Colorado Blue Spruce – Magestic (Picea pungens glauca)

P. pungens is a medium-sized coniferous evergreen tree growing to 25–30 m (82–98 ft) tall, exceptionally to 46 m (151 ft) tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). The bark is thin and gray, with narrow vertical furrows. The crown is conic in young trees, becoming cylindric in older trees. The shoots are stout, orange-brown, usually glabrous, and with prominent pulvini.[6]

The leaves are 1.5 to 2 inches long, dagger shaped, sharply mucronate, lanceolate, sessile, acuminate, deflexed, rigid, coriaceous, somewhat serrulate, very numerus, bright green above and slightly glacous below. The leaves are needle-like, 15–30 millimetres (0.59– 1.2 in) long, stout, rhombic in crosssection, dull gray-green to bright glaucous blue (very variable from tree to tree in wild populations), with several lines of stomata; the tip is viciously sharp.[3][4][7]

The cones are pendulous, slender cylindrical, 6–11 cm (2.4–4.3 in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) broad when closed, opening to 4 cm (1.6 in) broad. They have thin, flexible scales 20–24 mm (0.79–0.94 in) long, with a wavy margin. They are reddish to violet, maturing pale brown 5–7 months after pollination. The seeds are black, 3–4 mm (0.12– 0.16 in) long, with a slender, 10–13 mm (0.39–0.51 in) long pale brown wing.[3][4][6]

Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

This graceful pyramidal has sharp, shiny, dark needles. Beautiful spreading branches with drooping twigs. An extremely hardy tree that is successful under most soil conditions. Makes a charming Christmas tree, an appealing ornamental specimen, or a protective windbreak. Fast growth makes the Spruce ideal for timber. It is a large, fast-growing evergreen coniferous tree growing to 35-55 m (115–180 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1-1.5 m. The shoots are orange-brown and glabrous (hairless). The leaves are needle-like, 12– 24 mm long, quadrangular in cross-section (not flattened), and dark green on all four sides with inconspicuous stomatal lines. The cones are 9–17 cm long (the longest of any spruce), and have bluntly to sharply triangular-pointed scale tips. They are green or reddish, maturing brown 5–7 months after pollination. The seeds are black, 4–5 mm long, with a pale brown 15 mm wing.

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)

This fragrant pyramidal evergreen has flat, round tip dark green needles 5/8' to 1' long. Will grow in cool, moist, sheltered locations and swampy areas. Beautiful, fragrant Christmas trees and good ornamental. Balsam Fir is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically 14–20 metres (46–66 ft) tall, rarely to 27 metres (89 ft) tall, with a narrow conic crown. The bark on young trees is smooth, grey, and with resin blisters (which tend to spray when ruptured), becoming rough and fissured or scaly on old trees. The leaves are flat needle-like, 15 to 30 millimetres (½–1 in) long, dark green above often with a small patch of stomata near the tip, and two white stomatal bands below, and a slightly notched tip. They are arranged spirally on the shoot, but with the leaf bases twisted to appear in two more-or-less horizontal rows. The cones are erect, 40 to 80 millimetres (1½–3 in) long, dark purple, ripening brown and disintegrating to release the winged seeds in September.

Douglas Fir – San Juan NF (Pseudotsuga menziessi glauca)

Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is a large tree, typically reaching 35–45 m in height and 1 m in diameter, with exceptional specimens known to 67 m tall, and 2 m diameter. It commonly lives more than 500 years and occasionally more than 1,200 years. The bark on young trees is thin, smooth, gray, and covered with resin blisters. On mature trees, it is moderately thick (3–6 cm), furrowed and corky though much less so than coast Douglas-fir.

The shoots are brown to gray-brown, smooth, though not as smooth as fir shoots, and finely pubescent with scattered short hairs. The buds are a distinctive narrow conic shape, 3–6 mm long, with red-brown bud scales. The leaves are spirally arranged but slightly twisted at the base to be upswept above the shoot, needle-like, 2–3 cm long, gray-green to blue-green above with a single broad stomatal patch, and with two whitish stomatal bands below.

The male (pollen) cones are 2–3 cm long, and are typically restricted to or more abundant on lower branches. Pollen cones develop over 1 year and wind-dispersed pollen is released for several weeks in the spring.

Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir reaches reproductive maturity at 12–15 years. It has winged seeds that are dispersed primarily by wind and gravity. In western Montana clearcuts, seeds were dispersed up to 250 m (800 feet) uphill from their source, but seedfall between 180–250 m (600–800 feet) was only 7% of that found in uncut stands. Other studies determined that seedfall in clearcuts beyond 80 m (265 feet) from seed trees was about 3% of seedfall in uncut stands where seed trees are close together. Well-stocked stands have resulted from seedfall from sources 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 miles) distant, but most Douglas-fir seeds fall within 100 m (330 feet) of their source. Small amounts of seed are dispersed by mice, chipmunks, and squirrels.

Eastern White Pine -Pennsylvania (Pinus strobus)

Like all members of the white pine group, Pinus subgenus Strobus, the leaves ('needles') are in fascicles (bundles) of five (rarely 3 or 4), with a deciduous sheath. They are flexible, bluish-green, finely serrated, and 5-13 centimeters (2–5 in) long, and persist for usually about 18 months.

The cones are slender, 8–16 cm (3–6 in) long (rarely longer than that) and 4–5 cm (1.5– 2 in) broad when open, and have scales with a rounded apex and slightly reflexed tip. The seeds are 4–5 mm (3/16 in) long, with a slender 15–20 mm (3/4 in) wing, and are wind- dispersed. Cone production peaks every 3 to 5 years.

Diameters of the larger pines range from 1.0-1.6 m (3–5 ft), which translates to a circumference (girth) range of 3.1-5.0 m (10.2-16.4 ft). However, singled-trunk white pines in both the Northeast and Southeast with diameters over 1.45 m (4.75 ft) are exceedingly rare. Notable big pine sites of 40 ha (100 acres) or less will often have no more than 2 or 3 trees in the 1.2 to 1.4 m (4-4.5 ft) diameter class.

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Broad, round dense head, spreading branches and purple-red Fall color. Leaves remain on tree for Winter interest, bark light gray and flaked.

The leaves grow to be 5-8.5 inches long and 2.75-4.5 inches wide and have a deep glossy green upper surface. They usually turn red or brown in autumn, but depending on climate, site, and individual tree genetics, some trees are nearly always red, or even purple in autumn. Some brown, dead leaves may remain on the tree throughout winter until very early spring. The lobes can be shallow, extending less than halfway to the midrib, or deep and somewhat branching. The acorns are usually sessile, and grow to 0.5-1 inch in length, falling in early October.

Quercus alba is sometimes confused with the swamp white oak, a closely related species, and the bur oak. The white oak hybridizes freely with the bur oak, the post oak, and the chestnut oak.[3]

 Bark: Light gray, varying to dark gray and to white; shallow fissured and scaly. Branchlets at first bright green, later reddish-green and finally light gray. A distinguishing feature of this tree is that a little over halfway up the trunk the bark tends to form overlapping scales that are easily noticed and aid in identification.  Wood: Light brown with paler sapwood; strong, tough, heavy, fine-grained and durable. Specific gravity, 0.7470; weight of one cubic foot, 46.35 lbs; weight of one cubic meter 770 kg.[4]  Winter buds: Reddish brown, obtuse, one-eighth of an inch long.  Leaves: Alternate, five to nine inches long, three to four inches wide. Obovate or oblong, seven to nine-lobed, usually seven-lobed with rounded lobes and rounded sinuses; lobes destitute of bristles; sinuses sometimes deep, sometimes shallow. On young trees the leaves are often repand. They come out of the bud conduplicate, are bright red above, pale below, and covered with white tomentum; the red fades quickly and they become silvery greenish white and shiny; when full grown they are thin, bright yellow green, shiny or dull above, pale, glaucous or smooth below; the midrib is stout and yellow, primary veins are conspicuous. In late autumn the leaves turn a deep red and drop, or on young trees remain on the branches throughout the winter. Petioles are short, stout, grooved, and flattened. Stipules are linear and caducous.  Flowers: appear in May, when leaves are one-third grown. Staminate flowers are borne in hairy aments two and a half to three inches long; the calyx is bright yellow, hairy, six to eight-lobed, with lobes shorter than the stamens; anthers are yellow. Pistillate flowers are borne on short peduncles; involucral scales are hairy, reddish; calyx lobes are acute; stigmas are bright red.  Acorns: Annual, sessile or stalked; nut ovoid or oblong, round at the apex, light brown, shining, three-quarters to an inch long; cup-shaped, enclose about one-fourth of the nut, tomentose on the outside, tuberculate at base, scales with short obtuse tips becoming smaller and thinner toward the rim.[3]

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

The best known oak for street and ornamental planting. Forms a symmetrical pyramidal head with drooping branches. Beautiful green foliage of leaves 3" to 5" wide with five pointed lobes, bright green leaves turning yellow to radiant red in Autumn. Prefers somewhat moist soil. A fast growing tree with light to dark grayish-brown bark. Mature height of 75 to 80 feet.

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Select strain, collected from genetically superior specimens in northwest Pennsylvania. Fast growing oak, maturing with a broad round head, leaves turning to red to reddish brown in Autumn. Will tolerate a wide range of soil types from acid to alkaline. Mature height 75-80 feet.

In lots of forests, this deciduous tree grows straight and tall, to 28 m (90 ft), exceptionally to 43 m (140 ft) tall, with a trunk of up to 50–100 cm (20–40 in) diameter. Open-grown trees do not get so tall, but can develop a stouter trunk, up to 2 m (6 ft) in diameter. It has stout branches growing at right angles to the stem, forming a narrow round-topped head. It grows rapidly and is tolerant of many soils and varied situations, although it prefers the glacial drift and well-drained borders of streams.[2] It is frequently a part of the canopy in an oak-heath forest, but generally not as important as some other oaks.[3][4]

Under optimal conditions, northern red oak is fast growing and a 10-year-old tree can be 5–6 m (15–20 ft) tall.[5] Trees may live up to 500 years according to the USDA,[6] and a living example of 326 years was noted in 2001 by Orwig et al.[7]

Northern red oak is easy to recognize by its bark, which feature bark ridges that appear to have shiny stripes down the center. A few other oaks have bark with this kind of appearance in the upper tree, but the northern red oak is the only tree with the striping all the way down the trunk.

 Bark:Dark reddish grey brown, with broad, thin, rounded ridges, scaly. On young trees and large stems, smooth and light gray. Rich in tannic acid. Branchlets slender, at first bright green, shining, then dark red, finally dark brown. Bark is brownish gray, becoming dark brown on old trees.  Wood: Pale reddish brown, sapwood darker, heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained. Cracks in drying, but when carefully treated could be successfully used for furniture. Also used in construction and for interior finish of houses. Sp. gr., 0.6621; weight of cu. ft., 41.25 lbs.

 Winter buds: Dark chestnut brown (reddish brown), ovate, acute, generally 6 mm long  Leaves: Alternate, seven to nine-lobed, oblong-ovate to oblong, five to ten inches long, four to six inches broad; seven to eleven lobes tapering gradually from broad bases, acute, and usually repandly dentate and terminating with long bristle-pointed teeth; the second pair of lobes from apex are largest; midrib and primary veins conspicuous. Lobes are less deeply cut than most other oaks of the red oak group (except for black oak[disambiguation needed] which can be similar). Leaves emerge from the bud convolute, pink, covered with soft silky down above, coated with thick white tomentum below. When full grown are dark green and smooth, sometimes shining above, yellow green, smooth or hairy on the axils of the veins below. In autumn they turn a rich red, sometimes brown. Often the petiole and midvein are a rich red color in midsummer and early autumn, though this is not true of all red oaks. The acorns mature in about 18 months after pollination; solitary or in pairs, sessile or stalked; nut oblong-ovoid with broad flat base, full, with acute apex, one half to one and one-fourth of an inch long, first green, maturing nut-brown; cup, saucer-shaped and shallow, 2 cm (0.8 in) wide, usually covering only the base, sometimes one-fourth of the nut, thick, shallow, reddish brown, somewhat downy within, covered with thin imbricated reddish brown scales. Its kernel is white and very bitter.[2] Despite this bitterness, they are eaten by deer, squirrels and birds.

Scarlet Maple (Acer rubrum)

A handsome native tree growing to 50 to 60 feet, developing a round head of green leaves with silver undercolor. Silver-gray bark, with leaves turning brilliant crimson in Fall. Grows well in all soil types.

Though A. rubrum is usually easy to identify, it is highly changeable in morphological characteristics. It is a medium to large sized tree, reaching heights of 18 to 27 metres (59 to 89 ft) and exceptionally over 35 metres (115 feet). The leaves are usually 9 to 11 centimetres (3.5 to 4.3 in) long on a full grown tree. The trunk diameter can range from 46 to 76 cm (18 to 30 in), depending on the growing conditions.[4] Its spread is about 12 m (39 ft). A 10-year-old sapling will stand about 6 m (20 ft) tall. In forests, the bark will remain free of branches until some distance up the tree. Individuals grown in the open are shorter and thicker with a more rounded crown.[5] Generally speaking, however, the crown is irregularly ovoid with ascending whip-like curved shoots. The bark is a pale grey and smooth when the individual is young. As the tree grows the bark becomes darker and cracks into slightly raised long plates.[6] The largest known living red maple is located near Armada, Michigan, at a height of 38.1 m (125 ft) and a bole circumference, at breast height, of 4.95 m (16.2 ft).[4]

The leaves of the red maple offer the easiest way to distinguish it from its relatives. As with nearly all maple trees, they are deciduous and arranged oppositely on the twig. They are typically 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long and wide with 3-5 palmate lobes with a serrated margin. The sinuses are typically narrow, but the leaves can exhibit considerable variation.[5] When 5 lobes are present, the three at the terminal end are larger than the other two near the base. In contrast, the leaves of the related silver maple, A. saccharinum, are much more deeply lobed, more sharply toothed and characteristically have 5 lobes. The upper side of A. rubrum's leaf is light green and the underside is whitish and can be either glaucous or hairy. The leaf stalks are usually red and are up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Furthermore, the leaves turn a brilliant red in autumn.

The twigs of the red maple are reddish in color and somewhat shiny with small lenticels. Dwarf shoots are present on many branches. The buds are usually blunt and greenish to reddish in color, generally with several loose scales. The lateral buds are slightly stalked, and in addition there may be collateral buds present as well. The buds form in fall and winter and are often visible from a distance due to their reddish tint. The leaf scars on the twig are V-shaped and contain 3 bundle scars.[5]

The flowers are generally unisexual, with male and female flowers appearing in separate sessile clusters, though they are sometimes also bisexual. They appear in spring from April to May, usually coming before the leaves. The tree itself is considered Polygamodioecious, meaning some individuals are male, some female, and some monoecious.[4] The flowers are red with 5 small petals and a 5-lobed calyx borne in hanging clusters, usually at the twig tips. They are lineal to oblong in shape and are pubescent. The pistillate flowers have one pistil formed from two fused carpels with a glabrous superior ovary and two long styles that protrude beyond the perianth. The staminate flowers contain between 4 and 12 stamens, often with 8.[7]

The fruit is a 15 to 25 millimeter (.5 to .75 inch) long double samara with somewhat divergent wings at an angle of 50 to 60 degrees. They are borne on long slender stems and are variable in color from light brown to reddish.[5] They ripen from April through early June, before even the leaf development is altogether complete. After they reach maturity, the seeds are dispersed for a 1 to 2 week period from April through July.[4]

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Noted for its distinctive shaggy bark, this native hardwood produces edible nuts and desirable hardwood lumber.

Carya ovata, the shagbark hickory, is a common hickory in the eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing up to 27 m tall, and will live up to 200 years. Mature shagbarks are easy to recognize because, as their name implies, they have shaggy bark. This characteristic is, however, only found on mature trees; young specimens have smooth bark.

The shagbark hickory's nut is edible and has a very sweet taste.

The leaves are 30–60 cm long, pinnate, with five (rarely three or seven) leaflets, the terminal three leaflets much larger than the basal pair. The shagbark hickory is monoecious. Staminate flowers are borne on long-stalked catkins at the tip of old wood or in the axils of the previous season's leaves. Pistillate flowers occur in short terminal spikes.[1] The fruit is a 2.5– to 4.0-cm-long drupe, an edible nut with a hard, bony shell, contained in a thick, green four- sectioned husk which turns dark and splits off at maturity in the fall.[2] The terminal buds on the shagbark hickory are large and covered with loose scales.[3] The word "hickory" is said to have come from the Algonquian Indian word "pawcohiccora". Shagbark hickory nuts were a significant food source for the Algonquians. Red squirrels, gray squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, and mice are consumers of hickory nuts.[4] Other consumers include black bears, gray and red foxes, rabbits, and bird species such as mallards, wood ducks, bobwhites, and wild turkey.[5]

American Elderberry (Sambuscus canadensis)

Large, spreading, multi-stemmed shrub with large, flat-topped white flowers in June - July followed by purple-black berries. Can be used for jellies, pies and wine. Excellent for attracting birds, and will grow in wet areas. Grows in any type of soil and is very hardy.

It is a deciduous suckering shrub growing to 3 m or more tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, pinnate with five to nine leaflets, the leaflets around 10 cm long and 5 cm broad. In summer, it bears large (20–30 cm diameter) corymbs of white flowers above the foliage, the individual flowers 5–6 mm diameter, with five petals.

The fruit is a dark purple to black berry 3–5 mm diameter, produced in drooping clusters in the fall. The berries and flowers are edible, but other parts of the plant are poisonous, containing toxic calcium oxalate crystals.

Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)

Excellent shrub for borders or mass plantings. Bright white flowers in May, brilliant red berries in Fall, retained into Winter. Bright red Fall foliage. Does well in wet soils.

The leaves are alternate, simple, and oblanceolate with crenate margins and pinnate venation; in autumn the leaves turn a bold red color. Dark trichomes are present on the upper midrib surface. The flowers are small, with 5 petals and 5 sepals, and produced in corymbs of 10-25 together. Hypanthium is urn-shaped. The fruit is a small pome, with a very astringent flavor.

Aronia has been thought to be closely related to Photinia, and has been included in that genus in some classifications,[9] but botanist Cornelis Kalkman observed that a combined genus should be under the older name Aronia.[10] The combined genus contains about 65 species.[11] In 2004, Kalkman expressed doubt about the monophyly of the combined group, and new molecular studies confirm this.[1][12] They do not place these two genera together or even near one another.

In eastern North America, there are two well-known species, named after their fruit color, red chokeberry and black chokeberry, plus a purple chokeberry whose origin is a natural hybrid of the two.[11]

Red chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia (Photinia pyrifolia),[3] grows to 2–4m tall, rarely up to 6 m. Leaves are 5–8 cm wide and densely pubescent on the underside. The flowers are white or pale pink, 1 cm wide, with glandular sepals. The fruit is red, 4–10mm wide, persisting into winter.

APPLES are both Semi-dwarf size. Maximum ht of tree is 15 foot.

Enterprise: EMLA 7: root stock:The most widely-planted free-standing semi-dwarf rootstock to date. EMLA 7 trees exhibit an open spreading-type growth similar to peach trees in size. The trees are well anchored, hardy, and size fruit well in a dry season. EMLA 7 has a tendency to rootsucker when not planted deep.

Description Developed by Purdue University. This is a late maturing, deep red apple with good keeping qualities. Fruit is uniform - medium to large. Tree is spreading with good annual bearing habits. Enterprise is immune to apple scab, highly resistant to fire blight and cedar apple rust, and moderately resistant to powdery mildew.

Characteristics Bloom: Mid Season Maturity Date: October 24 Fruit Color: Red

Pollination Information Enterprise blooms in mid-season and will pollinate all other early blooming apple varieties, varieties blooming in the middle of the season, and also varieties blooming late in the season.

Description WineCrisp™ was selected by and is being offered under license from the University of Illinois. It is a late season apple, harvesting two weeks after Delicious. The fruit is medium to large in size and colors to a deep purple-red with a "scarfy" finish. Flesh is very firm, juicy and crisp and exhibits a pleasantly sweet-tart, spicy flavor. WineCrisp™ has performed very well in hot, dry conditions and is ideal for southern growing districts. This variety boasts great storage life, keeping six to eight months in regular cold storage. Tree is moderately vigorous and spreading. Aggressive thinning is recommended to avoid biennial bearing.

Characteristics Bloom: Mid Season Maturity Date: October 12 Fruit Color: Deep Red

Sweet Cherry: Sandra Rose is a dwarf tree. Maximum of 12 to 14 feet tall. Description Introduced by the breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, Sandra Rose™ is a short-stemmed, mid-season dark red cherry that has been evaluated for many years. Size and color have been consistently attractive and uniform, and the flavor has been praised annually. Sandra Rose™ is moderately firm and has shown some resistance to cracking. It is considered a self-fertile variety.

Pollination Information Sandra Rose is considered self-fertile and does not require cross pollination.

Peaches: Standard size tree: Maximum of 15 to 20 feet tall. Cresthaven

Description Introduced by the Michigan Experiment Station, Cresthaven is a very firm, highly colored variety for the late season. The fruit is yellow-fleshed, freestone and shows considerable red around the pit. The tree is winter hardy, very productive and has medium vigor. Extra fertilization is recommended to maintain tree longevity and vigor.

Characteristics Maturity Date: August 27

Redhaven

This variety is considered by many as the standard to the Northeast peach industry. Tree is vigorous, very bud-hardy and productive. Fruit is medium size and colors to a brilliant red. One of the best commercial varieties. Ripens approximately August 1st in Southern Pennsylvania.

Characteristics Maturity Date: August 1

ASIAN PEARS:

Both pears are of BETULAFOLIA rootstock:Standard size tree: Maximum of 15 to 20 feet tall. Based on observations in commercial orchards throughout the Northeast, Betulafolia is the most suitable rootstock for Asian pear varieties. Betulafolia is a vigorous rootstock, well anchored, and drought tolerant. The recommended spacing for plantings on this rootstock is twelve feet between trees in the row and twenty feet between rows.

Kosui:

Description A medium to large Asian pear ripening after Hosui. The fruit is yellow/brown russet, firm, crisp and juicy with a sweet, low-acid flavor. The tree is upright and vigorous.

Characteristics Maturity Date: August 23

Pollination Information Asian pear varieties perform best when planted with other Asian pear varieties. Each of the varieties offered by ACN produce viable pollen and may be used to pollinate other Asian pear varieties. For best results, plant at least two varieties in close proximity to one another.

Shinko

Description Shinko is a medium to large size pear, very sweet and juicy. It colors to a golden brown russet and will store up to three months after picking. The tree bears heavy, but still crops annually. This variety has shown good resistance to fire blight. Harvests late September.

Characteristics Maturity Date: September 25

Pollination Information Asian pear varieties perform best when planted with other Asian varieties. Each of the varieties offered by ACN produce viable pollen and may be used to pollinate other Asian varieties. For best results, plant at least two varieties in close proximity to one another.