Preface
Every American wants to have at least a speaking acquaintance with the trees that make up our great national heritage, the unequalled forests of North America. The camper, the tramper, the woodsman, the gardener, the motorist, and the inquisitive school girl and boy, all wish to know the names, the uses, and the ranges of our native trees. There are more than 400 tree species in North America, north of Mexico, and in so small a book it is impossible to include all. Species from every section of the country have been selected so that this little book is as serviceable near San Francisco as near New York, in Alaska as in Georgia, and throughout Canada.
The names of trees are confusing to learn only because lumbermen, farmers, foresters, guides, and botanists all have different names for the same tree. Again, one name, like Bull Pine or Scrub Oak, may be applied to a dozen kinds of trees, in different regions. It has been thought best in most cases to use only one name, chosen from the least provincial and most literate sources. The Latin names are those now used at the great Arnold Arboretum, except in a few cases that might confuse the beginner.
Measurements and other characterizations of trees in the text apply to mature growths of the season or to trees at the height of their life cycle, not to early spring condition, nor to the appearance of saplings or ancient, decrepit trees. Particularly the shape as described applies to trees growing in the open. Under crowded forest conditions all trees tend to have spindling outlines. At the limits of their ranges many trees become mere shrubs. They develop most luxuriously near their centers of distribution.
Shape with a pyramidal head, becoming round topped in age, 15-90 ft. tall. Bark smoothish, thin, dark gray-brown, fissured into narrow ridges. Branches spreading, slightly pendulous. Needles flat, scattered along the twigs, the undersides marked with two whitish lines. Fruit olive-like or plum-like, green becoming purple-streaked, consisting in a fleshy aril in an open pit of which is buried the nutmeg-like seed. Range: n. Coast Ranges and central Sierra Nevada of Calif. Of tree size only near the coast, this curious tree is unlike any other in America except FLORIDA YEW (Torreya floridana) a little tree, rare in nw. Fla. with dark purple flesh on the fruit. PACIFIC YEW (Taxus brevifolia) has short, slender, yellowish-green needles and a scarlet fleshy coat around the seed. Alaska to Mont., and Sierra Nevada.
Shape broadly round topped; 40-50 ft. tall. Trunk massive, short. Bark on young growth light gray, on old breaking into scales, furrowed and finally black. Branches whorled and open. Needles in clusters of five, stout, rigid, short, forming clusters at branch ends. Cones 3-4 in. long; scales thick; seeds not winged. Range Albt. to w. Tex., mts. of the Gt. Basin and up the e. slopes of the Sierras; rare on the Calif. side. WHITE BARKED PINE (Pinus albicaulis) similar, with silvery bark, short needles, small cones, and edible seeds. Goes to the timberline in the Rockies and Pacific Coast Ranges. SILVER PINE (Pinus monticola) resembles the next species but has stouter, rigid leaves without white lines. A splendid timber tree reaching 150 ft. Mont. to Ida., s. in the Sierras to Calif.
Shape pagoda-like, up to 250 ft. tall. Bark bluish-black, smooth or in age forming large plates. Branches whorled on young trees, horizontal. Needles clustered in fives, soft, slender, 3-4 in. long, bluish-green with white lines. Cones often curved, 4-6 in. long. Range: Newf. to Gt. Lakes region and Minn., s. from the Virginias on the mts. to Ga. The wood is light, soft, even-grained and beautiful, used for interior finishing. “Soft Pine” has played a great role in our history. In the days of wooden battleships it made the tallest masts. Appreciated by the first colonists, it was wildly exploited in the last century. Railroads were bent to great stands of it, wooden cities and mushroom fortunes arose from its exploitation and great fleets were built to export it. Now desolate stump lands tell the decline of an empire.
Shape with a broad, flat topped crown. Trunk up to 220 ft. tall, massive, usually clothed with branches to the ground. Bark smooth, dark gray on young branches, thick and scaly on old trunks, the plates purplish brown to cinnamon. Branches in remote regular whorls, the upper in age very elongated, bending under the weight of many big cones. Needles 5 in a cluster, stout, rigid, 3-4 in. long, dark green. Cones very large, 12-18 in. long. Range: mts. of extreme s. Ore. along Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada of Calif. This wood is like that of White Pine, easily worked, pale, lustrous, handsome, similarly employed. Tallest and mightiest of all pines in the world, it is famous for its stateliness. A sugary matter exudes from cuts in this tree, but it may only be safely eaten in small quantities.
Shape bushy finally broad topped, 10-40 ft. tall. Trunk slim, straggling. Bark irregularly ridged, becoming covered by light ruddy scales. Branches horizontal, crooked. Needles in clusters of 2 (rarely 3) stout, rigid, ¾-1½ in. long. Cones only ½-¾ in. long, with thick scale-ends, yellowish-green, lustrous. Range: Foothills of the Rockies from Colo. to w. Tex. and through interior desert states to Mex. The sweet edible seeds are an article of commerce in Mexico and the West. A precious fuel in the desert states, wood of this scrubby tree gives off a fragrant smoke that is characteristic of the southwestern towns and Indian villages. ONE NEEDLE PINE (Pinus monophylla). Needles solitary, blue-green. Cone brown. A little tree. Calif. to Ariz. and Colo. NUT PINE (Pinus Parryana) Needles 4 in a cluster, blue-green, in-curved, 1½-2 in. long. Cone brown. Seeds edible. Centr. and s. Calif.
Shape broadly pyramidal in youth, broad topped in age; up to 150 ft. tall. Trunk 2-5 ft. thick. Bark gray, shallowly fissured into broad flat ridges, loosely scaly. Branches stout, spreading, often drooping, but twigs generally ascending. Needles in clusters of 2, rigid, stout, triangular, dark, glossy, 5-6 in. long. Cones thin scaled, 2-6 in. long. Range: e. Can. N.E., N.Y., n. Gt. Lakes region, w. Pa. The strong, ruddy wood is greatly in demand for bridges and buildings. Masts and spars made from it went round the world in the old clipper ships. Often erroneously called “Norway Pine” (a name also given to a European spruce) this is what the old lumberjacks of the North Woods meant by “Hard Pine.” This stately, colorful pine is one of the most picturesque of our trees.
Shape spire-like, round topped, up to 200 ft. tall. Trunk massive. Bark ruddy, round ridged, scaly in age, with huge plates. Branches short, thick, forked, often drooping. Needles in clusters of 3, densely crowded at branch tips, dark yellow-green. Cones densely clustered, oval-oblong, lustrous, ruddy, sometimes hook-scaled. Range B.C. to Ore. and s. in the Sierra Nevada to Calif. ROCKY MT. YELLOW PINE (Pinus scopulorum) differs in little except its shorter stature (not over 75 ft.), shorter needles, often in clusters of 2, blackish bark, and smaller, stouter cones. Black Hills and Big Horn Mts., high lands of w. Neb., and Rockies from Wyo. to N. Mex. Both are among the most important timber trees of the West. Lumbermen recognize many varieties of their woods. JEFFREY’S PINE (Pinus Jeffreyi) is similar, symmetrical, with long bluish green needles; twigs bloomy. Ore. to s. Calif.
Shape oblong, 50-100 ft. tall. Trunk ponderous, often clean and branchless high up. Bark deep ruddy brown, broken in age into broad armor-like plates built up of flaky scales. Needles 3-6 in. long in clusters of 2, deep olive green, slender. Cones very small. Range: Staten Island to s. Ga., and centr. Miss., not on the s. coast plain or in high Appalachians or bottom lands of Mississippi valley. Again in Ark., sw. Mo., ne. Tex., sw. Ill., Ky. and Tenn. Lumbermen recognize two varieties of this important tree, the upland wood which is hard and heavy, much valued for interior finish, and a weak, fast-growing type from lowlands. BLACK PINE (Pinus rigida) has dark needles in threes, 3-4½ in. long, and cones 2-2½ in. long, ranging from Me. to n. Ga. and w. Tenn.; this is a picturesque, short, dark, contorted tree without much timber value.
Shape high branched, broad crowned; up to 150 ft. tall. Bark rough, gray-brown, or ruddy, separating in big, long scales. Branches wide spreading, at maturity confined to top of stem. Needles slender, rigid, lustrous light green, 3 or 4 in a cluster, 6 in. long. Cones large with thick bristly scales. Range: Del. to n. Fla., rarely reaching the Appalachians except in the Virginias: along the Gulf to e. Tex., n. in Mississippi Basin to Tenn. The wood is soft, coarse grained and brittle in the case of second-growth trees. Formerly virgin Loblolly timber (now rare) was among the strongest and most durable of American pine woods. The man-of-war “Roanoke” carried an immense mast cut from N. C. Loblolly that had 302 annual rings; this tree regularly furnished the best naval construction material.
Shape spindling, a little broader at the crown, 50-100 ft. tall. Bark smooth, thin, with red-brown plates. Branches short, horizontal, scaly. Needles in threes, 10-15 in. long, gleaming and beautiful. Cones 6-10 in. long. Range: Norfolk Va. along the coast to centr. Fla.; far inland in the Gulf States, up to e. Tenn. The wood, strong and durable when not tapped for turpentine, is used for interior finish, bridges, trestles, masts, spars and especially for railway carriages. This valuable tree, with the longest needles and largest cones in the eastern states, is the great tar, pitch, and turpentine tree that has supplied the world with most of its naval stores. With the vanishing of virgin timber, the flow of turpentine has become greatly diminished. SLASH PINE (Pinus caribaea) is a similar, very slender spindly tree with small high crown, which forms monotonous open grooves from S. C. to Fla. and Cuba.
Shape if well developed broad topped, but usually stunted and scraggling; 15-100 ft. tall. Trunk slim, often contorted. Bark ruddy brown, gray and shaggy with age, forming irregular ridges. Branches wide spreading, their twigs often drooping and ruddy. Needles scrubby, rigid, twisted. Cones 1-2 in. long, remaining closed and grayish for years, finally brown, 1-2 in. long. Range: N.S. to L. Mistassinie and the Mackenzie R., skirting well south of James’ Bay; Gt. Lakes region to centr. Minn. Though of little value save for fuel, this tree grows in acid, rocky country where no other tree would. Everywhere associated with poor soil, poverty, and bleak conditions, it is called “Unlucky Tree” and superstitiously feared by French Canadians. The old lumberjacks of the North Woods designated this contemptuously as “scrub pine.”
Shape broad spreading at the top; 40-90 ft. tall. Bark dark, with braided fissures. Branches clothing stem near to base, lower extended. Needles pale, 3 in a cluster, 5-14 in. long, very scant. Cones 10-13 in. long, 5-7½ in. thick. Range: Coast Ranges of centr. and s. Calif. Scarcely prepossessing in stature or foliage, this tree has the largest cones among all pines. DIGGER PINE (Pinus Sabiniana) is similar, ranging in a circle of the lower mts. surrounding the interior valleys of Calif. Shape an open, broom-like crown, trunks usually leaning and soon forking umbrella-wise. Needles grayish, scanty, clustered at twig ends, 7-13½ in. long. Cones 6-10 in. long, 5-7 in. thick; scales with big down-bent hook prickles. Seeds large, black-coated, sweet, eaten by the Indians (“Diggers”) of Calif.
Shape narrowly pyramidal, 70-80 ft. tall. Bark close, firm, light orange-brown. Branches ascending near the top, the lower down sweeping. Needles stout, 2-3 in. long. Cones clustered, ¾-2 in. long. Also called Tamarack Pine, this lofty slender tree makes dense monotonous forests from the Yukon along the Rockies to s. Colo. and Utah, and along the Sierras to s. Calif. It is used for mine timbers, railway ties, and its very tall, slender, straight stems furnished the western Indians with tepee poles. BEACH PINE (Pinus contorta) differs in being a stunted tree of bogs, shores, and windswept dunes from Alaska to Calif.; stems twisted: hark thick and dark; head broad and picturesque; needles darker green, 1-1½ in. long. The two species intergrade, but the second, in contrast, is quite useless.
Shape narrow or in old trees broadly pyramidal; 30-90 ft. tall. Trunk slender. Bark smooth, ruddy brown, or on old trees rough with rounded scales. Branches, horizontal or sweeping down, with young ones, borne in thick clusters at the tip of the knob-like projections from the twigs, falling in winter, renewed each spring, soft, ¾-1 in. long. Cones remaining on the tree all winter, brown turning black. Range: Bogs throughout the Can. forest belt to the arctic tree line; not on the Rockies; s. to Gt. Lakes basin, n. Mississippi basin, N.E., N.Y., n. Pa. The wood, heavy, strong, rather coarse, is durable in contact with the soil. It is employed for ship timbers, ties, and fence posts. The gum was used as a wound balm by the Pilgrims. When leafing out in spring the Larch is very lovely.