| Species Name |
Description |
| Bald Cyprus |
- Leaf: Yellow-green; small; thin.
- Bark: Fibrous red-brown or smother gray where worn by weather.
- Seed: Spherical cone; 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.
|
| Black Oak |
- Leaf: 4 to 10 inches long; some variation in shape.
- Bark: Thick and very dark on older trees; orange inner bark.
- Seed: Acorn; 1/2 to 3/4 inch long with large cap; emerges August through October.
|
| Black Walnut |
- Leaf: 10 to 24 inches long; composed of leaflets 3 inches long.
- Bark: Light brown on surface; dark brown when cut; ridged.
- Seed: Round with a greenish-yellow husk (stains clothing); from the outside, does not look like walnut; nut is inside husk; emerges September through October.
|
| Chestnut Oak |
- Leaf: 4 to 6 inches long.
- Bark: Gray-brown or black; older trees have ridged appearance.
- Seed: Acorn; 1 inch long with thin, warty cap. Emerges September through October.
|
| Chinkapin Oak |
- Leaf: 4 to 7 inches long; dark green on top; pale green on bottom. More pointed than rounded-pointed leaves of Chestnut Oak.
- Bark: Brown-gray; thin and flaky; rough.
- Seed: Acorn; 1/2 to 1 inch long; green on tree, dark brown when mature; usually has large cap; emerges September to October.
|
| Green Ash |
- Leaf: 6 to 9 inches long; 7 leaves.
- Bark: Ashy brown-gray; ridges form diamond pattern.
- Seed: Single-winged helicopter; first emerges in fall but disperses over winter.
- Note: Easily confused with White Ash. It is recommended that you have this species confirmed by a forester or master gardener before collecting.
|
| Hazelnut |
- Leaf: 2 to 5 inches long; dark green above with light green underside; hairy.
- Bark: Smooth; brown-gray in color; ridges form criss-cross pattern later in life.
- Seed: Brown seeds enclosed in leaves; leaf case green in summer, turns to brown as seeds ripen in fall.
|
| Northern Red Oak |
- Leaf: 5 to 8 inches long; pointed tips.
- Bark: On older trees, wide, flat ridges with shallow furrows between them, resembling ski tracks.
- Seed: Acorns; 3/4 to 1 inch long; flat, thick cap; emerge August to late October.
|
| Overcup Oak |
- Leaf: 6 to 10 inches long; green with white underside.
- Bark: Gray-brown and scaly; irregular plates; resembles White Oak.
- Seed: Acorn; 1/2 to 1 inch long; almost completely covered by very warty cap; emerges September to October.
|
| Paw Paw |
- Leaf: 5 to 11 inches long; 2 to 3 inches wide; light green.
- Bark: Smooth gray-brown with gray patches; wart-like ridge protrusions.
- Seed: Banana-like fruit; up to 5 inches long; green at first and ripening to yellow and brown in fall.
|
| Persimmon |
- Leaf: 2.5 to 5 inches long; lustrous green.
- Bark: Dark; broken up into thick square plates; younger bark smoother and ridged.
- Seed: Plum-like fruit; up to 2 inches in diameter; orange to black when ripens September through November.
|
| Pin Oak |
- Leaf: 3 to 6 inches long; lustrous green top, pale green below; u-shape between major lobes.
- Bark: Gray-brown; very tight and thin; stays mostly smooth, but can develop ridges.
- Seed: Acorn; 1/2 inch long; round with flat, thin cap; red-brown in color with red-brown scales; emerges September to December.
|
| Sassafras |
- Leaf: 3 to 6 inches long; 1 to 3 lobes with one dominant lobe; strong, distinct smell and taste in leaves.
- Bark: Brown with cinnamon-brown under-bark when cut; coarsely ridged and furrowed; spicy aroma.
- Seed: Dark-blue, fleshy berries on red stalks; emerge August to September.
|
| Southern Red Oak |
- Leaf: 5 to 9 inches long; somewhat lustrous; two common lobe arrangements: 3-lobe or 5- to 7-lobe.
- Bark: Thick; dark gray-brown; scaly ridges and deep furrows; inner bark slightly yellow.
- Seed: Acorn; 1/2 inch long; orange-brown; Thin, flat cap; emerges September to October.
|
| Swamp Chestnut Oak |
- Leaf: 4 to 8 inches long; 3 to 5 inches wide; lustrous dark green top with pale downy underside.
- Bark: Ash-gray; scaly; furrows with age.
- Seed: Acorn; 1 to 1½ inch long acorns; chestnut brown; cap scaly and bowl-shaped; emerge throughout fall.
|
| Swamp White Oak |
- Leaf: 3 to 7 inches long; 2 to 4 inches wide; lustrous dark green top with very pale underside.
- Bark: Gray; scaly; develops ridges with age.
- Seed: Acorn; 1 inch long; tan in color; cap bowl-shaped with longer stalk than Swamp Chestnut; emerges throughout fall.
|
| Water Oak |
- Leaf: 2 to 4 inches long; very variable in shape; can have from 0 to 7 lobes; can have bristles or not.
- Bark: Dark; tight; develops rough patches and ridges as it ages.
- Seed: Acorns; ½ inch long, very dark; flat, scaly cap; emerges in September.
|
| White Ash |
- Leaf: 8 to 12 inches long; 7 leaflets; hairless.
- Bark: Ash-gray to brown in color; ridges form diamonds.
- Seed: Single-wing helicopter; matures October to November; falls in winter.
- Note: This is often confused with Green Ash. It is recommended that you have this species confirmed by a forester or master gardener before collecting.
|
| White Oak |
- Leaf: 4 to 7 inches long; bright green on top, whitish below.
- Bark: Whitish or ashy gray; scaly; patchy; blocky.
- Seed: Acorn; warty cap that always detaches when ripe. Emerges July through September.
|
| Willow Oak |
- Leaf: 2 to 5 inches long; linear in shape (can curve somewhat).
- Bark: Gray; older trees are darker and have thick ridges and deep, irregular furrows.
- Seed: Acorn; ¼- ½ inch; nearly round; yellow-green hue; thin, saucer-like, scaly caps.
|
| Yellow Poplar |
- Leaf: 4 to 8 inches long; somewhat shaped like a tulip; alternate; palmately veined; 4-lobed with an entire margin.
- Bark: Light gray-green; smooth when young, developing diamond patterns of ridges when older.
- Seed: Single-wing helicopter; 1 1/2 inches long; emerges between August and October.
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