Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Weeping Higan Cherry
Prunus subhirtella
Tree ID: 149
Date of tree entry: February 24, 2021
Weeping Higan Cherry trees originate in Japan, but they, along with many other Japanese cherry trees, were introduced to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since then, they have graced gardens across the country, from Yale University to Washington D.C.'s National Mall. Nestled into a planter on the north side of Branford Court, just outside the Saybrook Dining Hall, this Weeping Higan Cherry bursts into color each year in mid-April to announce the arrival of spring, and, in its more subdued autumn hues, provides the background for the annual Branford first-year class photo.

Sweet Fern
Comptonia peregrina
Tree ID: 110
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 24, 2021
Contrary to its name, Sweet Fern is not actually a fern. It is a flowering shrub with fern-like leaves that is native to eastern North America. Today, Comptonia peregrina is the only extant species of Comptonia. Unfortunately, this specific Sweet Fern plant is dead.

Japanese Flowering Cherry

Prunus serrulata
Tree ID: 145
Date of tree entry: February 24, 2021
Every morning for the past year, I have been greeted by this tree. It sits in my line of sight as I stare out at the busy street of Edgewood Avenue in New Haven, CT. The tree has company, as edge wood is lined with various tree species--the tree also sits across from Rainbow Park, a garden with even more diversity in plants within its black iron gates. From thin dark branches resembling haunted trees that should be in a Disney movie, it now stands vibrant--signaling the verge of new colors and a new season in the Elm city.

Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Tree ID: 142
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: February 23, 2021
Don't let the naming fool you: despite it being called the Eastern red cedar, this tree is actually a juniper. In fact, it is the most widespread juniper across the eastern United States! It then comes at no surprise that we see this massive 45 foot tree towering over the Undergraduate Admissions Office. An additional fun fact: the eastern red cedar was the choice of wood in manufacturing pencils up until 1920, due to the material being soft and aromatic. This process stopped due to them cutting down all the trees! Thankfully, the tree is no longer endangered; the eastern red cedar's population is rising across the U.S.

Inkberry
Ilex glabra
Tree ID: 127
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 6, 2020

Inkberry
Ilex glabra
Tree ID: 127
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 6, 2020
Full image of the Red osier dogwood.

Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Tree ID: 112
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: 112
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: 108
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: 109
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.

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