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Woody Tree and Shrub Checklist for Emigration Creek Natural Area Westminster College Campus Dr. A. T. Harrison, Biology Dept., Jan. 2000 Purpose and Nature of Project: This is a preliminary inventory of trees and shrubs that are found along Emigration Creek as it passes 1/8 of a mile, from east to west, across Westminster campus, at 1300 E. in Salt Lake City. All plants listed were found only on the creek banks. This small, riparian forest is a mixture of native and non-native species. The original pre-settlement trees along the creek were primarily Box Elder with scattered Peachleaf Willow, Narrowleaf Cottonwood, and Gambel’s Oak. There are a few, native understory shrub species such as Chokecherry, Wood’s Rose, Black Hawthorn and Red Osier Dogwood growing along the creek. Over the past 15 years, students and volunteers have planted additional native understory, shade tolerant shrubs such as Creeping Oregon Grape, Golden Current and Chokecherry to enhance wildlife value and prevent erosion along the steep creek banks. This list will be helpful for students trying to identify species for class projects. Trees and shrubs can be identified by their leaves and flowers during the spring and summer, and can also be identified by their twig and branch characteristics during the winter. Learning Resources for Local Tree and Shrub Identification: An internet site that provides useful illustrations for such identification can be found at: http://gaia.flemingc.on.ca/~dhendry/. Good tree identification guides for local trees include: Rocky Mountain Tree Finder, Tom Watts, 1972, Nature Study Guild Rochester, New York; Mountain Plants of Northeastern Utah, Berniece A. Andersen and Arthur H. Holmgren, Revised 1996,Utah State Univ. Extension HG 506 Trees of Utah, Sherman G. Brough and Darrell J. Weber, 1993 Bristlecone Press, Provo, Utah. A useful cultivated tree and shrub identification guide is Manual of Cultivated Plants by Liberty Hyde Bailey available in the Westminster College Library Importance of Learning Native vs. Introduced Species: Over the past hundred years, non-native trees and shrubs have been accidentally and intentionally introduced to the creek by man, birds and wind from adjacent landscapes. Those are noted in the following alphabetized list with an asterisk following the common names. An awareness of native vs. introduced species is important in urban area natural restoration projects since many of the introduced species grow more rapidly that the native species and over a period of time will kill them out. In addition the introduced landscape tree and shrub species often have little value to native animals such as birds. Learning to distinguish native trees and shrubs from non-native species will be important for future management of this and other “semi-natural”, urban forest habitats. This list is typical of the riparian forest remnants along almost all the creeks in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County. These important native habitats along our remaining urban streams are gradually being taken over and replaced by less desirable or ecologically less valuable assemblages of common landscape trees and shrubs. Learning to recognize and name these trees and shrubs will become increasingly important in the future to foster efforts toward urban habitat restoration projects. TREES Common Name American Elm* Latin Name Ulmus americana Bigtooth Maple Acer grandidentatum Black Hawthorn Crataegus douglasii Blue Spruce Picea pungens Box Elder Acer negundo var. interior Abies concolor Concolor Fir Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga douglasii English Walnut * Juglans Flowering Plum * Prunus sp. Fremont Cottonwood Populus fremontii Gambel Oak Quercus gambelli Green Ash * Fraxinus pennsylvanica Horse Chestnut Hybrid Cottonwood Aesculus hippocastanum Populus X Mahaleb Cherry * Prunus mahaleb Notes Scattered, Reaches 2-5, others? Leaves larger than Siberian Elm. Tubelings planted in 1988-94 on upper areas of Reach 2 (above trail) Only one small, native tree on north side of Reach 7 W. of stairway of Reach 6 Reach 2,south side Seedlings 1998 The most common, large native tree in all Reaches Reach 2, south side. Seedlings 1998 Reach 2 , south side one Seedling from appx.1988 other seedlings planted in 1998 Several trees north side Reach 5 and elsewhere? Several on south side of creek, Reaches 3 & 5 Several large, mature trees on north side of creek Reach 6. Probably from seedling when soccer field was constructed in Only two clones, S. side of Reach 5, north side of Reaches 6 or 7. Seedlings from acorns plants in appx. 1994 along track fence of Reach 5 Scatter seedlings and saplings on both sides of Reaches 1,2,3,4,5,6. Need to be removed. Several scattered saplings and seedlings. All Reaches. Leaves lance-shaped, intermediate between narrow and broadleaf cottonwood species. One on north side of Reach 1 Narrowleaf Cottonwood Populus angustifolia Norway Maple * Acer platanoides Peachleaf Willow Salix amygdaloides Siberian Elm * Ulmus pumila Thinleaf Alder Alnus tenuifolia Tree of Heaven * Ailanthus altissima Water Birch Betula occidentalis Only mature tree S. side of Reach 2 with small clonal root sprouts around it. Transplanted (1993) east of bridge in Reach 2. Both sides of creek, esp. west of Nunemaker . Need to be removed. Only three trees, one on S. side Reach 1, 2 on north side Reach 6. Reach 1 tree predates 1983-84 flood by appx. ten years and Reach 6 trees were seedlings established after 1983-84 floods. Several large trees, Reaches 1,2, 4, 6 & seedlings. Need to be removed. One planted 1997 on creek bank N. side Reach 4. Weedy tree with many seedlings& saplings, both sides of Reaches 3,4,5,6. Need to be removed and controlled. Scattered, planted trees, S. side Reach 1, N. & S. side Reach 4. Older trees planted? SHRUBs Common Name Cottoneaster* Latin Name Notes Cottoneaster sp? Chokecherry Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa Golden Currant Ribes aureum Oregon Grape Mahonia repens Fragrant Sumac Poison Ivy Rhus aromatica var. trilobata Rhus toxicodendron Pyracantha * Pyracantha sp. Seeds introduced by overnight roosting birds from surrounding homes and urban landscapes. Some planted below Nunemaker in Reach 4? Also in Reaches 1 and others? No original plants. Seedlings planted N. side of Reach 2 in 1988-90, purple leaf variety. Other bare root seedlings donated by Tree Utah planted in 1996-97 on north & south side of Reach 2, north side of Reach 3, north side Reach 4 and 6. No original plants. All existing shrubs planted in 1996-97, from Tree Utah donation. North side of Reaches 2,3,4,5,6. No original plants. All existing shrubs planted either in 1993 or 1997 from Tree Utah donations. Reaches 2,3,4,5,6. Only two plants E. and W. of stairs on S. side of Reach 5. Only one plant growing with the Gambel’s Oak and Fragrant Sumac E. of stairs on S. side of Reach 5. Several plants, one on S. side of Reach 1. Others? At least 3 plants W. of Nunemaker, Reach 4? Also probably in thicket of Reach 1. Several plants W. of Nunemaker, Reach 4 and probably other Reaches . Privet* Tartarian Honeysuckle* Lonicera tartarica