Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Catalpa
Catalpa bignonioides
Tree ID: 74
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: April 23, 2017
This tree, also known as “cigar tree” for it’s cigar-shaped, cylindrical seed pods, is located up Prospect Street behind the Marsh Botanical Garden. It is most commonly called the Southern catalpa, since it it is native to a small group of southern states. This medium-sized, deciduous tree typically grows to about 9-18 meters tall (depending on whether it is a small or medium tree) and 1 m in diameter. It also has an irregular, broad-rounded crown. Due to its production of clusters of showy white flowers with purple and yellow markings, it is often planted as an ornamental shade tree. The tree has uses beyond this, also used for general construction work, pharmaceutical purposes, and conservation.

Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Tree ID: 76
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 23, 2017
The Pawpaw, otherwise known as the Asimina triloba, is a small tree that bears the largest edible fruit in its native United States. Located close to Hillside Place, the Pawpaw stands (somewhat) tall in the Marsh Botanical Gardens. The Papaw is deciduous and growns as far south as northern Florida, as far north as southern Ontario, Canada, and as far west as Nebraska and Texas. The leaves of the tree grow at the ends of the branches, it grows perfect flowers with six petals, produced in early spring. The fruit of the tree, perhaps its most intriguing aspect, ripen in around September and stay ripe until winter, when it begins to soften and ferment. Sometimes called the "poor man's banana," the Pawpaw fruit has a blend of tropical flavors, including bananas, pineapples, and mangoes and has a custard-like consistency. The fruit is remarkably unsusceptible to insects and disease in comparison to other cultivated fruits, which has made the Pawpaw of interest to organic farmers as it lacks the need of pesticides.

Amur Cork
Phellodendron amurense
Tree ID: 75
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 9, 2017
The Amur Cork Tree, named for its corky inner bark, is an interesting specimen. The Ainu people in Japan used parts of this tree, which they call shikerebe-ni, as a painkiller. It is also a widely-used source of huàng bà, an important herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, in the United States, it crowds out native species, diminishes other trees’ access to light with its shelf-like branching, produces many seeds, and does not have many seed predators. Consequently, this tree is able to successfully outcompete native trees (e.g. oaks, hickories) and shrubs; it also suppresses the growth of canopy trees. Consequently, it has become invasive in parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Virginia. In fact, in Massachusetts, it is considered a "noxious weed."

Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Tree ID: 63
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: April 17, 2017
This tree is located in the residential neighborhood bordering Prospect St, and close to the vegetation in Marsh Botanical Gardens. The red maple is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees in Eastern and Central North America. It is super adaptable and has taken on a large variety of morphological characteristics based on its local environment. Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite variable in form. At maturity it often attains a height of around 15-25 m (50-85 ft). Its flowers, petioles, twigs and seeds are all red to varying degrees. Among these features, however, it is best known for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn.

Austrian Pine
Pinus nigra
Tree ID: 65
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2017
A tall conifer located near the Yale Greenhouse, this Austrian Pine is especially easy to identify due to the placement of a name card on its trunk. To otherwise identify this tree, turn your head up and look towards the sky. The branches extend way above your head and the trunk stands straight and tall. Generally the Austrian Pine can grow to reach 40 to 60 feet, although this one is just about 40 feet. The Austrian Pine is extremely hardy, and can survive in many urban environments since it can grow even with pollution or abnormal levels of salinity in the air. You might even say that the Austrian Pine's motto is survive and thrive.

Empress
Paulownia tomentosa
Tree ID: 72
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2017
The empress tree, also commonly known as the foxglvoe, princess, or kiri tree, originated from western and central China. Following its introduction to the United States, it has become popular because of its highly decorative floral blooms as well as its ability to grow extremely quickly. It is known for its extremely large leaves and pale violet flowers, which typically appear in late spring. Each of its capsule fruits produce up to two thousand winged seeds, which were also historically used as a packing material by Chinese porcelain exporters.

Black Birch
Betula lenta
Tree ID: 66
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2017
Betula lenta, known by the common names of black birch, sweet birch, or cherry birch, is a native birch species present throughout much of eastern North America. It is valued for its wood, which when exposed to air darkens to resemble mahogany, as well as being a source of wintergreen oil. It has a dark brown to greyish black color. Unlike most other birches, mature Betula lenta can develop hard, scaly plates. Removed from its industrial history, it is now primarily found in forests and used as an ornamental tree in landscaping. Some visual cues for spotting the black birch include: dark brown bark; green cones in the spring and brown cones in the late summer; dark, shiny, serrated green leaves in the summer and bright golden yellow leaves in the fall.

Chinese Mahogany
Toona sinensis
Tree ID: 73
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2017
Toona sinensis, commonly known as Chinese Mahogany or the Chinese Cedar, is a deciduous tree found in woodland habitats. It originates in East Asia and is specifically found in northern and western China. It requires sun to grow, and does best in moist, but well-drained soil. It is a fast-growing and hardy species that resists attack by both pests and diseases. It is also highly tolerant of frost and can survive in moderate drought conditions. This particular tree is located near the greenhouses at Yale's Marsh Botanical Gardens.

Port Orford Cedar
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Tree ID: 68
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2017
Named after the Edinburgh nurseryman Charles Lawson, the Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford-Cedar) is large evergreen tree native to Oregon and northwest California. This evergreen can grow up to 200ft tall, with a trunk width anywhere between 4-7ft, and leaves between 3-5mm long. Along with its impressive size, the Port Orford Cedar can live for hundreds of years. The wood of the tree is considered to be one of the most valuable harvested in North America because of its durability, beauty, and scarcity. For generations, native people such as the Hoopa Valley Tribe has used the Cedar as a valuable resource to build ceremonial structures, referring to the tree as "the Healer."

Eastern Ironwood
Ostrya virginiana
Tree ID: 67
Marsh and Farnam Gardens
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2017
The Eastern Ironwood, known also as the American Hophornbeam, Eastern Hop-hornbeam, Hophornbeam, Ironwood, or Leverwood, stretches over much of the Eastern United States with its attractive foliage and bell-like inflorescences. Be sure to come in the summer to admire its attractive yellow-green color and festive white flowers. The tree has 3 trunks, arising from the main trunk at 17.5 cm, probably after coppicing. The estimated DBH is 0.1414 m based on calculations given by Hari.

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