The Olmsted Parks of Louisville: A Botanical Field Guide

Plant Descriptions: Trees

Trees: Evergreen—Needlelike or Scalelike 335 Cones: Scales fleshy, dark blue, covered with a whitish tinge giving them a sky blue color; seeds 1 to 2. “Juniper berries” mature in October through December. Distribution: Dry upland woods, fields, limestone outcrops, roadsides. Uncommon . A special collection of Eastern red-cedars have been planted in Seneca Park. In Kentucky: AP, IP, ME. Economically important, this species is known for its aromatic odor, and the lumber has been used traditionally to make moth-proof cedar chests, closet linings, fence posts, and furniture. It was once the chief wood used to make pencils but has been mostly replaced by a western species named incense-cedar. The oil of cedar, which is distilled from the leaves and wood, is also valuable in the manufacture of polishes, perfumes, and medicines; the cones are used to flavor gin. Eastern red-cedar is a pioneer species and one of the first trees to invade and become established in disturbed, cleared, or eroded land. During the Dust Bowl drought in the 1930s, farmers throughout the Great Plains were encouraged to plant it in great quantities as shelterbelts or windbreaks because it grew well and could endure the adverse conditions. Eastern red-cedar Cypress Family Juniperus virginiana L. Cupressaceae Key features: Evergreen tree; leaves opposite or whorled, needlelike and scalelike; cones berry-like. Origin: Native. Life form: Narrow columnar when young to broadly pyramidal at maturity, to 50 feet tall. Leaves: Of 2 types: young leaves small, narrow, needlelike, spreading; mature leaves scalelike, blue-green, 4-ranked, blunt-tipped, closely appressed, overlapping , needle bases extending downward on stem; to 1⁄4 inch long. Cher, Sen, Iroq, Shaw, Chick 336 Trees: Evergreen—Needlelike or Scalelike Cones: Dangling, 4 to 6 inches long, with thick, brown, sticky cone scales; mature in fall of second year. Distribution: Open areas, dry ridges. Uncommon. In Kentucky: AP, (IP-disjunct). One of the most valuable timber trees in the coniferous forests of the northeastern United States, this dominant species was nearly wiped out as a result of ruthless logging, which began in the colonial days in New England and spread westward, hitting the Great Lake states in the 1880s and 1890s. Because it is smooth, strong, and straight-grained, its wood was in demand for building ships, home construction, covered bridges, and railroads. This species is found in shady ravines with hemlock, especially in Red River Gorge, but scarce elsewhere in the state. However, it is sold in the nursery trade and used in landscape plantings. White pine Pine Family Pinus strobus L. Pinaceae Key features: Tall, straight-trunked evergreen tree; needles in bundles of 5; cones cylindrical and dangling. Origin: Native to eastern North America. Life form: Evergreen tree to 100 feet with graceful, horizontal, upturned branches spreading to 40 feet wide. Leaves: Needles in bundles of 5, rarely 3 or 4, bluish green with white stomatic lines on the inner surface, slender, soft and flexible; to 5 inches long. Cher, Sen, Iroq, Shaw, Chick Trees: Deciduous—Leaves Alternate, Simple 337 up to 14 inches long; scent of green pepper when crushed. Flowers: Solitary, nodding; sepals 3, broadly ovate, hairy; petals 6 with 3 small inner ones and 3 larger outer ones, veins distinct; stamens yellow, numerous, surrounding several green styles; 1 to 2 inches long. March through May. Fruits: Oblong to rounded, fleshy, green, turning yellowish green to black and wrinkled when ripe, 3 to 6 inches long; seeds several large, dark, flattened. Distribution: Moist wooded slopes, along waterways. Common at Cherokee and Iroquois; uncommon elsewhere. In Kentucky: AP, IP, ME. This beautiful shrub or understory tree often grows in association with maplebasswood and maple-beech woods. It is the only representative in Kentucky of a large tropical family that is valued for its fruits, such as cherimoya, sweet sop, sour sop, and custard apple. The overall appearance has a “tropical” look with the large green leaves and unique Pawpaw Pawpaw Family Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal Annonaceae Key features: Tropical-looking large shrub or small tree; leaves alternate, light green; flowers pale green, turning brown, and ending in a rich dark wine color; fruits “banana-like.” Origin: Native. Life form: Small single- to multi-stemmed, coarsely branched, to 25 feet, often forming colonies. Leaves: Blades obovate-oblong, lower midvein raised with scattered golden hairs, margins entire, narrowed at base to a short stalk, tips often abruptly pointed; Cher, Sen, Iroq, Shaw, Chick...