Trees of Westminster Campus

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trees of Westminster Meaghan O’Herron and Ellie Baker

Table of Contents 1.

White Oak

2.

European White Birch

3.

White Cedar

4.

Black Oak

5.

Copper Beech

6.

Crimson King Maple

7.

Sweetgum

8.

Weeping Hemlocks

9.

Spruce

10.

European Beech

11.

Redbud

12.

Dogwood

13.

Weeping Crab Apples

14.

Katsura

15.

Lilac

16.

Ginkgo

17.

Norway Maple

18.

Magnolia

19.

European Linden

20.

Sugar Maple

21.

Japanese Maple

1. White Oak Quecus alba

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Large Tree, Can grow up to 100 feet tall Deep taproot system allows it to endure many soil types Timber is strong and durable for barrels, lumber, flooring, and woodwork

2. European White Birch Betula pendula Roth

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Native Origin from Europe and high altitudes in Asia Most recognizable for its white bark which when peeled is paper thin and useful for starting fires

3. White Cedar Thuja occidentalis

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Evergreen and coniferous Scale like leaves on main shoots Fan like branches Fibrous red-brown bark or gray when weathered Oil in the wood is water resistant, and good for firewood in rainy conditions Used in craft, construction, and medicine

4. Eastern Black Oak Ouercus Velutina

Grows on cool, moist, rich, well drained soils of the northeast • Leaves: alternatively arranged on twig, 4-8 inches long with 5-7 bristle tipped lobes separated by deep u-shaped notches • The unique expansive branching on this specimen of oak indicate that it grew for many years in an open landscape with tons of sun, most likely when this part of campus was a pasture •

5. Copper Beech Fagus sylvatica Cuprea

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Natural range extend from southern Sweden to central Italy Appearance varies according to its habitat in forest conditions, it tends to have a long, slender light-gray trunk with a narrow crown and erect branches, in isolation with good side light the trunk is short with a large and widely spreading crown with very long branches. Leaves are alternate, simple, with 6-7 veins on each side of the leaf

6. Crimson King Maple Acer platanoides

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Noted for its Rich maroon leaves through summer Grows best in well drained area resistant to drought and air pollution

7. Sweetgum Liquidambar

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Leaves: shaped palmately, 5 to 7 lobes leaves arranged spirally on the stems, leaves have pleasant aroma when crushed Mature bark is grayish and vertically grooved The hardened sap excreted from the wounds can be chewed on like chewing gum

8. Weeping Hemlocks Tsuga Canadensis

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Coniferous tree, native to eastern North America Straight trunk that is monopodial, rarely forked The crown with broadly conin, while brownish bark is scaley and deeply fissured Confined to areas with cool and humid climates

9. Spruce Pinaceae

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One of the most important woods for paper uses, it has long wood fibers which bind together to make strong paper The needles, or leaves, of spruce trees are attached singly to the branches in a spiral fashion

10. European Beech Fagus sylvatica

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Leaves are alternate, simple, 15-20 cm long and 3-7 cm broad, with 6-7 veins on each side of the leaf USES: The wood is used in the manufacture of numerous objects and implements. Its fine and short grain makes it an easy wood to work with, easy to soak, dye (except its heartwood), varnish and glue

11. Dogwood cornus florida

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Pictured is the flowering dogwood, the other kind of dogwood on campus is the kousa dogwood (outside art building) the types are different with regard to flowering (Kousa has leaves first, flowers later) Popular ornamental tree for its pretty white flowers

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12. Eastern Redbud Cercis Canadensis

Uses: honey bees pollen and humming birds nectar Native Americans boiled bark to make tea to treat the whooping cough. Roots and inner bark used for fevers, congestion and vomiting.

Flowers can be fried and eaten Pink to reddish purple flowers grown on old twigs, branches and trunks, leaves grow and gradually turn dark green Fire tolerant, root sprouts after fire

13. Weeping Crab Apples

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Humans can make crabapple jelly Natural attraction to birds, butterflies and bees Full bloom late April- mid may If fruit less than 2 inches in diameter, it is termed a crabapple. If the fruit is larger than two inches, it is classified as an apple.

14. Katsura Cercidiphyllum

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Native to Japan and China 2-4" opposite leaves- new leaves emerge reddish purple, turns blue green in the summer Strong spicy fragrance released just before leaf drop in fall, some bark peels with maturity

15. Lilac syringa

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Leaves are opposite in arrangement, shape is simple and heart shaped to broad lanceolate in most species, but pinnate in a few species Bisexual, with fertile stamen and stigma in each flower Usual flower color is a shade of purple, but white, pale yellow, pink are also found Flowers grow in large panicleshave strong fragrance in many species

16. Ginkgo ginkgo biloba

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Angular crown, long erratic branches Resistance to disease, insectresistant wood, ability to form aerial roots and sprouts= LONG LIVED (2,500) Fan shaped leaves with veins radiating out into leaf blade

17. Norway Maple Acer platanoides

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Native to Europe (Norway and south) Habitat: various soil extremes (sand clay acid) hot dry condition, tolerant of air pollution Problem: Individual trees produce large numbers of seeds that are wind disperse and invade forests, dense canopy formed inhibits growth of other plants and reduces forest diversity

18. Magnolia magnoliaceae

• This tree has beautiful purpley-pink blossom in the early spring • The flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles because this tree evolved before bees • Carpels of magnolia flowers are tough to avoid damage by crawling beetles • Lack of distinct sepals or petals

19. European Linden Tilia europaea

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Marked by pale-green, heart-shaped leaves and small, but fragrant yellow flowers bloom time range- mid summer

20. Sugar Maple

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Only tree used for commercial syrup production today, sap has 2x sugar content of other maple species Leaves go from green to brilliant yellow orange and red in the autumn (orange and red more pronounced in New England, yellow more West) Bark light gray to gray brown rough and deeply furrowed

21. Japanese Maple Acer palmatum thunb

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Acidic moist well drained soil Food for many animals Flowers are small reddish purple and inconspicuous fruit are red winged seeds (samara) in pairs