Elhannon Highlights

Shingle Oak Bur Oak Tamarack Cully Birch

Volume 1 March 2021 Shingle Oak Also known as: Laurel Oak, Water Oak Quercus imbricaria The Shingle Oak is a native to Pennslyvania to Georgia west to Nebraska and grows to a maximum height and spread of 60’ in Zones 4 to 8. Best grown in moist, deep, rich, acidic, well-drained soil in full sun. Overall a very healthy, and hardy, tree that tolerates black walnut, drought, a range of soil conidtions including high-pH, and shows some urban tolerance but is a fall-digging hazard. Another note on the name, laurel and water oaks are different species in the southern United States but the shingle oak bears some similar characteristics therefore some are known to use the same name for both species.

The Shingle oak has a pyramidal crown in youth that becomes rounded with maturity and is a slow-growing but long-lived oak. Both shingle and bur oak do not emit strong allelopathic effects (hormones that limit growth of other species) that some other oaks may emit. It also tolerates hard prun- ing so it may be trained to be a screen in addition to being used as a shade tree or lawn specimen. It is more commonly used a large landscapes such as golf courses, parks, and along streets and parking lots. Bark

Smooth brown bark furrows and grays with age. A great source of lumber, early American settlers used the lumber to make shingles, hence the common name.

Flower & Fruit

Like most oaks, the Shingle oak has an insignificant inflorescence and produces acorns. The acorns are rounded, 5/8” long with thin, scaly bowl-shaped cup. They begin to produce acorns at around 6” caliper.

Leaves

Oblong 6” long, 3” wide, thick glossy dark green leaves turn attractive shades of yellow-brown to russet red in autumn and persist on branches throughout winter Bur Oak Also known as: Mossycup Oak, Overcup Oak Quercus macrocarpa This widely-ranged (Zones 3 to 8) deciduous tree is native from New Brunswick through Saskatchewan south to Texas in moist woods and bottom lands to dry slopes. It can grow to a maximum height and spread of 80’ over 300 years in preferred conditions: rich, acidic, well-drained loam in full sun. Tolerates clay and urban sites better than other oaks, and shows both flood tolerance and drought resistance.

The bur oak’s round-oval crown with irregular, open branching combined with its tolerances make it an excellent street or urban tree that can with- stand a range of conditions and maintains a naturally narrow crown relative to other oaks. It also makes an ideal lawn specimen, highlight for large landscapes, or shade tree. There are a wide range of uses for this hardy tree including temporary flood sites and naturalization or reclamation. Leaves

Lustrous dark green elliptic leaves are 6-10” long with grayish-green un- dersides turn yellow-brown in fall. These leaves differ from most oaks in that they are wider at the terminal end with deep opposing sinuses in the middle of the leaf and irregular lobes.

Bark

Grayish brown smooth bark in youth develops deep ridged-and-furrowed character which becomes darker gray-brown than white oak.

It is the only native oak to develop corky ridg- es on branchlets. Its lumber is similar, and often mistaken for, white oak. The bark was also used to cover early native structures. Flower & Fruit

The bur oak has one of the most unique acorns of all the oaks - adorned with fringed, mossy cups that extend over half of the 1-2” acorn which it begins producing at around 4” caliper.

The acorns are sweet and edible raw. References date to 1590 of the acorn being roasted similar to chestnuts, used to make bread, and oil.

Archaeologists have discovered these acorns dating back to 3000 BC near Lake Cayuga, NY. Tamarack Also known as: Eastern Larch, American Larch, Hackmatack Larix laricina This cold-climate (Zones 2 to 5) deciduous conifer has a native range from Labrador to Alaska from the northernmost limits south to Minnesota and through New England into West Virginia. In its southernmost range, it is found predominantly in cold swamps and spahgnum bogs, often appearing in stands as pictured below, while in cultivation it prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil in full sun. The tamarack can get to a maximum height of 80’ with a spread of 35’ and a trunk 2’ in diameter.

The tamarack has an open, pyramidal form with horizontal branching and a characteristic deviating trunk. It often grows in areas too wet for other species, avoids competition from other species in the wild, and grows rapidly in youth under favorable conditions. For these reasons, it is considered a pioneer species that is credited for contributing to forest migration. It shows resistance to salt spray as it has been observed naturally growing in coastal Maine. It is also a picky tree - it hates the heat and full shade, does not compete with other species well, and is intolerant of urban sites and pollution. Considering the tamarack’s attributes and ecology, we find the tamarack best used as: a lawn or garden specimen that provides year-round interest, for a rain garden or other such wet site that prohibits other species, for naturalization or reclamation, or as a screen for privacy or wind. Flower & Fruit

Inconspicuous yellow and red flowers give way to small 1/2 to 3/4 inch oblong-ovid cones with rounded scales that stand erect on twigs and persist through winter. Cones appear green to purple at first and mature to light brown. Some birds and red squirrels will eat the cones.

Leaves

In an arrangement unique amoung native conifers, tamarack have 3/4-1 1/4 inch long, slender, soft, bright pale blue green tufts of 3-sided needles with 2 stoma- tal bands underneath that turn brilliant yellow in late September, early October.

Of native conifers, the tamarack shares with the bald cypress the trait to drop thier needles before winter. Deer and rabbit show little interest in eating the foli- age or bark. The name is derived from a word in the indig- enous Abnaki language of Maine and Quebec - ‘Akemantak’ meaning “wood for snowshoes”.

Western references of this tree date back to Bark 1663 citing its high quality lumber for poles, ladders, and ships, as a brewed beverage, and Becomes roughened over time with small thin for a range of medicinal uses including bruises roundish reddish-brown scales, pale orange and indigestion. branches show in winter. Heritage® Birch Also known as: Cully River Birch, Improved Heritage River Birch Betula nigra ‘Cully’

This patented selection is cultivated from a river birch found in the St. Louis area and grows as either single or multi-stem to a maximum height of 70’ and spread of 60’ in zones 3 to 8. It is a vigorous grower in fertile, moist, acidic soil in full sun. Shows excellent resistance to the Bronze Birch Borer, better disease resistance than other birches, very cold hardy, flood tolerant, with moderate salte and heat tolerance. This tree will thrive in many con- ditions as long as drought and high-pH soils are avoided

The Cully birch shares a similar form to other birch - pyramidal in youth that rounds with age. The bright green glossy leaves turn excellent yellow in autumn and gorgeous exfoliating salmon-colored bark make this tree an excellent lawn or garden specimen for any season. It’s adaptability also makes it a feasible street tree. This species is a fall-digging hazard. Flower & Fruit

Flowering slender male drooping catkins 2-4” long produce nutlets in a 1-1.5” long erect female catkin that ripens and depolys in spring.

Bark

Juvenile bark and branches is a dark red with white spots (top right) begins to exfoliate and turn white to salmon-white on 1-2” trees (bot- tom right) then matures to dark salmon-white and exfoliates in large sheets (bottom left).

Leaves

The ovate, doubly serrate leaves are larger than other birches. Lustrous dark green in summer, leaves turn excellent yellow in autumn. Shows excellent resistance to leaf spot. Elhannon Wholesale Nursery, Inc. 20716 NY RT 22; Petersburg, NY 12138 [email protected] - (518) 686-5553 - elhannon.com

We have produced this edition using our own pictures and knowlege, in conjunction with pictures and knowlege from the following individuals and organizations: 1. The illustrated book of trees by William Carey Grimm, 2. Medicinal and Other uses of North American Plants by Charlotte Erichsen-Brown 3. Dyck arboretum of the Plains, 4. Michael A. Dirr, 5. The Morton Arboreteum, 6. The Missouri Botanical Garden, 7. The Arbor Day Foundation, and 8. Robert H. Mohlenbrock, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Ches- ter.