Cretaceous Garden

Giant Sequoia
Sequoiadendron giganteum
Tree ID: 22
Date of tree entry: April 25, 2014
"Giganteum" doesn't even begin to describe the size of this species. Sequoiadendron giganteum can be as tall as 90m and as wide as 11m. It has fireproof, red/brown bark and evergreen leaves. Just imagine how big this tree will be in only a couple (thousand) years!

Japanese Umbrella Pine
Sciadopitys verticillata
Tree ID: 27
Date of tree entry: April 21, 2016
This tree not only has an English and Latin name but also a Japanese name: koyamaki. In an area in Japan known as Mt. Kiso, locals put koyamaki branches on the graves of their loved ones because they believe that these branches can lead spirits back to the land of the living. The koyamaki is a...

Dwarf Mountain Pine
Pinus mugo
Tree ID: 23
Date of tree entry: April 19, 2016
The Dwarf Mountain Pine sits in the Cretaceous Garden adjacent to the Peabody Museum. Though it is a small and easy to miss, do not dismiss this special tree. It produces buds and cones that can be used to make pine syrup for an interesting flare to your saturday morning pancakes. It can be...

Scotch Pine
Pinus sylvestris
Tree ID: 21
Date of tree entry: April 19, 2016
Several Scotch Pines (also known as Scots Pines) tower majestically over the Cretaceous Garden near the Peabody. These trees are distinct in that they boast bark that is very thick and dark on their lower trunks. However, as one's eyes follow the trunks towards their tops, the Scotch Pine...

Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Tree ID: 26
Date of tree entry: April 19, 2016
The dawn redwood is a fast growing decidious tree and a true "living fossil," because its fossilized remains were discovered before living plants were found. It dominated forests of the Northern Hemisphere before almost going extinct in the Age of Mammals. It was saved from extinction in...

Katsura Tree
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Tree ID: 19
Date of tree entry: March 1, 2016
This Katsura Vine is found in the Cretaceous Garden. While native to Eastern Asia with a rich history in Japanese folklore, this tree has been successfully transplanted to the United States. Its fallen leaves are special for their sweet fragrance.

Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
Tree ID: 20
Date of tree entry: March 1, 2016
This sweet-smelling beauty is originally native to the eastern Gulf Coast and lowlands of New Jersey. She is a popular ornamental tree and adds class to any horicultural landscape with her large, attractive foliage. The sweetbay magnolia or "mags" or "mag-girl" was also the...

Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica
Tree ID: 25
Date of tree entry: March 1, 2016
The Japanese Cedar looks dorky at first, and that's because, well, it is. But it's also dangerous. That's right. What looks like a dorky tree to you is known in Japan as the cause of hay fever outbreaks nationwide, Public Enemy #1. It's so severe that the Japanese government...

Ginkgo/Maidenhair Tree
Ginkgo biloba
Tree ID: 24
Date of tree entry: April 17, 2014
This tree is considered a "living fossil", meaning it looks very similar to fossils that are millions of years old. Interestingly, it is the only surviving tree in the entire order of ginkgoales: the order, family, genus, and species are all used to describe a single type of tree. Perhaps...

Cornelian Cherry
Cornus mas
Tree ID: 28
Date of tree entry: April 13, 2014
Between the entrances of the Peabody Museum and Yale's Environmental Science Center, this small tree brings great beauty to the area with its bright yellow flowers, greenish twigs, and dark brown branches. Its scientific name, "Cornus mas", comes from the word cornu which means “horn...

Pages

Subscribe to Cretaceous Garden