February 2026

American Yellowwood

Cladristis kentukea

If ever there was a tree that represented jewelry, the Yellowwood would have to be top of mind.  Its long, delicate branches show off fine, elegant, white, fragrant flowers in late Spring.  Summer brings a full, rounded crown for shade with its smooth grey bark and elongated stems producing alternating 7-9 oval shaped leafs.  The fall brings long, legume pods hanging in a downward manner.  It then shows off a bright yellow fall foliage.  This medium sized ornamental does not disappoint in color and texture diversity.

Native to the southern midwest and southeastern United States, naturalized throughout much of the eastern United States, it is hardy to zone 4.  It grows best in full sun but handles high pH, and acidic soils, as long as it is well drained.  Pollinators are attracted to its flowers and wildlife eat the seeds.

Not surprisingly, the wood is yellow,  used for yellow dye and gun stocks, and produces a chemical compound used in the protection against harmful UV rays.

If you are looking for a local Yellowwood tree, take some time to stroll around Winslow Park and see if you can locate a fine specimen among the Spruce and Cornelian Cherry trees.

See https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Cladrastis.pdf

See also  https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=112

January 2026

Swamp White Oak

Quercus bicolor

What a wonderful tree the Swamp White Oak is!  The typical life span of the Swamp White Oak is 300-350 years. Given the space and resources to get established, this tree provides food, shelter, flood mitigation and air conditioning for the world around it.  Its acorns tend to be sweeter than other oak acorn varieties and feed a variety of wildlife from birds and squirrels to beavers, deer, ducks, geese, turkeys, and bears. 

The leaves on the Swamp White Oak are a darker green on top and a lighter, greyish green on the underside of the leaves.  Its Latin name “bicolor” refers to the two-tone color of the leaves. The lobes of the leaves have a shallower, round tip. The fall leaf color turns an attractive yellow/orange and sometimes purplish red.

The Swamp White Oak is a subgroup of the White oak and it hybridizes with other oak varieties. Its major difference from the White oak is its habitat.  The Swamp White Oak tolerates flood prone land, hence it is often found growing closer to riverbeds, streams and bodies of water.  It, however, does not typically handle permanently flooded soil.

This native is most abundant in western NY and Ohio and its distribution covers the entire states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  The Swamp White Oak continues its distribution eastward to the Atlantic, through Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts.

Map from the US Forestry Service.

 See https://research.fs.usda.gov/silvics/swamp-white-oak

See also, https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/950?srsltid=AfmBOoqI39REdjVDYfRPxpU3Od2PGe7WJvFpNg6vipooRRsgQMCe8hcF

December 2025

Sassafras Tree

Sassafras albidum

The Sassafras tree is native to southern New England down into northern Florida, over to eastern Texas and up through the eastern half of the mid-western states into the great lakes region. It typically grows to a small to medium size tree and spreads through seeds and underground roots.

Most people know the Sassafras tree for its mitten shaped leaves; however, the tree actually produces three leaf shapes. (See photo).  The female tree produces little yellow flowers in the spring and then dark berries consumed by many types of  wildlife. Its leaves feed the caterpillars of different moths and butterflies, including the Spicebush Swallowtail. Many different types of wildlife will also eat Sassafras leaves and twigs. Rabbits have been known to munch on the bark in the winter time.

The indigenous population recognized the Sassafras tree for its varied medicinal purposes, and root beer was once made from its oil.  The FDA has now banned its use in many commercial purposes for its carcinogenic effects.  The wood from a sassafras tree is naturally rot resistant so it makes it a good source for fencing and outdoor use.  

With all it has to offer, the Sassafras tree is a good addition to any Westport yard with full sun.

To view the largest Sassafras tree in the United States, go to:

https://www.worldrecordacademy.org/2023/10/worlds-largest-sassafras-tree-world-record-in-owensboro-kentucky-423487

See: https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/sassafras/albidum.htm

 See also: https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/sassafras-native-gem-of-north-america

November 2025

Black Spruce

Piceas mariana

There are over 40 species of Spruce trees. While the Black Spruce is not as popular in our area as other Spruce species, its shorter, blue-green needles and shorter, rounder cones are unique characteristics that are fun to take note of.  

This slow growing evergreen typically achieves heights of 30-50’ and spans 8-12’ wide, making it a more narrow and shorter conifer in general.

Because the Black Spruce enjoys “wet feet,” and grows near water, it’s no wonder it is also called the Bog Spruce or Swamp Spruce. It also prefers long cold, wet winters and short summers, another reason we don’t see many in our area as climate change brings warmer, shorter winters. Soil conditions vary in areas where Black Spruces are found.  Though they prefer acidic soils, they have also been found in shallow rocky, gravel conditions, as well as sandy loamy soils.

The Black Spruce is highly flammable in a forest fire and due to the thin bark and shallow roots, it is least likely to survive. Wildlife benefits of the Black Spruce includes food and shelter to moose, caribou, snowshoe hares, lynx, migrating birds (thrashers, sparrows, warblers, martens, woodpeckers, owls).

See https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/picmar/all.html

October 2025

American Holly

Ipex opaca

The American Holly is native to the Eastern United States from New England down to Florida and west along the gulf states.  They grow in dry and wet soils, and can tolerate some shade but prefers full sun.  American Hollies grow naturally as an under-story bush and small tree in forests in the Southeastern United States. With over 1,000 cultivars, there is a Holly for many growing conditions and spaces.

With its red berries and its green leaves year round, the American Holly is often used in Christmas ornaments and decorations.  The red berries only grow on female plants but you only need one male plant in the vicinity for every three female plants to produce the berries.  The berries are eaten by songbirds in the winter and are preferred by Cedar Waxwings during spring migration. However, the berries can be poisonous to cats, dogs and humans. 

Little white spring flowers provide nectar for pollinators. Because of its ability to add year round privacy to yards and increase biodiversity, it is a nice addition to any yard. The leaves have sharp points along the sides and tips and can be used to make decaffeinated tea. Pyramid in shape, with dense, short branches, this tree shelters birds and mammals during storms. Some varieties grow low to the ground, reaching only 3’ high but can spread out to around 10’ like the Maryland Spreader seen below.

See https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=219

And see https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ILOP

September 2025

American Linden or American Basswood 

Tilia americana

Tilia americana, the Latin name for American Linden, is also commonly called Basswood.  Lindens / Basswoods include the genus of around 30 species of trees and bushes native to the Northern Hemisphere.  The native species to North America is the American Linden, common throughout the Eastern United States.  

This medium to tall tree produces small, yellow fragrant flowers loved by bees and produces wonderfully tasting honey. The flowers are also used to make tea. After the small flowers bloom, little, round, hard, “nutlet” fruits are produced. In certain species of Lindens, the nutlets make a good alternative to chocolate.  The leaves are larval food for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.  Small mammals and birds eat the nutlets.  The soft wood of the trunks and branches often provides shelter for wildlife. 

Lindens make a great dense shade tree.  The average life span is 80-100 years, though one of the longest living Lindens in Europe is estimated to be 138 years old.  Though they can grow in clay as well as dry rocky soils, the Linden does not handle urban conditions well.  If provided with moist, well draining soil with full to part sun, it can flourish.  Because this tree is especially attractive to bees, it's very important to avoid any neonicotinoid sprays on these trees otherwise the result would be a mass casualty of bumble bees and honeybees.

The leaves turn yellow in the fall before dropping to the ground for the winter.

See https://www.ecfla.org/american-basswood/

And see  https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=504#

See also https://whattreewhere.com/2020/07/08/tea-and-chocolate-products-of-the-linden/

And also see https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/tilia/americana.htm 

August 2025

Bald Cypress 

Taxiodum distichum

Talk about an amazing tree…. the Bald Cypress is one impressive contributor to the natural world.  Native to the Southeastern United States, it is often known as a swamp tree because of its popular growth in the Mississippi Valley drainage basin and up along the coastal Mid-Atlantic states. But, hold on, it also grows in dry conditions and can thrive in poor or salty soils. Its average height is around 120 feet but has been known to reach over 300 feet tall and live for over 600 years. That is one grande dame!

The Bald Cypress also sports a couple of unique features unseen in most trees.  First, the Bald Cypress is a deciduous conifer, meaning it will drop its needles for winter and regrow needles in the spring, hence the name Bald.  Most other conifers are evergreen, meaning they keep their leaves or needles year round.  Second, the Bald Cypress shoots roots up around the trunk from underwater or underground into the air in order to bring air to submerged roots. These roots are called pheumatophores (“air bearing”), or commonly referred to as the tree’s “knees”.  

Like many conifers, the cones of the Bald Cypress produce seeds that feed a wide variety of wildlife. The wood is valued for its rot resistant properties.  The fall color of needles range in color from tan to brownish and reddish-orange. The environmental impact of the Bald Cypress can not be overemphasized.  Its trunks and "knees" provide a spawning ground for fish, a nesting place for ducks, a breeding ground for frogs, toads and salamanders.  Its roots mitigate flooding and trap toxins from waters and chemical runoff. And, its strong branch structure on top provides nesting for Eagles and other raptors. 

See https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_1/taxodium/distichum.htm

See also, https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=tadi2

July 2025

Northern Catalpa

Catalpa speciosa

Every June at the intersection of Post Rd and Sherwood Island Connector, a large Catalpa tree blooms its showing snap dragon-like white, purple striped and yellow flowers.  These flowers attract bees, moths, hummingbirds and butterflies.  The Catalpa tree is the only source of food for the Catalpa Sphinx Moth (Ceratomia catalpae). 

The Catalpa tree is a fast growing tree with soft wood that can be brittle.  Some say it's a messy tree, dropping flowers, pods, sticks and sap. It is a member of the Bignoniaceae family (trumpet Vine). 

See https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_casp8.pdf

 See also https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/06/northern-catalpa-tree 

June 2025

American Witch Hazel

Hamamelis virginiana L.

Location: Originally from Virginia, but now grows across northeast and southeast North America.  Covering the area between Nova Scotia and Florida, and reaching from the Great Lakes to eastern Texas.

Variety: This is a small tree or shrub that blooms in late October/early November. Its bright yellow flowers give off a fresh, spicy fragrance. This tree is often the only one to bloom around this time, making it the only sign of color around its neighboring bare trees. It is pollinated by moths.

Planting Info: The witch hazel is an understory plant, meaning it’s shade-tolerant. It grows well on the north-facing side of homes and in moist but well-drained soil (no wet feet). They like full sun, but in hotter climates where sunlight reaches a high intensity, consider planting in a partially shady area. When this plant is in its young stages, make sure to water regularly. However, as it ages, rainfall should be enough, as it’s a drought-resistant plant.

Fun Fact: Native Americans used to use witch hazel to try and locate water. They would take forked or bent branches, and then hold them over areas where they believed there to be water. If the branch dipped or bent towards the ground, it would signal to them that there was water underground. Natives also used the extract from witch hazel to treat illnesses and improve skin and tissue inflammation.

Sources: 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/hamamelis_virginiana.shtml

https://www.thespruce.com/witch-hazel-growing-guide-5191457

May 2025

American Mountain Ash

Sorbus americana

The American Mountain Ash is a wonderful, smaller native of Eastern North America from New Newfoundland down to Georgia and over into the Midwest. Often found as an under-story tree, this deciduous tree produces white flowers in the spring for pollinators and reddish orange berries in the fall and winter, popular with all types of wildlife…from birds to mammals. In the fall, leaves turn shades of yellow, orange and red.

Young bark resembles that of cherry blossom trees with a smoother surface.  As it ages, the bark develops deeper cracks, ridges, and patches. Stems on branches produce smaller oval leaves of 11-17. Preferential to cooler, moist climates this sweet little worker can handle some shade and wetter soils. Fun note, the American Mountain Ash is not the same as the White Ash.  They are different species. The American Mountain Ash is from the Rose family, where the White Ash is from the Olive family.

For more on the American Mountain Ash tree, see https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sorbus-americana/

See also https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/sorame/all.html#:~:text=SITE%20CHARACTERISTICS%20%3A%20American%20mountain%2Dash,stands%20%5B10%2C28%5D. 

April 2025

Black Cherry

Prunus serotina

A host tree to over 450 species of moths and butterflies, including the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, the Black Cherry Tree is a native tree with many varieties.  It is considered to be one our most ecologically important tree species after the Oak.  Ranging from the Midwest to the East Coast and from Canada to Florida, the Black Cherry provides food for many birds and mammals. Bees and pollinators love the nectar from spring blooms.  While humans can eat the fruit from this tree, the seeds of the fruit and leaves have toxic cyanide compounds in them.  

This very functional beauty appreciates rain in moderation and full sun. She's fast growing and often volunteers to grow along roadsides or wherever her seeds happen to be dropped by birds or other wildlife. Her most common invader tends to be black knot, a tumor like, black, fungus growth on the trunks and branches that spreads easily.

Wood from the Black Cherry is often used in cabinetry and furniture, while the bark is used in cherry syrup for medicinal purposes. Young Black Cherry trees have a smooth brownish grey bark, while the mature Black Cherry tree has a rough, scaly grey bark with brown fissures between the scales.

See https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/pruser/all.html

And see https://www.ecobeneficial.com/2015/02/powerful-prunus-visit-dr-doug-tallamy/#:~:text=Black%20Cherry%20also%20serves%20as,%2C%20Band%2Dedged%20Prominent%2C%20Spotted

March 2025

Tupelo

Nyssa sylvatica

The Black Tupello’s native growing range extends from Northern New England down through the East Coast to Florida and over through the Midwest and over to Texas. It prefers lighter textured soils of lower sloped stream and creek bottoms but it also grows in drier woods. Its sister variety is the Swamp Tupelo (Nyssa biflora).

Commonly called, Black Gum, Sourgum, Pepperidge, Tupelo, or Tupelogum. Flowers bloom from April to June, with fruit from female trees ripening in the fall. The Black Gum turns fall colors of yellow, orange, red and purple. The Tupelo is an important native food source for bees with spring flowers and fall fruit feeding birds and mammals. 

Makes a wonderful street tree as it does well in urban soils.  Just avoid high pH soils as it prefers deep acidic levels. Does best in full sun but can tolerate shade well. It does not transplant well but once established it does well. Many cultivars exist.

 See  https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/nyssa/silvatica.htm

See also The Tree Book, Dirr & Warren, Timber Press, 2019, p.544

February 2025

Yellow Birch

Betula alleghaniensis

While not in Westport, this Yellow Birch was photographed in Kennebec, Maine in 2017, and crowned National Champion. 

https://www.gatheringgrowth.org/champion-trees/yellow-birch

River Birch, Paper Birch, Sweet Birch, Grey Birch, White Birch, and February’s pick is….Yellow Birch!

The Yellow Birch tree is widespread throughout Canada, New England, Michigan and Wisconsin.  It can be found throughout the Adirondacks and Appalachia.  It is one of the most economically important trees of Canada because of its heavy, strong wood used in flooring and furniture.  Although the sap is not as sweet as the sap of Sweet Birch, it is used to make syrup.  

Its leaves and twigs are hairy with a smell of wintergreen when crushed.  The leaves are elliptical with a pointy end.  Spring flowers are yellowish on the male tree and greenish on the female tree.  Catkins form on the twigs and provide a valuable food source for birds and wildlife.  Young saplings are a food source for deer, moose and rabbits. Porcupines and beavers chew on the bark. The Yellow Birch is a breeding habitat for several migratory birds and a nesting and a breeding habitat for hawks, hummingbirds and chickadees.  

The Yellow Birch grows in well-drained and poorly drained soils.  It prefers cooler, moist woodlands at higher elevations.

See:

https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=65

https://wildadirondacks.org/trees-of-the-adirondacks-yellow-birch-betula-alleghaniensis.html

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/betula/alleghaniensis.htm

https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_beal2.pdf 

January 2025

Osage Orange Tree

Maclura pomifera

This very functional small deciduous tree is sometimes in the form of a shrub.  Its height averages 30-65 feet high and can live 200-300 years.  The Osage Orange has a distribution range across all 48 continental states.  Spreading by "wind pollinated" seeds from the September fruit balls, the Osage Orange tree grows in all types of soils and is flood and drought tolerant.  Because of its tolerance for poor soils, the Works Progress Administration in the 1930's promoted the planting of the Osage Orange Tree throughout the plain states to prevent soil erosion. Its large thorny branches were once used as fencing hedges before the use of barb wire.  It’s orange colored wood is very hard, making it good for tool handles and fence posts; and it serves as good fuel wood due to its high BTU’s.  Mature bark has deep groves and ridges on brownish, grey bark.

The Osage Orange offers much to the eye.  In the fall, the leaves turn yellow.  In the spring, flowers bloom. In the summer, large greenish fruit balls fall from the tree (around 10 years of age on female trees).  Although the fruit is inedible to humans and most wildlife, squirrels like the seeds inside the fruit.  

See https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_mapo.pdf 

December 2024 

Norway Spruce

Picea abies

In honor of this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the Westport Tree Board is highlighting the Norway Spruce.  For more information on this year’s tree, see:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/11/08/rockefeller-christmas-tree-cut-down-massachusetts/76129811007/

The Norway Spruce is a softwood, evergreen, naturalized tree to North America and native to Northern and Central Europe.  It is most commonly found in the Northeastern United States and Canada but is also found throughout the Rockies and the West Coast.  It prefers acidic soils and cool, humid conditions. It can tolerate a little shade. In its northern range limits in Europe, it’s known to live between 300-400 years old.  It is more common for it to deteriorate around 200 years in the United States under peak growing conditions, ranging between 80-200’ tall.

Although deer have been known to nibble on Norway Spruce, they prefer many other trees and plants before the Norway Spruce. The shelter of the Norway Spruce provides good cover for many wildlife animals. Its leaves and seeds offer food for birds and small wildlife. Its cones are large, around 4-7 inches. The bark is a scaly grey bark with areas of brown and red patches. 

Fun fact: to tell the difference between a Spruce and a Fir tree, try rolling a needle between your thumb and pointer finger.  If it rolls, it's a Spruce.  If the needle won’t roll easily, it's a fir tree needle.  Also, the Norway Spruce branches will often hang in a downward direction due to the weight of the branchlets and combs.

Aside from being the quintessential Christmas tree, its wood is often used in construction, furniture and musical instruments.

See https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/picabi/all.html

See also, Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs, Michael A. Dirr, by Timber Press, 2011, p. 573. 

November 2024 

White Oak

Quercus alba

This beautiful White Oak in Connecticut's Sherwood Island State Park is on Connecticut's Notable Trees list.  From its longest branch tip to its opposite longest branch tip, the tree spreads out to around 82 feet. Its height reaches about 72'.  While not the tallest Oak, its trunk reaches approximately 18' in circumference.

The White Oak produces very strong and durable wood.  Its acorns are elongated to about an inch long and are an important food source for squirrels, birds, quail, ducks, turkeys,   The White Oak is considered a keystone species because it supports over 900 native caterpillar species and a wide variety of wildlife. Its leaves have rounded lobe ends, as opposed to the red oak that sports pointed tipped leaf lobes.  Average height is between 50-80’ and large in diameter, making it a wonderful shade tree.  The White Oak prefers full sun and can handle moist to dry conditions.  White Oaks can live hundreds of years.  We have no records of when this tree was planted. The White Oak is a native to New England and much of the Eastern United States.  It is also the Connecticut State Tree.

See https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/alba.htm

October 2024 

White Oak

Quercus alba

Pictures don’t do this White Oak on the Jesup Green justice.  Up close, you feel the stoic strength of the tree in its height of at least 70’ tall and at least 155” in circumference.  Standing under it and looking up, the architecture of the enormous branches pulls you in.

A truly beautiful tree on the Jesup Green, this white oak has a trunk that is at least 155” in diameter.  Years ago our town invested the necessary funds to help maintain the health of this  old mature tree.  To maintain the health of this oak, air compression tools were used to remove compacted soil on top of the tree roots around the trunk.  Compacted soil prevents air and water from getting to the roots, thereby stunting the growth of the roots and tree.  Best practices for maintaining the health of the tree would include a wide ring of mulch encircling the trunk, without touching the bark of the trunk.  Creating a mulch ring of 2-3 inches thick extending out towards the end of the branches would help to prevent compacted soil above the roots, retain moisture and prevents weeds.

The White Oak produces very strong and durable wood.  Its acorns are elongated to about an inch long and are an important food source for squirrels, birds, quail, ducks, turkeys,   The White Oak is considered a keystone species because it supports over 900 native caterpillar species and a wide variety of wildlife. Its leaves have rounded lobe ends, as opposed to the red oak that sports pointed tipped leaf lobes.  Average height is between 50-80’ and large in diameter, making it a wonderful shade tree.  The White Oak prefers full sun and can handle moist to dry conditions.  White Oaks can live hundreds of years.  A best guess estimate on the age range of the Jesup Green White Oak is that it’s between 90-130 years old. We have no records of when this tree was planted. The White Oak is a native to New England and much of the Eastern United States.  It is also the Connecticut State Tree.

See https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/alba.htm

September 2024

Canada Yew

Taxus canadensis

Also known as American Yew or “ground hemlock”, this small, native, conifer rarely grows taller than 5 feet.  It can grow as wide as 6-8 feet when given partial to full shade and cool, moist soils.  It can spread by low lying stems rooting into the ground. Its needles are short, under an inch long. The Canada Yew grows naturally in ravines as an understory shrub.  If protected from deer, it makes a nice lower height privacy hedge. 

Although the red berries produced are toxic, in fact all parts of the plant are considered poisonous and should not be eaten, all manner of birds and wildlife eat the plant without harm.  Over the last 30 years, chemotherapy drugs have been developed from the red, shreddy bark of the Canada Yew and the Pacific Yew.  

This once prevalent little evergreen is subject to deer grazing and as such has lost much territory to deer, as well as forest fires and logging. Where it grows naturally, it has a “low concern” protected conservation status.  It is found as far west as Iowa and as far south as Tennessee and North Carolina.

See https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/taxcan/all.html

See https://www.bates.edu/canopy/species/canada-yew/

August 2024 

Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

Black Walnut trees are large, deciduous trees inhabiting much of the eastern United States.  They prefer moist, well-drained soils but are also found in wetlands and streams. The average height is between 70-90’ with the trunk of the tree between 2-4’ in diameter. Twigs of the branches are made of long, pinnately compound pairs of 8 to 23 leaves. These leaflets are narrowly ovate with a pointed tip, while the end leaf is usually missing.  

Described by some as one of the most beautiful and valuable native trees, the Black Walnut tree is a heavy, strong, yet easily worked heartwood, prized for its strong brown color and alluring grain patterns. Walnuts are eaten by humans and animals, while the twigs are enjoyed by deer. The bark has been traditionally used in tanning and the nut husks create a yellow-brown to blackish dye.

Recent threats to the Black Walnut are the Thousand Cankers Disease, “a disease complex because it involves an insect called the Walnut Twig Beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) and the fungal disease Geosmithia morbida. These tiny beetles carry spores of the fungus on their bodies and when they bore under the bark, they introduce the fungus into the tree.  The fungus causes small patches of tissue under the bark to die.  Over time, more and more of these “cankers” form, disrupting the flow of nutrients and eventually killing the tree.  Many people have likened TCD to “death by a thousand paper cuts.” (https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/black_walnut_trees_threatened_by_thousand_cankers_disease)

Black Walnut and White Walnut (Butternut) trees both produce a green husked nut, however, the fruit of the White Walnut is oval instead of round like the fruit of the Black Walnut. Another distinguishing fact is that Butternut twigs are covered in small hairs, whereas Black Walnut twigs have no hairs.

Another tree similar to the Black Walnut is the Ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima) or Tree of Heaven. Both the bark and leaf structure of both trees look similar, with up to 41 leaflets on the Ailanthus tree.

See Native Trees of Connecticut, by John Ehrenreich, Globe Pequot, 2022

See A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs, by George Petrides, Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, 1972

July 2024 

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

Also known as Mossycup Oak, Blue Oak and Prairie Oak, its trunk, acorn, mature height and leaf size are LARGE. Some National Historic Bur Oaks across the country have trunks between 8-10’ in diameter. That’s one trunk you can’t get your arms around!

This beauty, the Bur Oak, is a hardy, deciduous tree, often with a wide trunk, broad crown, and outstretched branches.  It is a hardwood, medium to large tree, possibly reaching up to 80-100’. A wonderful shade tree when grown. The acorns are ¾ -2” long and wide with a “hairy” or “fringe” rim around the end of the scales on the nut. The Bur Oak produces the largest acorn of all native oak trees. 

The bark of mature trees is grey and has deep ridges.  Its leaves are obovate, dark green, and have a wide, rounded tip with between 7-10 rounded tipped lobes on each side.

The majority of Bur Oaks are distributed throughout the plains of the mid-west, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Dakotas to New England.  They can grow in drier, limestone and gravelly soil, to sandy soil and moist flood plains.  

There are no known pests or threats. Native Americans used the tree medicinally for heart problems.

See Field Guide to Native Oak Species of Eastern North America, by Stein, Binlon, and Acciavatti, US Dept of Ag, Forest Service, 2003.

See Textbook of Dendrology, by Harlow, Harrar, and White, McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources, 6th ed., 1979.

See also, Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs, by Dirr, Timber Press, 2012.

June 2024 

Staghorn Sumac

Rhenus Typhia

Staghorn Sumacs are short deciduous trees or shrubs growing from 3 to 33 feet high. Staghorn Sumacs are part of the Anacardiaceae family. They are widely used as an ornamental species. The leaves are toothed with around 11 - 31 teeth per leave. Leaves are compound, meaning there are multiple leaflets per leaf. Staghorn Sumac's form produces edible fruit that ripens in the summer and fall. In the spring, Staghorn Sumac’s flower with small yellowish-green flowers with five petals. Staghorn Sumac leaves can be 6 to 16 inches long and 4 to 7 inches wide. The flowers are clustered and these trees can have hundreds to thousands of them clustered at the tip of branches when they bloom.

For Sources:

And see: https://kids.kiddle.co/Staghorn_sumac

May 2024 

Balsam Poplar Tree

Populous balsamifera L.

The Balsam Poplar is a tall deciduous tall, whose habitat ranges from Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland, down south to West Virginia. They are often found in pure stands along moist soils of floodplains and river banks. The Balsam Poplar is part of the Willow family and produces catkins in the spring. 

A more narrow, sun loving tree, with a single straight trunk, usually grows to 20-60'. The ovate leaves are shiny green on top with a silvery and brown underside with a pointy tip. Fruit (catkins) from the tree ripens in May and produces seeds attached to a cottony mass that is carried on the wind. Young Balsam Poplars have a smooth light grey bark that turns rough with deep greenish, brown ridges in maturity. The flammable resin, Balm of Gilead, from buds produces a fragrant odor and is used for medicinal purposes in home remedies. The wood is desirable for carving. It is relatively light weight for its strength.  This wonderful native attracts bee and butterflies and is a larval host tree for the Viceroy, Limenitis archippus. 

See: https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/populus/balsamifera.htm

And see: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/populus/balsamifera/

April 2024 

Eastern Hophornbeam Tree

Ostrya virginiana

The Eastern Hophornbeam offers A LOT for its size! Deer, rabbits, grouse, pheasants and Northern Bobwhites, as well as all manner of songbirds, eat its fruit (nutlets); beneficial insects alight on the pollen from the male flowers (catkins) which fertilize the smaller female flowers (catkins); and industry likes its very tough hardwood, all while only topping out between 20-50’ with a 1-2’ trunk diameter.  The Eastern Hop Hornbeam is definitely a planting to be considered if you favor adding to the biodiversity of your backyard.  In fact, it is a larval host to over 100 butterfly and moth larvae, including the Eastern Swallowtail. Talk about star power! Just don’t expect it to reach maturity quickly as it is slow growing.  

Also called, the American Hop Hornbeam, it is a member of the Birch family, and favors the under story of hardwood forests in moist soil, but will tolerate dry sands or compacted clay.  Although it isn’t currently afflicted by many pests or diseases, it is sensitive to pollution and salt, so consider planting away from streets. Its branches are known to withstand strong winds and storms due to its hardwood but it doesn’t like wet feet.  Best not to plant it in a flood zone. The Eastern Hophornbeam can handle some shade. Its natural habitat ranges from the gulf of Mexico to Canada and from the Midwest to Nova Scotia. 

See https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/ostrya/virginiana.htm 

 March 2024

Called the Dotted Hawthorn due to the small white specks on the edible red fruit, this species of Hawthorn is one of several dozen in Connecticut and several hundred in the United States. This small, precious, flowering tree has a native range covering Central to Eastern Canada all the way south to Oklahoma and Georgia. It is commonly found in woodlands and along riverbanks. The Dotted Hawthorn tops out at around 30’ but is usually much smaller.  Its bark is a pale grey or brown color and the twigs are hairy when young. Thorns of up to 3” in length can be found on the branches. Its leaves are 2-3’ long and obovate and  turn red in the fall. 

The Dotted Hawthorn is part of the Rosaceae family along with roses, apples and serviceberries and susceptible to cedar rust diseases. It needs full sun and enjoys alkaline soil. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the not so sweet smell of the flowers in the spring and wildlife shelter in its dense spring coverage. The Xerces Society recognizes the Dotted Hawthorn as a source for attracting large numbers of native bees. The leaves turn orange-red in the fall.

See https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=crpu

 See also https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/crataegus/punctata/

February 2024

Lacebark Elm

Ulmus Parvifolia

Sometimes called Red elm, the Slippery Elm or Ulmus Rubra, is a medium size, deciduous tree that can reach 132 ft. The Slippery Elm grows best in moist soils at the bottom of flood plains but can grow in dry, limestone soils. Known for its slippery feel of the inner bark. A softer wood, not a large part of lumber production.  A minor food source for wildlife. Native to much of the Eastern US but susceptible to many pests and diseases like Dutch Elm Disease.

Leaves of Slippery Elms have several secondary “forked” veins on both sides. The sides of each leaf tend to fold upward along the main vein.

See https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/ulmus/rubra.htm

Because the Tree Board is unable to locate a Slippery Elm tree in the area, we’ve provided an interesting alternative tree to plant…the Lacebark Elm.  Sometimes called Chinese Elm, as it is native to Asia, the Lacebark Elm is identifiable by its beautiful shedding bark pattern. Although it is not native to New England, it is more resistant to Dutch Elm Disease and Elm Leaf Beetle. The Lacebark Elm is also more hardy in the toughest landscape conditions, and does well in parking lots, and street sides. Indeed, it is known to grow from the East Coast to the Pacific and from Iowa to Florida.

Lacebark Elm grows well in full sun, part shade to an average height of 40-60 feet. The deciduous tree flowers in the summer and the unique bark pattern provides year round interest. Can provide good shade with its round crown shape.

See Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs, Michael A. Dirr, Timber Press, 2012.

https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/detail.php?pid=515

January 2024 

Butternut Tree

Juglans Cinerea

The Butternut tree, otherwise known as White Walnut, is a medium size, native, softwood tree that rarely gets above 90’ tall.  Its habitat ranges from the southeast of Canada to the eastern part of Iowa and Missouri; and then as far south as the northern edges of Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas. While it used to be numerous in colder climates like New England, its population is severely reduced due to the fungus, Butternut canker.  

The Butternut flowers in the spring and produces a walnut-like fruit that is more oval than the Black walnut. They hang in 3-5 clusters with a light brown shell.  The nut is oily and edible but it does go rancid soon after maturity so harvest quickly. The twigs on the Butternut tree are hairy and sticky, unlike the Black Walnut.  The outer covering of the nuts were used for yellow, orange and brown dye.  Native Americans ate the nuts and used its oil for many purposes.  

Butternut trees like moist soils and do well along stream banks.  They do not like shade.  Our December scout could not locate a Butternut tree in Westport in order to get a good picture.  If you have a picture of a local Butternut tree, please send it to us at treeboardwestportct@gmail.com and we will gladly post it.  

Click on the following link into your browser for more information on the Butternut Tree:

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/juglans/cinerea.htm 

December 2023 

Chinkapin Oak

Quercus Muehlenbergii

The Chinkapin Oak is a native, medium sized tree, with a dense population throughout the Midwest and a lighter population in specific areas of New England, Texas and New Mexico.  Its limited range is due to its love of calcareous and alkaline soils.  They tend to thrive in limestone soils given the high pH levels. 

Average height ranges 50-80’ with a 2-3’ diameter.  The sweeter acorns from the Chinkapin Oak are on the smaller side, are more oval in shape and are highly favored by birds and other wildlife.  The bark has a thin, flakier, shallow ridge form with an ash grey color. The leaves are similar in shape to the Chestnut Oak in that they are elliptical or obovate with shallow teeth at the edges; however, the Chinkapin leaf has a pointed tip and teeth.  Small “glands” sit at the tips of the teeth. Notice how the teeth tend to grow towards the tip of the leaf. The top side of leaves are greener than the paler, hairier underside.  

Calling all dendrologists!!! If you happen to have one of these very special Oaks,  or think you have located one on public property, send your pictures to treeboardwestportct@gmail.com. 

See Native Trees of Connecticut, Ehrenreich, Globe Pequot, 2022;

See Field Guide to Native Oak Species of Eastern North America, Stein, Binion, & Acciavatti,  USDA US Forest Service, 2003;

See also, Oaks of North America, Miller & Lamb, Naturegraph Publishers, 1985.

November 2023 

White Spruce

Picea Glauca

October 2023 

Pin Oak

Quercus Palustris

September 2023 

American Sycamore

Platanus Occidentalis

Most easily recognized for its beautiful peeling bark of mottled green, grey, brown and cream colored patches, this lovely hardwood native grows from southern New England to Georgia and as far west as Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri.  She loves wet feet, preferring banks of rivers, lakes and swamps, but will also handle dryer city streets as well.  Ranging up to 60-100’ high, and 2-4’ wide or more, the Sycamore has been known to live up to 500 years old.  The tall straight trunks of such old trees become hollow overtime and have, in colonial times, housed entire families.  Spring brings small green hued flowers that then turn into clusters of seed balls. Wood from the Sycamore is used to make furniture, flooring, and butcher blocks.  Native Americans carved canoes out of the trunks. See Trees of North America, p. 163 National Audubon Society 2021.