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  • Red Oak - Quercus rubra (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 35m <br />
Broadly conical tree. BARK Pale silvery-grey, sometimes brownish, and mostly smooth; fissured with age. LEAVES Large, usually 10–20cm long; deeply lobed, with smaller teeth terminating in fine hairs at tips of lobes. Green above and paler matt green below during growing season; turn red or brown in autumn. Young trees produce finest red colourings. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous male catkins appear in spring as leaves open, turning tree golden-yellow. Acorns rounded, in a neat scaly cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for autumn colours; naturalised occasionally.
    157486.jpg
  • Eastern Balsam-poplar Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Conical to slightly spreading tree with numerous ascending branches arising from a tapering bole; base of bole is often surrounded by suckers. BARK Thinner than in other poplars and narrowly grooved. SHOOTS Young shoots (and 2.5cm-long buds) are covered with shiny resin. LEAVES To 10cm long, oval and pointed at tip with finely toothed margins; dark shiny green above, paler and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Greenish catkins appear in late spring or early summer. Males (to 7.5cm long) and females (to 12.5cm long) on separate trees. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America. Cultivated here occasionally.
    134374.jpg
  • Sugar Maple Acer saccharum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 26m <br />
Similar to Norway Maple. BARK Has large fissures and falls away in shreds in older trees. BRANCHES Upright to spreading. LEAVES 13cm-long leaves are lobed, but teeth on lobes are rounded, not drawn out into a fine point as in Norway Maple; there are hairs in vein axils below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous yellow-green flowers are small and lack petals; open in spring with leaves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here for its autumn colours.
    134188.jpg
  • Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Rather slender, domed tree. BARK Dark greyish-brown, smooth in young trees, ridged with maturity. BRANCHES Slender and spreading. LEAVES 15cm-long, even more deeply lobed than Pin Oak but less strongly bristle-tipped. In summer, leaves are glossy green above and paler below with small hair-tufts in vein axils below. Turn brilliant red in autumn, especially in cultivar Q. coccinea ‘Splendens’. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns, to 2.5cm long, are rounded, half-enclosed in a slightly glossy cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Planted here for its brilliant autumn colours.
    135434.jpg
  • Sweet Gum Liquidamber styraciflua (Hamamelidaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. A large tree with attractive foliage. BARK Greyish brown with scaly ridges. BRANCHES Twisting and spreading to upcurved. LEAVES Sharply lobed with a toothed margin. They are alternate and give off a resinous scent when crushed, unlike maple leaves, which they resemble. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are globose; fruits are spiny and pendulous, 2.5– 4cm across, resembling those of a Plane. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A widespread and common native tree of the south-eastern USA as far south as Central America. Familiar here as a colourful autumn tree in many parks and gardens.
    135423.jpg
  • Sweet Gum Liquidamber styraciflua (Hamamelidaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. A large tree with attractive foliage. BARK Greyish brown with scaly ridges. BRANCHES Twisting and spreading to upcurved. LEAVES Sharply lobed with a toothed margin. They are alternate and give off a resinous scent when crushed, unlike maple leaves, which they resemble. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are globose; fruits are spiny and pendulous, 2.5– 4cm across, resembling those of a Plane. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A widespread and common native tree of the south-eastern USA as far south as Central America. Familiar here as a colourful autumn tree in many parks and gardens.
    135422.jpg
  • Red Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 25m <br />
Similar to Common Ash but generally smaller. BARK Deeply furrowed, reddish-brown. BRANCHES Stout with hairy twigs and brown winter buds. LEAVES Opposite, pinnate, to 22cm long with 7, rarely 9, oval, pointed leaflets. Each leaflet to 15cm long, toothed and pointed, 2 sides of blade not matching on petiole; undersides are usually hairy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers open before leaves in hairy clusters in leaf axils; sexes usually on separate trees. Male flowers are red and female flowers are greenish. Both sexes of flowers lack petals, but female flowers have 4 sepals. Single-winged fruits are up to 6cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, introduced into Britain and Ireland as an ornamental tree, but nowhere very common.
    135217.jpg
  • Engelmann’s Spruce Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Slender, conical evergreen. Trunk thin and narrowly tapering. BARK Greyish pink and scaly. BRANCHES Ascending and turning upwards at tips, with pendulous young shoots. LEAVES Pointed, 4-angled, bluish-green needles, to 2.5cm long, spread to reveal twig’s lower surface but hide upper surface; smell is unpleasant when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Narrowly oval cones, tapering to a point, to 7cm long, ripening brownish, with squarish toothed scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Rocky Mountains in N America. Planted here, but scarce.
    135090.jpg
  • Pin Oak Quercus palustris (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 26m <br />
Broadly conical deciduous tree with a short bole. BARK Smooth and grey-brown. BRANCHES Numerous, mostly ascending. LEAVES Distinctive: to 12cm long and deeply lobed with bristles at tips of pointed lobes. In summer, leaves are glossy green on both surfaces, palest below; tufts of brownish hairs in vein axils. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins pendulous, yellowish, opening in early summer. Acorns, to 1.5cm long, partially enclosed in shallow scaly cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Introduced here for ornament.
    135074.jpg
  • Shagbark Hickory  Carya ovata (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Upright or slightly spreading tree with a broad, flattened crown. BARK Grey, splits into long scaly flakes. BRANCHES In winter, sparse branches support reddish twigs tipped with scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, 5 (sometimes 3 or 7) leaflets, to 20cm long, longer near tip of leaf. Each leaflet is oval to oblong, toothed, with tufts of short white hairs between teeth. Terminal leaflet is short-stalked. Leaves leathery, sometimes oily. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins green, to 15cm long, in spreading clusters. Female flowers small, yellowish, in terminal clusters. Fruits round, to 6cm long, on short stalks; contain white seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here occasionally.
    135066.jpg
  • Engelmann’s Spruce Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Slender, conical evergreen. Trunk thin and narrowly tapering. BARK Greyish pink and scaly. BRANCHES Ascending and turning upwards at tips, with pendulous young shoots. LEAVES Pointed, 4-angled, bluish-green needles, to 2.5cm long, spread to reveal twig’s lower surface but hide upper surface; smell is unpleasant when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Narrowly oval cones, tapering to a point, to 7cm long, ripening brownish, with squarish toothed scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Rocky Mountains in N America. Planted here, but scarce.
    135060.jpg
  • Engelmann’s Spruce Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Slender, conical evergreen. Trunk thin and narrowly tapering. BARK Greyish pink and scaly. BRANCHES Ascending and turning upwards at tips, with pendulous young shoots. LEAVES Pointed, 4-angled, bluish-green needles, to 2.5cm long, spread to reveal twig’s lower surface but hide upper surface; smell is unpleasant when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Narrowly oval cones, tapering to a point, to 7cm long, ripening brownish, with squarish toothed scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Rocky Mountains in N America. Planted here, but scarce.
    135058.jpg
  • Red Oak Quercus rubra (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 35m <br />
Broadly conical tree. BARK Pale silvery-grey, sometimes brownish, and mostly smooth; fissured with age. LEAVES Large, usually 10–20cm long; deeply lobed, with smaller teeth terminating in fine hairs at tips of lobes. Green above and paler matt green below during growing season; turn red or brown in autumn. Young trees produce finest red colourings. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous male catkins appear in spring as leaves open, turning tree golden-yellow. Acorns rounded, in a neat scaly cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for autumn colours; naturalised occasionally.
    135040.jpg
  • Butternut Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 26m <br />
Slender tree. BARK Grey. LEAVES Compound, to 70cm long, leaflets more widely spaced than in Black Walnut; central leaf stalk is densely hairy and leaflets near leaf base are smallest. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Edible fruits in clusters of up to 12. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America, planted here for ornament.
    135009.jpg
  • Butternut Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 26m <br />
Slender tree. BARK Grey. LEAVES Compound, to 70cm long, leaflets more widely spaced than in Black Walnut; central leaf stalk is densely hairy and leaflets near leaf base are smallest. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Edible fruits in clusters of up to 12. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America, planted here for ornament.
    135008.jpg
  • Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Pinaceae Height to 60m<br />
Tall, slender, conical evergreen. Bark Greyish-green, often blistered. Branches in whorls. Needles to 3.5cm long, grooved above, with 2 white bands below. Reproductive parts Male flowers small and yellow. Female flowers resemble tiny pinkish shaving-brushes. Both sexes grow at tips of twigs. Status Native of W North America. Widely planted here for timber; thrives in Scotland.
    134993.jpg
  • Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Pinaceae Height to 60m<br />
Tall, slender, conical evergreen. Bark Greyish-green, often blistered. Branches in whorls. Needles to 3.5cm long, grooved above, with 2 white bands below. Reproductive parts Male flowers small and yellow. Female flowers resemble tiny pinkish shaving-brushes. Both sexes grow at tips of twigs. Status Native of W North America. Widely planted here for timber; thrives in Scotland.
    134991.jpg
  • Western Hemlock-spruce Tsuga heterophylla (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 45m.  Large, narrowly conical evergreen with dense foliage; crown spire-like with drooping leading shoot. LEAVES Needles, dark glossy green above with 2 pale bands below, in 2 flattened rows on either side of shoot. Note, 2 leaf sizes (hence heterophylla): some 6mm long, others to 2cm long, both with rounded tips and toothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male flowers reddish at first, but yellowing with pollen. Female cones solitary, ovoid and pendent, to 3cm long; scales blunt. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of W North America. Widely planted here and reaches a great size.
    134929.jpg
  • White Spruce Picea glauca (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 24m <br />
Narrowly conical evergreen, but broadening with maturity. BARK Purple-grey with roughly circular scales. BRANCHES Turn upwards at tips, bearing hairless, greyish twigs and blunt buds. LEAVES Pointed needles, 4-angled,to 1.3 cm long, pale green (sometimes bluish), and smelling unpleasantly to some when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Female cones are about 6cm long and 2cm across, cylindrical, pendent and orange-brown when ripe, with rounded margins to scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native northern North America, widely planted here for timber and ornament in Britain.
    134885.jpg
  • Ashleaf Maple (Box Elder) Acer negundo (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
Small but vigorous deciduous tree with numerous shoots growing from bole and main branches. BARK Smooth in young trees, replaced by darker, shallowly fissured bark in older trees. BRANCHES With green shoots and small buds that have only 2 whitish scales. LEAVES Pinnate, to 15cm long with 3 or sometimes up to 7 irregularly toothed oval leaflets. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers occur separately, opening in March before leaves. Petals are absent; male flowers are greenish with prominent red anthers, and female flowers are greenish-yellow and pendent. Brown fruits are about 2cm long with wings slightly spreading, remaining on tree after leaves have fallen. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, commonly planted as an ornamental tree, and sometimes for shelter; sometimes naturalised.
    134881.jpg
  • Sugar Maple Acer saccharum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 26m <br />
Similar to Norway Maple. BARK Has large fissures and falls away in shreds in older trees. BRANCHES Upright to spreading. LEAVES 13cm-long leaves are lobed, but teeth on lobes are rounded, not drawn out into a fine point as in Norway Maple; there are hairs in vein axils below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous yellow-green flowers are small and lack petals; open in spring with leaves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here for its autumn colours.
    134872.jpg
  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
    134826.jpg
  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
    134803.jpg
  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
    134802.jpg
  • Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Pinaceae Height to 60m<br />
Tall, slender, conical evergreen. Bark Greyish-green, often blistered. Branches in whorls. Needles to 3.5cm long, grooved above, with 2 white bands below. Reproductive parts Male flowers small and yellow. Female flowers resemble tiny pinkish shaving-brushes. Both sexes grow at tips of twigs. Status Native of W North America. Widely planted here for timber; thrives in Scotland.
    134776.jpg
  • Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis Pinaceae Height to 52m<br />
Conical evergreen with spire-like crown and buttressed trunk. Bark Greyish-brown, scaly. Branches Ascending with pendent side-shoots. Needles To 3cm long, keeled, bright green above with 2 pale-blue bands below. Reproductive parts Female cones yellowish at first, becoming cylin¬drical and shiny pale brown. Status Native of W North America. Planted here for its lightweight, strong timber.
    134706.jpg
  • Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis Pinaceae Height to 52m<br />
Conical evergreen with spire-like crown and buttressed trunk. Bark Greyish-brown, scaly. Branches Ascending with pendent side-shoots. Needles To 3cm long, keeled, bright green above with 2 pale-blue bands below. Reproductive parts Female cones yellowish at first, becoming cylin¬drical and shiny pale brown. Status Native of W North America. Planted here for its lightweight, strong timber.
    134704.jpg
  • Tamarack Larix laricina (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
A very slender, upright tree, the N American counterpart of Common Larch, with the smallest cones and flowers of any larch. BARK Pinkish and scaly. BRANCHES Twisted, with curled shoots. LEAVES Dark green, narrow needles with grey bands below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Cones purplish, to 2cm long with 15-20 scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to northern N America. Planted occasionally here for ornament.
    134699.jpg
  • Rum Cherry (Black Cherry) Prunus serotina (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 22m. A spreading deciduous tree with a stout trunk. BARK Greyish, peeling away in strips and fissured in older trees; a strange, bitter smell is released if the bark is damaged. BRANCHES Spreading and dense, the outer extremes sometimes weeping. LEAVES Larger than those of Bird Cherry at up to 14cm long, shiny above and with fine forward-pointing teeth on the margin; the midrib on the underside has patches of hairs along it, which help separate this species from other similar cherries. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are very similar to those of Bird Cherry, but the spike may contain fewer than 30 flowers, the pedicels are shorter and the white petals are toothed at the margins. The black fruits contain a bitter-tasting flesh and a rounded smooth stone. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of N America, planted for timber and ornament in much of Europe, including Britain and Ireland, and naturalised in many places, including S England.
    134686.jpg
  • Tamarack Larix laricina (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
A very slender, upright tree, the N American counterpart of Common Larch, with the smallest cones and flowers of any larch. BARK Pinkish and scaly. BRANCHES Twisted, with curled shoots. LEAVES Dark green, narrow needles with grey bands below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Cones purplish, to 2cm long with 15-20 scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to northern N America. Planted occasionally here for ornament.
    134671.jpg
  • Northern White Cedar Thuja occidentalis (Cupressaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Broadly conical tree. BARK Orange-brown, peeling in vertical strips. LEAVES Flattened, fern-like sprays of foliage show white, waxy bands below. Crushed leaves smell of apple and cloves. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones recall those of Western Red Cedar; female cones have rounded tips to cone scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Does not thrive here.
    134666.jpg
  • Tamarack Larix laricina (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
A very slender, upright tree, the N American counterpart of Common Larch, with the smallest cones and flowers of any larch. BARK Pinkish and scaly. BRANCHES Twisted, with curled shoots. LEAVES Dark green, narrow needles with grey bands below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Cones purplish, to 2cm long with 15-20 scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to northern N America. Planted occasionally here for ornament.
    134626.jpg
  • Black Spruce Picea mariana (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 19m<br />
Slender, conical evergreen with shortest needles and cones of any spruce (apart from Oriental, whose needles are darker green and blunt). BARK Grey-brown and scaly. LEAVES Bluntly pointed needles, blue-green above and pale blue below, to 1.5cm long, 4-angled, growing all round hairy, yellowish shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Cones ovoid, reddish and pendent, to 4cm long, usually growing near tree top. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for ornament.
    134621.jpg
  • Northern White Cedar Thuja occidentalis (Cupressaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Broadly conical tree. BARK Orange-brown, peeling in vertical strips. LEAVES Flattened, fern-like sprays of foliage show white, waxy bands below. Crushed leaves smell of apple and cloves. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones recall those of Western Red Cedar; female cones have rounded tips to cone scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Does not thrive here.
    134608.jpg
  • Canadian Snowy Mespil Amelanchier canadensis (Height to 15m). Similar to Snowy Mespil A. ovalis. Has mostly oblong leaves. Native of NE America, planted here.
    134484.jpg
  • Sassafras Sassafras albidum (Lauraceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
Medium-sized, columnar, deciduous tree. BARK Thick, reddish-brown, furrowed and aromatic bark. BRANCHES With thin, green shoots, particularly evident after leaf-fall. LEAVES Mostly elliptic and untoothed, to 15cm long and 10cm across, but sometimes with large lobes on either side. Upper surface is bright green and lower surface is bluish-green; leaves turn through yellow and orange to purple in autumn. Crushed leaves have a pleasing smell and to some they taste of orange and vanilla. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers are very small, greenish-yellow and without petals, growing in small clusters on separate plants and opening in the spring. Fruit is an ovoid berry, about 1cm long, ripening to a dark blue. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common native tree of E North America, growing in woods and thickets, and used as a raw ingredient for root beer and tea. Seen in Britain and Ireland in arboreta and well-established gardens.
    134477.jpg
  • Canadian Snowy Mespil Amelanchier canadensis (Height to 15m). Similar to Snowy Mespil A. ovalis. Has mostly oblong leaves. Native of NE America, planted here.
    134472.jpg
  • Rum Cherry (Black Cherry) Prunus serotina (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 22m. A spreading deciduous tree with a stout trunk. BARK Greyish, peeling away in strips and fissured in older trees; a strange, bitter smell is released if the bark is damaged. BRANCHES Spreading and dense, the outer extremes sometimes weeping. LEAVES Larger than those of Bird Cherry at up to 14cm long, shiny above and with fine forward-pointing teeth on the margin; the midrib on the underside has patches of hairs along it, which help separate this species from other similar cherries. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are very similar to those of Bird Cherry, but the spike may contain fewer than 30 flowers, the pedicels are shorter and the white petals are toothed at the margins. The black fruits contain a bitter-tasting flesh and a rounded smooth stone. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of N America, planted for timber and ornament in much of Europe, including Britain and Ireland, and naturalised in many places, including S England.
    133998.jpg
  • Red Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 25m <br />
Similar to Common Ash but generally smaller. BARK Deeply furrowed, reddish-brown. BRANCHES Stout with hairy twigs and brown winter buds. LEAVES Opposite, pinnate, to 22cm long with 7, rarely 9, oval, pointed leaflets. Each leaflet to 15cm long, toothed and pointed, 2 sides of blade not matching on petiole; undersides are usually hairy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers open before leaves in hairy clusters in leaf axils; sexes usually on separate trees. Male flowers are red and female flowers are greenish. Both sexes of flowers lack petals, but female flowers have 4 sepals. Single-winged fruits are up to 6cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, introduced into Britain and Ireland as an ornamental tree, but nowhere very common.
    133827.jpg
  • Red Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 25m <br />
Similar to Common Ash but generally smaller. BARK Deeply furrowed, reddish-brown. BRANCHES Stout with hairy twigs and brown winter buds. LEAVES Opposite, pinnate, to 22cm long with 7, rarely 9, oval, pointed leaflets. Each leaflet to 15cm long, toothed and pointed, 2 sides of blade not matching on petiole; undersides are usually hairy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers open before leaves in hairy clusters in leaf axils; sexes usually on separate trees. Male flowers are red and female flowers are greenish. Both sexes of flowers lack petals, but female flowers have 4 sepals. Single-winged fruits are up to 6cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, introduced into Britain and Ireland as an ornamental tree, but nowhere very common.
    133787.jpg
  • Escallonia Escallonia macrantha Height to 3m. Semi-evergreen shrub. Native to South America but widely cultiavated and planted for hedging. Thrives in warm, coastal locations. Leaves are oval, toothed and dark glossy green. Flowers are tubular and deep pink; borne in clusters (June-October).
    133643.jpg
  • Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Pinaceae Height to 60m<br />
Tall, slender, conical evergreen. Bark Greyish-green, often blistered. Branches in whorls. Needles to 3.5cm long, grooved above, with 2 white bands below. Reproductive parts Male flowers small and yellow. Female flowers resemble tiny pinkish shaving-brushes. Both sexes grow at tips of twigs. Status Native of W North America. Widely planted here for timber; thrives in Scotland.
    133282.jpg
  • Shagbark Hickory  Carya ovata (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Upright or slightly spreading tree with a broad, flattened crown. BARK Grey, splits into long scaly flakes. BRANCHES In winter, sparse branches support reddish twigs tipped with scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, 5 (sometimes 3 or 7) leaflets, to 20cm long, longer near tip of leaf. Each leaflet is oval to oblong, toothed, with tufts of short white hairs between teeth. Terminal leaflet is short-stalked. Leaves leathery, sometimes oily. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins green, to 15cm long, in spreading clusters. Female flowers small, yellowish, in terminal clusters. Fruits round, to 6cm long, on short stalks; contain white seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here occasionally.
    132948.jpg
  • Silver Maple Acer saccharinum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Broadly columnar tree with spreading crown; suckers freely. BARK Smooth, greyish but scaly with age. BRANCHES Numerous, slender and ascending with pendulous brownish twigs. LEAVES To 16cm long, deeply divided into 5 lobes with irregularly toothed margins, orange or red-tinted at first, green above later, but with silvery hairs below; petiole usually pink-tinged. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Yellowish-green flowers (no petals) in small short-stalked clusters of separate sexes in spring. Green, then brown, fruits are about 6cm long, with diverging wings and prominent veins. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here for ornament.
    132914.jpg
  • Weymouth Pine Pinus strobus (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 32m <br />
Mature tree has tapering trunk and rounded crown. BARK Dark grey. BRANCHES Level. LEAVES Blue-green needles; note tuft of hairs below each 10cm-long bunch of 5 needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Slender cones; basal scales often curve outwards. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here mainly for timber.
    132870.jpg
  • Weymouth Pine Pinus strobus (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 32m <br />
Mature tree has tapering trunk and rounded crown. BARK Dark grey. BRANCHES Level. LEAVES Blue-green needles; note tuft of hairs below each 10cm-long bunch of 5 needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Slender cones; basal scales often curve outwards. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here mainly for timber.
    132868.jpg
  • Red Maple Acer rubrum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 23m <br />
Fast-growing, spreading tree with an irregular crown.BARK Grey and smooth. BRANCHES Mostly ascending, but arch outwards. LEAVES To 10cm long and almost as wide, with 3–5 toothed lobes less than half the leaf width; red-tinged above at first, greener later, and silvery below, with a red petiole. Turn various shades of red and yellow in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS small red flowers in dense clusters on thin pedicels, open in spring before leaves. Males and females are separate. Bright-red winged fruits are about 1cm long, the wings diverging at a narrow angle. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, usually growing in damp habitats, grown here for its autumn foliage.
    132824.jpg
  • Tupelo (Black Gum) Nyssa sylvatica (Nyssaceae) HEIGHT to 25m <br />
Broadly columnar deciduous tree. BARK Dark-grey, ridged with squarish plates. BRANCHES Mostly level. LEAVES Ovate, to 15cm long and 8cm wide, tapering towards base. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Dioecious, to 1.5cm across with downy stalks to 3cm long. Male flowers in dense, rounded clusters, female flowers clusters of up to 4 flowers. Fruit is about 2cm long, egg-shaped and bluish-black. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, grown here for its exciting yellow, orange and red autumn colours. Favours warm, sheltered areas.
    132769.jpg
  • Sassafras Sassafras albidum (Lauraceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
Medium-sized, columnar, deciduous tree. BARK Thick, reddish-brown, furrowed and aromatic bark. BRANCHES With thin, green shoots, particularly evident after leaf-fall. LEAVES Mostly elliptic and untoothed, to 15cm long and 10cm across, but sometimes with large lobes on either side. Upper surface is bright green and lower surface is bluish-green; leaves turn through yellow and orange to purple in autumn. Crushed leaves have a pleasing smell and to some they taste of orange and vanilla. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers are very small, greenish-yellow and without petals, growing in small clusters on separate plants and opening in the spring. Fruit is an ovoid berry, about 1cm long, ripening to a dark blue. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common native tree of E North America, growing in woods and thickets, and used as a raw ingredient for root beer and tea. Seen in Britain and Ireland in arboreta and well-established gardens.
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  • Eastern Hemlock-spruce Tsuga canadensis (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Untidy tree with heavy branches, a forked trunk and dark foliage. BARK Blackish. LEAVES Needles, more tapering than those of Western Hemlock with a narrower tip; further row of leaves along middle of shoot twists to show white undersides. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male flowers small, yellowish, clustered along underside of shoots. Female cones 1.5cm long; cone scales have thickened edges. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America. Widely planted here.
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  • Silver Maple Acer saccharinum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Broadly columnar tree with spreading crown; suckers freely. BARK Smooth, greyish but scaly with age. BRANCHES Numerous, slender and ascending with pendulous brownish twigs. LEAVES To 16cm long, deeply divided into 5 lobes with irregularly toothed margins, orange or red-tinted at first, green above later, but with silvery hairs below; petiole usually pink-tinged. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Yellowish-green flowers (no petals) in small short-stalked clusters of separate sexes in<br />
spring. Green, then brown, fruits are about 6cm long, with diverging wings and prominent veins. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here for ornament.
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  • Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Rather slender, domed tree. BARK Dark greyish-brown, smooth in young trees, ridged with maturity. BRANCHES Slender and spreading. LEAVES 15cm-long, even more deeply lobed than Pin Oak but less strongly bristle-tipped. In summer, leaves are glossy green above and paler below with small hair-tufts in vein axils below. Turn brilliant red in autumn, especially in cultivar Q. coccinea ‘Splendens’. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns, to 2.5cm long, are rounded, half-enclosed in a slightly glossy cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Planted here for its brilliant autumn colours.
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  • Western Balsam-poplar Populus trichocarpa (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Fast-growing (up to 2m per year), columnar when mature with a tapering crown and trunk. BARK Dark-grey bark with shallow grooves and fissures. SHOOTS Stout. LEAVES Pointed, tapering, glossy-green above and white below; turn yellow in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins, produced in April, slender and pendulous: males reddish-brown and females greenish. Seeds are hairy and produced abundantly. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Pacific coast of N America, sometimes planted here.
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  • Western Balsam-poplar Populus trichocarpa (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Fast-growing (up to 2m per year), columnar when mature with a tapering crown and trunk. BARK Dark-grey bark with shallow grooves and fissures. SHOOTS Stout. LEAVES Pointed, tapering, glossy-green above and white below; turn yellow in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins, produced in April, slender and pendulous: males reddish-brown and females greenish. Seeds are hairy and produced abundantly. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Pacific coast of N America, sometimes planted here.
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  • Eastern Balsam-poplar Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Conical to slightly spreading tree with numerous ascending branches arising from a tapering bole; base of bole is often surrounded by suckers. BARK Thinner than in other poplars and narrowly grooved. SHOOTS Young shoots (and 2.5cm-long buds) are covered with shiny resin. LEAVES To 10cm long, oval and pointed at tip with finely toothed margins; dark shiny green above, paler and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Greenish catkins appear in late spring or early summer. Males (to 7.5cm long) and females (to 12.5cm long) on separate trees. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America. Cultivated here occasionally.
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  • Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos (Fabaceae) HEIGHT to 45m <br />
Tall deciduous tree with a high, domed crown; bole, branches and twigs are spiny. BARK Greyish purple. BRANCHES Mainly level, with curled twigs. LEAVES Alternate, either pinnate, with up to 18 pairs of 2–3cm-long leaflets, or bipinnate, with up to 14 leaflets no more than 2cm long. Leaf axes end in spines. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Tiny flowers open in June, are no more than 3mm long, may be male, female or both, and grow in compact clusters in leaf axils; greenish-white oval petals number from 3 to 5. Flattened pods with thickened edges, to 45cm long, are twisted or curved and become dark brown when ripe. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mississippi basin of N America, planted here for ornament.
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  • Cockspurthorn Crataegus crus-galli (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 10m <br />
A small, usually spreading deciduous tree with a flattish crown and a short bole. BARK Smooth and greyish-brown in young trees; in older trees it is fissured. BRANCHES Purple-brown twigs carry numerous 7–10cm-long sharp spines. LEAVES Up to 8cm long and about 3cm wide, increasing in width above the middle, with a toothed margin. Both surfaces are smooth and shiny, dark green in summer and turning a rich orange in autumn, often before other species have started to show colour changes. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The white flowers are<br />
about 1.5cm in diameter and grow in loose clusters, opening in May. The red globular fruits are ripe in October and persist after the leaves have fallen. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native tree in NE America, and often planted in Britain and Ireland as a garden or roadside tree, mostly for its striking orange autumn colours
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  • White Ash Fraxinus americana (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Broadly columnar deciduous tree. BARK Grey-brown, intricately ridged. BRANCHES Upright, with straight shoots. LEAVES Leaflets smooth above and white beneath; blades do not continue down the petiole. Autumn colour is unreliable (in our region) but can be impressive, with purple-bronze leaves. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Similar to Ash. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to E North America, planted here occasionally.
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  • White Ash Fraxinus americana (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Broadly columnar deciduous tree. BARK Grey-brown, intricately ridged. BRANCHES Upright, with straight shoots. LEAVES Leaflets smooth above and white beneath; blades do not continue down the petiole. Autumn colour is unreliable (in our region) but can be impressive, with purple-bronze leaves. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Similar to Ash. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to E North America, planted here occasionally.
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  • Red Oak Quercus rubra (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 35m <br />
Broadly conical tree. BARK Pale silvery-grey, sometimes brownish, and mostly smooth; fissured with age. LEAVES Large, usually 10–20cm long; deeply lobed, with smaller teeth terminating in fine hairs at tips of lobes. Green above and paler matt green below during growing season; turn red or brown in autumn. Young trees produce finest red colourings. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous male catkins appear in spring as leaves open, turning tree golden-yellow. Acorns rounded, in a neat scaly cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for autumn colours; naturalised occasionally.
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  • Western Hemlock-spruce Tsuga heterophylla (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 45m.  Large, narrowly conical evergreen with dense foliage; crown spire-like with drooping leading shoot. LEAVES Needles, dark glossy green above with 2 pale bands below, in 2 flattened rows on either side of shoot. Note, 2 leaf sizes (hence heterophylla): some 6mm long, others to 2cm long, both with rounded tips and toothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male flowers reddish at first, but yellowing with pollen. Female cones solitary, ovoid and pendent, to 3cm long; scales blunt. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of W North America. Widely planted here and reaches a great size.
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  • Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Pinaceae Height to 60m<br />
Tall, slender, conical evergreen. Bark Greyish-green, often blistered. Branches in whorls. Needles to 3.5cm long, grooved above, with 2 white bands below. Reproductive parts Male flowers small and yellow. Female flowers resemble tiny pinkish shaving-brushes. Both sexes grow at tips of twigs. Status Native of W North America. Widely planted here for timber; thrives in Scotland.
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  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
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  • Red Oak Quercus rubra (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 35m <br />
Broadly conical tree. BARK Pale silvery-grey, sometimes brownish, and mostly smooth; fissured with age. LEAVES Large, usually 10–20cm long; deeply lobed, with smaller teeth terminating in fine hairs at tips of lobes. Green above and paler matt green below during growing season; turn red or brown in autumn. Young trees produce finest red colourings. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous male catkins appear in spring as leaves open, turning tree golden-yellow. Acorns rounded, in a neat scaly cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for autumn colours; naturalised occasionally.
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  • Paper-bark Birch (Canoe-bark Birch) Betula papyrifera (Betulaceae) HEIGHT to 23m. A stout, spreading tree. Best recognized by studying its leaves. BARK Mostly white and smooth, flecked with grey or sometimes orange or brown; it peels horizontally into strips. BRANCHES Spreading, the shoots covered in rough warts and a few long hairs. LEAVES Large by birch standards (to 10cm long), dull green and with only 5 pairs of veins; they are borne on hairy stalks. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins, females of which eventually produces winged seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of northern N America from the east to the west coast. It is planted here as an ornamental tree, mainly for the novelty of its bark.
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  • Bitternut Carya cordiformis (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Large tree with a high conical crown. BARK Greyish, smooth at first becoming scaly with age, peeling flakes reveal orange patches beneath. BRANCHES Mostly straight and ascending, the greenish twigs tipped with elongated, yellowish and scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, with 9 leaflets (rarely 5–8); terminal leaflet stalkless. Individual leaflets elongated, pointed at tip with toothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins, to 7cm long, yellowish and pendulous. Fruits, to 3.5cm long, rounded to pear-shaped with 4 wings, concealing grey, smooth seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America; planted here mainly for ornament.
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  • Western Balsam-poplar Populus trichocarpa (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Fast-growing (up to 2m per year), columnar when mature with a tapering crown and trunk. BARK Dark-grey bark with shallow grooves and fissures. SHOOTS Stout. LEAVES Pointed, tapering, glossy-green above and white below; turn yellow in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins, produced in April, slender and pendulous: males reddish-brown and females greenish. Seeds are hairy and produced abundantly. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Pacific coast of N America, sometimes planted here.
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  • White Spruce Picea glauca (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 24m <br />
Narrowly conical evergreen, but broadening with maturity. BARK Purple-grey with roughly circular scales. BRANCHES Turn upwards at tips, bearing hairless, greyish twigs and blunt buds. LEAVES Pointed needles, 4-angled,to 1.3 cm long, pale green (sometimes bluish), and smelling unpleasantly to some when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Female cones are about 6cm long and 2cm across, cylindrical, pendent and orange-brown when ripe, with rounded margins to scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native northern North America, widely planted here for timber and ornament in Britain.
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  • Sweet Gum Liquidamber styraciflua (Hamamelidaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. A large tree with attractive foliage. BARK Greyish brown with scaly ridges. BRANCHES Twisting and spreading to upcurved. LEAVES Sharply lobed with a toothed margin. They are alternate and give off a resinous scent when crushed, unlike maple leaves, which they resemble. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are globose; fruits are spiny and pendulous, 2.5– 4cm across, resembling those of a Plane. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A widespread and common native tree of the south-eastern USA as far south as Central America. Familiar here as a colourful autumn tree in many parks and gardens.
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  • Eastern Hemlock-spruce Tsuga canadensis (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Untidy tree with heavy branches, a forked trunk and dark foliage. BARK Blackish. LEAVES Needles, more tapering than those of Western Hemlock with a narrower tip; further row of leaves along middle of shoot twists to show white undersides. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male flowers small, yellowish, clustered along underside of shoots. Female cones 1.5cm long; cone scales have thickened edges. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America. Widely planted here.
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  • Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos (Fabaceae) HEIGHT to 45m <br />
Tall deciduous tree with a high, domed crown; bole, branches and twigs are spiny. BARK Greyish purple. BRANCHES Mainly level, with curled twigs. LEAVES Alternate, either pinnate, with up to 18 pairs of 2–3cm-long leaflets, or bipinnate, with up to 14 leaflets no more than 2cm long. Leaf axes end in spines. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Tiny flowers open in June, are no more than 3mm long, may be male, female or both, and grow in compact clusters in leaf axils; greenish-white oval petals number from 3 to 5. Flattened pods with thickened edges, to 45cm long, are twisted or curved and become dark brown when ripe. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mississippi basin of N America, planted here for ornament.
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  • Weymouth Pine Pinus strobus (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 32m <br />
Mature tree has tapering trunk and rounded crown. BARK Dark grey. BRANCHES Level. LEAVES Blue-green needles; note tuft of hairs below each 10cm-long bunch of 5 needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Slender cones; basal scales often curve outwards. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here mainly for timber.
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  • Stag’s-horn Sumach Rhus typhina (Anacardiaceae) HEIGHT to 10m Small, spreading tree. BARK Brown. BRANCHES Downy. LEAVES Alternate, pinnate, with up to 29 leaflets, each leaflet up to 12cm long, coarsely toothed; produce fiery autumn colours. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Tiny flowers borne on separate sex trees; greenish male flowers and red female flowers red, in dense conical clusters, to 20cm long, at tips of twigs. Fruits resemble small nuts. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to N America, widely planted here and sometimes naturalised.
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  • Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis Shoulder height 90-100cm Stocky North American sheep, noted for the male's large horns.  Found in mountain ranges of western North America.
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  • Pika Ochotona princeps Length 16-20cm Small, dumpy relative of rabbits and hares with rather rounded head and proportionately large ears. Tail is small and indistinct externally. Lives amongst scree and boulders in western mountain ranges of North America.
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  • Red-eared Terrapin Trachemys scripta elegans Length to 25m Freshwater turtle, originating eastern North America. Body is protected by a shell comprising scale-like plates on dorsal surface. Neck and legs are striped; note red patch on side of head. Widely kept as a pet and often liberated, outside its range. Because it is a voracious predator, it is a conservation problem and regarded as an unwelcome invasive species.
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  • Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris. Each autumn, a scattering of genuinely wild ducks from North America arrive here, blown in by Atlantic gales. Typically they associate with their most similar European counterparts. Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris (L 38-45cm) is similar to a Tufted Duck but with a peaked crown and tri-coloured bill. Mainly black and white male has a vertical white line on flanks and brownish female has a white ‘spectacle’ around the eye.
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  • Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris. Each autumn, a scattering of genuinely wild ducks from North America arrive here, blown in by Atlantic gales. Typically they associate with their most similar European counterparts. Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris (L 38-45cm) is similar to a Tufted Duck but with a peaked crown and tri-coloured bill. Mainly black and white male has a vertical white line on flanks and brownish female has a white ‘spectacle’ around the eye.
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  • Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos. Westerly gales in September and October bring with them a crop of waders from across the Atlantic. Being powerful fliers, virtually any species that breeds in North America is a contender. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos (L 19-22cm) recalls a Dunlin but has yellow legs, white stripes on the back, and a clear demarcation between the clean white underparts and streaked breast.
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  • Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata. A couple of dozen or so North American songbirds are recorded in Britain each autumn; amongst them Blackpoll Warblers occasionally get blown off course by severe gales and end up in western Britain and Ireland. The species’ usual wintering grounds are northern South America.
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  • Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata. A couple of dozen or so North American songbirds are recorded in Britain each autumn; amongst them Blackpoll Warblers occasionally get blown off course by severe gales and end up in western Britain and Ireland. The species’ usual wintering grounds are northern South America.
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  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis. Westerly gales in September and October bring with them a crop of waders from across the Atlantic. Being powerful fliers, virtually any species that breeds in North America is a contender. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis (L 18-20cm) recalls a juvenile Ruff that is buffish overall with a scaly-looking back and yellow legs; usually found on short, coastal grassland.
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  • Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos. Westerly gales in September and October bring with them a crop of waders from across the Atlantic. Being powerful fliers, virtually any species that breeds in North America is a contender. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos (L 19-22cm) recalls a Dunlin but has yellow legs, white stripes on the back, and a clear demarcation between the clean white underparts and streaked breast.
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  • Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta (ssp. latifolia). Similar to Beach Pine (ssp. Pinaceae) Columnar with a less dense crown; usually grows on a much straighter, but sometimes divided trunk. Needles are broader than those of Beach Pine, and more spread apart. Grows in the mountains well inland away from sea. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS All trees have male flowers in dense clusters near the tips of shoots. Female flowers grow in groups of up to 4 close to the tip of the shoot. Cones are rounded to ovoid, up to 6cm long and 3cm in diameter, and usually a shiny yellow-brown. Each cone scale has a slender, sharp tip, which easily breaks off.<br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to coastal western North America, widely planted here for timber on poor soils and exposed, often upland, sites.
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  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis. Westerly gales in September and October bring with them a crop of waders from across the Atlantic. Being powerful fliers, virtually any species that breeds in North America is a contender. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis (L 18-20cm) recalls a juvenile Ruff that is buffish overall with a scaly-looking back and yellow legs; usually found on short, coastal grassland.
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  • Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos. Westerly gales in September and October bring with them a crop of waders from across the Atlantic. Being powerful fliers, virtually any species that breeds in North America is a contender. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos (L 19-22cm) recalls a Dunlin but has yellow legs, white stripes on the back, and a clear demarcation between the clean white underparts and streaked breast.
    155156.jpg
  • Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos. Westerly gales in September and October bring with them a crop of waders from across the Atlantic. Being powerful fliers, virtually any species that breeds in North America is a contender. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos (L 19-22cm) recalls a Dunlin but has yellow legs, white stripes on the back, and a clear demarcation between the clean white underparts and streaked breast.
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  • American Wigeon - Mareca americana - Male in flight. Each autumn, a scattering of genuinely wild ducks from North America arrive here, blown in by Atlantic gales. Typically they associate with their most similar European counterparts. American Wigeon Anas americana (L 48-55cm) is similar to Wigeon but males have a green eyestripe, creamy white forehead and crown, and speckled grey face.
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  • Paper-bark Birch (Canoe-bark Birch) Betula papyrifera (Betulaceae) HEIGHT to 23m. A stout, spreading tree. Best recognized by studying its leaves. BARK Mostly white and smooth, flecked with grey or sometimes orange or brown; it peels horizontally into strips. BRANCHES Spreading, the shoots covered in rough warts and a few long hairs. LEAVES Large by birch standards (to 10cm long), dull green and with only 5 pairs of veins; they are borne on hairy stalks. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins, females of which eventually produces winged seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of northern N America from the east to the west coast. It is planted here as an ornamental tree, mainly for the novelty of its bark. COMMENTS The freely peeling bark was once used by Native Americans to make canoes.
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  • Red-osier Dogwood Cornus sericea (Height to 3m) is a shrub with dark red, or yellow, twigs in winter. Leaves ovate, to 10cm long, with pointed tips. Native of N America, planted here, sometimes naturalised.
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  • Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Rather slender, domed tree. BARK Dark greyish-brown, smooth in young trees, ridged with maturity. BRANCHES Slender and spreading. LEAVES 15cm-long, even more deeply lobed than Pin Oak but less strongly bristle-tipped. In summer, leaves are glossy green above and paler below with small hair-tufts in vein axils below. Turn brilliant red in autumn, especially in cultivar Q. coccinea ‘Splendens’. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns, to 2.5cm long, are rounded, half-enclosed in a slightly glossy cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Planted here for its brilliant autumn colours.
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  • Bitternut Carya cordiformis (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Large tree with a high conical crown. BARK Greyish, smooth at first becoming scaly with age, peeling flakes reveal orange patches beneath. BRANCHES Mostly straight and ascending, the greenish twigs tipped with elongated, yellowish and scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, with 9 leaflets (rarely 5–8); terminal leaflet stalkless. Individual leaflets elongated, pointed at tip with toothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins, to 7cm long, yellowish and pendulous. Fruits, to 3.5cm long, rounded to pear-shaped with 4 wings, concealing grey, smooth seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America; planted here mainly for ornament.
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  • Bitternut Carya cordiformis (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Large tree with a high conical crown. BARK Greyish, smooth at first becoming scaly with age, peeling flakes reveal orange patches beneath. BRANCHES Mostly straight and ascending, the greenish twigs tipped with elongated, yellowish and scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, with 9 leaflets (rarely 5–8); terminal leaflet stalkless. Individual leaflets elongated, pointed at tip with toothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins, to 7cm long, yellowish and pendulous. Fruits, to 3.5cm long, rounded to pear-shaped with 4 wings, concealing grey, smooth seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America; planted here mainly for ornament.
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  • Californian Laurel Umbellularia californica (Lauraceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Dense evergreen with a domed crown and similar foliage to Bay. BARK Grey and cracked. BRANCHES Much-divided. LEAVES Similar to Bay but typically narrower and paler green or yellowish-green. Crushed leaves give off a stronger scent than those of Bay, which can induce painful headaches and nausea in some people. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Yellowish flowers grow in small, dense, rounded clusters and fruits are rounded and greenish, ripening to purple. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of W coast of North America, cultivated in milder parts of our region where some fine trees exist.
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  • Shagbark Hickory  Carya ovata (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Upright or slightly spreading tree with a broad, flattened crown. BARK Grey, splits into long scaly flakes. BRANCHES In winter, sparse branches support reddish twigs tipped with scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, 5 (sometimes 3 or 7) leaflets, to 20cm long, longer near tip of leaf. Each leaflet is oval to oblong, toothed, with tufts of short white hairs between teeth. Terminal leaflet is short-stalked. Leaves leathery, sometimes oily. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins green, to 15cm long, in spreading clusters. Female flowers small, yellowish, in terminal clusters. Fruits round, to 6cm long, on short stalks; contain white seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here occasionally.
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  • Engelmann’s Spruce Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Slender, conical evergreen. Trunk thin and narrowly tapering. BARK Greyish pink and scaly. BRANCHES Ascending and turning upwards at tips, with pendulous young shoots. LEAVES Pointed, 4-angled, bluish-green needles, to 2.5cm long, spread to reveal twig’s lower surface but hide upper surface; smell is unpleasant when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Narrowly oval cones, tapering to a point, to 7cm long, ripening brownish, with squarish toothed scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Rocky Mountains in N America. Planted here, but scarce.
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  • Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Rather slender, domed tree. BARK Dark greyish-brown, smooth in young trees, ridged with maturity. BRANCHES Slender and spreading. LEAVES 15cm-long, even more deeply lobed than Pin Oak but less strongly bristle-tipped. In summer, leaves are glossy green above and paler below with small hair-tufts in vein axils below. Turn brilliant red in autumn, especially in cultivar Q. coccinea ‘Splendens’. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns, to 2.5cm long, are rounded, half-enclosed in a slightly glossy cup. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America. Planted here for its brilliant autumn colours.
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  • Bitternut Carya cordiformis (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Large tree with a high conical crown. BARK Greyish, smooth at first becoming scaly with age, peeling flakes reveal orange patches beneath. BRANCHES Mostly straight and ascending, the greenish twigs tipped with elongated, yellowish and scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, with 9 leaflets (rarely 5–8); terminal leaflet stalkless. Individual leaflets elongated, pointed at tip with toothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins, to 7cm long, yellowish and pendulous. Fruits, to 3.5cm long, rounded to pear-shaped with 4 wings, concealing grey, smooth seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of eastern N America; planted here mainly for ornament.
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  • Shagbark Hickory  Carya ovata (Juglandaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Upright or slightly spreading tree with a broad, flattened crown. BARK Grey, splits into long scaly flakes. BRANCHES In winter, sparse branches support reddish twigs tipped with scaly buds. LEAVES Compound, 5 (sometimes 3 or 7) leaflets, to 20cm long, longer near tip of leaf. Each leaflet is oval to oblong, toothed, with tufts of short white hairs between teeth. Terminal leaflet is short-stalked. Leaves leathery, sometimes oily. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins green, to 15cm long, in spreading clusters. Female flowers small, yellowish, in terminal clusters. Fruits round, to 6cm long, on short stalks; contain white seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here occasionally.
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  • Engelmann’s Spruce Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Slender, conical evergreen. Trunk thin and narrowly tapering. BARK Greyish pink and scaly. BRANCHES Ascending and turning upwards at tips, with pendulous young shoots. LEAVES Pointed, 4-angled, bluish-green needles, to 2.5cm long, spread to reveal twig’s lower surface but hide upper surface; smell is unpleasant when crushed. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Narrowly oval cones, tapering to a point, to 7cm long, ripening brownish, with squarish toothed scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Rocky Mountains in N America. Planted here, but scarce.
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