Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Photograph of the red maple with full summer foliage

Red maple
Acer rubrum
Tree ID: 132
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: February 15, 2022
This red maple calls the patch of grass outside Ingall's Rink home, but its species can be found along the East Coast. Red maples have the greatest north-south range of any species that lies exclusively on the East coast of North America, growing in forest from Newfoundland down to the southern tip of Florida. Stop by in the autumn to see the red maple's signature flame red foliage.

Crab Apple Tree
Malus sp
Tree ID: 5034
Date of tree entry: April 27, 2021
This blossoming crab apple tree is the main character of Berkeley College's North Court. Malus trees are a group of 42-55 small, deciduous trees or shrubs that grow 4-12 meters in height. Malus trees are native to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Malus trees are often self-sterile which means that cross-pollinators like bees are recruited to spread pollen from the stamen of one Malus flower to the stigma of another Malus flower. However, it is common that Malus species freely hybridize, which can make it difficult to categorize a unidentified Malus tree based solely on its physical characteristics.

Kousa Dogwood
Cornus kousa
Tree ID: 136
Date of tree entry: April 27, 2021
The kousa dogwood, which belongs to the Cornales order and the Cornaceae family, is an angiosperm. It is one of the sixty-five dogwood species that belong to the Cornus genus. This kousa dogwood is located in Bethesda, Maryland in an area with a large tree population. Several other kousa dogwood trees live nearby.

Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Tree ID: 139
Date of tree entry: April 26, 2021
The northern red oak, Quercas rubra, is native to North America. The northern red oak can be found in forests throughout the Great Lakes region, Midwest, up to Nova Scotia, down to Mississipi, and all the way up to Maine. As the most common species of oak in the Northeast, one can expect to run into this majestic tree fairly often. The champion oak, as it is sometimes called, grows up to 43 m (141 feet) tall and can live up to 400 years. Its name is derived from the beautiful red foliage it displays in the fall.
Benjamin Franklin College, Stone Courtyard

Maidenhair Tree, Ginkgo Bilboa
Ginkgo
Tree ID: 132
Prospect and Sachem
Date of tree entry: April 26, 2021
My window looks right onto the fullest part of this tree and I have lived in rooms that surround this courtyard for most of my Yale Undergraduate time. It has been lovely to see it grow into the magnificent tree we see today.

Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa
Tree ID: 147
Date of tree entry: April 24, 2021
The bur oak is a large deciduous tree that possesses alternately arranged simple leaves and a wide, uniform crown. Bur oaks are among the most fire-resistant, cold-tolerant, and drought-resistant of all oak species; thus, they are distributed over a wide geographical range in North America. The plant is monoecious with imperfect flowers, a quality that reduces the chances of self-pollination and is thus advantageous for promoting genetic diversity within the population. The lifespan of bur oaks generally exceeds 200-300 years.
Tree with a small trunk circumference, many long branches, and tiny white flowers

Callery Pear
Tree ID: 151
Date of tree entry: April 24, 2021
These trees are lining Edgewood street, making a beautiful path of white flowers on either side.

Seiryu
Acer palmatum
Tree ID: 130
Date of tree entry: April 21, 2021
This is a Japanese Maple Tree : Seiryu. It is one of the many cultivars of the Japanese maple and can be found worldwide as a stunning addition to one’s garden!

Callery Pear
Pyrus calleryana
Tree ID: 141
Date of tree entry: March 1, 2021
Callery pear trees are very tall and beautiful. If you catch them in the springtime, they are covered in beautiful white flowers, and you can usually smell them from a block away as they produce a very strong odor. They bear fruit that is usually consumed by birds, not humans. This tree is known to be an invasive species. This tree not only serves as a decoration to whatever environment it may be in, but also as a shelter and food resource for birds.

Norway Spruce

Picea abies
Tree ID: 137
Date of tree entry: April 15, 2021
People might think of their annual trip to pick out a Christmas Tree when they look at a Norway Spruce, and they are exactly right! The Norway Spruce is a large pyramidal tree that is dark green in color with long, cylindrical cones. Not only are they extremely popular for the holiday season, but they are also widely used for construction, pulp, furniture and musical instruments. Fun fact #1: The name of this tree is a bit of a misnomer. Although the species does grow in Norway, the Norway Spruce grew in Eurasia, the Black Forest and other parts of the continent long before making its way to Norway. Fun fact #2: The tree at the Rockefeller Center every year during the holidays is a Norway Spruce. Fun fact #3: The young branches in a Norway Spruce are often used to make beer.

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