A Field Guide to
$2
Mount Auburn’s Interesting Conifers
The Trees of Mount Auburn Mount Auburn Cemetery keeps active records of its living collection of trees, shrubs and plants. Our professionally trained staff (with the help of a group of dedicated volunteers) has catalogued the Cemetery’s more than 5,000 trees. Mount Auburn’s collection of trees represents more than 600 different individual types making the Cemetery an arboretum of national importance. Approximately forty percent of the Cemetery’s trees are labeled with both their common and scientific names (left center). The 2005 plant inventory of Mount Auburn Cemetery included the following highlights with regards to its collection of conifers: • Total number of Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): 227 • Total number of pines (Pinus): 526 • Total number of different types of pines: 41 The Cemetery’s horticultural department has prepared two tree maps for our visitors: “Trees of Mount Auburn Cemetery: The Locations of Some of the Most Unusual Trees” and “Big Trees at Mount Auburn Cemetery: The Locations of Some of the Largest Trees Including State Champions.” Locations for most of the trees highlighted in this brochure can be found in these two maps. The maps are available year round in the information racks in the front Entrance Gate and in the Administration Office. If there is another tree that you would like to locate, you can reference the “List of Trees by Location,” a complete list of the trees of Mount Auburn produced annually by the Cemetery’s Horticulture Department. Although this list is not available for distribution, visitors are welcome to look through it at either the Cemetery’s Administration Office or at the Visitors Center in Story Chapel.
An Introduction to Conifers
Tsuga caroliniana Carolina Hemlock
The word “conifer” is Latin and means “to bear cones.” While most conifers do bear cones, a more common feature is their needle-like or scale-like leaves. Since most conifers do not shed their needles in the fall, like broadleaf or deciduous trees, they are also known as evergreens. Worldwide there are 805 taxa (species, subspecies and varieties) of conifers compared to 300,000 flowering plants. Of the 805 taxa, 218 (27%) are vulnerable or endangered species. Although the number of varieties is relatively low, conifers are some of the smallest, largest, and oldest woody plants. They are valued around the world for both their timber and their year-round interest as landscape plants. Conifers are especially abundant in the northern boreal forest because of their success at growing in less than favorable conditions. Because most evergreens do not shed their needles, they have the ability to maintain constantly high levels of photosynthesis, even in low temperatures. This allows them to take advantage of favorable conditions for nutrient production year round. Likewise, because they do not have to expend energy to produce new leaves each spring, they can utilize all of their energy for food production and new growth.
Interesting Conifer Facts: • The Giant Sequoia and the Coastal Redwood can reach over 300 feet tall with trunk diameters of 20 feet or more. They can live to be more than 4,000 years old. • The Dawn Redwood (Metasequioa glyptostroboides), a “living fossil” was thought to have been extinct for millions of years before a living stand was discovered in the mountains of northern China in 1941. The Dawn Redwood is an unusual conifer in that it is also deciduous—it loses its leaves in the fall.
The orange foliage at the left of the photo belongs to a Metasequioa glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood at Auburn Lake.
• The Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) is considered the world’s oldest living organism. “Methuselah,” a Bristlecone Pine located in the White Mountains of eastern central California, was determined to be 4,723 years old when it was discovered in 1957. Still alive today, it is considered the world’s oldest tree.
Tools to Conifer Identification Conifers tend to grow upright and take a conical or pyramidal form:
Conical: cone shaped. The base is wide and the tree tapers to a point at the top.
Pyramidal: cone shaped, but the base of the tree is approximately the same as the tree is high.
Some conifers, however, have a more open or irregular growth habit, meaning that they do not have a distinctive shape. Cone size, color and shape help to identify tree type. Cones tend to take one of three general shapes:
Spherical: shaped like a globe. Rounded with approximately the same measurements in all dimensions.
Cylindrical: shaped like a cylinder. Rounded body. Length is greater than width.
Barrel shaped: shaped like a barrel. Rounded body. Ends are flattened with a bulbous middle.
Needle size, shape and color are important identification tools. The arrangement of the needles on the branch is also extremely helpful. This simple key can help in tree identification: Needles are Needles are arranged in groups arranged singularly or bundles
l
lm
Needle clusters look like rosettes
Needles occur in bundles of 2’s, 3’s, 4’s or 5’s
i
i
Cedar (Cedrus)
Pine (Pinus)
m lm
Needles Needles are flat are square or four-sided Needles Needles are are not stalked stalked (attached Spruce to branch (Picea) by a small stem) Fir (Abies)
i
i
i
Tsuga (Hemlock)
The shape of a tree’s branches is yet another tool to aid in identification:
Pendulous branches are those that hang down.
Ascending branches are those that point upwards.
Spreading branches are those that grow horizontally (parallel to the ground).
Abies concolor White Fir • • • • •
The White Fir is shaped like a pyramid. Normal size is 50’-75’ tall and 20’-30’ wide. Needles are curved looking and 2”-3” long. They have a bluish cast. Cones are 4”-5” long cylinders that disintegrate when ripe. They never fall from the tree as a unit. • Bark is a smooth and gray in color. • Native to the Rocky Mountains from Canada to California.
Sample specimen of Abies concolor needles
Abies homolepis Nikko Fir • The Nikko Fir is shaped like a pyramid. • Normal tree size is 30’-50’ tall and narrow. • Needles are 1” long and dark glossy green. The tips of the needles are sharp. • Needles are comparably denser on the branches. • Cones are 4” long cylinders that disintegrate when ripe. They are light brown in color. • Bark is rough and brown in color. • This tree is native to Japan.
Sample specimen of Abies homolepis needles
Abies nordmanniana Nordman Fir • The Nordman Fir is shaped like a pyramid. • Normal tree size is 40’ to 60’ tall and 15’ to 20’ wide. In the wild, the tree can be well over 250’ tall. • Needles are 1” to 1.5” long and are a dark green with white undersides. The tips of the needles are notched or rounded. • Cones are 5” to 6” long slightly tapered cylinders. The color is reddish brown. They disintegrate when ripe. • Bark is smooth and gray-brown in color. • This tree is native to Asia Minor.
Sample specimen of Abies nordmanniana needles
Cedrus atlantica Blue Atlas Cedar • The Blue Atlas Cedar is shaped like a pyramid when young but becomes more flat-topped in older age. • Normal size is 40’ to 60’ tall. In the most ideal conditions, the tree can reach up to 100’ tall and 40’ wide. • Needles are 0.5” to 1” long and are slightly curved. Colors range from green to slivery-blue. • Needles are arranged spirally or in rosettes on the branch. • Cones are 3” long and barrel-shaped. They disintegrate when ripe. • Bark is smooth on young trees but eventually develops scales. The color is gray. • This tree is native to the Atlas Mountains of northwestern Africa.
Sample specimen of Cedrus atlantica needles
Cedrus libani Cedar of Lebanon • The Cedar of Lebanon is shaped like a pyramid when young but eventually becomes flat-topped with horizontally spreading branches. • Normal size is 40’ to 60’ tall and 30’ to 50’ wide. • Needles are 0.75” to 1.5” long and dark green in color. • Needles are arranged spirally on the branch. • Cones are 3” to 5” long and are barrel-shaped. They are held upright on the tree branches and disintegrate when ripe. • This tree is native to Lebanon and Turkey.
Sample specimen of Cedrus libani needles
Cryptomeria japonica Cryptomeria • The Cryptomeria is pyramidal or conical in shape. With age it develops tiered branching. • Normal size is 50’ to 60’ tall and 25’ to 30’ wide. • Needles are awl-shaped and curve inward. They are dark green to bluish- green in color and glossy. • The needles of the Cryptomeria turn bronze to brown in color during the cold months and then regreen in the spring. • Cones are 0.5” to 1” in diameter and are globeshaped. They are dark brown in color. • Bark is shredding and reddish-brown in color. • This tree is native to China and Japan.
Sample specimen of Cryptomeria japonica needles
Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood • The Dawn Redwood is a “living fossil” as it was thought to have been extinct for millions of years until it was rediscovered in the mountains of northern China in 1941. • It is an unusual conifer in that it is deciduous- it loses its bright green leaves after they turn redbrown in the fall. • Specimens can be 80’-130’ tall and be 2’ in diameter. • Cones can be up to .25” long and are arranged in opposites pairs.
scale not available
Sample specimen of Metasequoia glyptostroboides needles
Picea abies Norway Spruce • The Norway Spruce is conical in shape with horizontal branches and pendulous branchlets. • Normal size is 40’ to 60’ tall and 30’ to 35’ wide. • Needles are pointed and 0.5” to 1” long. They are medium green in color. • Cones are long and narrow, about 4” to 6” long and 1.5” to 2” wide. They are light brown. Cones hang down at the ends of branches. • Bark is gray brown and peeling. • This tree is native to northern and central Europe.
Sample specimen of Picea abies needles
Picea koyamai Koyama Spruce • The Koyama Spruce has a narrow conical shape. The branches of the tree curve upwards. • Normal size for the tree is approximately 55’ tall and 20’ wide. • Needles are 0.5” to 1” long and are blue-green with sharp tips. • Cones are 1.5” to 4” long ovals and are a glossy brown. • Bark is a pinkish purple. The bark is the most easily recognizable characteristic of this tree. • This tree is native to central Japan and Korea.
Sample specimen of Picea koyamai needles
Picea omorika Serbian Spruce • The Serbian Spruce has a very narrow conical shape with pendulous branches. • Normal size for the tree is 50’ to 60’ tall and 20’ to 25’ wide. The tree can reach over 100’ tall in ideal conditions. • Needles are 0.5” to 1” long and dark green in color. Needles on young trees tend to have pointy tips while the tips of the needles on mature trees are rounded. • Cones are oval-shaped and are 1.25” to 1.75” long by 0.5” to 0.75” wide. They are reddish brown. • Bark is a dark black-brown and scaly. • This tree is native to southeastern Europe.
Sample specimen of Picea omorika needles
Picea orientalis Oriental Spruce • The Oriental Spruce has a narrow conical shape with pendulous branches. • Normal size for the tree is 50’ to 60’ tall, but it can reach up to 120’ tall. • Needles are 4-sided with a blunt tip. They are 0.25” to 0.5” long and dark green in color. • Cones are 2” to 4” long by 1” wide and cylindrical in shape. The color is brown. • The cones are found at the ends of the branches. • Bark is medium brown and scaley. • This tree is native to Asia Minor.
Sample specimen of Picea orientalis needles
Picea torana Tiger-tail Spruce • The Tiger-tail Spruce is shaped like a pyramid with pendulous branches. • Normal size is approximately 80’ tall by 15’ wide. • Needles are 0.75” to 1” long with sharp tips. Color is a yellowish-green. • Cones are 2.5” to 4” long ovals with toothed cone scales. • Bark is gray in color with a rough and exfoliating texture. • This tree is native to Japan.
Sample specimen of Picea torana needles
Pinus aristata Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine • The Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine has an irregular growth habit. • This dwarf tree can reach up to 20’ tall. • Needles are about 1” long. They are dark green in color with whitish undersides. • Cones are oval in shape and approximately 3.5” long. They are purple-brown in color. • Each cone scale has a thorn-like tip. • Bark is brown and scaley. • This tree is native to the mountainous regions of the southeastern U.S. Specimens of this tree are some of the oldest living plants in the world.
Sample specimen of Pinus aristata needles
Pinus bungeana Lacebark Pine • The Lacebark Pine is multi-trunked with a broad, open form. • Normal size is 30’ to 40’ tall and approximately the same in width. • Needles are 2” to 4” long. They are a waxy medium green with pointed tips. • Needles grow in 3’s. • Cones are oval in shape and approximately 2” to 3” long. They are brown in color. • Bark is highly ornamental. It exfoliates to reveal patches of brown, red, green and cream. • This tree is native to northern and central China.
Sample specimen of Pinus bungeana needles
Pinus densiflora Japanese Red Pine • The Japanese Red Pine is a multi-trunked tree with broad but irregular growth. • Normal size is about 50’ tall and same in width. • Needles are approximatley 3” to 4” long. They are very flexible and are twisted. The color is bright green and they appear to be plastic. • Needles grow in 2’s. • Cones are oval to oblong and are about 2” long. They are brown in color. • Cones are found at the ends of branches in clusters or singularly. • Bark is bright red. • This tree is native to Japan.
Sample specimen of Pinus densiflora needles
Pinus jeffreyi Yellow Pine • The Yellow Pine has a narrow upright form. • Normal size is anywhere from 100’ to 180’ tall. • Needles are 4.5” to 10” long and are a stiff, dull green. • Needles grow in 2’s and 3’s. • Cones are oval in shape and are anywhere from 6” to 10” in length. • Bark is brown and scaley. • This tree is native to the southwestern U.S. and is common in southern Oregon and California.
scale not available
Sample specimen of Pinus jeffreyi needles
Pinus nigra Austrian Pine • The Austrian Pine has a pyramidal shape when young but becomes flat-topped with spreading branches in maturity. • Normal size is 50’ to 70’ tall and 20’ to 40’ wide. • Needles are 4” to 6” long. The are a dark army green. • Needles grow in 2’s. • Cones are barrel shaped. They are approximately 2” to 3” long and 2” wide. The color is yellow-brown. • Bark is gray brown to silver and scaley. • This tree is native to central and southern Europe and eastern Asia.
Sample specimen of Pinus nigra needles
Pinus parviflora Japanese White Pine • The Japanese White Pine is dense and conical when young but becomes more irregular with age. The lower branches are often shorter than the upper branches. • Normal size can be from 25’ to 50’ tall and can be as wide as it is tall. • Needles are 1.5” to 2.5” long and appear stiff and twisted. The color is blue-green. • Needles grown in 5’s. • Cones are barrel shaped and can be 1.5” to 4” long. The color is brown-red. • Bark is smooth and gray when young but becomes darker and scaley with age. • This tree is native to Japan.
Sample specimen of Pinus parviflora needles
Pinus pungens Table Mountain Pine • The Table Mountain Pine has an irregular form. • Normal size is 20’ to 25’ tall. • Needles are 1.5” to 3.5” long. They are yellowgreen in color and appear twisted. • Needles grow in 2’s. • Cones are oval and approximatley 3” long. The color is dark red-brown. • Bark is dark red-brown or gray and is scaly. • This tree is native to the mountainous regions of the southeastern U.S.
Sample specimen of Pinus pungens needles
Pinus strobus Eastern White Pine • The Eastern White Pine is a conical tree but tends to loose its shape with age. The branches are vertical. • Normal size is 50’ to 80’ tall and 30’ to 50’ wide. • Needles are very thin and flexible. Length is approximately 4”. Color is light green. • Needles grow in 5’s. • Cones are 6” to 8” curved cylinders with pointed tips. The color is light brown. • Cones grow in clusters typically on the upper third of the tree. • Bark is gray to gray-green. Trees have smooth when young but develop scaly bark with age. • This tree is native to the eastern half of the United States and southern Canada.
Sample specimen of Pinus strobus needles
Pinus wallichiana Himalayan Pine • The Himalayan Pine is pyramidal when young but becomes more wide spreading with pendulous branches with age. • Normal size is 30’ to 50’ tall and 20’ to 30’ wide. • Needles are 5” to 8” long. The soft needles are green on their upper surface and blue on their lower surface, creating a silver cast. • Young needles stand erect on the tree but older needles bend near the base creating a pendulous effect. • Needles grow in 5’s. • Cones are 6” to 12” brown cylinders • Cones hang from the branches. • This tree is native to the Himalayas.
Sample specimen of Pinus wallichiana needles
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir • The Douglas Fir has a conical shape with horizontal limbs and pendulous branchlets. • Normal size is 60’ to 80’ tall and 15’ to 20’ wide. In its native environment it can reach well over 150’ tall. • Needles are 1” to 1.5” long and are arranged spirally on the branches. Color varies from bluegreen to gray-green. • Cones are 3” to 4” and oblong in shape with distinctive trident bract scales. Color is tan. • Bracts shaped like a snake’s tongue or pitchfork project between scales of the cone. • Bark on young trees is smooth but develops ridges with age. Color is red-brown. • This tree is native to the western U.S. in both the mountainous and coastal regions.
Sample specimen of Pseudotsuga menziesii needles
Sciadopitys verticillata Japanese Umbrella Pine • The Japanese Umbrella Pine has a conical shape. Many trees have multiple trunks. • Normal size is 20’ to 40’ tall and 15’ to 20’ wide. • Needles grow on tree in two types. Larger flat needles are 2” to 5” long and are clustered in groups of 20 to 30. Smaller needles are scale-like and grow around the shoot just below the clusters of long needles. Needles are dark green and glossy. • Cones are barrel shaped and 2” to 4” long and 1” to 2” wide. Color is brown. • Bark is red-brown and shreds in long strips. • This tree is native to Japan.
Sample specimen of Sciadopitys verticillata needles
Tsuga canadensis Canadian Hemlock • The Canadian Hemlock has a conical or pyramidal shape with horizontal to pendulous branches. • Normal size is 40’ to 70’ tall and 25’ to 30’ wide. • Needles are 0.25” to 0.75” long and flat. They are dark green on the upper side and have two white colored lines on the lower side. • Needles are arranged spirally on the branch. • Cones are between 0.5” and 1” long. The color is light brown. • Bark is brown. Young trees have smooth bark but it becomes scaley and then eventually develops wide ridges with age. • This tree is native to eastern North America.
Sample specimen of Tsuga canadensis needles
Tsuga caroliniana Carolina Hemlock • The Carolina Hemlock has a pyramidal shape with horizontal or pendulous branches. It looks slightly more rigid than the Canadian Hemlock. • Normal size is 40’ to 60’ tall and 20’ to 25’ wide. • Needles are 0.25” to 0.75” long and flattened. Color is dark green on the top surface with two white-colored bands on the underside. Needles are glossy. • Needles are arranged spirally on the branches. • Cones are 1” to 1.5” long and • light brown in color. • Bark is reddish brown and scaley. • This tree is native to the southern Appalachian Mountains.
scale not available
Sample specimen of Tsuga caroliniana needles
2.00 USUS $ $2.00
In 1831 Mount Auburn created a new American landscape that defined what our nation’s cemeteries should be and inspired 1831 Mount Auburn theIncreation of our publiccreated parks. a new American landscape that defined what our nation’s cemeteries should be and Asinspired an activethe burial placeofand vibrantparks. cultural institution, creation oura public we continue to celebrate the lives of individuals who have As an active burial place and a vibrant cultural institution, shaped our world, by opening our renowned landscape, art and we continue to celebrate the lives of individuals who have architecture to the community. shaped our world, by opening our renowned landscape, art architecture to theofcommunity. A and natural oasis for tens thousands of visitors annually, Mount Auburn Cemetery forever beof a source comfort A natural oasis for tens will of thousands visitorsofannually, and inspiration. Mount Auburn Cemetery will forever be a source of comfort andFriends inspiration. The of Mount Auburn Cemetery is a non-profit educational trust established to promote theis appreciation The Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery a non-profit and preservation Mount Auburn’stocultural, historic and natural educationaloftrust established promote the appreciation resources. and preservation of Mount Auburn’s cultural, historic and natural resources.
If you would like to join the Friends of Mount Auburn, If you would like to join the Friends of Mount Auburn, please call us please call us at: 617-547-7105 or visit our website at at: 617-547-7105 or visit our website at www.mountauburn.org www.mountauburn.org