American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

The American Beech is often the most when early distinctive tree in the forest because of its loggers ne- massive, smooth, grey trunk. The hollows glected it in fa- of these large trunks often provide shelter vour of maple, for various animals. Triangular beechnuts, birch or white enclosed in a bur, are a favourite and im- pine. In recent portant source of food of birds, squirrels, years it has chipmunks and mice. First Nations people suffered from would eat the nuts raw, cook them into a beech bark soup or mush, or boil them to make high disease, initi- quality oil. The inner bark is also nutritious ated by an insect that attacks the bark and and flavourful and was used as a protein makes it susceptible to bark canker fungi. source in soup or bread. The tough, strong The disease, first seen in North America in wood of this species is ideal for flooring, 1920, has spread slowly northward and has furniture and other woodenware. American been observed on beech trees in the West beech became relatively more abundant Island since 2007.

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

This tall handsome maple, which adds dra- shape, called a matic colour to our forests every fall, is one double sama- of the most common tree species on the ra, which can West Island and one of the most useful to be carried 100 people. Its wood has been used for every- m by the wind. thing from furniture to musical instruments The trees are and it is, of course, the source of maple very sensitive syrup. First Nations people developed the to air pollution technology for tapping the trees early in and to drought the spring to catch the first, and sweetest, and the an- flow of sap. Sap was also used as a bever- ticipated climate change is a major con- age, fresh or fermented into a kind of beer. cern for this species. The leaf of the sugar The sugar maple has two seeds attached maple is known internationally as it is the to two large papery wings in a horseshoe centrepiece of the Canadian flag.

Butternut (Juglans cinerea)

A close cousin of the black walnut, the but- lectively toxic. ternut produces large nuts that are popular Homeopathic with humans and animals. Enclosed in a medicine uses sticky, yellow-green husk, the kernel of the a tincture from nut is sweet, oily and edible and was once the bark of very important in the diet of native peo- the roots for ples. Settlers prized the wood for cabinet- various mala- work and furniture, and made syrup from dies related the sap but yields were lower than for sug- to skin and ar maple. The butternut does not survive headaches. in a shaded understory and grows best on Unfortunately, well-drained sites. In order to reduce com- a fungal disease (Butternut Canker) has petition from other plants growing around recently threatened this handsome species it, the butternut produces a substance in and has killed many trees in the southern its root tissues called “juglans” that is se- part of its range.

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)

The northernmost of hickories, this is a ditionally been small tree in the understory of the for- very popular est that was well used by early bitternut as a fuel wood hickory inhabitants of the West Island. The because it round, bitter nuts, inside a yellow-green burns evenly, husk with a pointed tip, are eaten by wild- and produces life but their high tannin content and ex- long-lasting treme bitterness make them unpleasant steady heat eating for humans. However, early settlers and the char- used oil extracted from the nuts for oil coal gives food lamps and believed that the oil was valu- a hickory-smoked flavour. The generally able as a cure for rheumatism. The Iro- low percentage of hickory in many forests quois used the oil mixed with bear grease may be due in part to the selective cutting as an insect repellent and used the bark for of hickory to be used for fuel. furniture and snowshoes. Hickory has tra-

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

This tall, stately tree was once a familiar contained both site in local forests and on city streets. In the fungus earlier times, the elm was valued for its that causes interlocked grain that is difficult to split. the disease This was an advantage when bending of and the Eu- the wood was needed in making barrels, ropean elm baskets, and wheel hubs. The inner bark is bark beetle, tough and can be twisted into long fibres the preferred and it is possible that native peoples used method of this rope to attach the poles that supported transporta- the structure of longhouses. However, the tion of the fungus. The ability of the fungus elm has been all but wiped out by Dutch to hitchhike from tree to tree on both the elm disease, a fungal disease spread by European and the native elm bark beetle beetles. The disease was first introduced hastened the spread of the disease. By the to North America in 1930 via a shipment 1970’s most stands had been devastated of infected elm from Europe that evidently and there are only scattered trees left.

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

The largest of the wild cherries, the black the cyanide cherry has a rich, red-brown wood that is and commonly highly valued for cabinets and fine furni- consume the ture. Black cherry fruits are an important cherries. Un- source of food for many species of birds like domestic and mammals, and numerous migratory cherry trees, birds feed on the cherries as they migrate which flower south in the fall. The leaves, twigs, bark before the and seeds are poisonous to livestock be- leaves ap- cause they contain a cyanide compound pear, the black that breaks down during digestion and cherry flowers when the leaves are nearly becomes toxic. Nevertheless, fox, squirrels, fully-grown. These beautiful flowers are rabbits, and native deer are unaffected by unmistakable in late spring.