Forest Trees Of Texas: How To Know Them - free ebook by Wilbur R. (Wilbur Reed) Mattoon

Read as playlist

Forest Trees Of Texas: How To Know Them

Wilbur R. (Wilbur Reed) Mattoon

157 chapters

3 hour read

Read as playlist

Selected Chapters

157 chapters

Forest Trees of Texas How To Know Them

Forest Trees of Texas How To Know Them

Eighth Edition Ninth Printing October, 1990 TEXAS FOREST SERVICE A PART OF THE TEXAS A&amp;M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS BULLETIN 20 APRIL, 1963 Tree increases each year in height and spread of branches by adding on new growth of twigs Air supplies carbon the principal food of the tree taken in on under surface of leaves. Leaves prepare the food obtained from air and soil and give off moisture by transpiration. Light and heat are necessary for the chemical changes The breathing

1 minute read

Read Chapter

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The first edition of Forest Trees of Texas—How to Know Them was assembled by W. R. Matoon and C. B. Webster in 1928. The sections, “Trees as Mankind’s Friends”, “Studying a Tree”, “Other Texas Trees”, drawings of twigs, leaves and fruits , and the glossary were incorporated into the fourth and fifth editions by S. L. Frost and D. A. Anderson. The sixth and seventh editions were edited by H. E. Weaver and W. A. Smith, respectively. Some of the drawings used in this publication were made available

1 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS TREES

TEXAS TREES

A tree is generally defined as a woody plant having one well-defined stem and a more or less definitely formed crown , usually attaining a height of at least eight feet. Using water and minerals from the soil, gases from the air and energy from the sun, a tree manufactures the food it needs for growth and reproduction. Trees, like man, grow rapidly when they are young but gradually their growth decreases; they begin to deteriorate and eventually die. Nature then reduces them to the elements from

3 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS FOREST SERVICE

TEXAS FOREST SERVICE

In 1915, the 34th Texas Legislature created by law the State Department of Forestry and made it a part of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. In 1925, the department became the Texas Forest Service. As it grew, its service to Texas increased. It now helps protect Texas’ forest resources against fire, insects and disease; assists woodland owners in the proper management of their lands; makes available seedlings for reforestation and windbreak purposes; conducts research in forest tr

1 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

TEXAS FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

The Texas Forestry Association is a statewide, nonprofit agency concerned primarily with the educational phase of forest conservation. Organized in 1914, the Association was largely responsible for the passage of the law which created the Department of Forestry at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, and from which the Texas Forest Service emerged. For more than 48 years, this organization has cooperated with the Texas Forest Service and other interested agencies in promoting the fo

25 minute read

Read Chapter

ARBOR DAY

ARBOR DAY

The growing dependency of man upon forest resources for raw materials, products, watershed protection, conservation of certain wildlife and recreation gives added significance to Arbor Day which is set aside annually to pay tribute to trees. Arbor Day originated in Nebraska in 1872. It was first celebrated in Texas in 1889 on George Washington’s birthday, February 22. In 1949, the Texas State Legislature adopted the following resolution: Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the State of

1 minute read

Read Chapter

STATE TREE

STATE TREE

The pecan, Carya illinoensis , (Wangenh.) K. Koch, was officially designated as the state tree of Texas by an act of the legislature in June 1919. By an amendment in 1927, certain state agencies were requested to give due consideration to the pecan tree when beautifying state parks and other public property belonging to the state. Trees, like people, become friends only when we have become well acquainted with them and have a knowledge of the characteristics that make them something special to u

1 minute read

Read Chapter

LEAF SHAPES

LEAF SHAPES

LEAF FORMS LEAF APEXES LEAF MARGINS LEAF BASES THE COMPLETE FLOWER Sepals collectively designated as calyx . Petals collectively designated as corolla . The ripened ovary comprises the fruit . Ripened ovules of the ovary comprise the seed of the fruit . A flower lacking either calyx , corolla , stamens , or pistil is an incomplete flower. If the male and female flower parts occur in separate flowers on the same tree the species is said to be monoecious . If the male and female flowers occur on s

1 minute read

Read Chapter

LIMBER PINE (Rocky Mountain White Pine) Pinus flexilis var. flexilis James

LIMBER PINE (Rocky Mountain White Pine) Pinus flexilis var. flexilis James

Limber pine is abundant in the Rocky Mountains and in scattered areas over much of the West. In Texas, limber pine may be found in the Guadalupe and Davis Mountains of West Texas. As the name indicates, the branches and twigs are especially flexible and tough, often light purple in color. The branches form a rounded tree top or head. The trunk is stout and noticeably tapered. The needle-like LEAVES are in clusters of five. They are stiff and stout, about 2 to 3 inches long, and arranged in clust

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PINYON (Nut Pine) Pinus edulis Engelm.

PINYON (Nut Pine) Pinus edulis Engelm.

Pinyon is found as scattered trees or in small groves over the mountains and canyons in the western part of the state to elevations of 8,000 feet. It is a small tree, grows on warm slopes or in sheltered locations, and forms a bushy top with orange-colored branchlets. The needle-like LEAVES grow in bundles of two (rarely 3); whereas in Pinus cembroides Zucc., the Mexican Pinyon, there are usually three needles per cluster. The dark green needles are approximately one inch long, stiff, stout, and

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PONDEROSA PINE (Western Yellow Pine) Pinus ponderosa Laws.

PONDEROSA PINE (Western Yellow Pine) Pinus ponderosa Laws.

Ponderosa pine is the most important commercial pine of the Southwest and many parts of the Rocky Mountain region. It reaches the southeastern limit of its range in the Guadalupe and Davis Mountains of West Texas where it is scattered and of little commercial value. It is favored as an ornamental in the Texas Panhandle. PONDEROSA PINE ( Fruit and leaves, one-half natural size) The needle-like LEAVES are in bundles of three and are mostly 5 to 8 inches long. The needles, massed toward the ends of

50 minute read

Read Chapter

LOBLOLLY PINE Pinus taeda L.

LOBLOLLY PINE Pinus taeda L.

This fast-growing yellow pine is the most abundant and valuable species in Southeast Texas from Orange County west to Walker and Waller Counties. The species is also abundant northward to the Oklahoma line. Loblolly pine also constitutes the pine of the “Lost Pine Region” in the vicinity of Bastrop. LOBLOLLY PINE ( Fruit and leaves, one-half natural size) Loblolly invades abandoned fields rapidly. For this reason it is often called old field pine. In the virgin forest of Texas, loblolly pine was

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SHORTLEAF PINE (Yellow Pine) Pinus echinata Mill.

SHORTLEAF PINE (Yellow Pine) Pinus echinata Mill.

Shortleaf pine is an important pine over a wide area in Northeast Texas, and is common in other parts of the “Piney Woods.” Essentially a tree of the hilly section, growing in pure stands and in mixture with hardwoods , the mature tree has a tall straight stem and an oval crown , reaching a height of about 100 feet and a diameter of about 2½ feet. Unlike other southern pines, young shortleaf pine trees may reproduce by sprouts when cut or burned back. SHORTLEAF PINE ( Fruit , natural size; leave

1 minute read

Read Chapter

LONGLEAF PINE Pinus palustris Mill.

LONGLEAF PINE Pinus palustris Mill.

Young longleaf pine with its single upright stem, candle-like silvery buds, and long, shiny leaves form a handsome tree. In later youth the stalwart, sparingly-branched sapling, with heavy twigs and gray bark , attracts immediate attention. Mature trees have tall, straight trunks, 1-3 feet in diameter and open irregular crowns . Longleaf pine grows in sandy soils from Orange County, north to Sabine County and west to Trinity County. A hybrid cross between longleaf and loblolly pine is often foun

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SLASH PINE Pinus elliottii var. elliottii

SLASH PINE Pinus elliottii var. elliottii

Slash pine is not a native of Texas, its natural range in the United States being along the coast from South Carolina to eastern Louisiana. The initial planting of slash pine in East Texas was made on the E. O. Siecke State Forest near Kirbyville in 1926. It has been widely planted in East Texas, and has been so successful in its growth and adaptability to the region that it is now accepted as a forest tree of the State. It is much favored for reforestation by planting because of its exceedingly

1 minute read

Read Chapter

DOUGLAS-FIR Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Belssn.) Franco

DOUGLAS-FIR Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Belssn.) Franco

This valuable timber tree of the western United States reaches its extreme southeastern limit in the mountains of West Texas. It is a small tree locally but in the Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir reaches a height of 250 feet and a diameter of 10 to 12 feet. The needle-like LEAVES are linear , more or less flattened, about an inch in length, bluish green, and arranged closely in spirals around the stem. They remain on the twigs for many years. The buds are a rich reddish-brown and pointed. DOUGLAS-

52 minute read

Read Chapter

BALDCYPRESS Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.

BALDCYPRESS Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.

Baldcypress grows in swamps which are flooded for prolonged periods, and on wet stream banks and bottomlands. It occurs in East Texas west to the Nueces River. The straight trunk has numerous ascending branches, and narrow conical outline. In old age the tree generally has a broad fluted , or buttressed base, a smooth slowly tapering trunk and a broad, open, flat top of a few heavy branches and numerous small branchlets. Virgin-growth timber attains heights up to 130 feet and diameters up to 10

59 minute read

Read Chapter

ASHE JUNIPER (Mexican Juniper--Mountain Cedar) Juniperus ashei Buchholz

ASHE JUNIPER (Mexican Juniper--Mountain Cedar) Juniperus ashei Buchholz

In Central and West Texas are found no less than nine species of cedars or junipers, including one eastern, one southern, and seven western species. Of these, the most abundant and important is the Mexican juniper. This tree often forms extensive low forests or dense breaks on the limestone hills and slopes of the Edwards Plateau and Grand Prairie. ASHE JUNIPER (Berry-like fruit and leaves, two-thirds natural size) The trunk is covered with shreddy, brown or reddish-brown BARK . The LEAVES are d

54 minute read

Read Chapter

EASTERN REDCEDAR Juniperus virginiana L.

EASTERN REDCEDAR Juniperus virginiana L.

Redcedar is scattered through East Texas, usually on gravelly ridges and rocky hillsides of the uplands. There are two kinds of LEAVES, usually both on the same tree. The most common is dark green, minute, and scale-like, clasping the twig in four ranks, so that the twig appears square. The other kind, usually appearing on young growth, or vigorous shoots, is awl-shaped, quite sharp-pointed, spreading, and whitened. The BARK is thin, reddish-brown, turning ashy-gray on exposed surfaces, and peel

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK WALNUT Juglans nigra L.

BLACK WALNUT Juglans nigra L.

This valuable forest tree occurs on rich bottomlands and moist fertile hillsides as far west as the San Antonio River. It may attain a height of nearly 100 feet with a straight stem, clear of branches for half of its height. The BARK is thick, dark brown in color, and divided by rather deep fissures into rounded ridges. The LEAVES are alternate , compound , 1 to 2 feet long, consisting of from 15 to 23 leaflets of a yellowish-green color. The leaflets are about 3 inches long, extremely tapering

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PECAN Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch

PECAN Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch

Pecan, the “State tree” of Texas, is found native in the state from the Piney Woods west throughout Central Texas, centering in the watershed of the Colorado River. It makes an excellent shade tree and is very valuable for the nut crop it bears. Many varieties are planted in orchards. The pecan is a tall-growing tree, attaining heights of over 100 feet. When grown in the open it forms a large, rounded, symmetrical top. The outer BARK is rough, hard, tight, but broken into scales ; on the limbs i

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BITTERNUT HICKORY (Pignut) Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch

BITTERNUT HICKORY (Pignut) Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch

Bitternut, the only hickory with bright yellow buds, is a tall slender tree with a broad pyramidal crown , attaining a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet. It is found in the eastern part of the state on moist rich soils, and is not abundant. The BARK on the trunk is granite-gray, faintly tinged with yellow, less rough than in most hickories, yet broken into thin, plate-like scales . BITTERNUT HICKORY (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and fruit , one-third natural size) The bright

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WATER HICKORY Carya aquatica (Michx. f.) Nutt.

WATER HICKORY Carya aquatica (Michx. f.) Nutt.

This tree, as its name indicates, grows in bottomlands and rich, wet woods. It is found throughout the eastern portion of the state. It is not a large hickory, seldom attaining a height of 100 feet or a diameter of 2 feet. It is slender, with upright branches forming a narrow head. It is easily distinguished from other hickories by its reddish-brown winter buds which are covered with yellow glands that fall off easily. WATER HICKORY ( Fruit and twig, two-thirds natural size; leaf, one-fourth nat

58 minute read

Read Chapter

SHAGBARK HICKORY Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch

SHAGBARK HICKORY Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch

Shagbark hickory is found from eastern Texas to Florida and north to the St. Lawrence River and Minnesota. It is a large tree of commercial importance reaching 100 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. It thrives best on rich, damp soil. The BARK of the trunk is rougher than on other hickories, light gray and separating into thick plates which are only slightly attached to the tree. The large terminal winter buds are egg-shaped, the persistent outer bud-scales having narrow tips. SHAGBARK

1 minute read

Read Chapter

MOCKERNUT HICKORY Carya tomentosa Nutt.

MOCKERNUT HICKORY Carya tomentosa Nutt.

Mockernut, white, or bigbud hickory, is common on well-drained soils in the eastern part of the state. It is a short-limbed tree up to 60 feet high and 1 to 2 feet in diameter. The BARK is dark gray, hard, closely and deeply furrowed, often apparently cross-furrowed or netted. The winter BUDS are large, round or broadly egg-shaped, and covered with downy , hard scales . The outer, dark scales fall off readily in the autumn. The recent shoots are short, stout and more or less covered with a downy

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK HICKORY Carya texana Buckl.

BLACK HICKORY Carya texana Buckl.

This is a common hickory in northern and eastern Texas, growing on hillsides and sandy uplands with post and black jack oaks. It is distinguished by its rusty brown hairs found on the young leaves and branches. It forms a tree 60 to 75 feet high, with a trunk 2 feet in diameter. BLACK HICKORY (Leaf, one-fourth natural size; fruit , one-third natural size; twig, three-fourths natural size) The BARK is dark gray or nearly black, deeply divided into rough ridges, or it may be irregularly fissured a

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CORKWOOD Leitneria floridana Chapm.

CORKWOOD Leitneria floridana Chapm.

This lightest of all native woods in the United States grows in river swamps near the Gulf, about the mouth of the Brazos River. It is a small tree reaching a height of 20 feet, or a shrub, depending upon the location and natural conditions. The base is usually swollen. The straight, gradually tapering trunk is crowned with a loose, open-topped head. The young branchlets are coated with hairs which later drop, leaving a smooth, dark, red-brown stem. CORKWOOD (Leaf, one-half natural size; fruit a

1 minute read

Read Chapter

EASTERN COTTONWOOD Populus deltoides (Bartr.)

EASTERN COTTONWOOD Populus deltoides (Bartr.)

This cottonwood is found along streams throughout the state. The tree is easily propagated by cutting and grows rapidly, hence it has been widely planted to get shade quickly. The tree is often unsatisfactory for shade because it begins to shed its leaves by midsummer. The cotton-bearing seeds from the pistillate tree are often a nuisance. The soft wood is easily broken by winds; and the rank growth of the roots often results in stopping drain pipes and cracking and lifting sidewalks. EASTERN CO

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK WILLOW Salix nigra Marsh.

BLACK WILLOW Salix nigra Marsh.

Black willow is found along streams throughout the state. It rarely grows taller than 50 feet and is frequently found growing singly or in clumps along the water courses. In winter the easily separable bright reddish-brown or golden, naked twigs are quite conspicuous. The BARK is deeply divided into broad, flat ridges which separate into thick plate-like scales . On old trees it becomes shaggy. In color it varies from light brown tinged with orange, to nearly black. The LEAVES are from 3 to 6 in

58 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN HORNBEAM (Blue Beech) Carpinus caroliniana Walt.

AMERICAN HORNBEAM (Blue Beech) Carpinus caroliniana Walt.

American hornbeam or blue beech, also known as ironwood and water beech, is a small slow-growing, bushy tree with a spreading top of slender, crooked or drooping branches. It is found along streams and in low ground, usually in the shade of other trees. Its height is usually from 20 to 30 feet and its diameter 4 to 8 inches, although it sometimes grows larger. AMERICAN HORNBEAM (Leaf and fruit , one-half natural size; twig, natural size) The TRUNK is fluted with irregular ridges or “muscles” ext

1 minute read

Read Chapter

EASTERN HOPHORNBEAM (Ironwood) Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K. Koch

EASTERN HOPHORNBEAM (Ironwood) Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K. Koch

The tree gets its common names from the qualities of its wood and the hop-like fruit . It is a small, slender, generally round-topped tree, from 20 to 30 feet high and 7 to 10 inches in diameter. The top consists of long slender branches, commonly drooping toward the ends. It is found mostly on rather dry soils throughout the uplands of the eastern part of the state. The BARK is mostly light, gray-brown, or reddish-brown, and finely divided into thin scales . EASTERN HOPHORNBEAM (Twig, three-fif

1 minute read

Read Chapter

RIVER BIRCH (Red Birch) Betula nigra L.

RIVER BIRCH (Red Birch) Betula nigra L.

This is the only native birch found at low elevations in the South. It occurs in East Texas and, as the name implies, in the deep, rich soils along the borders of streams, ponds, lakes, and swamps. The BARK provides a ready means of identifying this tree. It varies from reddish-brown to cinnamon-red in color, and peels back in tough papery layers. These layers persist on the trunk, presenting a very ragged and quite distinctive appearance. Unlike the bark of other birches the thin paper layers a

1 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN BEECH Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.

AMERICAN BEECH Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.

Beech is found in East Texas to the Trinity River on the bottomland of streams and the margins of swamps. It is one of the most beautiful of all trees, in summer or winter. The simple , alternate , oblong-ovate LEAVES are 3 to 4 inches long, pointed at the tip, and coarsely toothed and hairy along the margin. When mature, they are almost leathery in texture. The beech produces a dense shade. The light brown winter buds are long, slender, and pointed. AMERICAN BEECH ( Fruit , leaves, and twig, on

1 minute read

Read Chapter

ALLEGHENY CHINKAPIN Castanea pumila Mill.

ALLEGHENY CHINKAPIN Castanea pumila Mill.

Chinkapins may grow as trees or form shrubby thickets; consequently their identification is at times confusing. Some taxonomists credit East Texas with one species and a variety. Others list four species. Further study is needed. C. pumila grows in dry woods, sandy ridges, and on borders of swamps from Florida to East Texas north to Ark., Tenn., Pa., and N. J. It may grow into a small tree 10 to 30 feet high and may reach 50 feet. If burned back by fires, it may send out stolons or sprouts and f

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SHUMARD OAK (Spotted Oak) Quercus shumardii Buckl.

SHUMARD OAK (Spotted Oak) Quercus shumardii Buckl.

This species, one of the largest Southern red oaks, was named for Benjamin F. Shumard, an early state geologist of Texas. SHUMARD OAK is found in the eastern part of the state on well-drained alluvial soils and on fertile slopes. It forms a tall, wide-spreading, rather open head. The BARK is dark, rough, divided into ridges, and usually from 1 to 1½ inches thick. It seldom comprises the principal species of any forest stands, but more often occurs as individual trees. It attains a diameter of mo

1 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS OAK Quercus shumardii var. texana (Buckl.) Ashe

TEXAS OAK Quercus shumardii var. texana (Buckl.) Ashe

Texas oak is found on the dry limestone hills and ridges, and in the more fertile soils at their base, in Central and western Texas to the Edwards Plateau. It is rarely over 30 feet tall or 10 inches in diameter. TEXAS OAK (Leaf, two-thirds natural size; fruit , and twig, natural size) The BARK is light brown, red-tinged, deeply ridged, and broken into plate-like scales . The LEAVES are deciduous 2½ to 3 inches wide, 3 to 3½ inches long; widest above the middle; divided into 5 to 7 lobes, with t

56 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK OAK Quercus velutina Lam.

BLACK OAK Quercus velutina Lam.

Black oak, also called yellow oak, reaches 80 feet in height and 1 to 3 feet in diameter. It grows in East Texas, and in the hills and canyons near the mouth of the Pecos River. The crown is irregularly shaped and wide, with a clear trunk for 20 feet or more on large trees. The BARK on the very young trunks is smooth and dark brown, but soon becomes thick and black with deep furrows and rough broken edges. The bright yellow color and bitter taste of the inner bark are distinguishing characterist

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SOUTHERN RED OAK Quercus falcata Michx.

SOUTHERN RED OAK Quercus falcata Michx.

Southern red oak, commonly known as red oak and formerly as Spanish oak, usually reaches a height of 80 feet and diameter of 3 feet, although larger trees are found. It grows on dry hills in the eastern part of the state to the Brazos River, while three varieties are found in richer, more moist locations. Its large spreading branches form a broad, round, open top. The BARK is rough, not deeply furrowed, and varies from light gray on younger trees to dark gray or almost black on older ones. SOUTH

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACKJACK OAK Quercus marilandica Muenchh.

BLACKJACK OAK Quercus marilandica Muenchh.

The occurrence of blackjack oak is said to indicate poor soil since it often occurs on dry or poorly drained, gravelly, clay, or sandy upland soils where few other forest trees thrive. This perhaps accounts chiefly for its slow rate of growth. It is found in those parts of the state that support a natural tree growth, as far west as Callahan County. The tree sometimes reaches a height of 50 or 60 feet and a diameter of 16 inches, but it is usually much smaller. Its hard, stiff, drooping branches

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WATER OAK Quercus nigra L.

WATER OAK Quercus nigra L.

Water oak is native along the borders of swamps and streams and on rich bottomlands in Texas as far west as the Colorado River. It has been widely planted along streets and in parks as a shade tree. When fully grown this tree reaches a height of about 80 feet and a diameter exceeding 1 to 3 feet. The BARK is smooth, light brown tinged with red, and has many smooth, thin scales over the surface. Water oak can be best distinguished from the willow oak—a close associate, but longer-lived—by the dif

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WILLOW OAK (Pin Oak) Quercus phellos L.

WILLOW OAK (Pin Oak) Quercus phellos L.

Willow oak, also called water oak, and pin oak, occurs in the eastern part of the state to the Brazos River. It is frequently found in lowlands and along the borders of rivers and swamps, but often also on rich sandy uplands. It is a beautiful and long-lived tree, and desirable for roadsides, lawns and parks. The BARK is generally smooth and of a reddish-brown color; with age, the bark becomes slightly roughened and divided by narrow ridges. WILLOW OAK (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and frui

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLUEJACK OAK (Sandjack Oak) Quercus incana Bartr.

BLUEJACK OAK (Sandjack Oak) Quercus incana Bartr.

This species, which grows on dry sand hills, is usually no more than 25 feet in height and 5 or 6 inches in diameter; ranging mainly through East Texas extending as far west as the Brazos River and scattering in Central and Northwest Texas. The BARK is similar to that of blackjack, being divided into thick nearly square blocks 1 to 2 inches in length and covered with small dark brown or nearly black scales slightly tinged with red. BLUEJACK OAK (Leaves, twigs, and fruit about two-thirds natural

1 minute read

Read Chapter

EMORY OAK Quercus emoryi Torr.

EMORY OAK Quercus emoryi Torr.

In the canyons and on the southern slopes of the Davis and Chisos Mountains occurs this interesting oak with glossy, spiny, “holly-like” leaves, and sweet, edible acorns. A small round-topped tree up to 30 or 40 feet in height, the emory oak has drooping branches and slender, decidedly reddish branchlets. The LEAVES are mostly persistent , oblong , pointed, smooth or sharply toothed along the margin, thick, very glossy green, about 2 inches long and less than 1 inch wide. EMORY OAK (Leaf three-f

1 minute read

Read Chapter

LIVE OAK Quercus virginiana Mill.

LIVE OAK Quercus virginiana Mill.

Live oak range extends from southeastern Virginia through the lower Coastal Plain of the Atlantic and Gulf States; in Texas, from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to the Red River and west to the Guadalupe Mountains, also in southern Mexico and Cuba. It is a tree of striking character from its wide-spreading habit; sometimes reaching more than 100 feet in spread; with a short stout trunk, 3 to 4 feet in diameter, dividing in several large limbs with nearly horizontal branches, forming a low, de

1 minute read

Read Chapter

MOHRS OAK (Shin Oak) Quercus mohriana Buckl.

MOHRS OAK (Shin Oak) Quercus mohriana Buckl.

Over a wide section of Central Texas, on inferior soils, are found four or more species of “shin” oaks, so called from their low-growing bushy habit. Mature trees vary from 3 to 18 feet high. These are considerably alike in foliage and fruit . The “oak shinneries” form a forest cover in Central Texas that affords watershed protection on the head waters of some of the state’s main rivers. MOHRS OAK ( Fruit , natural size; leaf, two-thirds natural size) The tree has a thin, pale-colored BARK , rou

57 minute read

Read Chapter

DURAND OAK (Durand White Oak) Quercus durandii Buckl.

DURAND OAK (Durand White Oak) Quercus durandii Buckl.

This oak is found on the well-drained soil of river bottoms from the coast region of East Texas to the bottoms of the Guadalupe River (Victoria County) and inland to San Saba County, and the Dallas area. It forms a tree 60 to 90 feet high with a tall trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter; comparatively small branches, the lower horizontal, the upper ascending, forming a dense, round-topped, handsome head. DURAND OAK (Leaves and fruit , one-half natural size) The BARK is thin, light gray or nearly white

58 minute read

Read Chapter

WHITE OAK Quercus alba L.

WHITE OAK Quercus alba L.

Within its natural range, which includes practically the entire eastern half of the United States, the white oak is one of the most important timber trees. Found in East Texas to the Brazos River, it commonly reaches a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. It is found on high quality soils. Grown in a dense stand it has a long, straight trunk, free of side branches for over half of its height. In the open, it develops a short trunk and broad crown with far-reaching limbs. The BARK is thin,

1 minute read

Read Chapter

POST OAK Quercus stellata Wangenh.

POST OAK Quercus stellata Wangenh.

Post oak of Texas is usually a medium-sized tree, with a rounded crown , commonly reaching a height of 50 feet and a diameter of 1 foot, but sometimes considerably larger. It is the common oak in Central Texas and occurs frequently in East Texas. It occurs most abundantly on the poorer upland soils that have poor drainage. The deciduous LEAVES are usually 4 to 5 inches long and nearly as broad, deeply five-lobed with broad rounded divisions, the lobes broadest at the ends. They are thick and som

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BUR OAK (Mossy-Cup Oak) Quercus macrocarpa Michx.

BUR OAK (Mossy-Cup Oak) Quercus macrocarpa Michx.

Bur oak occurs throughout the eastern part of the state and as far west as Callahan and Menard Counties, in rich bottomlands along streams, or on rich hillsides along spring-fed rivers. The name alludes to the fringe around the cup of the acorn, which is sometimes large. The tree usually has a broad top of heavy spreading branches and a relatively short body. In maturity it attains a diameter of 5 feet or more and a height of over 80 feet. The branches frequently have conspicuous corky ridges af

1 minute read

Read Chapter

OVERCUP OAK Quercus lyrata Walt.

OVERCUP OAK Quercus lyrata Walt.

Overcup oak, sometimes known as the swamp post oak or water white oak, becomes a large tree with small, often pendulous branches. It is found in moist, rich bottomlands in East Texas to the Navasota River Valley. The LEAVES are deciduous , 7 to 9 inches long, 1 to 4 inches broad, oblong , wider toward the point, narrowed at the base, dark green above, often whitish beneath, with 7 to 9 distinct pointed lobes. They frequently turn to a bright scarlet or to scarlet and orange in the fall. The BARK

59 minute read

Read Chapter

SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK Quercus michauxii Nutt.

SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK Quercus michauxii Nutt.

This species, also called basket oak and cow oak, is distinguished by having a wavy leaf-margin, a large fruit which is sessile or very short stalked, and by the fact that it occurs in its greatest abundance in bottomlands. It is confined chiefly to the eastern part of the state as far west as the Trinity River. In the appearance of its bark and branches it closely resembles the ordinary white oak, but the leaf lacks deep indentations and the acorn is usually larger. The tree attains heights of

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHINKAPIN OAK Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm.

CHINKAPIN OAK Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm.

This oak, also known as chestnut oak, occurs over the eastern part of the state and west to the Guadalupe River; also on the Guadalupe Mountains. It grows on most classes of soils, except in swamps, and is tenacious on shallow, dry, limestone soil. The BARK is light gray, and breaks up in the short narrow flakes on the main trunk and old limbs. It reaches a height of 20 to 50 feet. The straight, shapely trunk bears a round-topped head composed of small branches, which makes it an attractive shad

56 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN ELM (White Elm) Ulmus americana L.

AMERICAN ELM (White Elm) Ulmus americana L.

The range of this famous American shade tree extends west to the Dakotas and southward to Coke County, Texas. Within this vast area, it is generally common except in the high mountains and wet bottomlands. It reaches an average height of 60 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. The BARK is dark gray, divided into irregular flat-topped, thick ridges, and is generally firm. An incision into an outer ridge of bark will show alternate brown and cream colored layers. A cross section of slippery elm bark is

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WINGED ELM Ulmus alata Michx.

WINGED ELM Ulmus alata Michx.

Winged elm gets its common name from the thin corky growth or “wings”, usually found on smaller branches. These “wings” generally end abruptly at the leaf nodes as contrasted by the cedar elm ( p. 63 ) whose “wings” are generally continuous. On large rapidly growing trees the wings are often absent. It occurs in eastern Texas south to the valley of the Guadalupe River, on dry uplands, and in moist soils along streams and swamps. It grows rapidly in moist situations, and may also be planted along

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CEDAR ELM Ulmus crassifolia Nutt.

CEDAR ELM Ulmus crassifolia Nutt.

Cedar elm is distributed widely over the state, near streams, in deep rich soil, and on dry, limestone hills. It is the most common elm tree of Texas, extending to the Pecos River. It forms a tree up to 75 feet high with a tall straight trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter, and with an inversely conic round-topped head and drooping branches. It reaches its largest size on the bottomlands of the Guadalupe and Trinity Rivers. CEDAR ELM (Illustrations, three-fourths natural size) The BARK is light-brown t

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SLIPPERY ELM (Red Elm) Ulmus rubra Muhl.

SLIPPERY ELM (Red Elm) Ulmus rubra Muhl.

Slippery elm, or red elm, is found in the eastern and southern parts of the state as far as the upper Guadalupe and Leon Rivers in Kerr and Comal Counties. It is found principally on the banks of streams and on low hillsides in rich soil. It is a tree of small to moderate size, but noticeably wide-spreading. It is usually less than 40 feet in height and 6 inches in diameter, although trees of larger dimensions are occasionally found. The BARK on the trunk is frequently 1 inch thick, dark grayish

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PLANER TREE (Water Elm) Planera aquatica (Walt.) Gmel.

PLANER TREE (Water Elm) Planera aquatica (Walt.) Gmel.

Planer tree or water elm is found on low wet lands along the streams of the eastern part of the state as far west as Brazos and Matagorda Counties. It forms a small spreading tree with a low broad head 30 to 40 feet in height and with a maximum trunk diameter of 20 inches. PLANER TREE (Illustrations, nearly natural size) The BARK is light brown or gray, about ¼ inch thick, and separates into large scales . The LEAVES resemble those of the small-leaved elms. They are 2 to 2½ inches long, ¾ to 1 i

1 minute read

Read Chapter

HACKBERRY Celtis occidentalis L.

HACKBERRY Celtis occidentalis L.

Hackberry is found over eastern Texas on various types of soil. It is usually a medium-sized to large tree, becoming 60 to 100 feet or more high and 10 to 20 inches in diameter. Its limbs are often crooked and angular and bear a head made of slender, pendant branches or short, bristly, stubby twigs. In the open, the crown is generally symmetrical . It makes an excellent shade tree. The BARK is brownish-gray, one inch or more thick, and generally very rough with many scale-like or warty projectio

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SUGARBERRY (Sugar Hackberry) Celtis laevigata Willd.

SUGARBERRY (Sugar Hackberry) Celtis laevigata Willd.

Sugarberry is distributed widely over the eastern half of the state. It occurs most abundantly and attains greatest size in rich alluvial soil, but thrives on various soil types. The species may grow 30 to 50 feet high and 10 to 20 inches in diameter, though sometimes much larger. Its limbs are spreading or pendulous, forming a broad head. Its branchlets are slender, light green, glabrous or pubescent when young, and bright reddish-brown during their first winter. The BARK is pale gray and cover

54 minute read

Read Chapter

RED MULBERRY Morus rubra L.

RED MULBERRY Morus rubra L.

Red mulberry occurs in eastern Texas and west to the canyon of Devils River, Valverde County. It prefers rich moist soils. It is a small tree, rarely 50 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, often growing in the shade of larger trees. The BARK is rather thin, dark grayish-brown, and peels off in long narrow flakes. RED MULBERRY (Twig, two-thirds natural size; leaves and fruit , one-third natural size) The LEAVES are alternate , thin, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped, toothed, pointed, 3 to 5 inches

1 minute read

Read Chapter

OSAGE-ORANGE (Bois-d’arc) Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid.

OSAGE-ORANGE (Bois-d’arc) Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid.

Osage-orange, “bodark”, hedge apple, or mock orange is native to eastern and Central Texas; attaining its largest size in the valley of the Red River in the northeast part of the state. It commonly reaches a height of 20 to 40 feet and a diameter of 4 to 12 inches. The BARK is thin, gray, sometimes tinged with yellow; on old trees it is divided into strips or flakes. It contains tannin and has been used for tanning leather. The twigs are armed with stout, straight thorns ⅜ to 1 inch long. OSAGE-

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA (Evergreen Magnolia) Magnolia grandiflora L.

SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA (Evergreen Magnolia) Magnolia grandiflora L.

Magnolia is one of the best-known trees in the eastern part of the state. No other tree excels it in the combined beauty of leaves and flowers. Occurring naturally in rich moist soil on the borders of river swamps and nearby uplands in the Coastal Plain to the valley of the Brazos River, it has been widely cultivated for its ornamental value. In its natural habitat , it attains heights generally of 60 to 80 feet and trunk diameters up to 4 feet. The dense pyramidal head, or crown , is made up of

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SWEETBAY (Sweetbay Magnolia) Magnolia virginiana L.

SWEETBAY (Sweetbay Magnolia) Magnolia virginiana L.

Sweetbay, better known locally as white or swampbay, is found in the southern part of the Texas pine belt to western Montgomery County, in swamps and rich, moist soils. Often appearing as a clump of sprouts in open woods, in dense forests it grows as a tree 60 to 90 feet high, and up to 3 feet in diameter. The bark is light gray; the branchlets silky-white. The LEAVES are simple , oblong , pale green above and hairy-white beneath, 4 to 6 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, remaining on sprout growt

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PAWPAW Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal

PAWPAW Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal

This odd and attractive tree does not grow abundantly in Texas and seems to be little known. It is found near streams in the extreme east portion of the state and in greater abundance in Harrison and Grayson Counties. It is seldom over 30 feet high with a trunk 8 or 10 inches in diameter. The BARK on young trees and branches is a smooth, clean brown; on older trees becoming blotched with gray, and bearing a few small wart-like excrescences. The LEAVES are obovate — lanceolate , 8 to 12 inches lo

1 minute read

Read Chapter

REDBAY Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.

REDBAY Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.

Redbay is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states from Virginia to southeastern and southern Texas and is a member of the Laurel family. In all, about 100 species of Persea are found in North and South America. Redbay grows to 70 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter, with a well-shaped head of erect, stout, dark green branches. It grows in moist, rich soils along the streams and in swamps and sometimes in drier soils along with longleaf pine, over the coastal region. REDBAY (Illustrations,

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SASSAFRAS Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees

SASSAFRAS Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees

This small tree with aromatic leaves and twigs is usually not over 40 feet in height or a foot in diameter. It is common in Texas west to the Brazos River on the drier soils, and is one of the first broad-leaved trees to grow on abandoned fields, where the seeds are dropped by birds. The species is closely related to the camphor tree of Japan. The BARK is red-brown and deeply furrowed while the bark of the twigs is bright green. The LEAVES are unusual in that they vary widely in shape on the sam

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WITCH-HAZEL Hamamelis virginiana L.

WITCH-HAZEL Hamamelis virginiana L.

This tall-growing shrub which has the peculiar habit of blooming in the late fall and ripening its fruit in early spring is native to the extreme eastern portion of Texas, being found on rich soils of streams or along the borders of the forest. The BARK is smooth, white, gray, and mottled with light brown. The LEAVES are usually obovate , 3 to 5 inches long, prominently veined, with a wavy margin, very irregular at the base, bright green above and slightly paler below. They are generally smooth.

58 minute read

Read Chapter

SWEETGUM (Redgum) Liquidambar styraciflua L.

SWEETGUM (Redgum) Liquidambar styraciflua L.

Sweetgum is a valuable and sometimes troublesome forest tree in East Texas. It occurs on rich river bottoms and in swamps subject to frequent overflow, as well as on the dried uplands, as far west as the San Jacinto River Basin. The BARK is a light gray, roughened by corky scales , later becoming deeply furrowed. After the second year the twigs often develop corky projections of bark, which give them a winged appearance. The simple , alternate star-shaped LEAF with its 5 to 7 points or lobes, is

1 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN SYCAMORE Plantanus occidentalis L.

AMERICAN SYCAMORE Plantanus occidentalis L.

American sycamore, also called planetree and buttonwood, is considered the largest hardwood tree in North America. It occurs throughout eastern Texas to Zavalla County. It is most abundant and reaches its largest size along streams and on rich bottomlands. It grows rapidly and occasionally attains a height of 140 to 170 feet and a diameter of 10 to 11 feet. The BARK of the sycamore is a characteristic feature; on the younger trunk and large limbs it is smooth, greenish-gray in color. The outer b

1 minute read

Read Chapter

HAWTHORN (Haw) Crataegus L.

HAWTHORN (Haw) Crataegus L.

Hawthorn, as treated here, represents about 30 different species and varieties distributed throughout the state. Members of the group occur on the poorest and richest soils, on the shallowest and deepest, and on the limestone hills as well as on the rich bottom and swamp lands. Most of the forms have a common likeness in possessing thorns and bearing white blossoms and red or yellow fruit . Some species are planted as ornamental trees, but otherwise the group is of little commercial value. HAWTH

1 minute read

Read Chapter

RIVERFLAT HAWTHORN (Mayhew) Crataegus opaca Hook. and Arn.

RIVERFLAT HAWTHORN (Mayhew) Crataegus opaca Hook. and Arn.

This species is a native of East Texas, being found as far west as the Trinity River. It grows along rivers at the edges of swamps and ponds, where water stands a part of the year. These trees often form extensive thickets. The FRUIT of this haw, unlike other Texas haws, matures in late April or May. After the fruit is gone, it is more difficult to distinguish it from other haws. It is of low, spreading habit, sometimes becoming a tree 20 to 30 feet high and about a foot in diameter. It usually

1 minute read

Read Chapter

MEXICAN PLUM Prunus mexicana S. Wats.

MEXICAN PLUM Prunus mexicana S. Wats.

This common wild plum is a small tree reaching 20 to 25 feet in height and 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Uncommonly it attains only large shrub size. The BARK is dark, varying from gray to nearly black. There are curling scales on young branches but on old trunks the bark becomes rough and deeply furrowed. MEXICAN PLUM (Leaf, three-fourths natural size; flowers and fruit , one-half natural size) The LEAVES, when mature, are alternate , oval , abruptly pointed, finely and doubly toothed along the m

1 minute read

Read Chapter

FLATWOODS PLUM (Black Sloe) Prunus umbellata Ell.

FLATWOODS PLUM (Black Sloe) Prunus umbellata Ell.

This shrub or small tree with a short, often crooked, or inclining trunk and a flat-topped head and slender branches is rarely over 20 feet high. Branchlets at first covered with a dense, pale pubescence, soon become smooth and bright red during the first year and dull dark brown the second year. It occurs throughout the eastern portion of the state. FLATWOODS PLUM (Two-thirds natural size) BARK ¼ inch thick, dark brown, almost black, and broken diagonally into small, hard, appressed , persisten

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK CHERRY Prunus serotina Ehrh.

BLACK CHERRY Prunus serotina Ehrh.

A medium-sized tree, up to about 70 feet high and 1 to 3 feet in diameter, black cherry is found in eastern Texas and in the mountains of West Texas. The forest-grown trees have long clear trunks with little taper. Open-grown trees have short trunks with many branches and irregular spreading crowns . The BARK on branches and young trunks is smooth and bright reddish-brown, marked by conspicuous, narrow, white, horizontal lines, and has a bitter almond taste. On the older trunks the bark becomes

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CAROLINA LAURELCHERRY Prunus caroliniana (Mill.) Ait.

CAROLINA LAURELCHERRY Prunus caroliniana (Mill.) Ait.

Called by many local names such as cherry laurel, wild peach, and mock orange, this species is native to the eastern portion of the state to the valley of the Guadalupe River, where it is found on deep rich moist bottomlands. It is apparently free from disease and quite adaptable for landscape planting. It is usually a small tree but sometimes reaches a height of 50 to 60 feet and 18 inches in diameter when cultivated. The partially withered leaves and young branches can be fatal to animals brow

57 minute read

Read Chapter

EBONY BLACKBEAD (Texas Ebony) Pithecellobium flexicaule (Benth.) Coult.

EBONY BLACKBEAD (Texas Ebony) Pithecellobium flexicaule (Benth.) Coult.

This beautiful evergreen occurs as a small tree or shrub in South Texas from Matagorda Bay and south into Mexico. Its short spreading branches, forming a wide, round head, carry stout zigzag brachlets, dark reddish-brown or light gray, armed with persistent stipular spines ¼ to ½ inch long. The LEAVES, about 2 inches long, are feather-like (twice pinnate ) with sessile , leathery leaflets that are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, and ¼ to ⅓ inch long. EBONY

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CATCLAW ACACIA (Una de Gato) Acacia greggii A. Gray

CATCLAW ACACIA (Una de Gato) Acacia greggii A. Gray

Found on dry gravelly mesas, the sides of low canyons and the banks of mountain streams in the Rio Grande Valley and westward, this small tree rarely reaches a height of 30 feet, and has a trunk up to 12 inches in diameter. The top or head consists of numerous spreading branches and smooth pale brown or red branchlets, armed with stout curved spines. CATCLAW ACACIA ( Fruit and leaves, one-half natural size) The small, bipinnately compound LEAVES with 1 to 3 pinnae, the leaflets of which are abou

1 minute read

Read Chapter

GREGG LEADTREE Leucaena greggii S. Wats.

GREGG LEADTREE Leucaena greggii S. Wats.

This small, beautiful tree grows wild in western Texas from the upper San Saba River to Devil’s River. It grows along the banks of streams and in moist ravines, and reaches a size of 15 to 20 feet in height and 4 to 5 inches in diameter. GREGG LEADTREE (Leaf and fruit , two-thirds natural size) The LEAVES are finely and doubly compound ; with 10 to 14 feather-like pinnae, each containing from 30 to 60 small leaflets , arranged along opposite sides of the rachis . Each leaflet is elliptical , gra

59 minute read

Read Chapter

HONEY MESQUITE Prosopis juliflora var. glandulosa (Torr.) Cockerell

HONEY MESQUITE Prosopis juliflora var. glandulosa (Torr.) Cockerell

This well-known small tree is found in the central and western part of the state. The short trunk, usually only 6 to 8 inches in diameter, divides into many branches forming a loose, open top or crown . The root system is very large, consisting of a thick taproot sometimes extending downward to a depth of 30 to 40 feet, with many radiating roots. HONEY MESQUITE (One-fourth natural size) The LEAVES are pinnately compound , consisting of 12 to 20 leaflets attached along a central rachis , or “stem

1 minute read

Read Chapter

EASTERN REDBUD Cercis canadensis L.

EASTERN REDBUD Cercis canadensis L.

Eastern Redbud, sometimes called Judas-tree from its oriental relative of that name, is a small tree scattered through the woods of East Texas to the Brazos River. It attains a height of 25 to 50 feet and a diameter of 6 to 12 inches. Its stout branches usually form a wide flat head. EASTERN REDBUD (Twig, two-thirds natural size; fruit and leaf, one-third natural size) The BARK of the trunk is divided into long narrow plates, the bright red-brown surface separating into thin scales . The LEAVES

1 minute read

Read Chapter

HONEYLOCUST Gleditsia triacanthos L.

HONEYLOCUST Gleditsia triacanthos L.

Honeylocust occurs naturally in the eastern part of the state to the Brazos River. It grows under a wide variety of soil and moisture conditions and is a popular tree for planting in the drier portions of Texas. It reaches a diameter of 30 inches and a height of 75 feet. The BARK on old trees is dark gray and is divided into thin, tight scales . The strong, straight or branched, brown, sharp and shiny thorns, which grow on the 1-year-old wood and remain for many years, are sufficient to identify

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WATERLOCUST Gleditsia aquatica Marsh.

WATERLOCUST Gleditsia aquatica Marsh.

In river bottoms and swamps along the Gulf Coast to the Brazos River and north to Arkansas is found the waterlocust, a close relative of the well-known black locust. It can be distinguished by the small pod having one seed, rarely two or three. WATERLOCUST (One-half natural size) The waterlocust reaches a height of 60 feet and diameter up to 3 feet. The trunk is usually short, dividing into several spreading, and often distorted, branches. The branchlets have sharp spines from 3 to 5 inches in l

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK LOCUST (Yellow Locust) Robinia pseudoacacia L.

BLACK LOCUST (Yellow Locust) Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Black locust is not native to Texas, so far as known, but has been widely planted here and has escaped from cultivation. Black locust requires deep, well-drained, moist soil for good growth. It grows indifferently to poorly on well-drained, dry sites. Of late years it has been severely damaged by the locust borer and is no longer recommended for planting in pure stands. BLACK LOCUST (Leaf and fruit , one-third natural size; twig, two-thirds natural size) The twigs and branchlets are armed with p

1 minute read

Read Chapter

HERCULES-CLUB (Prickly-Ash) Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.

HERCULES-CLUB (Prickly-Ash) Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.

This tree is a native of East Texas and ranges westerly to the valley of the Colorado River and northward to Dallas and Tarrant Counties, and to some extent to the Rio Grande Valley. It is a small tree, seldom over 30 feet in height, with a short trunk usually under 1 foot in diameter. It seems to prefer a well-drained, light, sandy soil, and is often found growing on bluffs near rivers. HERCULES-CLUB (Leaf and fruit , one-half natural size; spines natural size) The BARK is the most characterist

1 minute read

Read Chapter

COMMON HOPTREE (Wafer-Ash) Ptelea trifoliata L.

COMMON HOPTREE (Wafer-Ash) Ptelea trifoliata L.

This small tree or large shrub is found scattered over the eastern portion of the state. The bark and leaves are bitter and strong-scented and possess tonic qualities. The hoptree has a straight, slender trunk 6 to 8 inches in diameter and seldom reaches a height of more than 20 feet. COMMON HOPTREE ( Fruit , three-fourths natural size; leaf, one-third natural size) The LEAVES are composed of 3 leaflets , sometimes 5, each of which is oval or pear-shaped and pointed, about 4 to 6 inches long and

49 minute read

Read Chapter

SHINING SUMAC (Dwarf or Flameleaf Sumac) Rhus copallina L.

SHINING SUMAC (Dwarf or Flameleaf Sumac) Rhus copallina L.

Shining sumac is found growing naturally west to the San Antonio River. It is more commonly a shrub than a tree and grows in clumps and thickets around the edges of the fields and in other open places. The leaves turn crimson in the fall and add a vivid note to the autumn coloring. The tree spreads by means of shallow root-runners. The BARK is almost smooth, with horizontal splashes of light and dark gray, and many small excrescences. This papery outer bark cracks at irregular intervals, exposin

1 minute read

Read Chapter

POISON-SUMAC Toxicodendron vernix (L.) Kountze

POISON-SUMAC Toxicodendron vernix (L.) Kountze

All parts of this beautiful plant give off toxic oils that may irritate and blister the skin like the oils of poison ivy. Poison-sumac may grow as a shrub with several clustered stems, or as a tree occasionally 25 feet high with a trunk 5 to 6 inches in diameter. The slender, smooth branchlets are at first reddish-brown with orange-colored lenticels , later becoming light gray and marked with elevated and conspicuous leaf-scars . POISON-SUMAC (Leaf, one-half natural size; fruit often larger) The

1 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN HOLLY Ilex opaca Ait.

AMERICAN HOLLY Ilex opaca Ait.

American holly is found on rich, moist soils of bottomlands in East Texas and westward to Wilson County. A tree often 50 feet high, frequently attains heights of 80 to 100 feet and diameters up to 4 feet. A large specimen may be seen at the Texas Forest Service’s Indian Mound Nursery near Alto. AMERICAN HOLLY (Leaf and fruit , two-thirds natural size) The BARK is light gray and roughened by wart-like growths. The numerous, short, slender branches form a dense pyramidal head of striking dark gree

1 minute read

Read Chapter

YAUPON Ilex vomitoria Ait.

YAUPON Ilex vomitoria Ait.

This close relative of the American holly is found in East Texas to Matagorda Bay, Rio Blanco and the Guadalupe River, and north to southern Arkansas. On the rich bottomlands of eastern Texas, yaupon is a small tree, 20 to 25 feet high with a trunk rarely over 6 inches in diameter; elsewhere it is a shrub. The LEAVES are 1 to 2 inches long, ¼ to 1 inch wide, thick, glossy green above, paler below, and persistent for 2 or 3 years. YAUPON (Two-thirds natural size) The FLOWERS, male and female, are

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SILVER MAPLE Acer saccharinum L.

SILVER MAPLE Acer saccharinum L.

Silver, or soft, maple is found on moist land and along streams in the extreme eastern part of the state. In its best region of growth, the valley of the lower Ohio River, it attains heights of 100 feet or more and diameters of 3 feet or over. SILVER MAPLE (Twig and fruit , one-half natural size; leaf, one-third natural size) The BARK on old trunks is dark gray and broken into long flakes or scales . The twigs are slender, brittle, reddish-brown, and shiny. The buds are rounded, red or reddish-b

1 minute read

Read Chapter

RED MAPLE Acer rubrum L.

RED MAPLE Acer rubrum L.

Red maple is abundant in low moist areas in the eastern part of the state. It is usually a medium-sized tree, quick-growing, and relatively short-lived. It is used as a shade tree, though of inferior quality for this purpose. The BARK is smooth and light gray on young limbs and trunks, and dark gray and rough on old limbs and trunks. The LEAVES are 2 to 5 inches long and have from 3 to 5 pointed, saw-toothed lobes separated by sharp angular sinuses or openings. The upper leaf surface when mature

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BOXELDER Acer negundo L.

BOXELDER Acer negundo L.

Boxelder, the only Texas maple with compound leaves, is a native of eastern and southern Texas to the lower Rio Blanco River. It is generally found on the banks of streams and lakes and the borders of swamps. It grows rapidly, making a quick shade, and is quite shapely. The branches are brittle and break easily. The tree is short-lived and rather subject to disease. It sometimes attains a height of 50 to 60 feet, with a trunk 2 feet in diameter, but is usually smaller. BOXELDER (Leaf and fruit ,

1 minute read

Read Chapter

OHIO BUCKEYE Aesculus glabra Willd.

OHIO BUCKEYE Aesculus glabra Willd.

Ohio buckeye occurs as far west as eastern Texas along streams in rich soils. Though often only a shrub, it becomes a medium-sized tree in rich alluvial bottoms. Its leaves and fruit are poisonous to stock. The BARK is white and, on old trees, divided or broken into light brown flat scales , which make the stems of the tree rough; the bark is ill-smelling when bruised. OHIO BUCKEYE (Twig, two-thirds natural size; nut , one-third natural size; leaf, one-fourth natural size) The LEAVES are opposit

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WESTERN SOAPBERRY (Wild China-Tree) Sapindus drummondii Hook. Arn.

WESTERN SOAPBERRY (Wild China-Tree) Sapindus drummondii Hook. Arn.

This species, sometimes called Indian soap plant, grows on moist clay soils or dry limestone uplands. It ranges through eastern Texas to New Mexico and the Rio Grande, becoming a tree 40 to 50 feet high and 1 to 2 feet in diameter, with usually erect branches, and branchlets at first slightly many-angled. WESTERN SOAPBERRY (Leaf, two-fifths natural size; fruit , one-third natural size) The BARK is broken by deep fissures into long narrow plates which in turn are broken on the surface into small

1 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN BASSWOOD (American Linden) Tilia americana L.

AMERICAN BASSWOOD (American Linden) Tilia americana L.

Three species of basswood are reported to grow in Texas from the Arkansas line to the Brazos River and westward to Uvalde, Kerr and Bandera Counties, usually on rich, moist soils. They are rarely over 50 feet tall and 12 inches in diameter. The BARK is light brown and deeply furrowed. AMERICAN BASSWOOD (Leaf and fruit , one-third natural size; twig, one-half natural size) The LEAVES are more or less heart-shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, thin, saw-toothed, smooth on both sides in some species, but wo

1 minute read

Read Chapter

DEVILS-WALKINGSTICK (Hercules-Club) Aralia spinosa L.

DEVILS-WALKINGSTICK (Hercules-Club) Aralia spinosa L.

This tree, a native of Northeast Texas, is armed from the ground up with many sharp spines, a characteristic that has given the tree many names such as Hercules-club, prickly-elder, and prickly-ash. The last name properly belongs to another tree. Devils-walkingstick possesses sufficient beauty to compensate for its spitefulness. The tree is usually small, but occasionally attains a height of 30 feet, the leaves forming a flat-topped, spreading crown . DEVILS-WALKINGSTICK (Branch, one-half natura

1 minute read

Read Chapter

BLACK TUPELO (Blackgum) Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.

BLACK TUPELO (Blackgum) Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.

Black gum, often called sour gum, is found in eastern Texas to the valley of the Brazos River; usually in swampy wet soil, but sometimes on dry slopes with the oaks. The BARK on younger trees is furrowed between flat ridges, and gradually develops into quadrangular blocks that are dense, hard, and nearly black. BLACK TUPELO (Twig, leaf, and fruit one-half natural size) The LEAVES are simple , 2 to 3 inches long, entire, obovate to elliptic, shiny, and dark green in color. In the fall the leaves

1 minute read

Read Chapter

WATER TUPELO (Cotton-Gum or Tupelo-Gum) Nyssa aquatica L.

WATER TUPELO (Cotton-Gum or Tupelo-Gum) Nyssa aquatica L.

Water tupelo is found only in deep river swamps or coastal swamps which are often flooded. The commonly enlarged base, large-sized fruit , hanging on a long peduncle (stem), and the brittleness of the twigs, serve to distinguish this species from the black gum. It forms a tall, often slowly tapering somewhat crooked trunk 50 to 75 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. The spreading small branches form a narrow, oblong or pyramidal head. The branches are generally smooth and light brown in

1 minute read

Read Chapter

FLOWERING DOGWOOD Cornus florida L.

FLOWERING DOGWOOD Cornus florida L.

Dogwood grows in the forests of eastern Texas, usually under the larger forest trees. It is a small tree, up to 30 feet high and 12 inches in diameter, occasionally larger, with a rather flat and spreading crown and short, often crooked trunk. FLOWERING DOGWOOD (Leaf and fruit , one-half natural size; twig, two-thirds natural size) The BARK is reddish-brown to black and broken up into small 4-sided, scaly blocks. The LEAVES are opposite , ovate , 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, pointed,

1 minute read

Read Chapter

TREE SPARKLEBERRY (Farkleberry) Vaccinium arboreum Marsh.

TREE SPARKLEBERRY (Farkleberry) Vaccinium arboreum Marsh.

In the coastal belt of eastern Texas as far as Matagorda Bay, farkleberry, or tree huckleberry, grows in moist sandy soil along the banks of ponds and streams. Although it is found from Virginia to Missouri and southward, it reaches its largest size, 20 to 30 feet, near the Gulf Coast of Texas. The crooked trunk may attain a diameter of 8 to 10 inches. Further inland it is a large shrub. TREE SPARKLEBERRY (Nearly natural size) The LEAVES are oval and glossy green, varying up to 2 inches in lengt

47 minute read

Read Chapter

GUM BUMELIA (Woolly Buckthorn—Gum-Elastic) Bumelia lanuginosa (Michx.) Pers.

GUM BUMELIA (Woolly Buckthorn—Gum-Elastic) Bumelia lanuginosa (Michx.) Pers.

Gum bumelia, often called false buckthorn or chittamwood, occurs along streams in sandy woods in eastern Texas to the San Antonio River and over the Edwards Plateau to Palo Pinto County. It reaches its largest development probably in Central Texas where it occasionally grows as a tree 80 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. GUM BUMELIA (Three-fourths natural size) The branches are short, stout, and stiff, and often armed with straight or curved spines. The LEAVES are oblong , more or less grouped n

1 minute read

Read Chapter

COMMON PERSIMMON Diospyros virginiana L.

COMMON PERSIMMON Diospyros virginiana L.

Persimmon is a well known tree throughout its range. It is small, rarely exceeding 50 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter, occurring in the state as far west as the Colorado River. It prefers dry, open situations, and is most abundant in old fields, though it occurs on rich bottomlands. COMMON PERSIMMON (Leaf and fruit , one-half natural size; twig, three-fourths natural size) The BARK of old trees is almost black and separated into thick, nearly square blocks. The LEAVES are alternate , ov

1 minute read

Read Chapter

COMMON SWEETLEAF (Horse-Sugar) Symplocos tinctoria (L.) L’Hér.

COMMON SWEETLEAF (Horse-Sugar) Symplocos tinctoria (L.) L’Hér.

Sweetleaf is usually found along the borders of streams and swamps, chiefly in East Texas. It seldom grows to a height of more than 30 feet or a diameter of more than 8 inches. The slender upright branches, forming an open head, are bluish or grayish, and decidedly roughened by elevated leaf-scars , or places of attachment of the last crop of leaves. COMMON SWEETLEAF ( Fruit and flowers about natural size; leaf, one-half natural size) The thick, shiny, dark green LEAVES, arranged alternately alo

59 minute read

Read Chapter

TWO-WING SILVERBELL (Snowdrop Tree) Halesia diptera Ellis

TWO-WING SILVERBELL (Snowdrop Tree) Halesia diptera Ellis

This attractive tree or shrub, may grow as a small tree, sometimes as much as 30 feet high, with a trunk 6 to 10 inches in diameter. It occurs in rich, wet woods and on the borders of swamps and streams, but is adaptable to many sites. It is found in the southeastern portion of Texas, being a native of the Gulf Region. TWO-WING SILVERBELL (Twig, leaf, and flower one-half natural size; fruit about one-sixth natural size) The BARK of the trunk is brown, divided by irregular longitudinal fissures ,

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CAROLINA ASH (Water Ash) Fraxinus caroliniana Mill.

CAROLINA ASH (Water Ash) Fraxinus caroliniana Mill.

Water ash is common in shaded swamps, westward to the valley of the Neches River. It forms a tree, rarely more than 40 feet high, with a trunk sometimes 12 inches in diameter, and has small branches, making a narrow, often round-topped head. CAROLINA ASH (Leaflet and fruit , three-fourths natural size; leaf, one-fourth natural size) The BARK is thin, light gray, and marked by large irregularly shaped round patches which separate into small, thin, close scales . The LEAVES are compounded, 7 to 12

58 minute read

Read Chapter

WHITE ASH Fraxinus americana L.

WHITE ASH Fraxinus americana L.

White ash is found in East Texas to the valley of the Trinity River. It grows best in the rich moist soils of upper bottomlands. The bark is gray and furrowed, the branchlets smooth and gray with rust-colored winter buds. WHITE ASH (Twig and fruit , one-half natural size; leaf, one-third natural size) The compound opposite LEAVES are generally straight, 8 to 12 inches long, with 5 to 9 (usually 7) sharp pointed leaflets , dark green above and paler and whitish beneath. The male and female FLOWER

1 minute read

Read Chapter

GREEN ASH Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.

GREEN ASH Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.

Green ash is a common tree along streams as far west as the Guadalupe River. It attains a height of 50 feet or more, has spreading branches and a trunk ranging up to 2 feet in diameter. The TWIGS are smooth, round, and ashy gray, marked by pale lenticels and rusty bud-scales . GREEN ASH ( Fruit , two-thirds natural size; leaf, one-third natural size; twig, three-fourths natural size) The BARK is ½ inch or more thick; brown, tinged with red, and slightly furrowed or ridged. The LEAVES are opposit

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SWAMP PRIVET (Common Adelia) Forestiera acuminata (Michx.) Poir.

SWAMP PRIVET (Common Adelia) Forestiera acuminata (Michx.) Poir.

Swamp privet or forestiera is found along river banks, lakes, and standing water over eastern Texas to the Colorado River. It is usually a large shrub but often becomes a small tree, less than 30 feet high, with a short trunk usually less than 8 inches in diameter. Its youngest branches are slender, somewhat hairy, slightly angular, and vary in color from yellowish-green to brown. They become darker and more rounded the second season. SWAMP PRIVET (Leaves, one-fifth natural size; fruit , one-hal

1 minute read

Read Chapter

FRINGETREE (White Fringetree) Chionanthus virginicus L.

FRINGETREE (White Fringetree) Chionanthus virginicus L.

Children give this tree, with its drooping, fringy, white flowers, such names as “grancy-gray beard” and “old-man’s beard.” Beautiful both in flower and fruit , it is a desirable tree for ornamental planting. It occurs naturally in loamy soil over the eastern part of the state to the valley of the Brazos River and generally grows in the shade of other trees. FRINGETREE (Flower, three-fourths natural size; leaf and fruit , one-half natural size) The BARK is similar to that of a young ash, but is

1 minute read

Read Chapter

NORTHERN CATALPA (Western Catalpa) Catalpa speciosa Warder

NORTHERN CATALPA (Western Catalpa) Catalpa speciosa Warder

Catalpa, often miscalled “catawba”, is found naturalized in eastern Texas and occurs on various qualities of soil, most frequently on rich, moist bottoms. It is a medium-sized tree, rarely exceeding 50 feet in height and 15 inches in diameter. The trunk is usually short and the head broad with spreading branches. NORTHERN CATALPA (Leaf, one-third natural size; twig and seed, two-thirds natural size; pod , one-fourth natural size) The BARK varies from dark gray to brown, and is slightly rough, be

1 minute read

Read Chapter

DESERTWILLOW Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet

DESERTWILLOW Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet

This interesting tree, so named because of its willow-like leaves, is closely related to the catalpa. Often reaching a height of 25 feet and a diameter of 10 to 12 inches, it is found usually in dry, gravelly, porous soils in the valley of the lower Rio Grande and through West Texas. The LEAVES are less than ½ inch wide and from 6 to 12 inches long, light green, and pointed. Their arrangement on the twig is either opposite or alternate . DESERTWILLOW (Leaf, one-third natural size; fruit and flow

54 minute read

Read Chapter

COMMON BUTTONBUSH Cephalanthus occidentalis L.

COMMON BUTTONBUSH Cephalanthus occidentalis L.

Buttonbush of Texas is a small tree or large shrub up to 18 feet high, with a straight, tapering trunk up to 12 inches in diameter. Attaining its largest size in moist rich soil of eastern Texas, it is also found to the valley of the Rio Grande. The branches are generally upright, the spreading branchlets with pithy in the centers, often occurring in whorls of three from one place on the stem. COMMON BUTTONBUSH (Leaf, one-third natural size; fruit and flowers, two-thirds natural size) The LEAVES

1 minute read

Read Chapter

RUSTY BLACKHAW (Viburnum) Viburnum rufidulum Raf.

RUSTY BLACKHAW (Viburnum) Viburnum rufidulum Raf.

Rusty blackhaw is found in woods and thickets over East Texas. It forms a tree, sometimes 35 feet high, with a trunk over a foot in diameter, but is usually much smaller, often flowering as a shrub. The twigs are ashy-gray, becoming dark dull reddish-brown after one to several years. The winter buds are densely covered with rusty brown hairs which persist for some weeks at the base of the leaf-stalks. The BARK is ¼ to ½ inch thick, becoming roughened into small plate-like, dark brown scales ting

1 minute read

Read Chapter

ARIZONA CYPRESS (Cupressus arizonica Greene)

ARIZONA CYPRESS (Cupressus arizonica Greene)

is an evergreen native to the mountains of the south Trans-Pecos Region. It grows from a height of 30 to 70 feet and 18 to 24 inches in diameter. The needles are blue-green. Fruit a cone as large as 1¼ inches in diameter. The wood is heavy and used to some extent for fence posts....

18 minute read

Read Chapter

ALLIGATOR JUNIPER (Juniperus deppeana Steud.)

ALLIGATOR JUNIPER (Juniperus deppeana Steud.)

grows in the mountains of southwestern Texas, normally as a small tree, or even as a sprawling shrub under adverse conditions. Its name derives from the fact that the bark on older trees somewhat resembles alligator hide, being broken up into square plates 1 to 2 inches across. The leaves are about ⅛ inch long, and blue-green in color. The fruit is berry-like, nearly round, reddish-brown, and matures in two seasons. Seeds 3-4....

23 minute read

Read Chapter

DROOPING JUNIPER (Weeping Juniper) (Juniperus flaccida Schlect.)

DROOPING JUNIPER (Weeping Juniper) (Juniperus flaccida Schlect.)

occurs in this country only on the slopes of the Chisos Mountains in Brewster County, Texas. It has graceful spreading branches with long slender, drooping branchlets. After the leaves fall, the thin bright cinnamon-brown bark separating into thin loose papery scales is characteristic....

15 minute read

Read Chapter

ONE-SEED JUNIPER (Juniperus monosperma [Engelm.] Sarg.)

ONE-SEED JUNIPER (Juniperus monosperma [Engelm.] Sarg.)

occurs throughout western Texas, usually as a spreading shrub or small, much branched tree. The bark is ashy gray, ridged and shreddy. The leaves resemble those of the alligator juniper, but are gray-green in color, and fringed with minute teeth. The fruit is smaller, usually copper colored or occasionally blue, usually one-seeded, and matures in one season....

19 minute read

Read Chapter

ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIPER (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.)

ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIPER (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.)

occurs in western Texas where it is often the largest of the junipers found there. The bark is reddish-brown or grayish-brown, thin, fibrous, and divided into flat, interlacing ridges. The leaves are similar to those of the alligator juniper, but pale to dark green in color. The fruit is nearly round, blue, and matures in two seasons. Seeds 1 to 3, usually 2....

21 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS PALMETTO (Sabal texana [O. F. Cook] Becc.)

TEXAS PALMETTO (Sabal texana [O. F. Cook] Becc.)

sometimes called palm, but not to be confused with the dwarf palmetto ( Sabal minor [Jacq.] Pers.) found in East Texas, reaches to heights of 30 to 50 feet and often 2 feet in diameter. It is a native of the rich bottomlands on the Bernando River in Cameron County, Texas, but has been widely cultivated and is found along the Gulf Coast, where the trunks are sometimes used for wharf piles. On the lower Rio Grande the leaves are used for the thatch of houses....

27 minute read

Read Chapter

SOUTHERN BAYBERRY (Sweet Myrtle or Wax Myrtle) (Myrica cerifera L.)

SOUTHERN BAYBERRY (Sweet Myrtle or Wax Myrtle) (Myrica cerifera L.)

sweet myrtle is found in East Texas, usually in swamp lands. Its small yellow-green leaves are fragrant with a balsam-like resinous odor. Light green berries, about ⅛ inch in diameter remain on the trees during the winter months and are coated with a thick, pale blue wax. Bay berry candles are made from the wax....

19 minute read

Read Chapter

RIO GRANDE COTTONWOOD (Populus fremontii var. wislizenii S. Watts)

RIO GRANDE COTTONWOOD (Populus fremontii var. wislizenii S. Watts)

is one of several cottonwoods growing in West Texas. Five other cottonwoods are native to the western part of the state. Wood is used for fuel and rafters of Mexican houses. It is not durable in the ground, but is fast growing on most areas. Populus tremuloides Michx., called quaking aspen or aspen popple, is a small-leafed, white-barked tree of the Trans-Pecos Region....

21 minute read

Read Chapter

SPECKLED ALDER (Hazel Alder) (Alnus rugosa [Du Roi] Spreng.)

SPECKLED ALDER (Hazel Alder) (Alnus rugosa [Du Roi] Spreng.)

occurs in East Texas west to approximately the 97th meridian. It is a thicket-forming shrub with thick foliage and is one of the first plants to leaf out in the spring. Birds feed upon the numerous nutlets produced by the woody, cone-like structure....

15 minute read

Read Chapter

SWEET ACACIA (Huisache) (Acacia farnesiana [L.] Willd.)

SWEET ACACIA (Huisache) (Acacia farnesiana [L.] Willd.)

found mainly in South Texas, is a small, spiny shrub, with bright yellow flowers. Fruit a turgid, woody pod . The wood is heavy, hard, and a rich, reddish-brown....

12 minute read

Read Chapter

GUAJILLO (Acacia berlandieri Benth.)

GUAJILLO (Acacia berlandieri Benth.)

pronounced “wa-he-o”, is the famous honey plant of the Lone Star State. From its white flowers bees produce a water-white honey, highly valued for its flavor and purity. Guajillo occurs in South Texas, and resembles the other trees in the acacia group. The wood is used locally for fuel....

15 minute read

Read Chapter

GREAT LEADTREE (Mexican Leadtree) (Leucaena pulverulenta [Schlecht] Benth.)

GREAT LEADTREE (Mexican Leadtree) (Leucaena pulverulenta [Schlecht] Benth.)

sometimes called “tepehuaje” or mimosa, is found on the rich moist soil of river banks and small streams only a few miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande River. It grows 50 to 60 feet high and 18 inches in diameter. The finely divided leaves give the tree the appearance of a huge fern. Seed pods are 10 to 12 inches long. The wood is heavy, hard, very close-grained, rich dark brown with a clear yellow sapwood . It is considered valuable and is sometimes manufactured into lumber. Two other specie

35 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS SOPHORA (Coral Bean) (Sophora affinis Torr. and Gray)

TEXAS SOPHORA (Coral Bean) (Sophora affinis Torr. and Gray)

also called “bear berry ”, and pink or beaded locust, is a native to most all of Texas. It occurs as a small sized tree, 18 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 inches in diameter. The branches are slightly zigzag, bright green when young turning to orange-brown. The leaves are 6 to 9 inches long, made up of from 13 to 19 leaflets . In the fall, it is loaded with clusters of black bean pods . The pods are peculiar in shape in that they are pinched in at each seed giving it the appearance of a string of b

41 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS PORLIERIA (Guayacan) (Porlieria angustifolia [Engelm.] A. Gray)

TEXAS PORLIERIA (Guayacan) (Porlieria angustifolia [Engelm.] A. Gray)

or soap bush, an evergreen of southern and western Texas, is usually a shrub, but occasionally reaches 8 inches in diameter and 30 feet in height. It is a source of early spring honey in the Rio Grande Valley. Its wood is heavy, hard, and exceptionally durable. Guayacan, sometimes called guaiacum, is the hardest wood in Texas and the United States. The lignum-vitae of commerce is produced from another species....

22 minute read

Read Chapter

BARETTA (Helietta parvifolia [A. Gray] Benth.)

BARETTA (Helietta parvifolia [A. Gray] Benth.)

a native of the Rio Grande Valley and abundant in Starr County where it may form considerable thickets, this small, slender evergreen is seldom more than 5 or 6 feet tall. On limestone ridges of the Sierra Madre of Nuevo Leon it reaches 20 to 25 feet high. Its leaves are trifoliate, 1½ to 2 inches long, and conspicuously marked with black glandular dots. The branches are brownish-red, but with bright yellow, new growth. The species is not native to any other section of the United States....

27 minute read

Read Chapter

TREE OF HEAVEN (Ailanthus altissima [Mill.] Swingle)

TREE OF HEAVEN (Ailanthus altissima [Mill.] Swingle)

is native to the Orient but has been introduced to this country where it has grown wild and occurs generally throughout Texas. The long, pinnately compound leaves, 24 to 48 inches long, with 11 to 41 leaflets , are glandular toothed at the base. The flowers and bruised leaves have a disagreeable odor. The tree is fast growing and spreads by suckers as well as by seed....

23 minute read

Read Chapter

CHINABERRY (Melia azedarach L.)

CHINABERRY (Melia azedarach L.)

although a native of Asia, is so widely grown in Texas as an ornamental that it can be seen almost anywhere. It is a member of the mahogany family. The bark is furrowed, with the ridges flat-topped. The alternate leaves are twice-compound and 10 to 32 inches long. The leaflets are alternate, ovate to elliptic, sharply toothed or lobed , ¾ to 2 inches long, light green and usually smooth. The flowers are showy, lilac-colored, fragrant, nearly an inch across, and arranged in loose clusters which a

41 minute read

Read Chapter

AMERICAN SMOKETREE (Chittamwood) (Cotinus obovatus Raf.)

AMERICAN SMOKETREE (Chittamwood) (Cotinus obovatus Raf.)

a member of the sumac family, it grows along the Medina and Guadalupe Rivers and in Kendall County, Texas. Occasionally it reaches a height of 30 feet and 12 inches in diameter, but usually grows as a shrub or small tree, its trunk dividing into several stems 10 feet or so above the ground. The wood is bright, clear, rich orange color, and yields the same color dye. Sometimes it is used for fence posts. C. coggygria , the smoketree of gardens, is cultivated in the United States....

26 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS PISTACHE (Pistacia texana Swingle)

TEXAS PISTACHE (Pistacia texana Swingle)

a less common member of the sumac family, is found native on limestone cliffs and the rocky bottoms of canyons along the lower Pecos River in Valverde County, Texas. It reaches a height of 15 to 20 feet and produces a fruit resembling the pistachio nut of commerce, except that it is smaller in size....

18 minute read

Read Chapter

EASTERN WAHOO (Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.)

EASTERN WAHOO (Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.)

also called arrow-wood and burning bush in some localities is a small tree rarely over 20 feet high and 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The bark is thin and covered with thin, tiny scales . The wood is heavy, hard, white, tinged with orange. The leaves are opposite , thin, and finely serrate . In the fall and winter the tree is characterized by bright red berries in lighter red, 4-lobed capsules . It is a native of East Texas....

26 minute read

Read Chapter

FLORIDA MAPLE (Southern Sugar Maple) (Acer barbatum Michx.)

FLORIDA MAPLE (Southern Sugar Maple) (Acer barbatum Michx.)

grows in East Texas and resembles the sugar maple ( A. saccharum Marsh.) with which it blends in Northeast Texas, except that the tips of the leaves of A. barbatum Michx. are more rounded and the young leaves are hairy on the underside when they first unfold....

17 minute read

Read Chapter

BIGTOOTH MAPLE (Acer grandidentatum Nutt.)

BIGTOOTH MAPLE (Acer grandidentatum Nutt.)

a maple native to the mountains and canyons of the Trans-Pecos Region of Texas, grows to 30 and 40 feet high and occasionally 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Its bright red branchlets are nearly encircled by the narrow leaf-scars . Leaf lobes few toothed or nearly entire. When accessible, the wood is valuable for fuel and building material....

19 minute read

Read Chapter

UVALDE BIGTOOTH MAPLE (Sugar or Mountain Maple) (Acer grandidentatum var. sinuosum [Rend.] Little)

UVALDE BIGTOOTH MAPLE (Sugar or Mountain Maple) (Acer grandidentatum var. sinuosum [Rend.] Little)

resembles the above two maples but is confined to the Balcones Escarpment in western Texas along creek bottoms in parts of Kendall, Bandera, and Uvalde Counties. It is a rare tree, seldom more than 20 feet high. Branchlets pale red-brown and marked by pale lenticels during their first season, ultimately turning dull gray-brown....

20 minute read

Read Chapter

FLORIDA BASSWOOD (Tilia floridana Small)

FLORIDA BASSWOOD (Tilia floridana Small)

grows from East Texas to the Edwards Plateau. The leaves are coarsely serrate with sharp-pointed tips, dark green and glaucous above, and pale or covered with a silvery-white bloom and often axillary hairs below. The tree may reach 40 to 50 feet high and 12 to 15 inches in diameter....

18 minute read

Read Chapter

CAROLINA BASSWOOD (Tilia caroliniana Mill.)

CAROLINA BASSWOOD (Tilia caroliniana Mill.)

located in East Texas to the Edwards Plateau, Kendall County. Underside of the ovate leaves covered with soft, short, brownish-white hairs; smooth on upper surface and coarse-veined. Leaves usually obliquely truncate at the base....

12 minute read

Read Chapter

TAMARISK (Tamarix species)

TAMARISK (Tamarix species)

all of the many species of Tamarix are native to the Mediterranean Region or to East Asia and India. However, three of them ( T. araiculata Vahl, T. gallica L., and T. pentandra Pall.), are widely planted in the South. All are shrubby in nature, or they may attain the stature of small trees. When of tree size, the trunk normally is short, with main branches quite close to the ground. This gives rise to a wide-spreading bushy crown . The leaves are sparse, delicate, evergreen, alternate , simple

42 minute read

Read Chapter

BUCKTHORN BUMELIA (Buckthorn) (Bumelia lycioides [L.] Pers.)

BUCKTHORN BUMELIA (Buckthorn) (Bumelia lycioides [L.] Pers.)

also called ironwood, is found along the Southeast Coastal Region of Texas. In contrast to B. lanuginosa , the leaves are smooth instead of hairy on the underside. They are also thin. Sometimes grows 25 to 30 feet in height with a short trunk rarely more than 6 inches in diameter. It has stout, flexible branches, usually unarmed....

19 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS BUMELIA (Bumelia lanuginosa var. rigida A. Gray)

TEXAS BUMELIA (Bumelia lanuginosa var. rigida A. Gray)

occurs in Texas from the upper Brazos River to the Rio Grande and upper Guadalupe River. It has thick, leathery-like leaves smooth on the underside. The lateral branches are spiny and occasionally end in stout pines; branchlets slender, often zigzag, and lustrous. The fresh-cut wood of the bumelias in Texas usually produces considerable quantities of clear viscid gum. Mexicans have given some species of this small tree the name “chickle” for that reason....

24 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS PERSIMMON (Black Persimmon) (Diospyros texana Scheele)

TEXAS PERSIMMON (Black Persimmon) (Diospyros texana Scheele)

also called Mexican persimmon, is native to southern and southwestern Texas, from the Colorado River. It is characterized by 1 to 2 inch leaves and small edible black fruits , about ¾ inch in diameter. They will stain the skin black. Mexicans make a hair dye from the ripe fruit, which has given the plant the local name of “capote”. The wood is heavy with a black heartwood often streaked with yellow, and with a bright yellow sapwood . The wood is used in turnery and for the handles of tools....

29 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS ASH (Fraxinus texensis [A. Gray] Sarg.)

TEXAS ASH (Fraxinus texensis [A. Gray] Sarg.)

a small tree, rarely more than 50 feet high, of the dry limestone bluffs and ridges of the Dallas area to the valley of the Colorado River and the Edwards Plateau. Leaves 5 to 8 inches long with usually five, long-stalked leaflets . Fruit in short, compact clusters....

17 minute read

Read Chapter

BERLANDIER ASH (Mexican Ash) (Fraxinus berlandieriana A. DC.)

BERLANDIER ASH (Mexican Ash) (Fraxinus berlandieriana A. DC.)

grows along the banks of streams and canyons in the San Antonio and Neuces River watersheds and over the Edwards Plateau. It is rarely more than 30 feet tall. The three to five leaflets are smooth. The wood is light brown and soft....

15 minute read

Read Chapter

ANACAHUITA (Texas Wild-Olive) (Cordia boisseri A. DC.)

ANACAHUITA (Texas Wild-Olive) (Cordia boisseri A. DC.)

occurs along the lower Rio Grande Valley, is said to be almost extinct. It is a small tree, sometimes 20 feet tall and 6 to 8 inches in diameter, noted for its large velvety leaves (4 to 5 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide), clusters of yellow and white flowers and delicate ivory-white coated fruit . The bark is thin, gray, tinged with red....

22 minute read

Read Chapter

ANAQUA (Ehretia anacua [Mier and Berland.] Johnst.)

ANAQUA (Ehretia anacua [Mier and Berland.] Johnst.)

also called knackaway, anama, and yara, occurs in West Texas from the upper San Marcos River to the Rio Grande River. It is a tree of the tropics and of about 40 species in its family, is the only one found in the United States, and here only in Texas. It is valued as a shade tree in some communities of South Texas and is noted for its growth and beauty. Occasionally it grows to a height of 40 to 50 feet with a trunk 3 feet in diameter, attaining its largest size on the Guadalupe and Nueces Rive

44 minute read

Read Chapter

TEXAS MADRONE (Arbutus texana Buckl.)

TEXAS MADRONE (Arbutus texana Buckl.)

also called Texas Madroño is a small poorly shaped tree found on dry limestone hills, and in the valley of the Rio Blanco, and among the Eagle Mountains. The trunk is seldom over one foot in diameter and is usually divided into several branches near the ground. The leaves are oval to oblong and persistent until the new leaves are formed. The bark of young stems and branches is smooth, thin, and yellowish-green in color tinged with red. At the base of old trunks the bark, sometimes ¼ inch thick,

30 minute read

Read Chapter

AUSTRIAN PINE (Pinus nigra Arnold)

AUSTRIAN PINE (Pinus nigra Arnold)

is similar in appearance to red pine ( P. resinosa Ait.) but needles are more rigid. Bark is black to dark brown and the cones are 1½ to 2 inches long. The tree is a native of central and southern Europe and Asia Minor. It has been planted extensively in the U. S. as an ornamental but is apparently not yet naturalized. It is planted in Texas in windbreak plantings....

22 minute read

Read Chapter

RUSSIAN-OLIVE (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.)

RUSSIAN-OLIVE (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.)

is a small tree, not more than 25 feet tall, usually with thorny branches. Leaves are simple , alternate , narrow and 2 to 3 inches long, bright green on the upper surface and silvery underneath. It is a native of Europe and Asia and is used as an ornamental and in windbreak plantings in the United States....

18 minute read

Read Chapter

BUFFALOBERRY (Silver Buffaloberry) (Shepherdia argentea [Pursh] Nutt.)

BUFFALOBERRY (Silver Buffaloberry) (Shepherdia argentea [Pursh] Nutt.)

is a small silver gray-green tree with edible scarlet colored fruit which is useful for making jelly, which may reach 18 to 23 feet in height. It generally has narrow oblong leaves ¾ to 2 inches long and twigs are often thorny. Its native range is from the northern Great Plains to Kansas. Useful for windbreak plantings and erosion control....

20 minute read

Read Chapter

SIBERIAN ELM (Chinese Elm) (Ulmus pumila L.)

SIBERIAN ELM (Chinese Elm) (Ulmus pumila L.)

is more commonly known in the Plains area as Chinese elm. It is drought-resistant and tolerant of a variety of sites but cannot stand too much water. A small tree with slender drooping branches. Clusters of short pedicelled winged fruit appear in April or May. The leaves are simple , alternate , oval to elliptical , 1 to 2 inches long and leaf edges are doubly serrate . Widely used for shade and windbreak plantings....

26 minute read

Read Chapter

WINTERBERRY EUONYMUS (Euonymus bungeanus Maxim.)

WINTERBERRY EUONYMUS (Euonymus bungeanus Maxim.)

was introduced from China and has adapted well to the southern Great Plains area centered around the Texas Panhandle. The small tree is very hardy and drought-resistant. Its very light green leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, pointed and borne on slender petioles. The heavy leaves cause the petioles to bend giving the foliage a limp or drooping appearance. Young stems and branches are green, older ones are gray. The fruit is a four-lobed capsule which, before ripening in the fall, has a pinkish cast

47 minute read

Read Chapter

THE SOFTWOODS

THE SOFTWOODS

Note : Not included above but commonly found in the longleaf pine range is a cross between loblolly and longleaf pine. This hybrid tree has characteristics of both parents....

16 minute read

Read Chapter

THE HARDWOODS TREES WITH SIMPLE LEAVES

THE HARDWOODS TREES WITH SIMPLE LEAVES

Leaf Margins—Smooth (Leaves opposite on twig) Leaf Margins—Smooth (Leaves alternate on twig) Leaf Margins—Toothed (Leaves opposite on twig) Leaf Margins—Toothed (Leaves alternate on twig)...

44 minute read

Read Chapter

TREES WITH COMPOUND LEAVES

TREES WITH COMPOUND LEAVES

Leaf Margins—Smooth (Leaves opposite on twig) Leaf Margins—Smooth (Leaves alternate on twig) Leaf Margins—Toothed (Leaves opposite on twig) Leaf Margins—Toothed (Leaves alternate on twig)...

29 minute read

Read Chapter

TREES WITH DOUBLY-COMPOUND LEAVES

TREES WITH DOUBLY-COMPOUND LEAVES

Leaf Margins—Smooth (Leaves alternate on twig) Leaf Margins—Toothed (Leaves alternate on twig)...

12 minute read

Read Chapter

CODE OF BEHAVIOR WITH OUTDOOR FIREBRANDS

CODE OF BEHAVIOR WITH OUTDOOR FIREBRANDS

1. Burn household trash only in a metal or cinder block container on an area cleared to bare soil. 2. Burn fields and brush piles only in the late afternoon when the wind is low and after a 5-foot fire-break has been plowed around the field. 3. Break matches and crush smokes before discarding. 4. Use car ash tray for smokes and used matches when traveling in a vehicle. Don’t pitch them out the window. 5. Clear the area around a warming or camp fire before lighting it. 6. Extinguish all warming a

1 minute read

Read Chapter