Forestry/Tree List

Until the 2012 tree list comes out we will use the 2004 National list located here.

Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo)
Ginkgo is a unique gymnosperm in the monotypic family Ginkgoaceae. It is also classified in it's own division of Plantae, Ginkgophyta, as opposed to Pinophyta or Magnoliophyta. It is a well known example of a living fossil, although several other species in the Ginkgo genus have also been found in the fossil record. Ginkgo fossils first appeared in the Early Jurassic and became widespread throughout Laurasia, but they disappeared at the end of the Pliocene (about 2 mya) except for in a small area of central China. Today they are widely cultivated around the world, although they are classified as endangered by the IUCN due to their small natural range.

Ginkgos are large trees with somewhat erratic branches and a very long life span. The leaves are very distinctive, being fan-shaped with veins radiating from the base and constantly dividing in two (dichotomous venation).

Taxus brevifolia (Pacific Yew)
The Pacific Yew is a conifer native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It is easily distinguished by it's modified cones, which resemble bright red berries. These are not berries; they are called arils and are a a modified scale of a seed cone, analogous to the cones of pines. They begin as a green band around the base of the seed and develop into the fleshy red "false-fruit". The leaves are green, flat, and lanceolate. They are arranged spirally on the stem but appear to be in two flat rows due to a twist in the leaf base.

Intro to Abies (Firs)
The genus Abies contains the true firs, and includes 48-55 species worldwide and 11 native to North America. Firs are characterized by short, soft, and blunt needles. Cones are upright on the twig and can range from 2 inches to 7 inches in the case of the California Red Fir (A. magnifica). The leaves are curved up on branches with cones; these usually occur high up on the tree. During the fall, cone scales fall off individually, leaving only a central spike. Drops of white resin can often be found on mature cones.

Abies balsamea (Balsam Fir)
The Balsam Fir is a tree native to the Northeast US and much of Northeast and Central Canada.