This week’s assignment to study trees was actually very eye opening. All the trees that I took photos of were of ones that I pass by pretty much everyday and before I never gave a second thought on what kind of plant I just walked by was. I think that learning more about how humans have used the plants was the most interesting because I feel like if I really needed to maybe I could refer back to my new plant identifying skills for my own benefit especially for food or dye.
Speckled Alder
The plant I found below is what I believe is the Speckled Alder (Alnus rugosa). The leaf arrangement is alternate, the complexity is simple, and the leaves are serrated or toothed. Also they come in a heart-like shape. I found this shrub right behind the Jennings building in the garden area. The garden has a variety of different plants and in a shaded region. The fruits of this plant are usually eaten by chipmunks and ruffled grouse. This plant’s buds are eaten by ptarmigan and sharptail grouse (Petrides, 1972, pg 230).
Winged Elm
This is the Winged Elmand the scientific name is Ulmus alata. The arrangement is alternate and the complexity is simple. The leaves are serrated and have a more ovular shape. I found this tree behind the Jennings building also in the garden area. The wood of the winged elm tree is known for its flexibility and resistance to splitting so it is usually used to make curved items or hockey sticks (University of Florida, 2021).
Honey Locust
This is the honey locust also known as Gleditsia triacanthos. The arrangement is alternate and the complexity is twice compound. The leaves are not serrated and narrow. I found this tree at Kottman Hall. I would not say it was in a garden environment like the rest of the plants but it had lots of shade from the Kottman Hall building and surrounded by brick pavements. The wood is heavy and durable so it has been used railroad ties and fences (Petrides, 1972, pg. 230).
Sugar Maple
This is the sugar maple tree or Acer saccharum Marsh. The arrangement is opposite and the complexity is simple. The leaves are lobed and not toothed. I found this tree in the garden behind the Jennings building. The wood is very useful because maple syrup can be harvested and is also used for a lot of furniture (Petrides, 1972, pg. 230).
Black Walnut
This is a black walnut or Juglans nigra. These plants have an alternate arrangement and the complexity is pinnately compound. The leaves are pretty large and if you look closely they are serrated. I found this plant near the Jennings building as well in the garden. One interesting fact about the nuts of the black walnut is that in World War II, airplane pistons were cleaned using the shells(Williams, n.d).
Swamp Oak
This is the swamp oak and the scientific name is Quercus bicolor Wild. The arrangement is alternate and the complexity is simple. The leaves are wavy and large. This tree was also found in the garden behind Jennings. The acorns are sweet and are part of the diet of squirrels, rodents, and ducks (Rodgers, n.d).
White Mulberry
This is the Morus alba L. The arrangement is alternate and the complexity is simple. The leaves look interesting with the deep lobes. I found this plant in Jennings building garden. The chemicals in the white mulberry have been seen to work like the ones in medicine for type 2 diabetes so this plant has been used to help lower blood sugar levels (White Mulberry-Uses, Side effects, and More, n.d).
Sweetbay Magnolia
This is the sweetbay magnolia. They are alternate and simple. The leaves are long and kind of a lighter green. This was found in the Jennings building garden as well. The leaves are eaten by deer and cattle and the seeds are usually eaten by gray squirrels (Priester, n.d).
Siberian Crab Apple
This is the Siberian crabapple also known Pyrus baccata L. It is alternate with simple leaves. The leaves are round and toothed and the fruits are a bright red. This plant was found in my front yard garden. The fruit of this plant can be used for medicinal purposes such as to treat dysentery and diarrhea (Siberian Crabapple, n.d).
Cited Works:
North Dakota State University . (n.d.). Siberian Crabapple . N.D. Tree Handbook – Tree Information Center. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/n-d-tree-handbook
Priester, D. S. (n.d.). Sweetbay . Magnolia Virginiana L. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/magnolia/virginiana.htm
Petrides, G. A., & Peterson, R. T. (1997). Trees and shrubs: Field marks of all trees, shrubs, and woody vines that grow wild in the northern and north-central United States and in southeastern and south-central Canada. Easton Press.
Rogers, R. (n.d.). Swamp White Oak. Quercus bicolor WiIId. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/bicolor.htm
University of Florida. (n.d.). Winged Elm. Winged Elm – Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – UF/IFAS. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-4-h-forest-ecology/forest-ecology-contest/contest-stations/forest-ecosystems/bottomland-hardwoods/winged-elm/
WebMD. (n.d.). White Mulberry: Overview, uses, side effects, precautions, interactions, dosing and reviews. WebMD. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1250/white-mulberry
Williams , R. D. (n.d.). Black Walnut. Juglans nigra L. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/juglans/nigra.htm