Author Topic: ID'ing trees (Read 1256 times)

scgargoyle · « **on:** January 01, 2007, 07:41:20 pm »

I just got back from a winter trip to my woods in SC, and I tried to ID the many trees I found. The leaves are mostly white oak and red oak. I could tell the hickories by their bark. A few trees had balls on the twigs, but way up in the air. They weren't sycamores. There was a large hardwood that had blown down, and it had no tap root- just a big shallow root system. I couldn't get to the twig end for further ID. Also, there were some small trees with corky 'wings' on the twigs, and very rough bark on the trunk- any ideas? I have a sample of that one that I can post a pic of. I'll have to look further to narrow down the oaks- there were so many different sizes and shapes of oak leaves. I brought back samples to try to compare. I also found leaves that looked somewhat like beech, but I didn't see any beech trees, and the leaves weren't stuck to the branches- they were on the ground. The pines had very short needles- maybe 1-1/2" long, 2 to a panacle. These trees are in upstate SC, zone 7B; almost 7A, on a sloping hillside. Any help would be appreciated!

WDH · « **Reply #1 on:** January 01, 2007, 08:20:32 pm »

The trees that had balls on them but were not sycamore were most likely sweetgum. What you were seeing were the gumballs. They are round, but are spiky like little mace's (remember that the mace was a knights weapon that was a round spiky ball on a chain). Sweetgum is also one of two species that have corky wings. The other is winged elm. The elm has a small (about the size of your thumb) spearhead shaped leaf with double teeth on the margin. A sweetgum leaf looks like a star with distinct pointed lobes and is about the size of your hand. The 2 needle pine is either virginia pine or shortleaf pine. They can be told apart easily by the cones and the bark. Post some pics of the things that you have questions about and we can help you ID them.

Pullinchips · « **Reply #2 on:** January 01, 2007, 08:42:53 pm »

i was going to write the same thing a WDh but no need to repeat or step on his post. I do second what he said and agree, as an upstate SC forester.

-nate

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #3 on:** January 01, 2007, 08:55:20 pm »

The beech-like leaf, if it has a papery texture, may be a chestnut oak. Beech, American chestnut and oak are the same family.

scgargoyle · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2007, 05:02:40 pm »

I think the pine is Virginia pine, and the winged one is winged elm. Here are some pics. The 1st one I think is red oak, the 2nd some kind of hickory, and a group shot of some leaves.

Linking to offsite photo-storage facilities
is not allowed.

Please use the Forestry Forum Gallery
for posting and storing photos on the forum.

Admin

Tom · « **Reply #5 on:** January 03, 2007, 05:24:52 pm »

It looks like sweet gum on top (maybe)
White Oak below

Red oak leaves to the right
White oak or Chestnut white oak next to the ruler
Hickories to the left

Just a WAG

WDH · « **Reply #6 on:** January 03, 2007, 06:26:21 pm »

The pic police got you before I saw the photos......

SPIKER · « **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2007, 06:29:18 pm »

Quote from: scgargoyle on January 03, 2007, 05:02:40 pm

Linking to offsite photo-storage facilities
is not allowed.

Please use the Forestry Forum Gallery
for posting and storing photos on the forum.

Admin

I wasn't aware that this was not allowed, as I like to use PHOTO BUCKET. but I also have a gallery here started prior to finding & using PB.

mark M

Jeff · « **Reply #8 on:** January 03, 2007, 06:34:04 pm »

Those photos were so large I had trouble loading the page on a fast cable connection. Our members with dial-up probably thought their computers had frozen solid.

scgargoyle · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2007, 04:42:02 pm »

Okay- How (and where) do I post the pics? I've seen other photos in threads on this forum. I don't think there are any sweet gum. We have a lot of them in FL, and the leaves always look like a slightly simpler maple leaf- kind of a star shape. The '3-toed' leaves look like what I've heard called a turkey oak or turkey-foot oak. I'm thinking I might have some chestnut oak, as well, judging from what books and google show me. Thanks to you guys for giving me some names to look up! I found a lot of acorn remnants, including some huge caps. There were pieces of hickory nuts around, too. I didn't see any sweet gum balls on the ground.

Riles · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2007, 05:07:50 pm »

My farm is a little north of you in Gaston County and judging from the sweetgum on it, I can't see how you don't already have more than you can handle.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=53

WDH · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2007, 10:38:10 pm »

When you figure out how to post the pics, that will help a lot. The three-toed leaves could easily be blackjack oak, turkey oak, or southern red oak. If the site is sandy, it could be any or all of those three. If it is a very good site, not as likely to see turkey oak and blackjack oak.

I thought sweetgum grew everywhere, even on Mars.........................

Pullinchips · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2007, 05:57:24 pm »

If your farm is in the upstate of SC unless planted or on a very poor ridge top i doubt it is turkey or black jack. But black jack is more common in the upstate on very poor dry ridge tops. Black jack oak has leaves similar to a post oak but seen to just be squatier and fatter (i know this is a horrible discription, i cant show you the pictur i have in my head though, so just look it up). It is more likely to be southern red oak from your three lobbed description and your area, and also because you found large acorn caps.

-NAte

scgargoyle · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2007, 06:33:32 pm »

OK- I read "how to post pictures" and am now totally confused! I reduced the size of the image, but don't see how to upload it. Anyhoo... I know sweet gums pretty well, and I'd be surprised if there wasn't one somewhere on the lot, but I didn't see any leaves. About 90 % of the leaves are oak, w/ red outnumbering white by a little. I'm most concerned to know what kind of tree could blow down- I thought most hardwoods had a tap root. This tree didn't. I wish I'd tried to ID it better, but it was hard to get to the branches, and I was pressed for time.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2007, 07:11:52 pm »

click on the icon below your avatar called 'Member's Gallery' and you'll be half way there. Or when posting a new reply click on 'Additioanl Options' below the message window and then select 'Click here for member photo gallery Photo upload facility'.

scgargoyle · « **Reply #15 on:** January 06, 2007, 09:37:52 am »

Thanks, SwampDonkey- been there, tried that. Obviously, my galleries are empty, and when I click 'upload files' it simply says there are no albums available to me. I'll have my son look at it...

Tom · « **Reply #16 on:** January 06, 2007, 12:41:29 pm »

If your son is under 15 years old, he should have no problem at all.

I don't know why it is, but the younger kids, I'm talking 5-10, seem to not be intimidated by computers, their function or their use. Perhaps because they have not lived long enough to have pushed the wrong button.

I have a son who would ask, "what is this for?", always after he pushed the button. I usually replied, "That flattens the tires on your bicycle", or " that sets off a bomb. We will destruct in 5 minutes".

As far as I know he still operates like this.

To create albums click the "image archive" in the banner above, then "create" and follow directions.

scgargoyle · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2007, 06:52:33 pm »

I've decided it would be easier to cut the DanG tree down and haul to one of you for ID! I'm PM'ing w/ Furby to try to make sense out of this gallery thing. Now, who is it that has that 'easy button'?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2007, 06:59:49 pm »

Patience and understanding, just gotta work on the understanding.

scgargoyle · « **Reply #19 on:** January 08, 2007, 05:35:31 pm »

Okay- well, I finally got a picture into my gallery, with lots of help from Furby! Still don't know how to get it to show up in a post, but if y'all want to see that leaf pic again, it's in my gallery now.

{courtesy of moderator}

WDH · « **Reply #20 on:** January 10, 2007, 10:19:09 pm »

The first pic to the right of the tape (the big leaf) is black oak. The next one just above and to the right of the black oak is white oak (HOW FITTING!). The leaf that is below and to the right of the black oak is scarlet oak. The other four on the right are all southern red oak. I cannot tell much about the leaves that are on the left side of the tape.

Pullinchips · « **Reply #21 on:** January 15, 2007, 07:23:50 pm »

I agree on the black oak as the big one. Scarlet oak (the C shaped sinuses give it away) to the right of it and down. The 4 fartherst to the right are all southern red oak ( Q. cant remember). The one above right of the big leaf is White oak (Q,. alba). As far as the three on the left of the tape i cant really tell or think of any trees this second, but the fartest one down i beleive could be a chestnut oak or sawmp chest nut oak. (2 diff trees). The small round leaf with out a closer inspection or tree could be many things from black cherry to perssimon, and the far left tree has me puzzeled i cant think of anything right now. As you can see from your several southern red leavs they are highly variable.

As far as wind throwing HW if they are on a poor ridge top with little top soil and a hard pan they can fall over from their own weight. Hw dont have much of a tap root at all more lateral holding roots. In these recent rains saturating the soil and these windy days those roots are holding onto mush and mush has no substance. Hw wind throws are very common, look around cities after a wind storm following winter or summer rains of a week or so.

-nate

scgargoyle · « **Reply #22 on:** January 16, 2007, 05:19:27 pm »

Thanks for the input. Sorry the leaves aren't in better shape- they looked fine when I packed them, but they curled up pretty bad. From my walking around, it would seem that I have mostly white oak, 2nd would be scarlet, then a mix of the others. Some may have even blown in from neighboring properties. Next trip will be in summer; I'll be more observant then. I noticed that all the trees that were downed in the area all pointed the same direction, indicating a strong southwest wind. Only one sizable HW, the rest were pines. The HW was at the bottom of the hill, in fairly moist soil.

Pullinchips · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2007, 06:11:05 pm »

I bet you also have a good many Northern red oaks. Their leaves look very similar to scarlet oaks but the sinuces are not as deep or "c" shaped. They are a much more common tree to to the area.

-Nate

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Author Topic: ID'ing trees (Read 1256 times)