The file's text, extracted by GovTribe without its formatting.
Fort Gordon BASEOPS Technical Exhibit F-010 - Tree Types and Sizes
LARGE TREES
| COMMON NAME |
| SPECIES |
| SIZE |
| CHARASTERISTICS |
| COMMENTS |
| Red Maple |
| Acer rubrum |
| 40 to 50 feet tall with a spread of 24 to 35 feet |
| Red Maple is a deciduous tree with medium texture, medium growth rate and an oblong to oval form. It is widely used in landscaping because it has good site tolerance. The bark is smooth and light gray. Clusters of small, red flowers appear in February and are followed by winged fruit in March. Fall color is variable yellow to red. |
| Because this tree has such a wide growing range, its origin is very important. In other words, don’t plant a Red Maple from New England in Georgia; it may not adapt to the South’s heat and humidity. Some cultivars have been over-used and are subject to diseases. |
| River Birch is a deciduous tree having medium texture and a fast growth rate. In youth, it tends to have an oval shape with somewhat drooping branches and is often multi-stemmed. Young trees have a handsome, exfoliating, reddish-brown bark that ages to a dark gray-brown color. |
| Several cultivars are available. It is an early-succession tree, needing sun for establishment. |
| Hickory Species |
| 60 to 80 feet tall, with a sparse branching habit. |
| Hickories in this publication are treated as a group rather than individually because of their limited use in home landscapes. Although extremely beautiful and valuable to wildlife, hickories develop a deep taproot and are difficult to transplant. Only recently has the nursery industry developed pots that enable hickories to be grown from seed, which will make them more widely available in the future. |
| Hickories have a taproot that penetrates downward 2 to 3 feet the first season, while top growth is just a few inches. They work to establish their root systems for several years before putting on top growth. They are excellent wildlife resources. Seedlings are tolerant of shade and can remain in the shrub layer for years, waiting for a "gap" that provides light. |
| Pignut |
| Hickory Carya glabra |
Leaves are 8 to 12 inches long with five to seven leaflets. The terminal leaflet is the largest. Both sides of the leaflets are smooth. Bark on young trees is smooth, eventually developing braided ridges.
| Shagbark |
| Hickory Carya ovata |
Leaves are 8 to 14 inches long with five leaflets, sometimes seven. The upper surface is smooth, but the lower surface is pubescent. Bark is gray to brownish, exfoliating with age into narrow plates that are detached at both ends.
| Mockernut |
| Hickory Carya tomentosa |
Leaves are 8 to 15 inches long with five to seven leaflets. The lower leaf surface is densely pubescent and glandular. Leaves are aromatic when bruised. Bark is dark gray with shallow furrows in youth, becoming deeply furrowed with distinct interlacing ridges with age. On older trees, the bark develops a diamond-like or "expanded metal" pattern.
| Sugarberry |
| Celtis laevigata |
| Sugarberry is a deciduous tree with medium texture, medium growth rate and a broad oval to rounded form. Leaves are dark green above and pale green below. They are alternately oblong and lance-shaped, and are 2 to 4 inches long and 1.25 inches wide. The trunk is light gray and smooth, with prominent corky, somewhat warty, ridges. Fruit are brownish-red, about one-third of an inch in diameter. They ripen from September to October |
| It is the larval host of the hackberry emperor butterfly and is a food source for fall migrating birds. |
| American Yellowwood |
| Cladrastis kentukea |
| 30 to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide at maturity |
| American Yellowwood is a medium-size, deciduous, flowering tree bearing panicles of fragrant, white, pea-like flowers in late spring that cascade from the ends of the branches. It is spectacular in bloom, but a young tree may not bloom until it is five to eight years old. Mature trees tend to be alternate bearing, with good flowering one year, then few to no flowers the next year. Flowers are followed by brown pods, 2 to 4 inches long, each containing four to six flat, hard-coated seeds. Leaves are pinnately compound, each with nine to 11 leaflets. Fall color is golden yellow. The tree gets its name from the color of its heartwood, which is bright yellow. |
| American Beech |
| Fagus grandifolia |
| 50 to 80 feet tall with a canopy width of 40 to 60 feet |
| American Beech is a deciduous tree with medium texture and medium to slow growth rate. It has smooth, bluish-gray bark and golden bronze fall color. Dead leaves persist on the tree throughout the winter. Fruit, called beech nuts, are yellowish-brown, unevenly triangular and enclosed in a spiny bur less than 1 inch long. Fruit production tends to be heavy every two to three years. |
| American Beech produces deep shade that discourages other plants from growing under its canopy. |
| White Ash |
| Fraxinus americana |
| 50 to 80 feet tall, with a similar spread |
| White Ash is a large, handsome deciduous tree with medium to coarse texture and medium growth rate. It is dioecious (having male and female flowers borne on separate trees). Flowers are borne in panicles before the leaves emerge in April. Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound, 8 to 15 inches long with five to nine leaflets (usually seven). The leaves have a drooping quality and are dark green above and light green below. The bark is ashy-gray to gray-brown with interlacing diamond-shaped ridges. Fall color ranges from yellow to deep purple or maroon. |
| white ash is subject to several pests and diseases. It is difficult to distinguish from green ash (fraxinus pennsylvanica). |
| Green Ash |
| Fraxinus pennsylvanica |
| 50 to 60 feet tall and 25 to 30 feet wide |
| Green Ash is a deciduous, fast-growing tree with an upright, spreading habit. It is dioecious (having male and female flowers borne on separate trees). It develops three to five main branches and many coarse, twiggy branch lets that bend downward and then up at the ends. Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound and 12 inches long with five to nine leaflets. They are lustrous dark green above and pubescent underneath. The yellow fall color is inconsistent, especially on seed-grown plants. |
| Cultivars are available. Green Ash and White Ash (Fraxinus Americana) look identical except for their seeds. The White Ash’s samara wing extends less than halfway down the cylindrical fruiting body, and Green Ash’s samara wing extends halfway or more down the cylindrical fruiting body. Green Ash is an early succession tree and needs sun to become established. |
| American Holly |
| Ilex opaca |
| 20 to 50 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide |
| American Holly is a broadleaf evergreen tree with medium-coarse texture and a moderate growth rate. Distinctly pyramidal when young, it becomes more open and irregular with age. Leaves are alternate evergreen, 1.5 to 4 inches long and half as wide, with spiny teeth along their margins. Bright red fruit persist throughout winter and are eaten by birds. Native seedlings are appropriate for restoration projects. |
| The foliage is traditionally cut (along with berries) for Christmas decorations; it is sometimes used as an outdoor Christmas tree. Fruit are enjoyed by cedar waxwings, cardinals and other birds. Fruit are borne on female trees only (male and female trees are separate). |
| Black Walnut |
| Juglans nigra |
| 75 to 100 feet tall with a canopy width of 50 to 75 feet |
| Black Walnut is a large tree with a fine texture and loose, open form. It often develops a trunk that is devoid of branches for several feet from the ground. Its wood is valuable for furniture and veneers because of its beautiful grain. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, 12 to 24 inches long, with 15 to 23 leaflets. The terminal leaflet is often missing. Fruit are hard nuts encased in a green husk. |
| Black Walnut produces the chemical juglone in its roots and leaves, which kills or inhibits growth of other plants nearby. It is a high-value wildlife tree. |
| Eastern Red Cedar |
| Juniperus virginiana |
| 40 to 50 feet tall and 8 to 20 feet wide. size is extremely variable over its extensive native range. |
| Eastern Red Cedar is an aromatic evergreen tree with a conical to columnar shaped crown. It has a medium growth rate and texture. Handsome grayish- to reddish-brown bark exfoliates into long strips. Leaves are scale-like, closely pressed and overlapping. Summer color is medium green and winter color is dull green. There are male and female trees. |
| Many cultivars have been selected for ornamental use in residential and commercial landscapes. The mature berry-like cones are eaten by many kinds of mammals and birds, including the cedar waxwing. It provides refuge and cover for birds in inclement winter weather. Majestic specimens are found in old cemeteries. |
| Sweetgum |
| Liquidambar styraciflua |
| 80 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 50 feet |
| Sweetgum is a deciduous tree with a medium texture and a medium to fast growth rate. Form is oval to pyramidal when young, developing into a broad-headed tree with age. Fall color ranges from yellow to orange or purple. Leaves have five to seven star-shaped lobes and are a lustrous green in summer. The foliage is aromatic when crushed. Fruit are round, spiny balls on 2- to 3-inch pedicels. |
| Sweetgum is an early succession plant. It is a prolific seeder and quickly invades cut-over hardwood stands and pine plantations on upland sites. It also sprouts profusely from stumps and lateral roots. Birds like the seeds. |
| Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar |
| Liriodendron tulipifera |
| 80 to 100 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide |
| Tulip Poplar, also called Yellow Poplar, is a deciduous tree with coarse texture and a medium to fast growth rate. It is pyramidal in form when young, becoming oval-rounded with age. It has a fleshy root system characteristic of the magnolia family. Leaves are tulip-shaped with four lobes. Fragrant orange-yellow tulip-like flowers appear from April to May. |
| Tulip Poplar is an early succession tree and is intolerant of shade. It needs full sun to become established and grow well. It is a good wildlife tree. |
| Southern Magnolia |
| Magnolia grandiflora |
| 60 to 80 feet tall with a canopy spread of 40 to 50 feet |
| Southern Magnolia is a broadleaf evergreen flowering tree with coarse texture and a medium to slow growth rate. It is pyramidal when young, then develops an oval shape at maturity. Foliage is dark green and glossy. Large, fragrant, showy white flowers appear in early summer. Fruit consist of cone-like aggregates of follicles from which bright red, shiny seeds are suspended by slender elastic threads. |
| Many cultivars are available. Seeds are relished by birds and other wildlife. Suckers may need to be pruned from root or branch sprouts. |
| Black Gum or Tupelo |
| Nyssa sylvatica |
| 70 to 80 feet tall and 40 to 50 feet wide |
| Black Gum, or Tupelo, is a deciduous tree having medium texture and a medium growth rate. Form is narrow upright, pyramidal, with strong horizontal branching. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. Female trees bear tiny, greenish-yellow flowers during leaf development in April or May. Fruit appear only on female trees and are bluish-black drupes about 0.5 inches long, borne two to three per stalk. |
| This beautiful tree is becoming more available in the nursery trade. Another species, Swamp Tupelo (Nyssa biflora), is commonly found in South Georgia. Wildlife relish the seeds. |
| Shortleaf Pine |
| Pinus echinata |
| 80 to 100 feet tall, but more likely 50 to 60 feet under most landscape conditions. |
| Shortleaf Pine is a fast-growing, medium to tall tree. It is pyramidal in youth, developing a long, clear trunk with a small, open pyramidal crown as it ages. The dark bluish-green needles are 3 to 5 inches long in fascicles (bundles) of two or three, sometimes on the same tree. Shortleaf Pine bark is nearly black when trees are young, aging to reddish-brown with many small resin pockets scattered through its corky layers. |
| It is one of the most abundant pines in Georgia, second only to Loblolly. Shortleaf is subject to pine bark beetles and pine-tip moths, as are most pine species, as well as too little leaf disease. The fruit is a prickly cone 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. |
| Slash Pine |
| Pinus elliottii |
| 60 to 100 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide |
| Slash Pine is a large tree often planted as an ornamental because it grows fast and has dense lustrous-green foliage. Foliage consists of two and three needles arranged in fascicles (bundles). Loblolly and Longleaf Pine, in contrast, both have three needles per fascicle. |
| Slash Pine is planted widely for timber production in and out of its natural range and habitat. All pines are intolerant of shade and need sun to establish and thrive. |
| Spruce Pine |
| Pinus glabra |
| 50 to 60 feet tall and 40 to 50 feet wide |
| Spruce Pine is an evergreen tree with a medium-fine texture and a medium to fast growth rate. Needles are dark green, two per fascicle, spirally twisted, and 2 to 4 inches long. Cones are brown, up to 3.75 inches long, with minute prickles on the scales. They may persist two to four years on the plant. Young trees have a dense, broadly pyramidal form, becoming more open and irregular with age. Bark is dark, brownish-gray and attractive. |
| A good wildlife food source. |
| Longleaf Pine |
| Pinus palustris |
| this long-lived giant may reach heights of 80 to 100 feet, with a trunk diameter of 2 to 2.5 feet. |
| Longleaf Pine is an evergreen tree with needles approximately 10 inches long, grouped in bundles of three. They persist on the tree for two seasons. Its long needles, large cones and sparse branching pattern make it the most distinctive pine of the Coastal Plain. Young seedlings have a unique grass-like appearance, which may last two to seven years or more because the tree first uses its energy to put down a deep tap root. Once the tap root is developed, it provides the resources for rapid top growth, often exceeding 3 feet in a year. It is a long-lived pine, often growing for more than 300 years. It has adapted to frequent ground fires that were common in the longleaf-wiregrass ecosystem that once covered 90 million acres of the southeastern Coastal Plain. |
| White Pine |
| Pinus strobus |
| 50 to 60 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide |
| White Pine is an evergreen tree having medium-fine texture and a medium-fast growth rate. It has soft, bluish-green needles 2 to 3 inches long, five per fascicle. They remain on the tree for two years. The mature bark is dark gray and deeply furrowed. Cones are 3 to 8 inches long and 1.5 inches wide, often curved. |
| Loblolly Pine |
| Pinus taeda |
| 80 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 30 feet |
| Loblolly pine is an evergreen tree with medium texture and a fast growth rate. Form is upright, broad and oval with irregular horizontal branching. Needles are sometimes twisted, 6 to 10 inches long, in fascicles of two or three. They persist on the tree for up to four years. Cones are 3 to 6 inches long, in clusters of three to five. There are sharp spines on the tips of the cone scales. It is one of the most widespread and valuable pines of the southeast. In Georgia, it comprises most of the timber harvested in the Piedmont. |
| Virginia Pine |
| Pinus virginiana |
| 40 to 70 feet tall |
| Virginia Pine is a medium-size tree with medium texture and rapid growth rate. It is somewhat scrubby in appearance because of numerous branches that may extend to the ground. Its evergreen needles, arranged two per fascicle, are 2 to 3 inches long and persist for three to four seasons. Virginia Pine is easily confused with Shortleaf Pine, but it can be distinguished by its twisted needles. The cones are up to 3 inches long and approximately 1 inch wide, grouped in clusters of four. The cone scales have sharp points. |
| Sycamore |
| Platanus occidentalis |
| 80 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 50 feet |
| Sycamore is a deciduous tree with coarse texture and a rapid growth rate. Its most striking characteristic is the exfoliating, dark brown to gray bark, which flakes off to expose a white inner bark. |
| In natural areas, especially along streams, it is an impressive landscape plant with its white bark defining Piedmont streams. |
| White Oak |
| Quercus alba |
| 60 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 60 feet |
| White Oak is a deciduous tree with medium-coarse texture and a slow to medium growth rate. Form is oval to upright, rounded, with wide-spreading branches. Foliage is blue-green in summer, turning wine-red in fall. |
| Probably the most common oak tree in north Georgia, but less common in South Georgia. |
| Scarlet Oak |
| Quercus coccinea |
| 60 to 80 feet tall with a spread of 50 to 60 feet |
| Scarlet Oak is a deciduous tree having medium texture and medium to fast growth rate. It is pyramidal to rounded in form. Foliage is glossy green in summer and brilliant scarlet-red in fall. |
| Acorns are an important wildlife food. This tree often survives forest fires. |
| Southern Red Oak |
| Quercus falcata |
| 80+ feet wide and 50+ feet tall. |
| Southern Red Oak is a deciduous, fast-growing tree with a short trunk and a rounded crown. Leaves have a variable lobe pattern with three to five bristle-tipped lobes; the upper leaf surface is shiny green and the lower leaf surface is pubescent and yellow-gray. Bark is dark brown to black, thick, and deeply fissured, becoming ridged and rough near the base. The inner bark is orange. |
| This oak is also called Spanish Oak because of an association with early Spanish settlements. It has good fire tolerance. |
| Laurel Oak |
| Quercus hemisphaerica |
| 60 to 80 feet tall with an equal spread |
| Laurel Oak is evergreen in zone 8b and semi-evergreen in zones 8a and 7b, where it holds its leaves the entire winter, then drops the oldest leaves at bud break. Growth form is spreading with medium-fine texture. Growth rate is moderately slow. It develops a broad crown at maturity, with horizontal branching. |
| Laurel Oak should be used more in landscapes. Several cultivars are available. |
| Swamp Chestnut Oak or Basket Oak |
| Quercus michauxii |
| 50 to 100 feet tall and about half as wide |
| Swamp Chestnut Oak is a deciduous tree with a compact, rounded crown and a medium growth rate. It has chestnut-like foliage with rounded teeth along the margins. Leaves are dark green above and grayish-green with a dense, felt-like pubescence below. Its bark resembles that of White Oak, with light gray, rough, flaky ridges. It produces large acorns, one to 1.5 inches in diameter. Fall color is dull red to maroon. |
| The abundant acorn production may be a problem in public areas. |
| Water Oak |
| Quercus nigra Red Oak Subgenus: Erythrobalanus |
| 50 to 80 feet tall and about half as wide |
| Water Oak is a fast-growing tree with a rounded crown. Leaves are alternate, obovate, often with a three-lobed apex. The leaves are variable in size and shape, especially when young. Foliage persists late into fall and winter, especially during mild winters, making the tree semi-evergreen. It is considered by many to be a short-lived "weed tree" on upland sites and is a vigorous early succession tree in Zones 7 to 9. |
| Willow Oak |
| Quercus phellos Red Oak Subgenus: Erythrobalanus |
| 40 to 60 feet tall with a spread of 30 to 40 feet |
| Willow Oak is a deciduous tree with medium-fine texture and a medium growth rate. It has a handsome pyramidal form in youth, which becomes rounded to oval in maturity. The leaves are narrowly oblong or lanceolate, light green and shiny above and pale green below. Young bark is dark gray and smooth, while mature bark has deep furrows and rough ridges. Inner bark is pink. |
| Spider mites are a problem in South Georgia. |
| Chestnut Oak |
| Quercus prinus White Oak Subgenus: Leucobalanus |
| 60 to 70 feet tall with a spread of 50 to 60 feet |
| Chestnut Oak, also called Rock Oak or Rock Chestnut Oak, is a deciduous tree with medium-coarse texture and a medium growth rate. Form is irregular and open. Foliage is lustrous dark green above and lighter green underneath. Fall color ranges from yellow to orange-yellow. Bark is gray and develops deep V-shaped ridges with age. |
| Deserving of greater landscape use. |
| Northern Red Oak |
| Quercus rubra Red Oak Subgenus: Erythrobalanus |
| 60 to 75 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 50 feet |
| Northern Red Oak is a deciduous tree with medium texture and a medium to fast growth rate. It develops a rounded crown with age. Leaves are alternate, oval or obovate, up to 8.5 inches long and 6 inches wide, with seven to 11 lobes. They are lustrous green above and yellow-green below. Fall color is usually yellow-brown but may be russet-red. |
| A source of wildlife food, it starts fruiting around 25 years of age. |
| Shumard Oak |
| Quercus shumardii Red Oak Subgenus: Erythrobalanus |
| 80 to 100 feet tall and 60 to 70 feet wide |
| Shumard Oak is one of the largest of the southern red oaks. It develops a round, open crown, a buttressed trunk and a shallow root system. Its leaves are dark, shiny green above and dull green beneath, with pubescent woolly hairs at the leaf axils. |
| Its distribution seems to skip the northeastern section of georgia (the blue ridge province). |
| Post Oak |
| Quercus stellata White Oak Subgenus: Leucobalanus |
| 40 to 50 feet tall by 40 feet wide |
| Post Oak is a medium-size tree with stout, spreading branches and a dense, rounded crown. Leaves are lustrous, dark green, rough on the upper surface and grayish-brown underneath. Bark is gray with shallow fissures and scaly ridges. Foliage turns golden-brown in fall. |
| As a member of the White Oak sub-genus, it produces acorns every year and is a good food source for wildlife. |
| Live Oak |
| Quercus virginiana Red Oak Subgenus: Erythrobalanus |
| 40 to 80 feet tall and 60 to 100 feet wide |
| Live Oak is an evergreen tree with medium-fine texture and a slow growth rate. It has a broad-spreading form with massive horizontal branches. It is a long-lived tree and a haven for resurrection fern and Spanish moss. The bark on older trees is almost black, develops a blocky appearance, and looks like alligator hide. Leaves are lustrous, dark green above and light green below. Old leaves drop in the spring as new leaves emerge. |
| Live oak is the state tree of Georgia. |
| Palmetto Palm or Cabbage Palm |
| Sabal palmetto |
| 30 to 70 feet tall with a canopy width of 10 to 15 feet. |
| The state tree of South Carolina, Palmetto Palm, is also called Cabbage Palm. It is a fixture along coastal areas as well as inland sites south of the fall line in Georgia and throughout Florida. In terms of toughness, it is often the tree still standing after hurricanes. Leaves are two to three feet across, blue-green, palmate in shape, with a large notch in the middle. Thread-like strands of fiber hang off each leaf. In the wild, old leaf-stems, called boots, remain on the trunk in a crisscross pattern, but they are often removed from trees in cultivated landscapes to give the trunk a smooth appearance. |
| Bald Cypress |
| Taxodium distichum |
| 60 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 50 feet |
| Bald Cypress is a deciduous tree with medium-fine texture and a medium to fast growth rate. Form is pyramidal when young (sometimes narrow) and becomes broader with age. In nature, older trees are flat-topped with few lower branches, which is probably due to competition for light. Its bark is reddish-brown, fibrous and attractive. Bald Cypress produces "knees" (vertical root extensions) in swamps but not when grown in upland sites. |
| Eastern Hemlock |
| Tsuga canadensis |
| 50 to 60 feet tall and with a spread of 30 to 40 feet |
| Eastern Hemlock is an evergreen tree, having a fine texture and a medium growth rate. It has a graceful pyramidal growth form. Leaves (needles) are short, one-half to two-thirds inches long, lustrous, dark green above with two white bands beneath. They are arranged along the stems in two planes. Bark is a cinnamon-red color and becomes furrowed with age. |
| It is subject to several pests, including the woolly adelgid, which has recently invaded the north Georgia mountains. |
SMALL TREES
| COMMON NAME |
| SPECIES |
| SIZE |
| CHARASTERISTICS |
| COMMENTS |
| Florida or Southern Sugar Maple |
| Acer barbatum |
| 35 to 40 feet tall with a spread of 25 to 35 feet |
| Florida or Southern Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree of medium texture and a slow to medium growth rate. It has a rounded to spreading canopy that is more pyramidal in youth. It has few pest problems. The underside of the leaf is lighter than the upper side. The bark is smooth and gray. Fall color is variable, ranging from yellow to orange or rusty-red. It is not as vibrant as Sugar Maple. Considered a close relative of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Southern Sugar Maple is more tolerant of the high summer temperatures and humidity of Georgia than northern Sugar Maples. |
| Southern Sugar Maple is becoming more popular in the nursery trade in the Deep South. |
| Downy Serviceberry |
| Amelanchier arborea |
| 15 to 25 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide |
| Downy Serviceberry is a deciduous, flowering tree with medium-fine texture, narrow-rounded crown and a medium growth rate. It blooms in early April with clusters of pendulous white flowers. Individual flowers are 1 inch in diameter with five narrow petals. Summer fruit are berry-like, purplish-blue and edible by humans and birds. Fall color can be good and ranges from yellow to orange or rusty-red. The bark is a pleasing gray color. |
| The fruit ripens in June and is enjoyed by birds. |
| American Hornbeam, Ironwood or Musclewood |
| Carpinus caroliniana |
| 35 to 40 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 25 feet |
| American Hornbeam is a deciduous tree with medium texture and a slow to medium growth rate. It is usually single-stemmed with a spreading to rounded form. It may occur as a multistemmed, bushy tree. An unusual feature is the smooth, hard branches and trunk, which acquire a muscle-like rippled (Ironwood) appearance with age. |
| Seeds are eaten by birds. |
| Eastern Redbud |
| Cercis canadensis |
| 20 to 25 feet tall with a spread of 15 to 20 feet |
| Eastern Redbud is a deciduous, flowering tree with a medium growth rate and coarse texture. Form is oval to rounded. Grown primarily for the pink to rose-colored, pea-like blooms in March and April, Eastern Redbud is showy. The color conveys a warm feeling in the cool early spring. |
| Eastern Redbud is becoming more popular in the nursery trade in the Deep South. Many cultivars are available with variations in flower color from white to deep rose. It re-seeds readily in cultivated areas. |
| Fringetree or Grancy-Greybeard |
| Chionanthus virginicus |
| 15 to 25 feet tall and wide |
| Fringetree is a deciduous, flowering tree with medium texture and a slow growth rate. Rounded in form, it is grown mostly for its showy flowers in May to June. They give the tree a fleecy appearance. Fruit are dark blue, 0.5 inches in diameter, and resemble small, black olives. Fruit appear on female trees only. |
| This tree is dioecious, having male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on separate plants. |
| Flowering Dogwood |
| Cornus florida |
| 15 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide; more spreading in shade |
| Flowering Dogwood, the most popular flowering tree in the eastern United States, is deciduous with medium texture and a medium growth rate. It bears white, pink or rose-colored blooms from March to April. In fall, leaves turn scarlet red, and fruit are red and showy. Bark is dark and mottled. Seedling dogwoods are often planted in woodland landscapes. |
| Numerous cultivars exist, including some with variegated foliage. Dogwood fruit are a favorite of birds and other wildlife. Deer browse the leaves. |
| Mayhaw |
| Crataegus aestivalis |
| 15 to 20 feet tall and wide |
| Mayhaw is a thorny, deciduous, small tree with white flowers borne in a flat cluster in March. The fruit are round, 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter, and ripen to shiny red in May and June. Bark is scaly and mottled. |
| The fruit makes excellent jelly. |
| Hawthorn |
| Crataegus marshallii |
| 15 to 20 feet tall and wide |
| Parsley Hawthorn is a deciduous, flowering tree with medium-fine texture, thorny branches and a slow growth rate. White flowers with showy purple anthers are borne in clusters in March and April. Fruit are 0.5 inches in diameter, red and oval. Leaves are unique in that they resemble the foliage of parsley. Bark is scaly and mottled. |
| All hawthorns provide fruit for birds in the fall and are preferred nesting trees in spring. Lacebugs can be a problem. |
| Washington Hawthorn |
| Crataegus phaenopyrum |
| 25 to 30 feet tall to 20 to 25 feet wide |
| Washington Hawthorn is a thorny, deciduous, small tree with a broadly oval to rounded dense shape. The foliage is reddish as it emerges, changing to a dark, lustrous green. The leaves are triangular-ovate, coarsely toothed and deeply lobed. The half-inch white flowers bloom in clusters after the leaves emerge, with pink anthers on numerous stamens. |
| There are cultivars available. All hawthorns are valuable to wildlife by providing fruit and nesting sites. |
| Carolina Buckthorn |
| Frangula caroliniana |
| 30 to 40 feet tall with a spread about half its height |
| Carolina Buckthorn is a small, deciduous tree. Leaves are simple, alternate, elliptic to oblong, 4 to 6 inches long, with parallel veins extending from a prominent midrib. The small, white flowers appear after the leaves in clusters at the leaf axils. Fruit are berry-like drupes, changing from red to black. |
| Loblolly Bay |
| Gordonia lasianthus |
| 30 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide |
| Loblolly Bay is an evergreen tree with medium texture and a medium growth rate, having a narrow, pyramidal to oval shape. Leaves are smooth, dark green and have blunt appressed teeth. Summer flowers are white, 2.5 inches in diameter and fragrant. Fruit are woody capsules. |
| Loblolly bay is most often used in the landscape in groupings of three to five plants. |
| Two-Winged Silverbell |
| Halesia diptera |
| 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide |
| Two-Winged Silverbell is often confused with Carolina Silverbell (H. tetraptera). However, it is smaller and produces fewer flowers than Carolina Silverbell. Its white flower petals are united at the base. Carolina Silverbell, in contrast, has flower petals that are united for more than half their length. Bark is gray-brown and lacks white streaks common on Carolina Silverbell. Fruit are a greenish color. Fall color is pleasant yellow. |
| A variety called magniflora has larger flowers than two-winged silverbell. |
| Carolina Silverbell |
| Halesia tetraptera |
| 30 to 40 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 35 feet |
| Carolina Silverbell is a deciduous tree with medium-coarse texture and a medium growth rate. It has an upright-oval to broad-rounded form. Subtly, but not explosively showy, its best ornamental features are the clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers borne from April to early May. Bark is shallowly ridged with white streaks. Fruit are four-winged capsules approximately 1.5 inches long. Fall color is yellow to yellow-green. |
| New York to Georgia and Alabama, north to Michigan, southwest from Illinois to Texas. |
| Possumhaw |
| Ilex decidua |
| 12 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide |
| Possumhaw is a deciduous tree with medium-fine texture and a medium to slow growth rate. Form is round at maturity. Possumhaw is grown mostly for its shiny red fall berries, which are consumed by wildlife. The leaves turn a bright yellow in fall. It is similar in fruiting habit to Yaupon Holly (I. vomitoria), except it is deciduous, which makes the fruit more obvious. |
| All hollies are dioecious, having male and female flowers on separate plants. Possumhaw is a good wildlife plant. There are several cultivars in the nursery trade. |
| Yaupon Holly |
| Ilex vomitoria |
| 12 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide |
| Yaupon Holly is a broadleaf evergreen tree with medium-fine texture and a fast growth rate. It has a graceful, attractive, irregular form; sometimes rounded, other times pyramidal. It tends to be multi-stemmed, but it can be easily pruned into a tree form. The bark is smooth gray. Shiny red fruit provide a brilliant display in fall until they are consumed by birds. Fruit only occurs on female plants. |
| Cultivars are available, including weeping and dwarf forms. |
| Big-Leaf Magnolia |
| Magnolia macrophylla |
| 35 to 40 feet tall and 25 to 30 feet wide |
| Big-Leaf Magnolia is a deciduous, flowering tree having coarse texture, a round-headed form, and a medium growth rate. Unusually large leaves are 20 to 30 inches long and 8 to 12 inches wide. Large, white, fragrant flowers are borne from May to June and have six petals 8 to 12 inches across. Its egg-shaped, cone-like fruit and red seeds are typical of Magnolias. |
| This is a tree for a plant collector. |
| Narrow-Leaf Crabapple |
| Malus angustifolia |
| 25 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide |
| Narrow-Leaf Crabapple is a deciduous, flowering tree with medium texture and a medium growth rate. The crown is broad, rounded and spreading. While not as showy as named cultivars, it is an attractive flowering tree when in bloom. Flowers are pink, 1.5 inches across, and borne in clusters. Flowering time varies from late February in South Georgia to mid-April in north Georgia. Fruit are yellow-green, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, edible and very tart. |
| Excellent wildlife food. |
| Ogeechee Lime, Ogeechee Tupelo |
| Nyssa Ogeche |
| 20 to 30 feet tall by 15 to 25 feet wide |
| Ogeechee Lime is a deciduous tree with medium texture and a medium growth rate. Oval, red fruit mature in fall. They are very sour and have been used as a substitute for limes or in making tart preserves and jellies. Form is variable. Fall color also is variable, ranging from yellow to red. This plant is named for the Ogeechee River, where it is commonly found. |
| Fruit can be eaten by humans and wildlife. The tree is a honey source for bees. Reported to be rare, but it is fairly common in south central Georgia. |
| Wild Olive or Devilwood |
| Osmanthus americanus |
| 20 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide |
| Wild Olive is a small evergreen tree with medium texture and a medium to slow growth rate. Form is oval to round. White flowers, borne in spring, are small, fragrant and bell-shaped. The fruit are purple and olive-like. |
| A good wildlife plant. |
| Eastern Hophornbeam |
| Ostrya virginiana |
| 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide |
| Eastern Hophornbeam is a deciduous tree with medium texture and a slow growth rate. It is rounded in outline with horizontal or drooping branches. It occurs as an understory tree on uphill sites having moist, well-drained, acid soils. Fall leaf color is yellow. Leaves remain on the tree throughout the winter. This is a handsome tree with few pest problems. The fruit are reminiscent of hops, hence the common name. The gray-brown bark is somewhat shaggy, looking like a cat scratching post. |
| The "hops," or inflated bracts that enclose the seed, are irritating to the skin if handled. It is a useful wildlife tree. It is sometimes infected by a fungus that causes witches broom. |
| Sourwood |
| Oxydendrum arboreum |
| 25 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide |
| Sourwood is a deciduous, flowering tree with an oval form, medium texture and a medium to slow growth rate. Flowers are white, urn-shaped, 0.25 inch long and borne on 4- to 10-inch drooping spikes in June and July. The flowers make a showy display when nothing else is blooming. Fall color is pink to red or red-purple. Bark is grayish-brown-black, blocky and attractive as the tree ages. |
| The flowers are the source of sourwood honey. |
| Red Bay |
| Persea borbonia |
| 20 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide |
| Red Bay is a small evergreen tree with medium-coarse texture, medium growth rate and an upright-oval form. The foliage is aromatic when crushed and can be used as a substitute for bay leaves in cooking. Flowers are about 0.25 inches in size, yellow and not showy, but the dark blue fruit are moderately showy in the fall. |
| In shaded areas in its natural habitat, the leaves tend to be infected with a gall, which makes them look swollen and watery. Plants not growing in a swamp do not have this problem. A beautiful specimen can be seen next to the famous arch on the University of Georgia’s Athens campus. Ambrosia beetle and an associated fungus are killing native populations in coastal Georgia. |
| Cherry Laurel |
| Prunus caroliniana |
| 15 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide |
| Cherry Laurel is an evergreen tree with medium texture and a medium to fast growth rate. Form is oval to round. Fruit are berry-like, borne in clusters, green when young and turning black in fall. Foliage has a cherry-like odor when crushed. |
| Re-seeding can be a problem in flower beds. The species is not landscape quality, but there are a number of improved cultivars that are landscape quality in the trade. |
| Georgia Oak |
| Quercus georgiana |
| 20 to 40 feet tall and 15 feet wide |
| A small, deciduous oak associated with rocky soil, granite outcrops and dry slopes in the Piedmont. It has a compact crown and a slow growth rate. Some trees have a single trunk while others are multi-stemmed. Leaves have three to six lobes and are shiny on the upper surface, pale on the lower surface and resemble miniature Red Oak leaves. Leaf size is smaller than the large oaks, befitting its small tree status. Leaves turn bright red in fall. |
| Acorns are an important food for wildlife. |
| Turkey Oak |
| Quercus laevis |
| 30 to 40 feet tall and variable width |
| Turkey Oak is a distinctive, small, deciduous tree with crooked branches. Some trees grow as multi-stemmed shrubs. Its three-lobed leaves are thought to resemble a turkey foot, hence the common name. Turkey Oak's red fall color brightens the landscape of the sandhills. |
| The acorns are an important food source for turkey, deer and small rodents. |
| Sassafras |
| Sassafras albidum |
| 25 to 30 feet tall with a spread of 15 to 20 feet |
| Sassafras is a deciduous tree with medium texture and a medium growth rate. Leaves are 3 to 7 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide. Leaves vary in shape from unlobed (oval) to two-lobed (mitten-shaped) or three-lobed. Fall color ranges from bright yellow to fiery orange or vibrant red. Its ridged, reddish-brown bark and picturesque branching make an interesting winter silhouette. Yellow flowers appear in terminal racemes in late March, before the leaves emerge. It commonly occurs along fence rows in poor, dry soils. |
| Plants tend to spread from suckers. During fall migration, birds eat the seeds quickly. Crushed dry leaves are used for flavoring gumbos. It is prone to dieback in South Georgia. |
| Buckthorn Bully |
| Sideroxylon lycioides |
| up to 20 feet tall and wide |
| This small deciduous tree or shrub seldom grows over 20 feet tall and often has short, twisted stems. Leaves are alternate, elliptical to lance-shaped, with an acute tip. They are conspicuously veined on both surfaces. When bruised, the leaves emit a fetid odor. Twigs are reddish-brown to gray, with 0.75-inch-long thorns. The twigs are pubescent in youth and become smooth with age. Sap is milky. Clusters of white flowers arise from the leaf axils in early summer. The drupe-like berry is purple-black, appearing in fall. |
| The fruit are consumed by many species of birds. This plant is endangered in Florida. |
| Bigleaf Snowbell |
| Styrax grandifolius |
| up to 20 feet tall by 10 feet wide |
| Bigleaf Snowbell is a small deciduous tree, normally single-stemmed, with fragrant, white flowers, 0.75 to 1 inch in size. The flowers occur in racemes, 4 to 8 inches long, in May and June. The leaves are dark green above with pubescence beneath and have no noticeable color change in the fall. Bigleaf Snowbell is not used very much because it is rare in the nursery trade. |
| It can be confused with American snowbell (styrax americanus), a multi-stemmed and smaller shrub that bears flowers from leaf axils, not in racemes and grows mainly along sandy stream banks in the coastal plain and piedmont. |
