in diameter. The leaves have rounded lobes that are relatively
symmetrical on both sides of the leaf. When the leaves first
emerge in the spring they are pink and velvety, but as they mature
they become bright green and smooth on top and lighter underneath, finally turning dark red during the fall. The bark is light
gray and furrowed, scaly, or even shaggy.
The white oak produces high quality wood that is used in
shipbuilding, furniture manufacture, hardwood flooring, and for
the staves of whiskey barrels. The acorns are less bitter with tannins than acorns of the red oaks and were once used by Native
Americans to make flour. They are also consumed by various
birds and mammals.
Quercus nigra L.
FAGACEAE Beech Family
The water oak is most abundant in bottomlands
but can be found in upland soils as well. It is the
most common large tree species at Millsaps.
Quercus alba L.
FAGACEAE Beech Family
The acorns of the white oak are less bitter with tannins than acorns of the red oaks and
were once used by Native Americans to make flour.
EASTERN COTTONWOOD
Populus deltoides Bartram ex Marshall
SALICACEAE Willow Family
The eastern cottonwood is a fast-growing hardwood found growing naturally along streams and in moist valleys, and planted
elsewhere as shade trees. It is dioecious, producing male and
female flowers on separate plants. The small flowers are found on
catkins that are produced in the spring before the leaves emerge.
The leaves are simple, alternate, and toothed, and have a distinctive triangular (deltoid) shape, turning yellow in the fall. Many
people recognize the cottonwood by its abundant, cotton-like
seeds, which it produces in the spring. Sometimes referred to as
the "necklace poplar," the seed capsules of this tree resemble a
string of beads. As the tree ages, its bark changes from a smooth
yellow-green to a deeply furrowed, thick and rough light gray.
The late Mr. Joe Lee Gibson (1919-2007), whose dedicated
service to the College maintaining the physical plant and grounds
spanned a remarkable sixty-nine years, recalled that when he first
began work at Millsaps in 1936, the cottonwoods that now tower
over the Bowl were mere saplings not much taller than he was.
The late Mr. Joe Lee Gibson (1919-2007), whose
dedicated service to the College maintaining the
physical plant and grounds spanned a remarkable
sixty-nine years, recalled that when he first began
work at Millsaps in 1936, the cottonwoods that
now tower over the Bowl were mere saplings not
much taller than he was.
WILLOW OAK
Quercus phellos L.
FAGACEAE Beech Family
The willow oak takes its common name from the shape of its
leaves, which are long and narrow, reminiscent of those of a
willow. Unlike the leaves of its namesake, however, a willow
oak leaf has a tiny bristle at the tip, and the margins are smooth,
whereas the willows commonly found in our area have toothed
leaves. Willow oak leaves are simple, alternate, and light green,
somewhat shiny above and dull beneath. The bark is grayish
brown and smooth when young, becoming darker and rough with
shallow grooves as it ages.
The wood of the willow oak is softer and less valuable than
that of many oaks. It is a popular choice for a shade tree, however, because of its fast growth and the delicate appearance of its
foliage.
RED MAPLE
TULIPTREE
The red maple is aptly named because it has red flowers, red fruit,
red leaf-stalks and red to yellow autumn foliage. The leaves have
three or sometimes five lobes. The base of the end-most lobe is
wide and separated from the side lobes by shallow, V-shaped
sinuses. The top surfaces of the leaves are dark green and smooth,
and the undersides are whitened and typically smooth. Although
the flowers are small, they are conspicuous because they bloom
in bright red clusters early in the spring before the leaves emerge.
The red fruits, which mature in the spring, have paired wings that
spin like helicopter blades on the wind. The bark is smooth and
gray when young, becoming darker and broken with age.
The red maple is found in many different habitats, from
mountains to wet bottomlands and swamps. In fact, it has the
greatest distribution from north to south of all trees in eastern North America. Softer and less valuable than that of some
maples, the wood is used for fuel, pulpwood, and some furniture.
Pioneers made brown and black dyes from its bark and harvested
its sap to produce syrup. Typically, however, the red maple is
used purely as an ornamental tree.
The tuliptree, also known as the yellow poplar, is one of the most
majestic hardwoods of eastern forests, known for its tall, straight
trunks. The bark is light gray and often whitened in the furrows.
The leaves are alternately arranged and have four pointed lobes.
The base of the leaf is broad and rounded, and the end is either
squared-off or has a shallow V-shaped indentation giving the leaf
a distinctive shape that resembles the silhouette of a tulip. The
tulip-shaped flowers are greenish-yellow with orange markings
toward the center. They produce slender, dry, winged fruits about
an inch-and-a-half long in upright, cone-like clusters.
Tuliptrees are planted as shade trees and for their attractive
flowers and bright yellow fall foliage. The flowers of the tuliptree
provide nectar from which bees make honey. The wood is used
for furniture, siding, shingles, toys, and boats. Native Americans
used its trunks to make canoes, and according to legend, Daniel
Boone preferred its wood for his dugout canoe. Some of the largest tuliptrees may be found at Mount Vernon; they are 140 feet
tall and were planted by none other than George Washington.
Acer rubrum L.
ACERACEAE Maple Family
Liriodendron tulipifera L.
MAGNOLIACEAE Magnolia Family
The tuliptree, also known as the yellow poplar, is
one of the most majestic hardwoods of eastern
forests, known for its tall, straight trunks.
BALDCYPRESS
Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard
TAXODIACEAE Baldcypress Family
The baldcypress is a deciduous conifer native to southern
swamps. Although it is found naturally growing in areas subject
to flooding, the baldcypress can also thrive in upland sites when
planted as an ornamental, as on the Millsaps plaza. In water, the
roots develop "cypress knees," which are conical structures that
grow upward to the surface. The functions of these knees are
unknown. The grayish-brown bark of the baldcypress is thin and
fibrous, and the trunk of the tree becomes enlarged and buttressed
at the base. The flat, light green leaves are arranged alternately
on slender greenish twigs, giving a fern-like appearance. The tree
grows ball-shaped cones about an inch in diameter.
The heartwood of older trees is extremely resistant to decay
and is used for constructing boats, shingles, sidings, and even
railroad ties. A relative of the majestic California redwood, it can
reach heights of over 140 feet and is reported to live to be more
than 1,000 years old.
The baldcypress, a relative of the majestic
California redwood, it can reach heights of
over 140 feet and is reported to live to be
more than 1,000 years old.
FRINGE TREE
Chionanthus virginicus L.
OLEACEAE Olive Family
The fringe tree, also known as grancy graybeard or old-man’sbeard, is a small, understory tree of eastern deciduous forests. Its
common names as well as the name of the genus, Chionanthus
(from the Greek for “snow and “flower”) refer to its white blossoms, which have long, slender petals. Borne in the spring in
drooping clusters, they give the tree an airy, delicate appearance.
Dark blue fruits about three-fourths of an inch long mature in late
summer or fall. The leaves are simple and opposite with dark reddish or purple petioles. The foliage turns yellow in autumn.
The fringe tree is valued in landscaping for its fragrant, attractive flowers. Because of its small size, it can be planted where
space is limited or beneath the canopy of a larger tree.
AMERICAN ELM
Ulmus americana L.
ULMACEAE Elm Family
The American elm is a graceful tree that may reach 100 feet in
height and over four feet in diameter at maturity. The trunk is
usually forked into many spreading branches that droop at the
ends. The leaves are oval, three to five inches long and one-anda-half to two inches across, and are widest in the middle. They
are doubly saw-toothed with many straight, parallel side veins.
The two sides of the leaf are unequal at the base. The bark is
light gray and deeply furrowed with broad, forking, scaly ridges.
Clusters of greenish flowers are produced early in the spring. The
winged fruit is elliptical and flat with a single seed in the center
and hairs along the edges.
The American elm has a broad distribution in eastern North
America from Canada to Texas and Florida. Unfortunately, the
American elm has been ravaged by Dutch elm disease, a fungal
infection spread by a beetle. Elm wood is used for furniture,
crates, and railroad ties. Its fruits attract a variety of animals
including goldfinches and squirrels. Deer and rabbits are known
to browse the twigs.
The bark of redbud has been used as an
astringent and in the treatment of dysentery.
Flowers of the tree can be put into salads or
fried and eaten. The immature green pods
can be used as a substitute for snow peas.
EASTERN REDBUD
Cercis canadensis L.
FABACEAE Pea Family (or CAESALPINIACEAE)
The eastern redbud is a small tree with simple, alternate, heartshaped leaves borne on zigzag twigs. It produces clusters of
showy, purplish-pink flowers early in the spring before the leaves
emerge. The fruits look like flat pea pods, about three inches
long, that turn from green to reddish to brown as they mature.
The redbud is a common understory tree in eastern deciduous forests and is also planted extensively as an ornamental. The
bark of redbud has been used as an astringent and in the treatment
of dysentery. Flowers of the tree can be put into salads or fried
and eaten. The immature green pods can be used as a substitute
for snow peas.
POST OAK
Quercus stellata Wangenh.
FAGACEAE Beech Family
The shiny, dark green and slightly rough, leathery leaves of the
post oak have square lobes in an arrangement resembling the
Christian cross. The small leaf hairs, which can be seen with a
lens, are stellate (star-shaped), hence the specific epithet, stellata.
The bark of the tree is gray-brown, ridged, and checked. The winter silhouette of older trees with their gnarled, twisted branches is
suggestive of rugged strength and durability.
This species is commonly found on dry, sandy soils and
rocky ridges. Lumber mills take advantage of the post oak’s
strength and resistance to decay to make posts, railroad ties, and
construction lumber. People also choose these trees as low-maintenance yet attractive ornamentals because they grow whether in
good topsoil, dry clay, or sandy soils.
The post oak is commonly found on dry,
sandy soils and rocky ridges. Lumber mills
take advantage of the post oak’s strength
and resistance to decay to make posts,
railroad ties, and construction lumber.
BOTANY STUDENTS
Erin Anderson
Chris Awwad
Lansden Baggett
Jacob Baker
Megan Bauerle
Carmen Beck
Stephen Bower
Brent Buffa
Mary Caskey
Joshua Conlee
Maryam Dogar
Erica Douglas
Sarah Exley
Canaan Farris
Krystal Frazier
Andrew Fredericks
Brooke Furrh
Sam Gay
Anh Giang
Lydia Gikas
Taryn Green
Cartier Gwin
Houston Hartzog
Courtney Helfrich
Samantha Hill
Schuyler Huff
Rebecca Kindler
Dylan Lindsay
Olga McKay
Jennifer McKinley
Kristen Massey
Brian Mitchell
Brandon Mong
Audrey Plaisance
Michael Price
Jamie Sclafani
Jodie Skinner
Amanda Smith
Lekha Sunkara
Kasey Thibodeaux
Kevan Beth Tucker
Gerri Wilson
Jack Whitley
Abbott Wootten
REFERENCES
FLORA AUTHOR LIST
Grimm, William Carey. The Illustrated Book of Trees.
Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1983.
William Bartram, 1739-1823
Little, Elbert L. The Audubon Field Guide to North American
Trees: Eastern Region. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980.
George Engelmann, 1809-1884
Petrides, George A. A Field Guide to Eastern Trees: Eastern
United States and Canada, including the Midwest. New
York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell.
Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1968.
United States. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources
Conservation Service. The PLANTS Database. Baton Rouge:
National Plant Data Center, September 2008 http://plants.
usda.gov.
Friedrich Ehrhart, 1742-1795
Carl Linnaeus, 1707-1778
Humphrey Marshall, 1722-1801
Otto von Muenchhausen, 1716-1774
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, 1783-1840
Louis Claude Marie Richard, 1754-1821
Camillo Carl Schneider, 1876-1951
Thomas Walter, 1740-1789
John Aston Warder, 1812-1883
Friedrich Adam Julius von Wangenheim, 1749-1800
Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 1765-1812