Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Originating from the mountainous regions of central China, the paperbark maple is a small deciduous tree characterized by its highly textured trunk. It typically grows to a height of 6 to 9 meters with a matching canopy spread. Unlike most maples, its leaves are split into three distinct leaflets and its trunk continuously sheds thin papery layers of bark to expose a vibrant cinnamon-colored underlayer. The tree prefers well-drained, moist soils and grows best in full sun to partial shade. Due to poor natural seed viability and habitat loss, the paperbark maple is currently considered an endangered species in its native environment. However, it is widely cultivated and protected as an ornamental landscape tree across North America and Europe.

This American Beech tree is nestled next to Sloane Physics Laboratory, where it lies along a well-traveled part of Science Hill. If you were standing beneath it, you might notice the Yuttle driving by each day as students make their way to class. The tree is known for its smooth, light gray bark and its wide canopy of dark green leaves. It also produces small nuts called beechnuts, which provide food for animals such as squirrels, deer, and birds. In the fall, its leaves turn a golden brown, and many remain on the branches through winter, a trait called marcescence. In early spring, the tree develops both male and female flowers; the male flowers appear as drooping catkins that release pollen to fertilize the smaller female flowers. Because it has both types of flowers on the same tree, the American Beech is classified as monoecious.

The sweetgum is a native tree of the eastern United States, characteristic of riparian areas, swamp margins, and moist lowlands. Its genus name, "Liquidambar" (Latin for "liquid amber") refers to the aromatic resin that flows from the bark when cut. This resin, sometimes called American storax, has a long history of medicinal and cultural use. Indigenous peoples, including the Cherokee and Choctaw, applied it as a salve for wounds and skin irritations, brewed it as an infusion to calm the nerves, and hardened it for use as a chewing gum. A close relative, the Oriental sweetgum ("Liquidambar orientalis") of Turkey and the Caucasus, produces the storied "Balm of Gilead," a medicinal resin referenced in the Bible. In autumn, sweetgum is among the most visually distinguished trees of the eastern landscape, with a single specimen capable of displaying yellow, orange, red, and purple simultaneously. Its symmetrical, conical form and glossy, star-shaped leaves make it a valued ornamental in parks and along streets throughout its range. The tree's characteristic spiky fruit clusters, produced in abundance each season, are among its most recognizable features, remaining visible on the ground long after the leaves have fallen.