Common Forest Trees in Virginia

Easter White Pine

LOBLOLLY PINE Three needles per cluster. Needles are 6 – 9 inches long.

VIRGINIA PINE Two, short, stiff, twisted needles per cluster. Needles are 1 – 3 inches long.

SHORTLEAF PINE Two or three needles per cluster. Needles are inches long.

EASTERN RED CEDAR Needles are of 2 types. One is short and scale-like, the other is sharp- pointed. The bark is reddish brown to as hy gray peeling off in long strips.

BLACK WALNUT Compound leaf inches long leaflets per leaf. The bark is dark brown.

HICKORY Compound leaf, inches long leaflets per leaf. The bark is light gray and very hard.

BLACK WILLOW Simple leaf, inches long less than ½ inch wide. The bark is deeply divided into flat ridges, and becomes very shaggy on older trees.

AMERICAN HORNBEAM Simple leaf, inches long. Oval shaped leaf. Double toothed margin. The bark is deeply fluted or “muscle- like”.

BEECH Simple leaf, inches long. Toothed margin. The buds are long, slender and pointed.

Oak Trees Oak trees are divided into two categories, white oaks which have rounded lobes, and mature their acorns in one year and red oaks which have pointed lobes and take two years to mature their acorns. Red Oak White Oak

NORTHERN RED OAK Simple leaf, inches long and inches wide. Pointed lobed margin. The bark is brown with red streaks.

SCARLET OAK Simple leaf, inches long. Leaf has deep cuts into the leaf (owl- eyed leaf). This tree has many dead lower limbs.

BLACK OAK Simple leaf inches long and inches wide. Pointed lobed margin. The inner bark is yellow and bitter tasting.

SOUTHERN RED OAK Simple leaf, inches long. Bell shaped leaf.

WHITE OAK Simple leaf, inches long. Lobed margin. The bark is light gray.

POST OAK Simple leaf, inches long. Cross shaped leaf. Leaf is thick and leathery. The bark is light gray.

CHESTNUT OAK Simple leaf, inches long. Wavy margin. The bark is thick and deeply divided.

AMERICAN ELM Simple leaf, inches long. Double toothed margin. One-sided leaf (One side of the leaf is larger than the other).

SLEPPERY ELM Simple leaf, inches long. Double-toothed margin. One-sided leaf. The leaf is rough on both sides.

HACKBERRY Simple leaf, inches long. Double toothed margin. The bark is light gray with “warty” bumps.

RED MULBERRY Simple leaf, inches long. Double toothed margin. This tree has oval, mitten and double mitten shaped leaves on the same tree.

YELLOW POPLAR Simple leaf, inches long. Tulip shaped leaves. The bark is light gray and very hard.

SASSAFRAS Simple leaf, inches long. Smooth margin. This tree has oval, mitten and double mitten shaped leaves on the same tree.

SWEET GUM Simple leaf, inches long. Star shaped leaf.

SYCAMORE Simple leaf. Circular shaped leaf. The bark is green, brown, white, and very scaly.

BLACK CHERRY Simple leaf, inches long. Double-toothed margin. The bark is dark brown and smooth on young trees, but rough and scaly on older trees.

REDBUD Simple leaf, inches long. Heart shaped leaf. Smooth margin. This tree has inch long pods.

HONEY LOCUST Double compound leaf. This tree has 1 ½ - 2 inch long thorns. Pods are inches long.

BLACK LOCUST Compound leaf, inches long. Seven to 19 leaflets per leaf. This tree has 3/4 - 1 inch long thorns. Pods are inches long.

HOLLY Simple leaf 2 – 4 inches long with “spiny teeth”. The leaf is thick and leather-like.

RED MAPLE Simple leaf, inches long. Double toothed margin. Red stems. Winged fruit. The bark is smooth and gray on young trees but rough on older trees.

DOGWOOD Simple leaf inches long. Oval shaped. Smooth margin. The bark is reddish brown to black and divided into small blocks.

BLACK GUM Simple leaf inches long. Oval shaped. Smooth margin. The branches extend from the trunk at a 90 degree angle.

PERSIMMON Simple leaf 4 – 6 inches long. Oval shaped. Smooth margin. Bark is dark brown and broken into thick blocks.

WHITE ASH Compound leaf inches long. 5 – 9 leaflets per leaf. Bark is light gray and very soft.

Work Cited Dendrology at Virginia Tech web page. syllabus/biglist_frame.htm Virginia Department of Forestry. Forest Trees of Virginia. Charlottesville: Department of Forestry, 2001.