Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Katsura Tree
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Tree ID: 19
Cretaceous Garden
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
Cretaceous Garden
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 first magnolia to be cultivated in England; although, she was overshadowed by the larger, evergreen Southern magnolia there :( but mag-girl will always have a home in America: on Whitney Avenue and in our hearts.

Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica
Tree ID: 25
Cretaceous Garden
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 intervened with legislation to develop low-pollen producing varieties of the plant. You're gonna want to learn more.

Pin Oak
Quercus palustris
Tree ID: 37
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: April 20, 2015
The pin oak refers to a red oak (Genus, Quercus; Section, Lobatae) of the Fagaceae Family. Plants of the Fagaceae family are distinguished from otheres by their simple leaves with pinnate venation, monoecious (i.e. hermaphroditic) reprodcutive capacity, and cupule-shaped fruits. The fruit of Quercus palustris is the acorn, roughly 15,000 of which will be produced by any given Pin Oak each year. The pin oak is also deciduous, meaning that it will abscise, or shed, its leaves each fall after dropping its zygote-bearing acorns. Oaks undergo abscission for a number of reasons; the pin oak does so to conserve water and nutrients during the drier seasons. A majority of water and nutrients taken up by the tree's vascular transport tissues are absorbed by the leaves, and the process demands incredible energy expenditure. Relative to other deciduous trees, the pin oak is medium-sized at maturity, reaching a full height of 18–22 meters. The trunk's diameter (base) can reach 1 meter and only rarely exceeds this size. My pin oak measures 22.3 meters in height, placing it among the tallest; trunk diameter is 0.79 meters. Growth proceeds slowly for the first 20 years - around the time acorn production begins - and thereafter accelerates markedly.

Black Locust (False Acacia)
Robinia pseudoacacia
Tree ID: 44
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 5, 2015
Although it may not have any of the familiar green pods we've come to know from the food aisle, the black locust tree belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. It's native to the southeastern United States and also the lower slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. A deciduous tree with short, irregular branches and feathery leaves, the black locust grows fast but is short-lived. Black locust trees can reach heights of 70 to 80 feet but are more often 30 to 50 feet tall. The black locust bears toxic pods that hang from its branches, but it also has white, fragrant flowers that bloom in late spring. These flowers produce a delicious and much sought-after honey that bees love. The black locust doesn't compete well with other trees and isn't a big fan of shade, but it's nevertheless a resilient species. It grows quickly, can survive drought and harsh winters, and creates new trees by sending up new sprouts from roots and stumps.

Star Magnolia
Magnolia stellata
Tree ID: 40
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: February 4, 2015
Magnolia stellata is a small tree native to Japan that can reach a height of 4.6 - 6.0 meters. It is a deciduous tree that has a twiggy appearance with small buds in the winter. Its common name, star magnolia, refers to its large, white star-shaped flowers which bloom anytime between late winter to early spring.

Callery Pear Tree
Pyrus calleryana
Tree ID: 33
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: February 4, 2015
The Callery pear tree is a small decidious tree native to China and Vietnam. Look for its white flowers with an unpleasant odor in early spring.

Japanese Zelkova
Zelkova Serrata
Tree ID: 35
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: February 4, 2015
The Japanese zelkova, is a deciduous tree that typically grows to a height of around 30m. It typically has a short trunk followed by many erect branches that continue upwards to create a round-topped head. You can differentiate these trees from an American Elm due to the Zelkova's unwinged fruit and symmetrical rather than uneven leaves.

Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
Tree ID: 42
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: February 4, 2015
Acer palmatum (common name: Japanese maple or smooth Japanese maple) is a species of woody plant native to Japan, North Korea, South Korea, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Acer palmatum is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is 20 to 33 ft tall. It is often present as an understory plant in shady woodlands. In nature, Acer palmatum undergoes considerable genetic variation. Seedlings from the same parent tree often grow to display differences in key traits such as the leaf size, shape, and colour. Development of Japanese maple cultivars started in Japan in the 1700s, when gardeners selected and bred or used grafting to propagate attractive variants in leaf features, and overall size and form of the tree. Currently, there may be more than 1000 varieties and cultivars present, including hybrids or grafts with species closely related to Acer plamatum, such as A. duplicatoserratum and A. japonicum (downy Japanese maple). Out of these, at least 350 cultivars are used in Europe and North America. The term “Japanese maple” does not represent one species and may be used to refer to any of the 23 species of Acer that are native to Japan.

American Holly
Ilex opaca
Tree ID: 39
Hillhouse
Date of tree entry: February 4, 2015
Tucked away a few steps from Hillhouse Ave this Ilex opaca is a pillar of Christmas time cheer amid a small group of deciduous and evergreen trees. American holly are unique in their vast range; they are native from southern Massachusetts to central Florida, and can be found as far west as eastern Texas. American holly are evergreen trees with small, white flowers and red berries. The berries are an important source of food for birds, and they are reputedly poisionous to humans.

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