PLANT USE KEY
C = Christmas Tree
E= Erosion Control
F = Human Food
H = Habitat/Food Wildlife
N = Native
T = Timber/Wood
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Conservation Practices: H, N
Soil: Moist to well-drained
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sun: Full to partial
Description: Forms a large shrub or small tree up to 20-30’. With a shirt often twisted trunk and spreading branches. In early spring rose-pink flowers bloom appearing in clusters all along even older stems before the leaves. Flattened, brown, dry legumes, mature in late summer.
Uses: Attractive to wildlife. Can be used as an ornamental or for shrub borders.
Native Birch (Paper Birch) (Betula papyrifera)
Conservation practices: H, N, T
Soil: Moist, Wide tolerance
Growth rate: Moderate
Sun: Full
Description: A medium sized tree (up to 50’) that forms pyramid shape, sometimes with an irregular crown. Often has several trunks and is a slender tree. Native birch has reddish brown bark on young stems that turns white, with peeling papery strips after 3 to 4 years.
Uses: Makes an attractive ornamental in groups or singularly.
River Birch (Betula nigra)
Conservation Practices: E, H, T, N
Soil: Moist – Well drained
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sun: Full to Partial
Description: Forms a medium sized tree up to 70′. The trunk usually divides into several upright trunks.
Uses: Often used as an ornamental, but also attracts wildlife. Good tree for riparian buffers and helps reduce stream bank erosion.
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Conservation Practice: F, H, N, T
Soil: Moist-Well Drained
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Sun: Full
Description: Forms a medium to tall (up to 100’) tree with a dense elliptical crown. Widely known for its maple syrup production and classic maple leaf.
Uses: The production of maple syrup
Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Conservation Practice: H, N, T
Soil: Moist-Well Drained
Growth Rate: Moderate-Fast
Sun: Full
Description: A medium to large tree (50-60’) with a crown shaped cone. It is known for its unique star shaped leaves that turn vibrant red in the fall. Spiny “gumball” fruit which are woody brown spheres.
Uses: Widely used as a wind break, a shade or street tree, and to stabilize water edges.
White Flowering Dogwood (Cornus floridia)
Conservation practices: H, N
Soil: Acidic, Moist, Well Drained
Growth Rate: Slow
Sun: Full to partial
Description: Small tree (20-30’) with a short trunk, low branches, and a rounded flat-topped crown. Known for its large white flower with 4 petals that blossoms in early spring. Produces shiny red oval fruit that mature in the fall.
Uses: Can be used as a soil improve. Its leaf litter decomposes more rapidly than most other species. This plant has been planted on abandoned strip mines and used for urban forestry projects