Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Full image of the Red osier dogwood.

Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Tree ID: 108
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 24, 2021
The red osier dogwood is a deciduous thicket-forming shrub with dark red winter stems, and it can grow up to 1.4-6 m tall. This shrub is mostly known for its stunning dark red winter stems which in winter often stand in stark contrast to the surrounding snow. Beyond that, this shrub is monoecious with perfect flowers, that are pollinated by short- and long- tongued bees, wasps, and butterflies, and its white-blue drupes are consumed by a variety of bird (~95 species) and mammal species. Its presence on science hill actually is somewhat out of place as these shrubs prefer riparian areas and often are good indicators of wet, basic soils for surveyors. However, its presence on the hill may help stabilize the soil around it, as the plant can be used to reinforce stream and river banks.

Yellow-twigged dogwood
Tree ID: 107
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 6, 2020
Staghorn sumac outside of Kroon Hall, home to the Yale School of the Environment

Staghorn sumac
Rhus typhina
Tree ID: 103
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 23, 2021
The staghorn sumac is a large, deciduous tree native to the eastern half of North America and produces edible fruit known as "sumac berries." The name of the tree derives from the resemblance of its branches to the antlers of a stag, both in structure and texture. The flowers of a staghorn sumac tree form distinctive, upward-pointing, cone-like clusters, and the lemon-like berries are consumed by birds and humans alike.

Eastern Red-Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Tree ID: 104
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 6, 2020
Despite its name, the Eastern Red Cedar is not a cedar at all. It is actually a juniper, as is indicated by its scientific name juniperus virginiana. This tree is the most common eastern conifer and can be widely found in 37 states across the country. First observed in 1564 in Roanoke Island Virginia, this tree can be identified by its soft bark, its fragrant and scaled foliage, and its small berry-like cones that have a distinct blueish-purple color. Due to its high prevalence in the United States, the eastern red cedar has been adapted for a variety of uses. For example, its berries can be used for tea and a wide range of medicinal purposes, while its bark can be used for perfumes, fenceposts, and pencils.

Witchhazel
Hamamelis virginiana
Tree ID: 102
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 23, 2021
Witch hazel is a small, vase-shaped shrub. It's a late blooming bush with distinct yellow flowers. It is well known for its medicinal uses.
Hydrangea quercifolia (04/21/2001)

Oak-leaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Tree ID: 109
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 24, 2021
Hydrangea quercifoli, commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea, is a flowering plant of the Hydrangraceae family. It is a vase-shaped, deciduous shrub with showy flower heads. It grows to 3-12 feet or 0.91-3.66 meters tall with an open crown. Young stems are covered in a felt-like brown bark and larger stems have a cinnamon-tan bark that shreds and peels in thin flakes. The leaves are yellowish green to dark green on top and silvery-white on the bottom. Plants in shade have larger leaves than those grown in sun. The leaves turn shades of red, purple, and bronze in autumn. H. quercifoli flowers age in color. They age from creamy-white to pink to a dry, papery, rusty-brown in the autumn and winter. H. quercifoli is native to the southeastern United States. More specifically, it is native to woodland habitats from North Carolina west to Tennessee, and south to Florida and Louisiana. It grows in mixed hardwood forests, along streams, and on forested hillsides. H. quercifoli usually grows on calcareous soils, and often where limestone is at the ground surface. H. quercifoli is an undershrub, and often grows in the shade of trees such as large oaks and magnolias.

Swamp White Oak Tree
Quercus bicolor
Tree ID: 112
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 25, 2021
The swamp white oak is native to North America (Rogers). Historically, the swamp white oak has served as a food source for Native Americans and early colonists. The acorns, whether raw or cooked, have been incorporated into early American diets (Nemson). In addition, Native American communities have used the oak galls as a source of dye and as a medicinal treatment for constipation, cholera, and bone damage (Nemson) Today, the swamp white oak is used for lumber, commonly for construction, furniture, and flooring purposes because of its hardness and the knotty character that lowers its commercial value (Nemson). The oak is also commonly used for landscaping purposes, providing ample shade and tolerable of numerous environments (Nemson).

Carolina Silverbell

Halesia caroliniana
Tree ID: 113
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 5, 2020
A tall, skinny tree that is leaning to a sharp angle. It has two large branches holding it up so that it does not fall, however it does not look to be slanted to the point of being uprooted. The branches begin nearer to the top of the tree and are thin and sparce.

Red Maple

Acer rubrum
Tree ID: 111
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 25, 2021
The red maple, true to its name, produces fabulous red flowers, seeds, and foliage. The flowers appear first, in early spring, and the leaves turn bright red in late summer, before most other deciduous trees. Currently, the red maple has no leaves, however, we expect some lovely red foliage to appear as the weather warms. Some distinctive features of the tree: its roots are exposed and form a wide, circular base, some branches appear to be cut off, and it looks as though there are fungi in the holes.

Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Tree ID: 110
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 5, 2020
Located next to Sage Hall, this Northern Red Oak lumbers over its neighboring foliage.

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