{"id":5,"date":"2012-04-13T13:46:04","date_gmt":"2012-04-13T17:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/?page_id=5"},"modified":"2014-04-16T14:05:36","modified_gmt":"2014-04-16T18:05:36","slug":"nativespecies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/nativespecies\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Species"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0These species are native to the state of Maine and can be found growing in the wild:<\/h2>\n

American Beech<\/a><\/h6>\n
American Elm<\/a><\/h6>\n
Black Cherry<\/a><\/h6>\n
Common Juniper<\/a><\/h6>\n
Eastern Hemlock<\/a><\/h6>\n
Green Ash<\/a><\/h6>\n
Grey Birch<\/a><\/h6>\n
Paper Birch<\/a><\/h6>\n
Bigtooth Aspen<\/a><\/h6>\n
Red Maple<\/a><\/h6>\n
Red Oak<\/a><\/h6>\n
Red Pine<\/a><\/h6>\n
Red Spruce<\/a><\/h6>\n
Sugar Maple<\/a><\/h6>\n
White Ash<\/a><\/h6>\n
White Cedar<\/a><\/h6>\n
White Pine<\/a><\/h6>\n
White Spruce<\/a><\/h6>\n
Witch Hazel<\/a><\/h6>\n
Yellow Birch<\/a><\/h6>\n

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American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: <\/strong>A medium to large sized deciduous tree (typically around 40′ to 80′ but reaching up to 120′ in some cases) which has silver-gray finely textured bark. The leaves are a dark green color and elliptical in shape with an alternate arrangement. This tree is highly tolerant to shade and droughts.<\/a><\/p>\n

American Elm (Ulmus americana)<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0<\/strong>A large sized deciduous tree that reaches up to 100′ in height. The alternately arranged leaves are dark green and elliptical in shape with asymmetric bases and a finely toothed margin. They can get up to 6″ in length. The American Elm is susceptible to many diseases including the Dutch Elm Disease and leaf spot disease. Bark beetles and the gypsy moth are some of the pests that also affect this species.
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Black Cherry (Prunus serotina<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: <\/strong>A medium to large deciduous tree that produces showy fruit and showy white\/creamy long cylindrical flowers. The leaves of the Black Cherry tree are ovate in shape, dark green in color, glossy in texture and serrulate around the margin. The bark of this tree species is a dark gray color and very scaly. Tolerating little shade this tree grows on forest edges or in the open the best.
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Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: <\/strong>This species generally occurs as a shrub but can be found as a tree in heights of up to 25 ft. As a conifer this tree keeps its leaves for several months of the year. The thin and long leaves appear dark green and are less than an inch in length. The leaves are pointed toward the end of the branches and the undersides are what is seen by the eye. The fruit of the Common Juniper is a dark blue berry.<\/p>\n

Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: <\/strong>A medium sized tree that gets to be between 60 and 70 ft tall. A large dbh (diameter at breast hieght) of about 2-3 ft tapers off quickly toward the top of the tree. The leaves or needles are small skinny and long, at around 1\/3 -2\/3 inches long. They are positioned on the branch so that the branch appears flat. The cones produced by the Hemlock are light brown and oblong in shape. Their size is about 3\/4 inches. Hemlocks often grow together to create Hemlock stands, and they are good a tolerating shade.
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\nGreen Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> A medium sized tree (50-60 feet) that needs rich soil to grow so is commonly found on the banks of rivers or lakes. The bark is dark gray or brown and will have a furrowed texture in older trees. The arrangement of leaves are opposite and with 7-9 oppositely positioned leaflets composing one leaf. Leaflets are oval in shape with a pointed tip, sometimes finely toothed and yellow-greenish in color. The underside of the leaflets are hairy.
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\nGrey Birch (Betula populifolia)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> The Grey Birch is a small tree, reaching up to only 20 or 30 feet with a diameter of 4 – 8 inches. It grows among other Grey Birches in colonies. The leaves of this tree are 2 – 3 inches and triangular and thin, with very defined toothing around the margin. Their arrangement is alternate and they are green in color. The bark of the Grey Birch is light gray to white. Catkins are the flowers produced by this species.
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\nPaper Birch (Betula papyrifera)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> Reaching a height of 60-70 ft tall the medium sized Paper Birch can have a diameter of 1-2 ft. On the edge of streams and lakes, where the soil is richer, this species is more likely to grow. It can grow in colonies or among other species. The bark of this tree, while looking similar to that of the Grey Birch, can be distinguished by exhibits the texture and appearance of thin paper and is often peeling off the tree. Another way to distinguish the Paper Birch from the Grey Birch is by the leaves. The leaves of a Paper Birch are thicker and generally 2-4 inches in size, otherwise displaying the same shape and color as the Grey Birch.
\n<\/a>
\nBigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> With similar bark and leaves to the birches, the Bigtooth Aspen has flattened petioles which make its leaves flutter or “quake” in the wind. This tree is medium sized (60-75 ft tall) with a diameter of 10-16 inches. It grows rapidly meaning its a good colonizer and can establish itself quickly if an area has been cleared. It does well in dry to moist soils and in sunny environments, not in dense forests. The young bark is mostly smooth and pale in color. The alternately arranged leaves are roughly triangular with a broad base, dark green and coarsely toothed. The flowers of this tree are also catkins.
\n<\/a>
\nRed Maple (Acer rubrum)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> Growing to 50 or 60 ft tall the Red Maple is a medium sized tree with a diameter of 1-2 ft. This is the most common species of Maple found in Maine and it grows best in swampy not-well-drained areas but can be found in other environments as well. The bark is dark gray and scaly on older trees. 3-5 inched leaves are arranged oppositely and have 3-5 distinct lobes that are finely toothed. The valleys of the lobes are a sharp v shape. The color of the leaves is light green.
\n<\/a>
\nRed Oak (Quercus rubra)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong>\u00a0A medium sized to large tree that reaches up to 90 feet tall, develops a short trunk and round crown when open grown. Leaves alternate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long, oblong in shape with 7 to 11 bristle-tipped lobes.\u00a0Acorns are 3\/4 to 1 inch long and nearly round; cap is flat and thick, covering about 1\/4 or less of the acorn, resembling a beret. Twigs\u00a0stout, red-brown and smooth; terminal buds multiple, quite large, conical, and covered with red-brown, mostly hairless scales. Older bark develops wide, flat-topped ridges and shallow furrows. The shallow furrows form a pattern resembling ski tracts. \u00a0(VT Tree ID)
\n<\/a>
\nRed Pine(Pinus resinosa)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> A conical shaped tree that reaches up to heights of 60-80 ft with a diameter of 2-3 ft. Because of this pines intolerance to shade you can find it out in the open on dry, sandy or rocky soils. The bark is brownish reddish and rough. The leaves of this tree are needles that grow in clumps of two and are dark green in color. The pine cone is the flower of this tree. Egg like in shape this cone is grows to be about 2 inches long and once fallen the base is hollow.
\n<\/a>
\nRed Spruce (Picea rubens)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong>\u00a0A medium sized tree that reaches up to 80 feet tall, and grows into a conical shape. The shade tolerance of this tree\u00a0 also it grow in the understory of forests. It prefers dry soil and the north facing side of slopes. Reddish brownish scaly bard can be found surrounded by needle like leaves. These leaves are about 1\/2 inch long and sharp to touch. They surround the whole branch. The flowers are cones which are oblong and have a length of about 1.5 to 2 inches. The scales of the cone are smoothly rounded unlike that of the black spruce (which has notched scales).
\n<\/a>
\nSugar Maple (Acer saccharum<\/em><\/span>)<\/em>:<\/strong>\u00a0Medium to tall tree (to 100 feet) with very dense elliptical crown. Leaves opposite, simple and palmately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, 5 delicately rounded lobes, entire margin.\u00a0Two-winged horseshoe-shaped samaras about 1 inch long, appearing in clusters, brown when mature in in the fall. Twigs brown, slender and shiny with lighter lenticels; terminal buds brown, very sharp pointed, with tight scales. Bark variable, but generally brown, on older trees it becomes darker, develops furrows, with long, thick irregular curling outward, firm ridges. (VT Tree ID)
\n<\/a>
\nWhite Ash\u00a0(Fraxinus americana<\/em><\/span>)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> A medium sized tree growing to about 60-70 ft with a diameter of 15-30 inches. The branches curve upward and spread out widely, stemming leaves that have an opposite arrangement. At 8-12 inches long the leaves are composed of leaflets, each 3-5 inches long and pointed at the tips. The bark of this tree is dark grayish brown and has parallel furrows running vertically.
\n<\/a>
\nWhite Cedar\u00a0(Thuja occidentalis<\/em><\/span>)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> A medium sized tree in height (growing to 60ft tall) but large in diameter (three feet). This tree grows conically with a narrow tip. The bark is reddish brown and has textured bark with shallow scales. The leaves are arranged oppositely and pan out creating a flat spread. The small cones, only 1\/2 inch long, have only a few pairs of scales.
\n<\/a>
\nWhite Pine\u00a0(Pinus strobis<\/em><\/span>)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> The tree our state saying (“the pine tree state”) is named after, the White Pine grows all over the state and in fertile soil that’s not too saturated with water. It can be conical in shape when growing out in the open. The leaves are needles that grow in clumps of five. They grow to be 3-5 inches long and are bluish green on one side and white on the other. The pine-cones are 4-8 inches long and in late August they open their scales to disperse seeds.
\n<\/a>
\nWhite Spruce\u00a0(Picea glauca<\/em><\/span>)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> Growing up to heights of 90 ft with a diameter of 2 ft this tree is larger than Red Spruce. The branches are curved upward unlike the flatter branch orientation of the Red Spruce. The favorable conditions for this tree include sunny areas, and rocky shorelines as well as dry soil. The bark on this tree is grayish brownish and scaly. The leaves are needles that surround the branch and are often oriented upward so that the bottoms of the needles can be seen. The color that can be seen is\u00a0 a light or dark bluish-greed, from younger than older trees respectively. The flower of this tree is a cone, oblong and about 2 inches in length.
\n<\/a>
\nWitch Hazel\u00a0(Hamamelis virginiana<\/em><\/span>)<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong> A smaller tree that can also occur as a shrub. The leaves of this tree are wide and oval with an asymmetric base. They are arranged alternately and their margin is wavy (smoothly toothed). The branches appear to have fuzzy buds at the tip, where the fruit (a wood looking seed) can be found in the spring and summer.
\n<\/a>
\nYellow Birch\u00a0(Betula allegheniensis<\/em><\/span>)<\/em><\/span>: <\/strong>The largest of the birches growing up to 85 feet with a diameter of up to three feet. The bark is yellowish grayish and will often peel off the tree in layers. The leaves are ovate in shape and finely toothed. Dark green in color the leaves grow up to 4 inches long.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0These species are native to the state of Maine and can be found growing in the wild: American Beech American Elm Black Cherry Common Juniper Eastern Hemlock Green Ash Grey Birch Paper Birch Bigtooth Aspen Red Maple Red Oak Red … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2149,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5"}],"version-history":[{"count":75,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":273,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions\/273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/treetours\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}