Meet the treesBelow are brief descriptions of the trees planted on the Sac River Revenant. These texts are borrowed from many sites on the internet.
False Indigo: "This tough, dependable, long-lived perennial grows as much as 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The most common species has spires of blue flowers in late spring and early summer and was used by early American colonists as a dye plant. Other species and hybrids bloom in shades of purple, yellow and white; some even have bi-colored blossoms". Ninebark: “ A deciduous shrub with attractive foliage, peeling bark and corymbs of white cup-shaped flowers. Ninebark grows 6 to 10 feet tall and wide, in zones 2-8. The white , cup-shaped flower heads are attractive to birds, bees and butterflies. Ninebark is drought tolerant, requires little maintenance and is suitable for xeriscaping.” Overcup Oak: “The overcup oak tree is a long-lived, sturdy shade tree that will thrive in a wide variety of soil conditions. Long overlooked by growers, the tree is gaining popularity and has been made more readily available for home landscapes. Because of its size, shape, adaptability and hardiness, the overcup oak makes an excellent urban street tree.” Swamp white oak: “Swamp white oak is a striking tree with attractive peeling bark, especially on young trees. The lustrous, lobed leaves have a two-tone appearance, dark green on top with a silvery-white underside. Fall color is an orange-gold to yellow in mid-autumn. An excellent shade tree for any landscape.” Gray Dogwood - “This tough, low-maintenance shrub offers subtle year-round beauty. White panicles of flowers brighten the landscape in June. White berries attract many birds in the late summer and early fall. And the reddish-pink fruit stems persist into the winter, adding a nice color contrast to the gray bark" American Beauty Berry: “These shrubs average 3’ to 5’ tall. They are understory plants found in most wooded areas, especially if moist soil. American beautyberry shrubs lose their leaves in the winter but the clusters of dried berries often remain on its long, drooping branches. Leaves appear in late spring, often after many other plants. The clusters of purple/pink flowers appear in early summer and quickly become small, white-pink berries. Burr Oak “The bur oak is a mighty sight to behold. A coarsely textured crown, wild and wooly acorns and a massive trunk with rough and deeply furrowed bark combine to make one impressive tree. The natural bur oak range is the northern- and western- most of all the eastern oak species. While its massive size counts this tree out for most urban and suburban yards, the bur oak make a great choice for parks, institutional grounds and expansive yards.” Silky dogwood: “Silky dogwood is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that is typically found in moist lowland areas, swamp borders, floodplains, shrub wetlands, and along streams and ponds in Eastern North America. Twigs and leaf undersides have silky hairs, hence the common name. This dogwood typically grows to 6-12’ tall with an open-rounded form. Tiny yellowish-white flowers in flat-topped clusters bloom in late spring to early summer. This shrub is also commonly called swamp dogwood in reference to habitat and kinnkinnik (tobacco) in reference to a prior use of shrub bark by Native Americans as tobacco.” Button Bush: “A native small tree found in wetlands from Minnesota to Florida and from New England to California, buttonbush can reach 8 to 15 feet tall and is often wider than it is tall. Blooms are extremely rich in nectar and attract butterflies and other insects. Midsummer blooms look like fuzzy white balls arranged in clusters at the end of each twig. Flowers mature to spherical fruit that turns golden brown in autumn, persisting into winter and attracting wildlife. Slow to leaf out in spring, foliage is a rich glossy green, with red veins and red midribs beneath, and bronze, burgundy, or yellow tones in autumn.” Gray Dogwood: “This tough, low-maintenance shrub offers subtle year-round beauty. White panicles of flowers brighten the landscape in June. White berries attract many birds in the late summer and early fall. And the reddish-pink fruit stems persist into the winter, adding a nice color contrast to the gray bark. Gray dogwoods are great for borders, groups and masses. They can also be grown as small trees to be used for foundations, entranceways, borders or specimen planting.” Shumard Oak: “A stately, strong and long-lived tree with beautiful fall color, the Shumard oak is a great selection for yards. This adaptable species has been successfully grown in urban areas where air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil, and/or drought are common, making it a fine choice for street trees as well. While this tree is favored by homeowners, deer and squirrels also love its small acorns.” Sycamore: “The sycamore is a grand, stately shade tree for a larger site. It has broad green leaves but is most recognizable by its peeling bark, with patches of white and gray. Native to the Chicago region, sycamores have very high wildlife value, attracting a wide range of birds that use the tree for many purposes.” Shell Bark Hickory - "A native of moist bottomlands and floodplains of the United States, the shellbark hickory was once a common sight. Only few stand in nature today, but when you do encounter one, it is a memorable sight. Drooping lower branches. Large yellow-green leaves. Shaggy bark curling up at the ends. The long-living shellbark hickory will reward patient tree planters with strong limbs, few natural pests, low maintenance and large nuts.” Wild plum: “Wild plum, also called American plum is a small, fast-growing, short-lived, colony-forming native tree, commonly found along fencerows, open fields, and roadsides. Abundant tiny white flowers open before the leaves emerge in spring. Plums appear in late summer.” Persimmon: “The persimmon's Latin name, Diospyros translates as "food of the gods." The tree is graceful and beautiful all four seasons of the year. It is slow-growing, round-shaped and 15 to 20 feet tall. Smooth, lustrous dark green leaves turn a blaze of orange and red in fall. Branches tend to weep from the heavy fruit load. Since persimmons have few serious pest and disease problems, this underutilized tree is a prize to grow in any gardener's backyard.” Redbud: “This lovely harbinger of spring has been called “a breath of fresh air after a long winter” and no less than “one of our most beautiful native trees”. This little tree, which usually grows no taller than 30 feet, bears showy pink flowers in very early spring, flowers lasting for two to three weeks. The leaves also emerge with a reddish color, giving way to a lustrous summer green and finally to a striking fall yellow. Even in winter this little tree is pleasant to behold, with its arching limbs and rounded crown" Smooth sumac: “Smooth sumac is a native plant found throughout the eastern United States. A good choice for difficult sites, mass plantings, screening and highways plantings. The dark green summer foliage turns an excellent yellow to orange-red-purple combinations in fall. Female plants produce scarlet, hairy terminal fruits in summer and persistent into winter.” Cherry bark oak: “Cherrybark oaks (Quercus pagoda) are fast-growing southern red oak trees that can grow 100 to 130 feet high with trunks 36 to 60 inches wide. Its highly prized, strong, straight wood has fewer knots than other red oak species and is used to make furniture, flooring and home interiors. Cherrybark oaks are native to southern Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas and Missouri." Washington Hawthorn: “The Washington hawthorn is a small, colorful tree that will brighten any landscape. Its pleasant display begins with reddish-purple leaves emerging in spring, then turning dark green as they are joined by a graceful display of white flowers. In autumn, the leaves turn orange, scarlet or purple. Red berries extend the colorful show into winter, often contrasting beautifully with the first winter snow. Songbirds rely on the tree’s late-season berries as a winter food source.” Roughleaf Dogwood: “A common understory shrub, roughleaf dogwood has shiny green leaves, showy clusters of creamy white flowers from May to August, round white fruit, and red foliage in the fall. The hard white fruits ripen from August to October, and provide food for at least 40 species of birds, making it an important wildscape plant. It grows quickly and suckers profusely, an asset for erosion control, stabilizing banks, shelter-belt plantings, or planting for wildlife in naturalized or wild areas. Hackberry: ” The hackberry is commonly heralded by tree experts as “one tough tree.” These trees thrive in a broad span of temperatures and on sites that vary from 14 to 60" of annual rainfall. They can even stand up to strong winds and tolerate air pollution. All of this hardiness adds up to a good landscape choice, particularly if you’re looking for an energy-conserving shade tree that doesn’t require watering.” Black Chokeberry: “Black chokeberry is a medium-size shrub with multiple seasons of interest. Starting with showy clusters of white flowers in early summer, followed by dark purple fruits greatly appreciated by robins, this adaptable shrub closes the growing season with beautiful, wine red fall foliage. Black chokeberry is most effective when massed in the landscape and allowed to follow its natural tendency to spread by suckering.” Pin Oak: “Homeowners and city foresters are pleased with this tree for very specific reasons: strong wood; dense shade; tolerance of many soil conditions, heat, soil compaction and air pollution; free from most major pests; pleasing to the eye in all seasons; and easy to plant. Needless to say, this faster-growing oak is a common sight in yards, along streets and throughout parks.” Black Gum: “Called “one of the best and most consistent native trees for fall color” by tree expert Michael Dirr, the black tupelo is a terrific landscaping choice. Displaying various hues of yellow, orange, bright red and purple—often on the same branch—its foliage is a stand-out of the autumn season. Even the distinctive bark, which resembles alligator hide, adds visual and textural interest. Bees will be very appreciative of the presence of this tree, as it serves as an important late-spring food source.” Red Mulberry: “Red mulberry called moral in Spanish, is widespread in Eastern United States. It is a rapid-growing tree of valleys, flood plains, and low moist hillsides. This species attains its largest size in the Ohio River Valley and reaches its highest elevation (600 m or 2,000 ft) in the southern Appalachian foothills. The wood is of little commercial importance. The tree's value is derived from its abundant fruits, which are eaten by people, birds, and small mammals.” Sandbar willow: “These willows favor low elevation floodplains. With this proximity to the channel, they can contend with physical battering and long duration floods. They have multiple, small diameter stems (most <10 inches) that bend or break under high flows. They can re-sprout easily from branches that break off, which makes sandbar willows easy to plant in restoration using cuttings. They are adapted to coarse and medium grain soils, and require bare gravel or sand substrate that is moist to germinate and develop." Shortleaf pine: “This is a medium-sized species of pine tree. Bark on mature trees is dark yellowish-brown to reddish-brown and grows in large, flat-topped scaly plates. The tree prefers light, well-drained or dry soils. This is an important commercial tree for timber. Often, lumber firms sell it under the name of "Southern Yellow Pine." Its wood is used in carpentry and construction, as well as in the manufacture of various wood products.” Bald Cypress: “Although many conifers are evergreen, bald cypress trees are deciduous conifers that shed their needle-like leaves in the fall. Their fall colors are tan, cinnamon, and fiery orange. The bark is brown or gray with a stringy texture. Bald cypresses are known for their knees or “pneumatophores,” which grow from horizontal roots just below the surface and protrude upward from the ground or water. In swampy conditions pneumatophores transport air to drowned roots underground. Growing up to 120 feet tall with a trunk 3 to 6 feet in diameter, bald cypresses are frequently referred to as giants!” River Birch: "The species is valued for its relatively rapid growth, tolerance of wetness and some drought, unique curling bark, spreading limbs. The river birch naturally grows along river banks. The species is valued for its relatively rapid growth, tolerance of wetness and some drought, unique curling bark, spreading limbs and relative resistance to birch borer." |
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