Download Common Plants of the Quiet Corner

Common Plants of the Quiet Corner
A functional guide
Common Plants of the Quiet Corner
A Functional Guide
Edited By
Richard Campbell
Design
Deborah Spalding
Contributors
Deborah Spalding, Thomas Hodgman, Kristofer Covey, Marlyse Duguid
Photo credits: Unless otherwise noted all photos are used with permission from the following three sources or in the public domain
University of Connecticut Plant Database (www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants, ©Mark Brand)
Vanderbilt University Bioimages (www.cas.vanderbilt/bioimages.edu, ©Steve Baskauf)
Connecticut Botanic Society (www.ct-botanical-society.org, ©Janet Novak)
A Publication of the Yale School Forests
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
360 Prospect St.
New Haven, CT 06511
2
How to Use this book:
This book is designed to be a user-friendly, functional field guide for Connecticut’s “Quiet Corner.” Within, you should find many of the plants
you are likely to see on any given day in the forest. Don’t expect to find information on rare and endangered species here; the focus is on
common plants, where they are likely to be found, and how to deal with them.
This book is not organized like a traditional botanical guide. Rather, species are sorted based on their most obvious characteristics. Thus, if
the plant you are looking at is a woody-stemmed species with opposite leaves/branches and a simple leaf, please turn to page 6.
If it is opposite branching but with compound leaves, please turn to page 11.
If it is alternate branching with simple leaves, please turn to page 12.
If it is alternate branching with compound leaves, please turn to page 30.
If it is a conifer, please turn to page 35.
If it is a woody shrub without thorns, please turn to page 39.
If it is a woody shrub with thorns, please turn to page 47.
If it is a vine, please turn to page 52.
If it is an herbaceous flowering plant, please turn to page 55.
If it is a fern or a fern-type plant (a fern ally), please turn to page 70.
An example is included on the following page to help you sort through the information you will find on each species.
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Common name, Scientific name (family)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Leaf description
Buds/Twigs: Bud and twig description
Stem: Stem description
Flowers/Fruits: Flower/fruit description
Other identifying characteristics
Growth habit
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Preferred soil type
Nutrient requirements
Drainage requirements
Light requirements
•
•
•
•
Products from the species
How you deal with the species
Associated species
Regeneration methods
Disturbances
•
•
Affinity to type and intensity of disturbance
Mitigation techniques
Morphological
Category
Wetland Indicator:
FACU-facultative upland
FACW-facultative wetland
OBL-wetland obligate
OBLU-obligate upland
4
Table of Contents
Example page……………………………………………….……………..5
Opposite simple leaved woody species……….……………….6
Maple
6
Viburnum
9
Dogwood
10
Alternate compound leaved woody species..……………...30
30
34
Conifers……………………………………………………………………….35
Opposite compound leaved woody species……...…………11
Ash
Hickory
Butternut
Pine
35
Hemlock
38
Shrubs without thorns or prickles………………………………..39
11
Laurel
Alternate simple leaved woody species……….………………12
39
Oak
12
Blueberry
40
Beech
15
Spicebush
42
Chestnut
16
Summersweet
43
Birch
17
Winterberry
44
21
Sweetfern
45
Spirea
46
Musclewood
Hornbeam
22
Tulip poplar
23
Shrubs with thorns or prickles……………………………………..47
Cherry
24
Raspberry
47
Basswood
25
Rose
50
Barberry
51
Aspen
26
Witchhazel
27
Hazelnut
28
Dogwood
29
Vines……………...……….………………………………………………….52
Herbaceous species……………..……………………………………..55
Ferns and fern allies
70
5
Sugar maple, Acer saccharum (Aceraceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
Leaves: Palmate lobes, rounded tips on large wavy teeth
Rounded sinuses. Typically five main veins
Buds/Twigs: Light brown, sharp pointed, conical buds with
many scales
Stem: Smaller stems with fine warty texture; large stems with
large plates
Flowers/Fruits: Paired winged samaras
© www.bio.brandeis.edu
●
●
●
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Sands, loams and silt loams
Best on well drained soils, but found on mesic and upland
sites
Shade tolerant, sensitive to road salt
Disturbances
•
•
•
Less susceptible to insects but will suffer damage from gypsy
moth (Lymantria dispar) , and eastern tent caterpillar
(Malacosoma americanum)
Borers and cankers rarely kill tree but may lead to severe
deformity
Deer browse
Opposite
Simple
•
•
•
•
•
●
Produces valuable timber and syrup
Can survive under shade suppression for long periods
Gradual release preferred due to epicormic sprouting from dormant
buds
Codominant with beech, oak, yellow birch, tulip poplar
Trees grown in the open may exhibit forking at low heights with
large crowns. While this will increase sap production it will be at the
expense of timber quality
May appear similar to Norway maple (which is distinguished by
milky sap)
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
6
Red maple, Acer rubrum (Aceraceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Serrate margins, often three lobes (sometimes five)
V-shaped sinuses. Petioles often reddish
Buds/Twigs: Reddish, ovoid, blunt buds with many scales
Stem: Bark is variable. Younger stems are smooth and gray;
older stems develop intermittent groups of long vertical
scratches
Flowers/Fruits: Paired samaras, often reddish in color
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Tolerates a wide range of soil types and moisture
regimes. May dominate on wet, swampy sites
Moderately shade tolerant; flowers early, lives long
Common in most forest types of New England
May outcompete other species on marginal sites
Disturbances
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fire intolerant
Sensitive to damage from logging
Deer browse
Moderately susceptible to insects and pathogens but these
are rarely fatal
Vigorous sprouter; reaches maturity in 70-80 years
Responds rapidly when released; grows faster than sugar maple
Increases in abundance following disturbance such as windthrow,
hurricanes, or logging
Often has poor form, but readily forms cavities making it excellent
wildlife habitat
Wood is softer than sugar maple
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Opposite
Simple
7
© www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org
Striped maple, Acer pensylvanicum (Aceraceae)
Identifying Characteristics
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●
●
●
Leaves: Typically, three lobes. Often quite large
Buds/Twigs: Dark colored, stalked, bud with two scales
Stem: Stem is green with lighter-colored vertical stripes
Flowers/Fruits: Fruits are samaras that are first reddish,
changing to tan
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Common on sandy loams
Prefers moist, well drained soils
Shade tolerant
•
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
•
•
●
Not particularly susceptible to insects
Susceptible to Verticillium wilt which can be fatal
May also develop Cristulariella depraedens, a common leaf
spot disease
Roots are shallow and widespread; overstory protects from
windthrow
Opposite
Simple
•
•
Grows in small forest openings or as an understory tree in mixed
hardwoods
Important food source for wildlife, particularly rabbits and porcupine, but may also be eaten by deer and beaver
Sometimes called moosewood
Can form dense clonal thickets inhibiting regeneration of canopy
species
Capable of flowering and fruiting as early as 11 years old (3 ft
height)
Grows slowly, lifespan up to 100 years
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
8
Maple-leaved viburnum, Viburnum acerifolium (Caprifoliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Palmately lobed, toothed leaves that look similar to
red maple. Often with some hair on the lower side
Buds/Twigs: Terminal clusters of white lacecap flowers give
way to black berries
Stem: Straight with spreading branches ascending upward;
No more than 3-6 ft in height
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Tolerant of acidic soils. Grows in moist, well drained
soils, as well as drier upland forest sites
Relatively shade tolerant for an understory shrub
•
•
●
●
Valuable nesting/cover for birds and small mammals
Often mistaken for Red maple, particularly as seedlings, but MLV
leaves feel fuzzy
May form dense thickets
Stoloniferous, will respond to being cut back by sending up suckers
from the roots
Disturbances
●
Susceptible to bacterial leaf spot
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Opposite
Simple
9
Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida (Cornaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Typical dogwood leaf, ovate with arcuate veins that
converge with the leaf margin
Buds/Twigs: Stalked, dome-like buds. Twigs purple with waxy
bloom
Fruit: Clusters of bright red fruits
Stem: Small statured and low branching. Bark is dark grey,
blocky
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Grows well on both deep moist soils and light welldrained soils. Does not do well on poorly drained clay or dry
soils
Shallow root systems makes it difficult to grow on dry sites
Very shade tolerant
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
Typically grows as a scattered understory tree
Valuable wildlife food source
Moderately resistant to herbicide
Does better following shelterwood cuts vs. clearcuts
Litter is important in calcium cycling
Disturbances
•
•
•
•
Flood and Fire intolerant
Severely affected by anthracnose
Susceptible to basal stem canker, leafspot, powdery mildew,
and dogwood borer
May be heavily browsed by deer
Opposite
Simple
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
10
White ash, Fraxinus americana (Oleaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Pinnate leaves, paired leaflets with one terminal at
end
Buds/Twigs: Large, brown buds that resemble crowns
Stem: Smooth with weak ridges when young, but with
prominent soft-ridged, light colored-bark when large
Flowers/Fruit: Dioecious, with small wind pollinated flowers
Fruit are 1-2 inch long paddle-shaped samaras
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers fertile soils with a high Nitrongen and moderate
to high Calcium content
Performs best on moderately well drained soils, sandy to clay
loam soils
Moderately tolerant of temporary flooding
Disturbances
•
•
•
© Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
Strong wood and resistance to shock has made it a good wood for
handles, oars, and baseball bats. Also makes excellent firewood.
Shelterwood and overstory removal treatments are useful
strategies for management; as seedlings have been shown to
develop best in at least 45 percent of full sunlight
strong apical dominance
Long lived shade intolerant species
Indicates good site quality
Ash dieback (mycoplasma), Oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes
ulmi), Ash bark beetle (Leperisinus aculeatus) and ash borer
(Podosesia syringae), Ash yellows
Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is emerging as a
concern
Seedlings damaged by deer, rabbits, beaver, and porcupine
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Opposite
Compound
11
White 0ak, Quercus alba (Fagaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
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●
●
●
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Leaves: Lobed leaves with round tips
Buds/Twigs: Pointed buds, clustered at shoot tips—glabrous
Stem: Large trees have whitish-grey bark that is blocky near
the base, and rough and platy higher up the stem
Fruit: 3/4 to 1 inch long acorns with a bumpy bowl shaped
cap. Acorns are borne in pairs
Stem: Light grey, flaky bark
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: found on a variety of soils. Will grow on all but driest
and most shallow
Does not tend to be mineral limited unless very sandy
Soil moisture not a critical factor in seedling development
unless very dry. Common on rocky soils
•
•
•
Acorns highly desired by wildlife; critical masting species for a
variety of fauna
Often succeeded by shade tolerant species such as beech/maple
Generally low timber value due to frequent deformities is often
balanced by value as seed and food source for wildlife
May be susceptible to epicormic sprouting after canopy opening
Disturbances
•
•
•
Sensitive to flooding, frost, and drought
Will sprout vigorously after tree is damaged or killed. May
stump sprout following moderate fire
Moderately susceptible to deer browse
Alternate
Simple
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
12
Red oak, Quercus rubra (Fagaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
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●
●
●
Leaves: Lobed leaves with pointed, bristle-tipped ends
Buds/Twigs: Pointed buds clustered at shoot tips. Possibly a
few hairs at bud tips, but not hairy
Stem: Large trees have brownish bark with smooth vertical
sections separated by rough grooves, producing the “ski
tracks” look
Flowers/Fruits: 3/4 to 1 inch long acorns have shallow caps,
can be single or in pairs
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Grows best on deep, well-drained loam to silty, clay loam soil
Driving factors of site quality are depth and texture of the A
soil horizon, aspect, and slope position and shape. Prefers
soils with a thick A horizon, and a loam to silt loam texture
Intermediate shade tolerance (more than white, black, or
scarlet oaks)
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
•
Hybridizes readily with black and scarlet oak
Responds well to release if trees are codominant or above
May see epicormic sprouting following heavy thinning in stands
older than about 30 years or on trees around the perimeter of
openings, because the boles contain numerous dormant buds
More shade tolerant than Black oak
Masting is very irregular
Shelterwood treatments, uniform or irregular, are best for
regeneration
Most susceptible to gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)
Oak wilt, root rot, carpenterworm (Prionoxystus robiniae)
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
13
Black oak, Quercus velutina (Fagaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
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●
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Leaves: Lobed leaves with pointed, bristle-tipped ends
Buds/Twigs: Pointed buds clustered at shoot tips. Velvety,
hairy buds have flattened sides (which are more easily seen
when viewing from the top of the bud)
Stem: Clear examples of black oak will have grayish-black,
blocky bark (with blocks being 1-2 inches in size), especially
on the lowest part of the stem
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Grows best on dry, well-drained, silty clay to loam
soils; can also grow on cool, moist spodosols
Site quality driven by thickness and texture of the A horizon,
texture of the B horizon, aspect, and slope position. Grows in
coves and on upper slopes
Disturbances
•
•
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Oak wilt, oak bark beetle, gypsy moth
Susceptible to “oak decline” where initial damaging agent
(drought, defoliation, etc.) leads to secondary agent (fatal)
such as root rot
Alternate
Simple
Hybridizes readily with red and scarlet oaks
Intermediate shade tolerance
Sprouts under mature stands can develop crooked stems and flattopped or misshapen crowns
Even-aged management or shelterwood preferred to all-aged or
selection system (inadequate light will preclude regeneration).
Trees can be easily dominated by more shade-tolerant species.
Responds well to release if in the codominant or above-average
intermediate crown classes
Frequent cavities have high wildlife value
Wetland Indicator:
OBLU
14
Beech, Fagus grandifolia (Fagaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Elliptic to ovate with prominent pinnate veins and
toothed margins
Buds/Twigs: Buds long and pointed, 1/2 to 3/4 inches long
Stem: Smooth and silvery gray in all sizes, though it may look
rough and scarred from Beech bark disease
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Soils of loamy texture and those with a high humus
content are more favorable than lighter soils
Grows on mesic sites
Very shade tolerant. Grows slowly in the understory, then
grows rapidly when canopy is opened
Will outcompete other understory species by root suckering
•
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
•
•
•
•
Impacted by beech bark disease (Nectria coccinea)
Susceptible to forest tent caterpillar and gypsy moth
Highly intolerant to fire due to thin bark
Can be damaged by frost, particularly in the late spring
Sensitive to flooding
•
Tendency to sprout from both base and roots can create
management difficulties, because of the potential for the formation
of monodominant thickets
Seedlings grow best under a moderate canopy or in protected small
openings where the soil does not dry out below the depth of the
shallow roots
Tends to be a poor deer browse
Selection cuts will allow beech to flourish and may be suppressed
by overstory removal treatments that allow less shade tolerant
species to grow more quickly upon release
Important hard mast species for wildlife
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
15
Chestnut, Castanea dentata (Fagaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Similar to beech but teeth are larger and wavy or
curved, with more pronounced teeth
Buds/Twigs: Ovate, light brown buds
Stem: Often multiple stems, sometimes with a single, larger
dead stem as a result of the chestnut blight
Flowers/Fruits: prolific bearer of nuts, usually with three nuts
enclosed in each spiny green burr, and lined in tan velvet
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
●
●
Intermediate shade tolerance
Can grow in a variety of soils including high acidity; prefers
well drained, slightly acidic loam
Drought tolerant once established
•
•
•
Once a common species, the chestnut was nearly eliminated by the
chestnut blight, a fungal disease imported from Asia
Species will sprout from stumps of infected trees, reaching perhaps
20 ft in height before becoming infected
Prized as a timber tree particularly due to a faster growth rate than
oaks
Ongoing studies are testing possible reintroduction using resistant
strains and hybrids
Disturbances
●
●
Susceptible to the chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica)
which is responsible for virtually eliminating reproductive
aged trees from the eastern forests
Browsed by deer
Alternate
Simple
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
16
Yellow birch, Betula alleghaniensis (Betulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Oval leaves with finely serrated margins, may be
pubescent
Buds/Twigs: Crushed twigs have wintergreen smell. Twigs
and buds generally pubescent
Stem: Small stems are smooth and shiny, large stems have
golden, frilly, peeling bark. Prominent horizontal lenticels on
all stems
Flowers/Fruit: Flowers are catkins held in clusters
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers moist, well drained soils; oftern found in
riparian areas
Susceptible to drought from shallow roots
Intermediate shade tolerance
Disturbances
•
•
•
Heavily browsed by deer
Sensitive to frost, ice damage, snow load and at times
windthrow if on shallow soil
Susceptible to fire injury due to thin bark
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Good timber species with strong, close-grained wood
Thought to be effective pioneers of high salinity sites
Reproduces well in small clearcuts, patch cuts or group selection
which create openings for regeneration
Sensitive to winter sunscald, high soil temperature and sudden
exposure. Susceptible to injury from harvest activities
Lateral shade will aid in formation of straight trunks with minimal
branching
Long-lived
Will not reproduce under a closed canopy and requires soil
disturbance and light
Indicates good sites
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Alternate
Simple
17
Black birch, Betula lenta (Betulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Oval leaves with finely serrated margins
Buds/Twigs: Crushed twigs have wintergreen smell. Twigs
and are typically smooth
Stem: Smooth, slate gray to blackish blue when young. Has
large, irregular plates when older. All stems have clearly
visible horizontal lenticels
Flowers/Fruit: Flowers are separate male and female catkins
held in clusters
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Grows best on moist, well-drained soils. May also be
found on lower quality sites with rocky coarse-textured or
shallow soils, but likely to be outcompeted on excessively dry
soils
Relatively shade tolerant
Replaced chestnut in previously chestnut dominated sites
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Will reproduce from sprouting but not as prolifically as red maple or
beech
Will readily establish in small forest openings, so does not need to
be favored in regeneration treatments. However, individual large
trees should be occasionally retained for structure and diversity
Small wind blown seed travels great distances
Tends to be the first to establish in a variety of disturbance and
harvested sites
Disturbances
•
•
•
Intermediate drought resistance
Susceptible to a variety of fungi as well as nectria canker
Extremely susceptible to fire damage due to thin bark
Alternate
Simple
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
18
Paper birch, Betula papyrifera (Betulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Oval to triangular in shape; pubescent
Buds/Twigs: Twigs and buds pubescent, without wintergreen
scent
Stem: Small stems are dark purple to black in color. Larger
stems have the characteristic white, peeling bark. Chevrons
above branches are rounded and less prominent than those
on gray birch
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Will grow in a variety of soil or topographical conditions
but prefers deep, moderately to well drained sandy or silty
soils
Often found on drier sites
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
Shade intolerant; shallow rooted; short lived
Regenerates well in clearcutting systems although shelterwood and
patch cuts are often used
Will benefit from soil scarification
Prolific seeder; light windblown seed may travel great distance
May seed in aggressively after wildfire
Disturbances
•
•
•
Adapted to fire; medium tolerance
Susceptible to birch dieback, bronze birch borer, and tent
caterpillar
May be browsed by deer as seedlings; more heavily browsed
by moose
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
19
Gray birch, Betula populifolia (Betulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Triangular with serrate margins and long tapering
points
Buds/Twigs: Rough, wiry orange-brown twigs have
prominent lenticles that appear “warty”
Stem: Like paper birch, small stems are dark and larger stems
are grayish white in color. Chevrons are sharp, v-shaped, and
more prominent than those on paper birch
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
●
●
●
Soils: Grows best on moist, well-drained soil along streams,
ponds, and swamps; can grow on dry sandy or gravelly soil
Shallow roots; shade intolerant
Signature tree of recently disturbed sites, rapidly colonizing
old fields and exposed mineral soil
Very shade intolerant
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Adaptable to disturbed sites
Fast growing and short lived
Often multiple-stemmed
Little commercial value
Disturbances
•
•
Susceptible to ice and snow damage
Susceptible to fire due to thin bark
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Alternate
Simple
20
Musclewood, Carpinus caroliniana (Betulaceae)
●
●
●
●
●
●
Subcanopy or understory tree
Leaves: Ovate, double-toothed leaves
Buds/Twigs: Fine twigs, with many scaled buds that are
brown
Flowers/Fruits: Chain-like cluster of pendulous winged fruits
Bark is thin, close, and smooth, resembling flexed muscles
Slow growing, small understory tree
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
www.biology.missouristate.edu/herbarium
Identifying Characteristics
Soils: Grows best on rich, moist soils in bottomland areas and
on protected slopes
Shade tolerant, particularly in seedling stage
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Responds well to nutrient loading
Canopy trees required to maintain shade
May proliferate following selection cuts
May outcompete less tolerant hardwoods following thinnings
Disturbances
•
Not highly susceptible to insects or disease
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Alternate
Simple
21
Hop hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana (Betulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Oval leaves with doubly serrate leaf margins
Buds/Twigs: Fine twigs, with many greenish scaled buds
Stem: Light colored stem with bark that forms small, vertical
shreds—like peeling paint
Flowers/Fruits: Male flowers catkins in threes; fruit clusters
look like fruit of hops plant
Bark forms vertical strips which exfoliate at the end
Understory tree
Management Considerations
•
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
•
Winter food for ruffed grouse
Sprouts and grows quickly in juvenile state following overstory
removal
Does not grow well along roads, and is difficult to transplant
Soils: Best in slightly acidic, moist, cool, fertile soil
Common on mesic sites
Shade tolerant
Will persist on dry, gravelly soils once established
Disturbances
•
•
•
•
Salt intolerant
Not particularly susceptible to insects or disease
Sensitive to pollution
Resistant to wind, snow, and ice
Alternate
Simple
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
22
Tulip poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera (Magnoliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Four-lobed leaves, with lobes at right angles
Buds/Twigs: Only two bud scales
Stem: Bark has prominent vertical ridges like ash, but deeper,
and often ‘tilted’
Flowers/Fruits: Tulip shaped yellow-green flowers on stem
tips; difficult to see because of color and orientation
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Best on moderately deep loams, moderate moisture,
well drained and loose textured
Shade intolerant
Mainly pollinated by insects
Disturbances
•
•
•
Browsed by deer
Low susceptibility to pests
Mature trees able to withstand low intensity ground fires;
seedlings and saplings fire sensitive
•
•
•
•
•
Longevity of seed beds reduces need for seed trees; clearcuts and
seed tree treatments can be very effective for regeneration
May stain from wood-staining fungi when harvested in warm
season
Seedlings may not germinate until the following year if stands are
harvested in late spring or summer; may give window to competing
vegetation. Best to harvest in fall, winter, or early spring unless
there is large seed bed
Will respond quickly to overstory removal
Rapid growth, strong apical control
Tallest of the eastern deciduous trees
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
23
Black cherry, Prunus serotina (Rosaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Oval with finely serrate margins
Buds/Twigs: Twigs have bitter, unpleasant smell when
crushed
Stem: Small stems dark and smooth with very prominent
horizontal lenticels. Large stems have dark, scaly bark that
looks like burnt potato chips. Often with black knot cankers
on twigs and stems
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers strongly acidic, relatively infertile soils
Does particularly well on mesic sites
Typically occurs as scattered individuals in a stand
•
•
•
Leaves toxic to livestock but not deer. Important food source for
birds and black bear
Methods for regeneration can be clearcut, seed tree, or very open
shelterwood
Abundance of buried seed will often germinate and grow quickly
following release from canopy removal
Valuable timber, but rarely exhibits good form
Disturbances
•
•
•
Susceptible to eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma
americanum), and Black knot
Shallow rooted; susceptible to wind throw
Large seed banks and sprouting capability often lead to rapid
establishment following fire, harvest, or wind throw
Alternate
Simple
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
24
Basswood, Tilia americana (Tiliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Large heart-shaped leaves, with asymmetrical bases
Buds/Twigs: Large buds with two reddish brown bud scales
of differing size
Stem: Bark is smooth with vertical grooves, often with sets of
horizontal holes from sapsuckers. Coppices vigorously
Lateral root system
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers loam, sandy or silty—found in generally fine
textured bottomland soils
Intermediate shade tolerance
Prefers mesic sites; moderately flood tolerant
Nitrogen demanding species
•
•
•
•
•
•
Typically occurs in mixed stands
Decayed wood good for cavity nesters
Shelterwood can be used when advanced generation is present
Stump sprouting allows it to persist with high seed producing sugar
maple in the understory
Prescribed fire use not recommended in basswood stands
Bee pollinated
Disturbances
•
•
•
Browsed by deer
Susceptible to linden borer (Saperda vestita), various canker,
gypsy moth, and forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria)
Fire intolerant
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
25
Bigtooth aspen, Populus grandidentata (Salicaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Leaves with prominently toothed margins
Buds/Twigs: Twigs are rounded and whitish, gummy buds
Stem: Bark is variable, with individuals exhibiting smooth to
diamond-shaped ridged structure
Larger leaves than quaking aspen as well as large irregular
teeth
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Will grow on acidic soils
Extreme shade intolerance
Shallow, widely spreading roots
Grows best on dry upland sites
•
•
•
Preferred forest type for ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) habitat;
good species for cavity nesters
Grows faster and more pathogen resistant than quaking aspen
Prolific seeder but requires bare, moist soil without competition to
establish. Most stands regenerate vegetatively
Quite rare on the forest, and is often worth retaining for diversity
rather than timber value
Disturbances
•
•
Susceptible to gypsy moth
Medium fire tolerance
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
26
Witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana (Hamamelidaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
●
Small multi-stemmed understory tree
Leaves: Roundish, with wavy margins, uneven bases, and
coarse teeth
Buds/Twigs: Stalked, naked buds
Stem: Often multiple, arching short stems with crooked
branches
Fruit: Woody capsule with two to four seeds
Flowers: Spiderlike with four narrow, crinkled petals
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Most abundant on mesic sites; prefers moist, cool,
acidic soils
Shade tolerant mid to late seral species
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Dense cover may inhibit regeneration of shade intolerant species
Shallow rooting system
This non-timber forest product is used as an astringent; eastern
Connecticut is considered the “witch hazel capital of the world”
Suckers aggressively from cut stumps. “Hack-and-squirt” herbicide
application may be necessary to kill colonies
Disturbances
•
Fire intolerant
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Alternate
Simple
27
Hazelnut, Corylus americana (Hamamelidaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Large multi-stemmed shrub
Leaves: Double-toothed, broad leaf with pointed tips
Buds/Twigs: Rounded, blunt, brown-gray buds. Zig-zag light
brown twigs with stiff glandular hairs
Stem: Smooth grey to brown bark
Flowers/Fruit: Flowers are catkins that give way to edible
nuts with a hairy leaf-like husk that has fringed edges
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers rich, moist, well drained , loamy soil
Found along streams, forest edges, roadsides, meadows
shade tolerant
•
Similar in appearance to beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), which is
also found in northeastern Connecticut. Fruit differs by having a
husk with a tubular extension that resembles a beak, and smooth
hairless twigs. Overall height tends to be shorter the C. Americana
Disturbances
•
•
Sprouts following fire
Susceptible to leaf spot and caterpillars
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Simple
28
Alternate-leaved Dogwood, Cornus alternifolia (Cornaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Typical dogwood leaf, with veins that converge with
the leaf margin, but alternate
Buds/Twigs: Pagoda-like branching, braches are green to
purple and glabrous, turning yellow when dead. Buds are
small and ovoid
Stem: Forks near the ground into several branches that
spread horizontally in layers
Flowers/Fruits: Fruit is a drupe changing green to red to blueblack as it matures between July and August
Bark changes from smooth and reddish to gray and ridged as
tree ages
Management Considerations
•
•
Often found in edges of woodlands and waterways
Resistant to anthracnose
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Grows best on well drained, moist, acidic soils
Can be found on stream and swamp borders
Common shade tolerant species in late successional forests
Disturbances
●
Twig blight and cankers are sometimes a problem
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Alternate
Simple
29
Bitternut Hickory, Carya cordiformis (Juglandaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Pinnately compound with five to 11 leaflets; leaflets
are largest at the tip and smallest at base
Buds/Twigs: Powdery, sulfur-yellow buds with two scales
Stem: Tight, greenish bark, with smooth ridges; often straight
with great height below the live crown
Flowers/Fruit: Monecious; flowers are catkins and fruit are
nuts that split evenly into four pieces
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers well-drained loams, found on upland sites
Moderate shade tolerance
Develops a dense tap root system
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
Less preferred mast species
Deep lateral roots make it useful for watershed protection
Will self prune
Overstory removal effective as long as there is sufficient advance
regeneration
Shelterwood or thinnings may help to promote advance
regeneration
Disturbances
•
•
•
•
Fire intolerant
Susceptible to a variety of diseases but rarely severe damage
Weevils may attack nuts
Susceptible to hickory bark beetle, particularly during
drought
Alternate
Compound
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
30
Pignut hickory, Carya glabra (Juglandaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Similiar to shagbark hickory, pinnately compound,
but terminal leaflet a little smaller and the teeth on the leaf
margin are hairless
Buds/Twigs: Buds are smaller than shagbark buds and they
lose outer bud scales soon after developing
Stem: Small stems have smooth, hard bark. Larger stems
develop hard flattened ridges
Flowers/Fruits: Monecious; Flowers are catkins and give way
to rounded nuts with end that resembles pig snout
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Grows best on well drained, light, loamy soils
Strong taproot with few laterals
Intermediate shade tolerance
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
•
Often codominant with white/red oak but less abundant
Nut production for wildlife; kernel high in crude fat
Considered highly windfirm and resistant to ice damage
Will regenerate from advanced regeneration following shelterwood
cuts
Slow growing
Hickory species can be distinguished from Ash by alternate
branching pattern and bark that is hard (will not give way to thumbnail)
Moderately browsed by deer, mammals and birds
May be damaged by pests and disease but rarely fatal
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Compound
31
Shagbark hickory, Carya ovata (Juglandaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Pinnate compound leaves, typically with five leaflets
and a terminal leaflet that is often much larger than the
others. Teeth on margins of leaves have a few fine hairs
Buds/Twigs: Large buds that retain other bud scales
Stem: Small stems have smooth, hard bark like other
hickories. Large stems develop the namesake shaggy bark
Flowers/Fruits: Monecious; flowers catkins, fruits are large
rounded nuts
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Grows on deep, rich, moist soils
Relatively shade tolerant
Tends to be found in upland areas
•
•
•
•
•
Important wildlife species for birds and mammals
Long lived and slow growing favors uneven aged management
under long rotations
Advanced regeneration may be damaged by logging
Seedlings may persist in the understory and respond well when
released
Disturbances
•
•
Thinning may promote epicormic sprouting
Highly susceptible to insects and disease particularly in
drought years
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Compound
32
Mockernut hickory, Carya tomentosa (Juglandaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Often with seven leaflets, wooly underneath
Buds/Twigs: Similar to pignut hickory, except twigs are
wooly
Stem: Bark is dark grey with a diamond shaped pattern to
the ridges
Flowers/Fruit: Monecious; flowers catkins, fruit rounded nut
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Tends to be found in dryer soils on ridges and hillsides
Moderately shade tolerant
•
•
•
Preferred mast for wildlife; predation makes seed establishment
difficult
Deep lateral roots, like bitternut hickory, valued for watershed
protection
Windfirm
Similar to bitternut hickory; overstory removal treatments are effective when advanced regeneration is present
Disturbances
•
•
Susceptible to hickory bark beetle, especially during drought
Seedlings susceptible to frost damage
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Compound
33
Butternut, Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Pinnately compound with 11-19 leaflets, finely
serrate, pubescent
Buds/Twigs: Twigs, stems, and leaflets have sticky, oily hairs,
dark brown chambered pith; leaf scars are large and threelobed, resemble a monkey face
Stem: Bark is grayish, with furrows and ridges
Flowers/Fruit: Catkins, large nuts single or in clusters of two
to five
www.hort,cornell.edu
●
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Well drained soils; streambanks, ledges
Fast growing but short lived
Moderately shade tolerant
•
•
Very rare tree, becoming rarer with the onset of Butternut Canker
disease
Resprouts from cutting, but not following canker
Not valuable for timber
Disturbances
•
•
•
Susceptible to storm damage
Fire intolerant
Fungal canker (far right photo) is usually fatal and threatens
species
Alternate
Compound
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
34
White pine, Pinus strobus (Pinaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Needles: Five needles in each fascicle. Needles generally
three to four inches long
Stem: Thick, brown, rough bark on large stems. Bark is red to
gray-brown, with prominent scaly ridges
Flowers/fruit: 4-7” cones, wind pollinated, and wind
dispersed seeds
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Tends to dominate excessively drained or well drained
soils (outwash sites); competes best on well drained sandy
soils of low to medium site quality, but can tolerate a broad
amplitude of conditions
May be found on fine sandy or silt loams during
establishment of abandoned fields, pastures and blowdowns
Intermediate shade tolerance
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
•
Highly susceptible to white pine weevil which kills the
terminal shoot and lateral branching
Also susceptible to blister rust particularly when immature
Low fire resistance
Generally windfirm
Seedlings very susceptible to competition and quickly suffer when
overtopped
Can be regenerated through clearcutting, seed tree, shelterwood,
and group selection. Seed tree and shelterwood often used to
prevent damage from White Pine Weevil
With advanced regeneration it may only be necessary to remove
the overstory
A seed shadow from overstory trees is needed for regeneration
Patch clearcutting is effective if adjacent stands can provide seed
dispersal for regeneration
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Evergreen
Conifer
35
Red pine, Pinus resinosa (Pinaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Needles: Two needles in each fascicle. Sparse branching and
long, stiff needles give it a bottle-brush appearance. Bark is
silvery-gray, scaly or plated with rusty red patches
Flowers/Fruit: 1.5”-2.5” cones
Dense and symmetrical, generally ovoid-shaped crown and
upcurved branches
Management Considerations
•
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Typically found on sandy soils; dry, acidic soils low in
fertility
Lateral roots, moderately deep and wide spreading
Shade intolerant
•
•
Does best in even aged stands
Due to shade intolerance, requires clearcut, shelterwood or seed
tree treatments
May require some sort of site preparation, such as soil scarification
or fire
Formerly a common plantation species
Disturbances
•
•
Fire dependent. Seedlings establish when fire removes organic layer and exposes mineral soil
Susceptible to windthrow, ice storms, and snow breakage
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Evergreen
Conifer
36
Pitch pine, Pinus rigida (Pinaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Needles: Three needles in a fascicle up to 6 inches long, stiff,
straight, or twisted
Stem: Straight to moderately curved, often with stubby
branches or needle bunches on stem. Bark is thick, large, and
rough, with irregular plates
Medium sized, often irregular branching
Fruit/flowers: 2-4 inch cones
•
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Most common on less fertile, shallow, sandy or lean
rocky soils
Grows on a wide range of moisture conditions
Shade intolerant
•
•
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
•
Management Considerations
Does not self prune; often very poor in form and habit
Seedlings grow slowly, then more rapidly after 5-8 years, making
them susceptible to deer browse and faster growing competition
Dependent on fire for establishment and regeneration
Forms savannas in fire regulated systems
This is a rare species on the forest, and should be noted and
retained where found
Typically an early seral species replaced by hardwoods in the
absence of fire
Damaged by deer, small mammals, ice, wind, and snow
Susceptible to tip moths, pitch pine looper, sawflies, and
southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis)
Fire dependent
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Evergreen
Conifer
37
Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (Pinaceae)
●
●
●
●
www.biology.missouristate.edu/herbarium
Identifying Characteristics
Needles: Flat needles that lay in a single plane. White stripes
on the lower side of the needles
Stem: Highly excurrent form
Bark: Scaly when young/small. Becomes red brown and
deeply fissured with age/growth
Flowers/fruit: Small (3/4 inch) cones
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers moist or very moist soils with good drainage;
soils tend to be acidic
Very shade tolerant; will often establish following discrete
events such as tip up mounds, wind blowdown, etc.
A late colonizer of disturbed sites
Disturbances
•
•
•
Highly browsed by deer
Highly susceptible to Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (Adelges
tsugae), more resilient on cool northern aspects
Fire intolerant
•
•
•
•
•
•
Important wildlife habitat species, especially in winter as thermal
cover; also high cavity value
Three cut shelterwoods or patch selection due to high mortality of
seedlings that are suddenly released
Will not be able to compete with hardwoods unless released at
sapling stage
Subject to windthrow if released suddenly
Creates an acidic infertile humus with little light which tends to
leave little in understory
Most shade tolerant of the eastern species. Able to respond after
more than 100 years of suppression
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Evergreen
Conifer
38
Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia (Ericaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Simple, evergreen, tough, leathery leaves with a
prominent mid-vein; clustered toward the shoot tip
Stem: Twisted, gnarled brown stems
Flowers/Fruits: Flowers fade from pink to white, small brown
fruits
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers cool, moist, acidic, organic soil
Prefers partial shade to full sun
Occurs on xeric sites with rocky or sandy acidic soils, ridges
and hillsides
Drought resistant; strong competitor on xeric sites
•
•
•
•
Understory species of oak-hickory forests
Forms dense, impenetrable patches that make stands difficult to
navigate and work in
May inhibit pine abundance in the overstory; less so hardwood
abundance
Prescriptions often require crushing during harvesting to promote
tree regeneration
Disturbances
•
•
Susceptible to leaf spot in heavy shade
Greater abundance in heavily thinned stands
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs
39
High-bush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum (Ericaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Crown forming deciduous shrub with two to five stems
Leaves: Small, entire, oval leaves; red fall color
Buds/Twigs: Slender, green or reddish twigs that zigzag. Very
small, pointy, dark-colored buds
Stem: Larger, older woody sections are light brown. New
shoots are green
Fruits: Small urn-shaped white flowers and delicious blue
fruit
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Grows on hummocks and raised bogs; prefers moist,
acidic, aerated soils with high organic matter
Shade intolerant; found in open swamps, streamsides
•
•
•
Important summer and fall food and one of the most important
agricultural blueberries in North America
Plants are able to withstand extended flooded periods
Will die back as shading increases
Wetland indicator species
Disturbances
•
•
Flood tolerant
Fire has been shown to help in keeping shading at bay which
is important for the species
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Alternate
Shrubs
40
Low-bush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium (Ericaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Low growing
Leaves: Narrow, finely toothed, with each tooth bearing a
bristle tip. Green on both sides; dull above
Buds/Twigs: Slender, green or reddish twigs that zigzag. Very
small, pointy, dark colored buds
Stem: Low shrub with many green branches
Fruit: Similar to highbush blueberry, but fruit are smaller
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: prefers light, well drained acidic soils on drier sites,
distinguishing it from highbush blueberry, which prefers
wetter areas
Tolerates sunny and shady conditions
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Important wildlife food
Thought to interfere with red pine regeneration
Creating openings, particularly thinnings for firewood, in closed
canopy will aid in growth
Considered an effective “recolonizer” of old fields and abandoned
pastures
Disturbances
•
•
Resistant to emissions and acid rain
Fire adapted
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs
41
Spicebush, Lindera benzoin (Lauraceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
●
Loose, open growing deciduous shrub
Leaves: Simple, entire; 3.5-5 inch long by 2 inch wide
Twigs: Slender, greenish-brown stems with prominent
lenticels; fragrant when broken
Buds: Flower buds are small, round, and stalked
Flowers: Small, yellow flowers occur in early spring before
leaves
Fruit: Red drupes mature in September
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Found predominantly in moist areas
Extremely shade tolerant
Management Considerations
•
•
Important wildlife food and host plant for spicebush swallowtail
butterflies
Wetland indicator species
Disturbances
•
Tolerates flooded conditions
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Alternate
Shrubs
42
Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia (Clethraceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Deciduous shrub that suckers to form colonies
Leaves: Simple with serrate margins, turning yellow to golden
in autumn
Twigs: Grey to brown bark on stems
Flowers: Fragrant spires of white flowers in summer
Fruit: Terminal racemes of dry capsules persist into winter
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Management Considerations
Soils: Found predominantly in moist areas
Shade tolerant
•
•
Wetland indicator
Will sprout from stumps
Disturbances
•
Deer browse
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Alternate
Shrubs
43
Winterberry holly, Ilex verticillata (Aquifoliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Deciduous shrub that suckers to form colonies
Leaves: Alternate, simple, elliptical with serrate margins
Twigs: Grey to brown stems have dark spots on each side of
leaf scar
Flowers: Small greenish-white flowers in late spring
Fruit: Red berries persistent into fall only on female plants
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Management Considerations
Soils: Found predominantly in moist areas
Shade tolerant
•
•
•
Wetland indicator
Berries preferred by many species of birds
Will sprout from stumps
Disturbances
•
Deer browse
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Alternate
Shrubs
44
Sweetfern, Comptonia peregrina (Myricaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Deciduous shrub that suckers to form colonies
Leaves: Alternate, fern-like leaves are aromatic when
crushed
Twigs: Stems are shiny with resin dots
Flowers: Monoecious; catkins in spring
Fruit: cluster of small nutlets
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Sandy or peaty soils with low fertility
Full sun
Competes best in low quality sites
Management Considerations
•
•
•
Disturbances
•
Fire and flood sensitive
•
•
Although called “sweetfern” this species is not a fern, but a shrub
Poor site quality indicator
Drought tolerant, can be used for erosion control on dry, sandy
slopes
Nitrogen fixing
Ability to resprout from roots
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs
45
Steeplebush, Spiraea tomentosa (Rosaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Deciduous shrub with 2-4 ft unbranched stems
Leaves: Egg-shaped leaves, coarse toothed 1-3 inch long
Twigs: Orange to brown bark, twigs are wooly (tomentose)
Flowers: Pink steeple-shaped spikes of flowers in late
summer
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Average to wet, moderately acid soils
Full sun
Meadows, fields, and pastures
www.uwgb.edu © Gary Fewless
Management Considerations
•
Common in recently harvested areas
Disturbances
•
•
Fire sensitive
Ability to resprout after harvest
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Alternate
Shrubs
46
Red raspberry, Rubus idaeus (Rosaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Palmately compound leaves
Stem: Arching stems are round and greenish with bristly
stems and a white, waxy bloom
Flowers/Fruits: White flowers in clusters of one to four. Fruit
is a typical red raspberry
http://departments.bloomu.edu
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Tolerates a wide variety of textures and pH. Grows best
on moderately well-drained soils high in nutrients
Establishes and grows rapidly in full sun
•
•
•
Where raspberries form large thickets, can be an important source
of cover for birds and small mammals
Will spread quickly following fire or harvest
Considered a pioneer or early seral species that will invade
disturbed sites
Important soft mast and commercial species
Disturbances
●
Pioneer species after disturbance
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs (Thorns)
47
Black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis (Rosaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Palmately compound leaves
Stem: Arching shrub, with round, greenish stems that have a
white, waxy bloom and hooked prickles
Flowers/Fruit: White flowers are less showy than Red
raspberry, but similar and in clusters. Fruits are Black raspberries
Management Considerations
●
See Rubus idaeus
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Adaptable to a variety of conditions but prefers moist
medium well drained soils
Prefers sun to part shade
Disturbances
●
•
Pioneer species after disturbance
Fairly disease resistant
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs (Thorns)
48
Blackberry, Rubus alleghaniensis (Rosaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Palmately compound leaves
Stem: Arching stems with ridged, brownish stems with stout
prickles and lacking white, waxy bloom
Flowers/Fruits: White flowers with five petals that persist
longer than black raspberry. Receptacle remains with the
fruit when picked which is different than raspberry species
Management Considerations
●
See Rubus idaeus
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Prefers well drained loamy soil
Sun to part shade
Disturbances
●
Pioneer species after disturbance
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs (Thorns)
49
Multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora (Rosaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Pinnately compound leaves, with seven to nine leaflets per leaf. Base of petioles are fringed
Buds/Twigs: Arching green stems with hooked thorns
Flowers/Fruits: Clusters of small, white roses give way to numerous small, red hips
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Well drained preferred, but is adaptable to a wide
range of conditions. Common in disturbed sites and edges.
Prefers sun
Will persist in a variety of areas but does not tolerate
extremely wet or dry conditions
•
•
•
•
Invasive exotic species
Plants form large, expansive thickets and may reach 33 ft in diameter and 6-10 ft high
Will colonize roadsides, disturbed sites, and open fields
Less able to colonize mature forests due to lack of sun and
competitive advantage of shade tolerant understory shrubs
Disturbances
●
Pioneer species following disturbance
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs (Thorns)
50
Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii (Berberidacaeae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Small, simple, teardrop-shaped leaves; margin entire
Buds/Twigs: Wood inside is yellow. Ridged with many spines
Stem: Tends to grow in a zigzag pattern
Flowers/Fruits: Small, yellow, fragrant flowers in spring; red
berries in fall and winter
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Grows well in a variety of soils but does not tolerate
consistently wet soils
Prefers full sun but will grow in part shade
Heat and drought tolerant
•
•
•
•
•
Invasive exotic species
Use of herbicide recommended. Cut at base and apply as a squirt
Where herbicides cannot be used cutting can be followed by
torching stumps until charred; repetition may be necessary.
Seeds are disseminated by birds
Excellent ground nesting bird habitat
Disturbances
●
●
Pioneer following disturbance
Resprouts vigorously
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Alternate
Shrubs (Thorns)
51
Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans (Anacardiaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Three leaflets, side leaflets often shaped like
mittens. May have aerial roots climbing up tree trunks
Stems: Naked buds on twigs, stems attach to trunks with
modified roots that look “hairy” when mature
Habit: Can grow as vine, ground cover, or small shrub
Contains urushiol oil that causes an itchy rash, even when
dormant or dead
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Occurs in a variety of soil conditions
Tolerant of a large variety of light conditions, but is most
prominent on edges
Found under almost all moisture conditions
Common in disturbed areas
●
●
This plant causes an allergic skin reaction in many people; care
should be taken to avoid contact
Can pose hazard for loggers where prolific
Studies have shown mowing three times per year can be an effective control in fields
Disturbances
•
•
Best treated with herbicide
Moderately fire tolerant
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Vine
52
Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinqefolia (Vitaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Palmately compound with five to seven toothed leaflets.
Grows along ground, stone walls and up tree stems. Tendrils
have small adhesive disks
Leaves: Distinctive arrangement of 5 leaflets
Leaves up to 4 inch long; serrated leaf margin
Fruit are bluish berries
Twigs are orange-brown
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Can grow on a variety of soils, but prefers moist
Shade tolerant but is also seen on borders of clearings,
fencerows and streams
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Used for watershed management and erosion control
Provides habitat for small mammals and birds
Difficult to control when it competes with tree species
Berries are an important food for migrating birds
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Vine
53
Www.plants.usda.gov ©Ted Bodner
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
www.duke.edu ©Jeffrey Pippen
Grape, Vitis aestivalis (Vitaceae)
Leaves: Simple, opposite, heart-shaped, toothed, lobed
Stem: Rounded; branching tendrils. Brown shredding bark
on woody stems. Stems often 1-2 inchin diameter
Flowers/Fruits: Edible 1/4-1/2 inch berry, in clusters in early
fall
www.duke.edu
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Grows on fertile, well drained upland sites with sufficient moisture
Can grow on a variety of soils but most frequently on light,
nutrient rich soils
Shade intolerant
•
•
•
•
Berries are source of food for wildlife
May function as a fuel ladder, particularly if debris accumulates
along the vine
Does not climb, but rather rises with the growing stand
Large vines can damage trees; manage by cutting and painting with
herbicide
Disturbances
●
Common on lands cleared for pasture and on forest edges
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Vine
54
Wild sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis (Araliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Three leaves with five leaflets, all growing form the
same point, typically in the same plane and equally spaced
Stem: Simple, single stems that often have a three-way split
Flowers/Fruits: flowers greenish white in three umbels.
Clusters of blue-black berries
Long rhizomes deep in the mineral soil
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Found on fine, loamy clay to coarse loam
Can grow in a wide variety of conditions from moist to dry,
and from poorly to well drained
Shade tolerant
●
●
Often found in clonal communities
Individuals can be aged by counting growth rings at the base
Berries can serve as food for wildlife
Disturbances
•
Clonal species adapted to low light conditions
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
55
Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum (Araceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Three-part leaves are net-veined
Stem: 1-2 ft tall
Flowers: Striped flowers are green to brown with a hooded
spathe and spadix structure
Fruits: Clusters of red berries
Underground corm
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Soils: Moist woods and swamps
Sun and shade tolerant
●
●
●
Self propagates from both seed and vegetatitively from the corm
Often in wetland areas
Berries are toxic
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Herbaceous
species
56
Canada mayflower, Maianthemum canadense (Liliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Simple, oval or ovate leaves. Smaller plants may have
only a single leaf
Stem: Simple stem from long creeping rhizome
Flowers/Fruits: Small raceme of white flowers; mottled red
berries
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Soils: Tolerates a variety of conditions but does not grow well
in high acidic soils
Will grow on well drained and poorly drained sites
Can exist in the understory in stands of all ages
Shade tolerant
•
•
•
•
Can be groundcover on shaded sites
Will not resprout if harvesting severely disturbs the soil (i.e. use of
grapple skidders). Reproduces vegetatively; little to no seedbank
Will regenerate under a variety of cuttings
Responds best following winter harvest
Disturbances
•
Does not respond well to harvesting methods that disturb
the soil or to other treatments such as disking or raking
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Herbaceous
species
57
Starflower, Trientalis borealis (Primulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Single whorl of five to ten lance-shaped leaves; leaf
edge toothless or with fine teeth; alternating leaflets are
smaller forming a pinwheel effect
Stem: Single, low, hairless stems
Flowers/Fruits: White, star shaped flowers with five to nine
pointed petals
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Soils: Prefers sandy, acidic soils but can persist in a variety of
soil types
Can persist in dry or moist conditions
Shade tolerant
Disturbances
•
•
Susceptible to smut fungus
Susceptible to deer browse
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Herbaceous
species
58
Indian Cucumber root, Medeola virginiana (Liliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
•
Leaves: Whorls of three to six lance shaped leaves. A second
smaller tier of leaves is produced above in mature plants.
Flowers/Fruit: Small greenish-yellow flowers are individually
stalked, and often hang under the leaves. Black berries form
and the center of leaf whorl takes on reddish hue
Could be confused with starflower, but veins are parallel
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Management Considerations
Open woods and forest
Most common in late sucessional stages of forest
development
Disturbances
•
May be sensitive to ground disturbance and harvest activities
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Herbaceous
species
59
Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens (Ericaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Low spreading ground cover
Leaves: Alternate, simple, evergreen, oval shaped, crenate
margins; smell minty when crushed; leaves have a few small
teeth along the margins
Flowers/Fruits: Flowers small and white, urn-shaped with
hints of pink; fruit is red and fleshy
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu ©Virginia Kline
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Prefers acidic soils
Mainly occurs on moist sites but will tolerate dry and poorly
drained sites
Shade tolerant
•
•
•
Common understory species
Fruit and green leaves persist through the winter making it useful
for wildlife but not typically overbrowsed
Fruit production stimulated by overstory removal
Disturbances
•
Fire intolerant, particularly when litter layer is removed since
rhizomes are typically very shallow
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
60
Partridegberry, Mitchella repens (Rubiaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Groundcover
Leaves: Opposite evergreen leaves are small and dark green
with a prominent white vein
Flowers/Fruits: Small white flowers in pairs on leaf axils,
small fruits are red and fleshy and persistent into the winter
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Common understory species on acidic sites
Prefers acidic soils
Mainly occurs in stands with pines and hemlocks
More common in late sucessional stands
Disturbances
●
Intolerant of ground disturbance
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
61
White wood aster, Aster divaricatus (Asteraceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Herbaceous perennial
Leaves: Simple, alternate
Flowers/Fruits: White to lavender “daisy-like” flowers are
3/4-1 inch diameter. Center starts yellow and turns purple
with age
Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
●
Often found on edges of fields and forest roads
Reproduces clonally and by seed and can form dense colonies when
released
Soils: Dry woodland soils
Most common on forest edges in part sun
Tolerant of dry, compacted soils under maples
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
OBLU
Herbaceous
species
62
Whorled loosestrife, Lysimachia quadrifolia (Primulaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Herbaceous perennial
Leaves: Whorls of four entire lance-shaped leaves on stems
1-3 ft tall
Flowers: Yellow flowers with red markings are 1/2 inch in size
and are borne on stalks emanating from each leaf whorl
node. Four flowers are held alternate the leaves at each
node.
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Open woods and thickets
Common on skid trails and edges
●
Often found on edges of fields and forest roads
Disturbances
●
●
Common in disturbed sites, and harvested areas
Fire tolerant
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
63
Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum pubescens or P. biflorum (Liliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
1-3 ft tall, herbaceous perennial
Leaves: large, broad lanceolate leaves alternate along a
single large stem. P.pubescens has hairs along the veins;
P. biflorum does not. Veins are less pronounced than on
false Solomon’s seal
Flowers/Fruits: Green to creamy-white bell-shaped flowers
hang downwards in groups of one to three from all leaf axils.
Flowers are sometimes followed by blue-black berries
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Underground rhizomes can tolerate limited amounts of ground
disturbance
Soils: Requires moist, well drained soil. Found in sandy,
loamy and clay soils. Can tolerate acidic, neutral or alkaline
soils
Grows in full shade or part shade
Heat and drought intolerant
Disturbances
●
Associated with late-sucessional intermediate disturbance
regime forests
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
64
False Solomon’s seal, Maianthemum racemosum (Liliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
1-2 ft at maturity
Leaves: Large, broad, lanceolate leaves along a single, large
stem; alternating; strong parallel veins run to the tip. Veins
are deeper than true Solomon’s seal
Flowers/Fruits: Racemes of white star-shaped flowers at the
stem tip. Clusters of red berries follow the flowers
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Grows best in full to part shade in well-drained, fertile soils
with rich humus and moist
Drought tolerant once established
●
●
●
Can be distinguished from Solomon’s Seal by flowers and fruit
borne terminally on the stem and pronounced veins
Produces berries that are eaten by birds
Insect pollinated
Can tolerate full sun conditions after harvesting as long as soil is not
excessively disturbed
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
65
Wild Oats, Uvularia sessilifolia or U. perfoliata (Liliaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Lance-shaped along a zig-zag stem. U. sessilifolia has
leaves that clasp to the stem while U. perfoliata stems travel
through the leaf (perfoliate)
Clumping rhizotomous habit
Both species are 6-12 inch tall
Flowers: Cream to yellow flowers hang downwards, petals
are separate, not bell-shaped
www.ncwildflower.org
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
•
•
•
Can easily be confused with Polygonatum species.
Soils: Prefers rich woodland soils
Grows in full shade or part shade
Heat and drought intolerant
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Herbaceous
species
66
Skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus (Araceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Leaves: Large ovate leaves, with tell tale skunk odor when
crushed. Leaves arranged in a rosette and resembles a large
cabbage form
Thick rhizomes, up to 12 inches
Flowers/Fruits: Large knob-shaped cluster of flowers inside a
mottled hood in early spring. Flowers are heat emitting and
sometimes emerge through the snow. Fly-pollinated, carrion
mimic
www.facultystaff.richmond.edu © W J Hayden
Management Considerations
●
Common wetland indicator
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
Soils: Found exclusively in wetland and muck soils
Disturbances
●
Tolerant of flooding
Wetland Indicator:
OBL
Herbaceous
species
67
Pennsylvania Sedge, Carex pensylvanica (Cyperaceae)
●
●
Leaves: Short, linear, pale green, grass-like blades with
parallel venation. Clumps turn tan in the fall
Plants form small clumps mostly less than 12 inches tall and
wide, but can spread by rhizomes to form a ground cover
over time
Flowers: Sedge type inflorescence with yellow flowers in
spring
www.wildflower.org
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Commonly found on upland sites, but can also be found in
moist woods
Part sun to shade
www.wildflower.org
Identifying Characteristics
Management Considerations
●
Not found in deep shade. Often indicates open growing space,
stand not ready for thinning
Disturbances
•
•
Resistant to deer grazing
Tolerant of light fires only, resprouts from rhizome
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Herbaceous
species
68
www.invasiveplants.net
Common reed, Phragmites australis (Poaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Robust perennial grass; can reach 20 ft in height
Leaves: Stiff wide blades; aligned on one side of stem, flat
when mature
Stem: stout, erect, hollow, leafy, persistent, without
branches
Flowers/Fruits: large plume-like feathery panicle
Phragmites stands are often quite dense due to significant
rhizome and stolon growth
www.ecohusky.uconn.edu
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Common on wet, muddy, and flooded areas around ponds,
marshes, lakes, springs, irrigation ditches, and waterways
Tolerates a variety of soil, water, and nutrient conditions
Prefers full sun or partial sun although can persist in shade
•
•
Will exclude other species by extensive shading and dense
utilization
While a native species, the current aggressive form is thought to be
a European variety, morphologically indistinguishable from the
native strain
Indicates wetland conditions
Disturbances
•
Sprouts from rhizomes following fire
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Herbaceous
species
69
Hay-scented fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Dennstaedtiaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Single stemmed fern that may form dense mats in the
understory
Leaves: Fronds are thrice cut. Single brown/black stems
Distinguished from New York fern by triangular fronds that
are broadest at the base (NY fern fronds taper at bottom)
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Can form dense clonal communities that can shade and inhibit
regeneration; reproduces both by spore and clonally
Soils: Grows in rich, acidic, medium moisture loams in part to
full shade
Will tolerate full sun with sufficient moisture
Disturbances
•
•
Not particularly susceptible to insects or disease
Pieces of rhizome can sprout following ground disturbance
Wetland Indicator:
OBLU
Ferns &
Fern allies
70
New York fern, Thelypteris noveboracensis (Thelypteridaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Fronds twice cut, tapers at both ends. Single stems, 1-2 ft
tall
Fronds taper toward the base; lowest leaflets very small
Distinguished from hay-scented fern by smallest fronds at
the base (hay scented has broadest fronds at base)
Management Considerations
•
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
Will establish following clearcuts and form a dense cover,
preventing seedling reestablishment
Soils: Grows in moist woodlands and pastures, ravines, bogs,
and swamps
Shade tolerant but quickly occupies canopy openings
Disturbances
•
Will resprout following fire
Wetland Indicator:
FAC
Ferns &
Fern allies
71
Cinnamon fern, Osmunda cinnamomea (Osmundaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Fronds are twice cut. Wooly tufts at base of leaflets.
Stem is thick with a brown wooly base. More than 2 ft tall.
Leaflets are rounded lobes
Coiled furry fiddleheads
One of the tallest ferns in eastern forests
Fertile fronds are cinnamon colored, narrow and erect,
resembling “cinnamon sticks”
Leaf stock is round and covered with cinnamon hairs at first
becoming smooth and green
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
●
Soils: Cinnamon fern is found on poorly drained low ground
and in thickets, wet marshy woods, swamps, ditches, and
streambanks
May form large clumps and completely overtake the
understory in swampy areas with dense shade
Disturbances
●
Tolerant of flooded conditions
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Ferns &
Fern allies
72
Royal fern, Osmunda regalis (Osmundaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Fronds are doubly pinnate, with smooth margined leaflets;
sterile fronds are spreading, while fertile fronds are erect and
have clusters of brown sporangia at apex
Newly emerging fronds can be reddish-purple in color
Very tall, can grow to 5 ft in good conditions
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
Soils: Wetland soils
●
Wetland obligate. Can be used to demarcate wetlands to find
edges of timber sales
Reproduces vegetatively from short spreading rhizome
Disturbances
●
Tolerant of flooded conditions
Wetland Indicator:
OBL
Ferns &
Fern allies
73
Broad beech fern, Phegopteris hexagonoptera (Thelypteridaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Twice cut fronds
Lowest frond pair is larger and often points downward
16-24 inches tall
Styem winged and green stem
Visible sori on underside of frond
Distinguishable from broad beech by winged area between
the lowest two leaflets
Management Considerations
●
Indicates rich sites
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
●
Soils: Prefers moderately acidic soils
Rich, moist woods
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Ferns &
Fern allies
74
Narrow beech fern, Phegopteris connectilis (Thelypteridaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Twice cut fronds
Fronds shaped like arrowheads with lowest pair of leaflets
pointing outward at a diagonal
6-10 inches tall
Stem is ungrooved with light brown scales
Visible sori on underside of frond
Distinguishable from broad beech fern because lowest pair of
pinnae are not connected by wings to the rest
Management Considerations
●
Indicates rich sites
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
●
Soils: Prefers moderately acidic soils
Prefers rich, moist woodlands
Disturbances
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Ferns &
Fern allies
75
Maidenhair fern, Adiantum pedatum (Pteridaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Fronds are palmately branched with small delicate leaflets on
a wiry black or dark brown stalk
Fronds sometimes have dark markings
Spores on outer edges of leaflets
Management Considerations
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
●
●
Humus rich, moist, well drained sites
Seeps, riparian, and wetlands
●
Often indicative of seeps on richer sites. May indicate wetland
conditions
Soil compaction from harvesting can damage reproduction
Disturbances
●
●
Tolerant of flooded conditions
Not tolerant to fire or excessive ground disturbance, shallow
rhizome
Wetland Indicator:
FACW
Ferns &
Fern allies
76
Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides (Dryopteridaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
●
Leaves: Fronds are once cut. Evergreen leaflets shaped like
Christmas stocking. Fine teeth along margin of leaflets
Grows to 2 ft tall
Spores on underside of leaflets
Smaller, fertile leaflets at top
Management Considerations
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Clump forming evergreen fern, does not inhibit regeneration
Can aid in preventing soil erosion on slopes
Soils: Needs well-drained conditions. Grows best in rich,
midslope site, but can tolerate dry to medium moisture soils
Grows in full or part shade, but can tolerant sunny conditions
Disturbances
•
Not highly susceptible to insects or disease
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Ferns &
Fern allies
77
www.duke.edu ©Will Cook
Identifying Characteristics
●
●
●
Small plant that looks like small spruce or pine trees with
narrow pointed leaves. Often growing in groups connected
by trailing stems
Distinguished by individual busy form and deeply buried
horizontal stem. Also distinguished by round branches that
resemble pine more than cedar
Cylindrical, yellow cones 1 1/2 inch on tips of upper
branches; 12 or more on one stem
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
Grows on moist floors in mixed forests
Tolerates range of nutrient and light conditions
Most numerous mid-seral and will diminish in more mature
www.borealforest.org
Tree clubmoss, Lycopodium obscurum (Lycopodiaceae)
Management Considerations
•
•
•
•
Toxic to wildlife
Sensitive to disturbance created during harvesting
One of the “princess pine” species. Demand for these species in
Christmas decorations and wreaths lead to over-collecting and low
populations in certain areas
Regenerates by sprouting from rhizomes
Disturbances
•
•
•
Fire intolerant
Flooding intolerant
Intolerant of excessive ground level disturbance
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Ferns &
Fern allies
78
Running cedar, Lycopodium complanatum (Lycopodiaceae)
Identifying Characteristics
●
Small plant that looks like small spruce or pine trees with
narrow pointed leaves. Often growing in groups connected
by trailing stems
Leaves: in four vertical rows, sharp, fused into a stem.
Elevated base, smaller on lower side
http://botit.botny.wisc.edu
●
Preferred Growing Conditions
•
•
•
•
Management Considerations
Soils: Prefers light, sandy and medium, loamy soils. Must be
well-drained and moist
Tolerates acidic, neutral and alkaline soils
Can grow in full or semi shade
Mid-seral species
●
•
•
Many medicinal uses
One of the “princess pine” species. Demand for these species in
Christmas decorations and wreaths lead to over-collecting and low
populations in certain areas
May be sensitive to harvesting activities
Disturbances
•
•
•
Fire intolerant
Flooding intolerant
Intolerant of excessive ground level disturbance, shallow
rhizomes
Wetland Indicator:
FACU
Ferns &
Fern allies
79
Common Name Index
Common name
Page #
Common name
Alternate leaved dogwood
29
Hop hornbeam
Basswood
25
Beech
15
Bigtooth aspen
26
Bitternut hickory
30
Black birch
Page #
Common name
Page #
22
Shagbark hickory
Indian cucumber root
59
Skunk cabbage
67
Jack-in-the-pulpit
56
Solomon’s seal
64
Japanese barberry
51
Spice bush
42
Low-bush blueberry
41
Starflower
58
18
Maidenhair fern
76
Steeplebush
46
Black cherry
24
Maple-leaved viburnum
9
Striped maple
8
Black oak
14
Mockernut hickory
33
Sugar maple
6
Black raspberry
48
Mountain laurel
39
Sweetfern
45
Blackberry
49
Multiflora rose
50
Sweet pepperbush
43
Broad beech fern
74
Musclewood
21
Tree clubmoss
78
Butternut
34
Narrow beech fern
75
Tulip poplar
23
Canada mayflower
57
New York fern
71
Virginia creeper
53
Chestnut
16
Paper birch
19
White ash
11
Christmas fern
77
Partridgeberry
61
White oak
12
Cinnamon fern
72
Pennsylvania sedge
68
White pine
35
Common reed
69
Pignut hickory
31
White wood aster
62
False Solomon’s seal
66
Pitch pine
37
Whorled loosestrife
63
Flowering dogwood
10
Poison ivy
52
Wild oats
65
Grape
54
Raspberry
47
Wild sarsaparilla
55
Gray birch
20
Red maple
7
Winterberry
44
Hay-scented fern
70
Red oak
13
Wintergreen
60
Hazelnut
28
Red pine
36
Witch hazel
27
Hemlock
38
Royal fern
73
Yellow birch
17
High-bush blueberry
40
Running cedar
79
Index
32
80
Latin Name Index
Latin name
Page #
Latin name
Page #
Latin name
Page #
Acer pennsylvanicum
8
Dennstaedia punctilobula
70
Pinus strobus
35
Acer rubrum
7
Fagus grandifolia
15
Polygonatum sp.
64
Acer saccharum
6
Fraxinus americana
11
Polystichum acrostichoides
77
Adiantum pedantum
76
Gaultheria procumbens
60
Populus grandidentata
26
Aralia nudicalis
55
Hammemilis virginiana
27
Prunus serotina
24
Arisaema triphyllum
56
Ilex verticillata
44
Quercus velutina
14
Aster divaricatus
62
Juglans cinerea
34
Quercus alba
12
Berberis thunbergii
51
Kalmia latifolia
39
Quercus rubrum
13
Betula alleghaniensis
17
Lindera benzoin
42
Rosa multiflora
50
Betula lenta
18
Liriodendron tulipifera
23
Rubus alleghaniensis
49
Betula papyrifera
19
Lycopodium complanatum
79
Rubus idaeus
47
Betula populifolia
20
Lycopodium obscurum
78
Rubus occidentalis
48
Carex pennsylvanica
68
Lysimachia quadrifolia
63
Smilacina racemosa
66
Carpinus caroliniana
21
Maianthemum canadense
57
Spiraea tomentosa
46
Carya cordiformis
30
Medeola virginiana
59
Symplocarpus foetidus
67
Carya glabra
31
Mitchella repens
61
Thelypteris noveboracensis
71
Carya ovata
32
Osmunda cinnamomea
72
Tilia americana
25
Carya tomentosa
33
Osmunda regalis
73
Toxicodendron radicans
52
Castanea dentata
16
Ostrya viginiana
22
Trientalis borealis
58
Clethra alnifolia
43
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
53
Tsuga canadensis
38
Comptonia peregrine
45
Phegopteris connectilis
75
Uvularia sp.
65
Cornus alternifolia
29
Phegopteris hexagonoptera
74
Vaccinium angustifolium
41
Cornus florida
10
Phragmites australis
69
Vaccinium corymbosum
40
Corylus americana
28
Pinus resinosa
36
Viburnum acerifolium
9
Pinus rigida
37
Vitis aestivalis
54
Index
81