Catawba Rhododendron - Rhododendron catawbiense

Ericaceae - Heath Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 27
Catawba Rhododendron
Rhododendron catawbiense

Spring

The Catawba Rhododendron

The flowering rhododendrons make great habitats for wildlife.  The flower nectar and the year-round cover are two of the most important reasons why.  So plant some native rhododendrons, and you can help provide some wildlife habitats for many species of birds and small mammals.  These rhododendrons grow the best at over 3,500 feet in elevation.  Rhodos likes to live on  rocky slopes and ridges, as well as naturally treeless areas called heath balds.

The Asheville Botanical Gardens, Roan Mtn. in Tennessee, The Great Smokey Mtn. National Park, and Mt. Pisgah and Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway are some of my favorite places for seeing these incredible flowers during May and June.

Summer

The Catawba Rhododendron

The Catawba Rhododendron

The Catawba Rhododendron is known as one of the most beautiful small trees or large shrubs in North America.  The leaves of this tree are more rounded on the bases and bluntly rounded on the tips.  This is what  distinguishes this Rhododendron from the Rosebay Rhododendron.

The Catawba Rhododendron.  Photo by Robert Priddy

The leaves are evergreen and leathery, and the underside of the leaves are hairless.  The flowers bloom in large bouquets and are pink or purple. The peak of the flower season varies from elevation to elevation. The flowers are usually quite beautiful in June.

This species is usually found at an elevation of 3,500 0r above. You can find this tree along Newfound Gap road in the Great Smokey Mtn. National Park. You can also find this tree in abundance at Roan Mtn. State Park in Tennessee where there is a Rhododendron festival every June.

Fall

Catawba Rhododendron in late September 

Winter

Catawba Rhododendron

The large evergreen leaves will be rolled into themselves on most cold winter days.
In this image, the winter Catawba Rhododendron is pulling into itself.  It was only 12 degrees F when I took this image of the  Rhododendron on the mountain in my neighborhood.

The Champion Catawba Rhododendron lives in the Great Smokey Mtn. National Park. It is 25 feet high and has a circumference of 15 inches.

Today is July 27, 2026, Today’s tree to visit is the Catawba Rhododendron.  I am happy to say that many Catawba rhododendron live where I live.  They are so beautiful and full of life right now.  

Hiaku  to the Catawba Rhododendron

Red and pink blossoms

Appalachian summer time

Glowing on the ridge

For the love of the trees,

Becky

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth, find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."  Rachel Carson

Sourwood - Oxydendrun arboreum

Ericaceae - Heath Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 26
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum

Spring 

The Spring Sourwood Tree.  Image by Robert Priddy.
http://www.robertpriddyphoto.com/

Summer

Sourwood Tree in Summer

The beautiful white flowers on the sourwood tree are bell shaped and all in a row.  As I took this photo today, the bees were busy collecting nectar to make their sourwood honey.  Some of the leaves are even starting the color change to red.  This tree is the first to change colors.  In the photo you can see how the red in peeking through.

Sourwood summer leaves

Fall

Sourwood Tree in the Fall

October and the Sourwood tree; it does not get much prettier.   These trees are the ones with the burnt-red colored leaves and the gently-bending grooved-barked trunks.

Winter

The Sourwood Tree

This tree is also called Lily of the Valley or Sorrel Tree. It can grow to 60 feet tall. The bark is so distinctive in the winter. The young green leaves in the spring are beautiful. Just you wait till you know the beauty of this tree in the summer and fall, oh my goodness. This is a native tree of America. The leaves taste sour, thus the name. Tea is made from the leaves to quench thirst, and honey made from the flowers is a gift from heaven above.

Evening light on the Sourwood Tree

The Distinctive deeply grooved Bark makes the sourwood tree stand out in the winter. The way the sourwood tree leans is another way to identify the sourwood tree in the winter. A teacher once told me that this is the artist's tree because the graceful curve of the truck and branches are so beautiful.

Today is July 26, 2026, I have been journaling about the sourwood tree today.  I live in the woods with a very big Sourwood tree near my house.  It is so big and strong and blows in the wind today.   I wrote a Haiku to the sourwood today.

Your leaves are green now

Your trunk bends in many curves

Your fall leaves are red

May you all find a sourwood tree to visit and journal about and may you sample the honey the bees make from the sourwood flowers. The honey is such a delight

For the love of the trees,
Becky

Winged Elm - Ulmus alata

Ulmaceae - Elm Family 
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 90
Winged Elm Tree
Ulmus alata

Spring

Winged Elm in the Smokies by Robert Priddy

This tree is an blooms early in spring.  The winged Elm flowers appear before the leaves.  These flowers are called perfect flowers; for they have both male and female parts.  The fruit, which is called a samara, develops after pollination from the flower.  The fruit has one seed and is eaten by birds, for it one of the first foods in the spring that grows on trees.  The leaf buds open after the flowers.  The leaf buds are a food source for deer.

This tree ususally has corky ridges on the branches.

Haiku to a winged Elm

Wings on the branches,

Alternately the wings grow -

Golden in the fall.

Summer

TheWinged Elm in early Summer

The leaves of the Winged Elm are toothed, small, and grow alternately on the corky twigs.  By this time of year, all the leaves are fully grown and green.

This Winged Elm leaf  has fallen from the tree probably during a summer rainstorm and turned prematurely yellow.

The early fruits and young leaves of this tree are important wildlife food.  This tree usually grows up to 80 feet and can live over a hundred years of more if not affected by the Dutch Elm disease.

Fall 

This is a closeup I took of the Winged Elm at the North Fork of the White River in Arkansas.
You can really see why it is called the Winged Elm.

The branches of this tree have wings.  

Winter

The Winged Elm - Ulmus alata

This Winged Elm lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  http://www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org/
Notice how the buds look lacey in this picture and how the wings on the stems stand out.

The Winged Elm - Ulmus alata

The Champion Winged Elm Tree

The champion winged elm tree in North Carolina lives in Falkland, NC.  It is 114 feet high and has a circumference of 117 inches. 

You can read about the champion trees of North Carolina at NCAGR.gov

My favorite Winged Elm Tree

My favorite Winged Elm tree lives at the Botanical Gardens in Asheville.

Plant a Winged Elm Tree

The early fruits and young leaves of this tree are important wildlife food.  This tree usually grows up to 80 feet and can live over a hundred years of more if not affected by the Dutch Elm disease.

For the love of the trees,
Becky

Ulmus alata, from my journal...

Black Willow - Salix nigra

Salicaceae - Willow Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 85
Black Willow Tree
Salix nigra

Spring

The Black Willow.  Photo by Robert Priddy

The Black Willow.  Photo by Robert Priddy

This Black Willow lives at Myakka River State Park in Florida.   The leaves were just coming out iin early March when we took this photo.

Summer

Black Willow on the French Broad River in Asheville

Haiku to a Black Willow

By the riverside,

the black willow’s narrow leaves -

Full of butterflies 

A good ID tip for this tree is the leaves. This tree has very long and slender leaves. The green leaves have fine teeth and are hairless on both sides. 
The leaves of this tree are described as:

• narrow
• lance shaped
• often curved to one side
• pointed
• finely toothed
• alternate, simple

The bark is another good ID tip. It is black and becomes deep and furrowed on older trees.  This is frequent streamside tree.

I have heard of some beautiful baskets made from the bark and twigs of this tree. I hope to find one and even learn how to make a basket from a Black Willow tree.

Fall 

 This tree lives in Mountain Home Arkansas at
 Cooper Park by the Historic village along a stream.

This is a closer view of the interesting bark and leaves of Salix nigra, the Black Willow tree.

Winter

The bark has been used to make tea for centuries to cure headaches, fevers, intestinal ailments, and even as a wash to stimulate hair growth. Leaves have been used as poultices for sprains, bruises and sores.The twigs are usually bright yellow, the bark can become furrowed at a fairly young age, deeply furrowed with age. Often there are multiple trunks.

The Champion Black Willow Trees

The North Carolina champion tree lives in Bertie county, North Carolina at the Roanoke River National Wildlife refuge.  It is 76 feet high with a circumference of 123 inches.

http://www.ncforestservice.gov/Urban/tree_detail.asp?Tree_ID=550

"The Marlboro Tree
A Local Legacy
How old do trees live to be? There is a black willow tree in Marlboro, New Jersey, that is more than 150 years old. It started growing before the Civil War. Not only is the Marlboro Tree old, but it's also huge. It's 76 feet tall and over 19 feet in circumference (the measurement around the trunk of the tree). Five adults would have to hold hands to fully encircle the trunk. The Marlboro Tree is the largest black willow in New Jersey and the largest tree in Marlboro. In fact, the New Jersey Forest Service has certified it as a "State Champion" because of its size."

An interesting aside, since I am currently reading "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"
There is an old tree on the grounds of Hogwarts called the Whomping Willow. It was planted in order to conceal a passageway Lupin went through every full moon when he turned into a werewolf.

My favorite Black Willow Trees

I love to walk by the river in West Asheville and look at all the Black Willow tree that grow by the river.

Plant a Black Willow Treel

The flowers of the Black Willow tree attract birds and butterflies.  It is a larval host for the beautiful Mourning cloak, Viceroy, Red-spotted Purple, Viceroy, Red-spotted Purple, Tiger Swallowtail, and Acadian Hairsteak butterflies.  

If I lived near a stream, I would love to plant this amazing butterfly tree.

For the love of the trees,
Becky

Butternut - Juglans cinerea

Juglandaceae - Walnut Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 55
Butternut
Juglans cinerea


Spring

The Butternut Tree.  Photo by Dean Gulstad.  www.flickr.com

The Butternut tree is in the same family as the Walnut tree, the Juglan family.  The Butternut tree has compound, alternate leaves, that have 11 - 17 or so leaflets.  There is an end leaflet on each leaf and the underside of these leaflets are fuzzy.   The oily, delicious nuts are an important food source for many small mammals.

Noyer cendré 03-B, a photo by Paupaulo on Flickr.

Summer

This Butternut tree is located at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.
http://ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

The leaves are starting to become quite "fall-like". Today, there was a crispness to the air and the sky was so beautiful and blue; I felt the nearness of the fall season all around me. As I type this evening, I can hear the sounds of insects singing loudly. This is the sound of late summer turning into fall.
Becky -  August 2010

Fall

The Butternut Tree
This tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens by the creek at the end of Sycamore meadow. www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

All the leaves have fallen from the tree and all the nuts as well.  The tree is beautiful in fall's light.
Becky - November 30, 2010


Winter

This Butternut tree lives on a hillside at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  My daughter and I went looking for the Butternut trees at the Botanical Gardens and found them with the help of Sarah, the garden manager and Roots,  Horticulturist, at the Botanical Gardens.

The Butternut is a wonderful species! Unfortunately, 3 of the butternuts on the property were lost due to Hurricane Helene. Cherokee carvers and basket makers.  They will make use of the wood from the ones that fell.  The Butternut is a traditional craft tree for the Cherokee.  That is a silver lining, knowing the trees live on in art.

Of the remaining butternuts, three are on a steep section of creekbank right along Broadway, so it is not safe or accessible to approach. Others are on the slope to the right-hand side of the entry path between the parking lot and green bridge (to the right side of the visitor center). They are not marked with a label.  If you can't find them, you can swing by the front desk and ask a volunteer for help.

For the love of the trees,
Becky

March 2026

Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua

Hamamelidaceae - Witch-Hazel Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 47
Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua

Winter 2026 

February 16th

I visited with a big Sweetgum tree today.  This tree lives in front of my house.  It is around 75 feet tall.

There are no leaves or buds on this tree today.  There are a few remaining sweet gum spiky balls.  

I went out and hugged this tree and stood chest to bark and just breathed the tree in.  The day was warm and the sky was blue.  I felt quite peace filled after visiting with this sweetgum and grateful to be alive on this winters day.

I hope you may find a big sweetgum tree to hug on a beautiful winter day.

Spring

Sweetgum bud, opened, showing both new leaves and flowers a photo by Martin LaBar on Flickr.

Leaves: The leaves are light green in the spring, alternate and simple. They have a distinct star shape with five points and deep V-shaped sinuses. The edges are finely toothed.
Twigs and Buds: The twigs and buds have a distinct pleasant odor when scraped with your fingernail or broken.


Summer

The name, Liquidambar, says it all. The resin of the Sweetgum tree is indeed a "liquid ambar".
The aromatic resin can be harvested from the tree trunk and used as incense, perfume, jewelry, soap, medicine, and adhesive.

The Sweetgum Tree in July.  Photo by Robert Priddy

The leaves have become a darker green since the spring. Some of the leaves have little tears and holes since they have been on the tree since spring. There is an incredible difference on the summer tree - the little green balls with the spikes. So beautiful!

The Sweetgum balls hold seeds, and the balls protect the seeds by the prickly spikes. These seeds hold the life of a new tree and they are also nourishment for birds and small mammals such as chipmunks and squirrels. There can be up to 50 seeds per ball. My daughter called it, "A holder of seeds" in a beautiful art piece she gave to a few years ago.

Sweetgum trees are the home for the caterpillar of the beautiful and romantic Luna Moth. The luna moth will live only a brief moment in time, coming out of it's cocoon by the light of the summer moon, finding its mate and flying together for a night and day before laying its eggs to begin life anew the following year....now, that is truly the essence of living in the moment.

I will be looking for the Luna moth this summer emerging from the Sweetgum Tree that lives by my house.

A Sweetgum leaf  in July

Fall

The Sweetgum Tree in October

The Sweetgum Tree in October light.

The Sweetgum tree is beginning to change color.

Winter



Height of a fully grown tree: Usually 80-100 feet in height and 2-4 feet in diameter.
Bark: Gray, furrowed with ridges.
Twigs: Frequently have corky ridges.
Fruit: Spiky balls will be hanging from the tree into the winter months. The trees are usually at least 30 years old before forming the spiky balls. The fruits are spherical up to 1.5 inches and have sharp points.
Buds: Large terminal buds are present.

Many wildlife eat the Sweetgum balls for nourishment in the winter. Birds and squirrels and chipmunks live around Sweetgum trees to reap the benefits of the nourishing value of the Sweetgum balls.

The gum produced in the bark has been used as chewing gum and also medicinally for sore throats, coughs, and colds. The essential oil of the leaf contains similar properties to Australian Tee Tree oil.

This Sweetgum ball has landed on a burning bush where it is resting on this cold January day. 

Champion Sweetgum Tree

The Champion Sweetgum tree lives in Burlington, New Jersey. It is
115 feet tall and has a circumference of 230 inches. See www.americanforests.org for more information on this national champion Sweetgum tree.
www.americanforests.org


For the love of the trees,
Becky

Liquidambar styraciflua

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment, wisely and earnestly."
Budda

A Year With the Trees project. What is the tree blog all about anyway?

Cercis canadensis,  Red Bud, Fruit

This blog is about the trees that are native to the Southern Appalachians. 

It is a collection of photos, drawings, and writings.  I hope this collection will inspire anyone who finds it to plant, and nurture native trees and plants in their own yards, cities, parks, and walkways.

By writing this blog, I hope to spread a bit of that fun, beauty, peace and joy that nature provides.

Why 92 Trees

I chose 92 Southern Appalachian trees because I wanted one tree to study for each day of the season.  

By visiting each tree in all four seasons, I felt like I could truly get to know them.

Since there are 90-92 days per season, I needed 92 trees that lived close enough to me to visit.

Winter:  December (31), January (31),  February (28) = 90 days .

Spring :  March (31),  April (30), May () = 92 days

Summer: June (30), July (31), August (s) = 92 days

Fall:  September (30), October (31), November (30s) = 91 days

Total:  365 days

I selected these species from a wonderful book, Native Trees of the Southeast, an Identification Guide by L Katherine Kirkman, Claud L. Brown, and Donald J. Leopold.  (Timber Press, 2007). 

Since I live in Western North Carolina, I choose the 92 trees native to Western North Carolina.

The Practice of Visiting

Because it is difficult to visit every tree in person every single day of the year, there are some days when I visit them in my heart and mind.  On those days, I think about the tree, read about it, ponder it, draw it, or write a poem.

I have created a journal where each tree has its own page.  I head out with my journal and a pen; once I am with the tree, it is my quiet time to listen and be in the moment.   I may write, draw, or even take a nap.  I love to take it all in with all of my senses:  sight, sound, smell, touch, and - sometimes - even taste.

A Year of Observation

I aim to sketch, paint, and photograph each tree through all four seasons.  Each tree is hugged, listened to and sat with.  

Spring:  Amazing buds, leaf growth and flowers.

Summer:  Lush leaves and fruit to fascinate any observer.

Fall:   Breathtaking leaf color and autumn fruits. 

Winter: Interesting bark, dried fruit, twigs and buds.

My goal is to complete this journal for all 92 trees across all four seasons.   Eventually, I hope to  create a Year With the Trees workshop each season for others who want to be creative and learn more about our native canopy.

I hope this blog inspires you to grow and nurture native trees and plants where you live, work, learn, and play.  Inspiration, learning, and appreciation of nature are the three traits that always make life a bit sweeter.

Contact me: You can reach me at Celerylady@gmail.com.  Or, you can send me a message here on the blog.    Thank you for reading this and I hope to hear from you soon!

Becky


A Year With the Trees
A Collection of Southern Appalachian Trees

Aceracae, The Maple family
1.   Acer negundo.  Box Elder
2.   Acer pensylvanicum.  Striped Maple
3.   Acer rubrum.  Red Maple
4.   Acer saccharinum.  Silver Maple\
5.   Acer saccharum.  Sugar Maple
6.   Acer spicatum.  Mountain Maple

Annonaceae, The Custard Apple Family
7.   Asimina triloba.  PawPaw

Aquifoliaceae, The Holly Family
8.   Ilex montana.  Mountain Winterberry
9.   Ilex opaca.  American Holly
10. Ilex verticillata.  Common Winterberry

Araliaceae, The Ginseng Family
11.  Aralia spinosa.  Devils Walking Stick

Betulaceae, The Birch Family
12.  Alnus serrulata.  Tag Alder
13.  Betula alleghaniensis.  Yellow Birch
14.  Betula lenta.  Black Birch
15.  Betula nigra.  River Birch
16.  Betual papyrifera - Paper Birch
17.  Carpinus caroliniana - American Hornbeam
18.  Ostraya virginiana - Eastern Hornbeam

Caprifoliaceae - The Honeysuckle Family
19.  Viburnum prunifolium.  Black Haw

Cornaceae - The Dogwood Family
20.  Cornus alternifolia - Alternate Leaved Dogwood
21.  Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood
22.  Nyssa sylvatica - Black Gum

Cupressaceae - The Cypress Family
23.  Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar

Ebenaceae - The Ebony Family
24.  Diospyros virginiana - Persimmon

Ericaceae - The Heath Family
25.  Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel
26.  Oxydendrum arboreum - Sourwood
27.  Rhododendron catawbiense - Catawba Rhododendron
28.  Rhododendron maximum - Rosebay Rhododendron

Fabraceae - The Bean Family
29.  Cercis canadensis - Redbud
30.  Cladrastis kentuckea - Yellowwood
31.  Gleditsia triacanthos - Honeylocust
32.  Gymnocladus dioicus - Kentucky Coffeetree
33.  Robina pseudoacacia - Black Locust

Fagaceae - The Beech Family
34.  Castanea dentata - American Chestnut
35.  Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chinquapin
36.  Fagus grandifolia - American Beech
37.  Quercus alba - White Oak
38.  Quercus coccinea - Scarlet Oak
39.  Quercus falcata - Southern Red Oak
40.  Quercus marilandica - Blackjack Oak
41.  Quercus montana (prinus) Chestnut Oak
42.  Quercus phellos - Willow Oak
43.  Quercus rubra - Northern Red Oak

44.  Quercus stellata - Post Oak
45.  Quercus velutina - Black Oak

Hamamelidaceae - The Witch Hazel Family
46.  Hamamelis virginiana - Witch-Hazel
47.  Liquidambar styraciflua - Sweetgum

Hippocastanaceae - Buckeye Family
48.  Aesculus flava - Yellow Buckeye

49.  Aesculus parviflora – Bottlebrush Buckeye

50.  Aesculus pavia – Red Buckeye

Juglandaceae – Walnut Family 

51.  Carya cordiformis – Bitternut Hickory

52.  Carya glabra – Pignut Hickory

53.  Carya ovata – Shagbark Hickory

54.  Carya tomentosa – Mockernut Hickory

55.  Juglans cinerea – Butternut

56.  Juglans nigra – Black Walnut

Lauraceae – Laurel Family

57.  Sassafras albidum – Sassafras

Magnoliaceae – Magnolia Family

58.  Liriodendron tulipifera – Yellow Poplar

59.  Magnolia acuminata– Cucumber Tree

60.  Magnolia fraseri - Fraser Magnolia

61.  Magnolia macrophylla - Bigleaf Magnolia

62.  Magnolia tripetala - Umbrella Magnolia

Moraceae – Mulberry Family

 63.  Morus rubra - Red Mulberry

Oleaceae – Olive Family

64.  Chionanthus virginicus - Fringe Tree

65.  Fraxinius americana - White Ash

66.  Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Green Ash

Pinaceae – Pine Family

67.  Albies fraseri - Fraser Fir

68.  Picea rubens - Red Spruce

69.  Pinus echinata - Shortleaf Pine

70.  Pinus pungens - Table Mountain Pine

71.  Pinus rigida - Pitch Pine

72.  Pinus strobus - Eastern White Pine

73.  Pinus taeda - Loblolly Pine

74.  Pinus virginiana - Virginia Pine

75.  Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock

76.  Tsuga caroliniana - Carolina Hemlock

Platanaceae – Sycamore Family

77.  Plantanus occidentalis - Sycamore

Rosaceae – Rose Family

78.  Ameranchier arborea - Serviceberry

79.  Crataegus, sp. - Hawthorn

80.  Prunus americana - American Plum

81.  Prunus pensylvanica - Pin Cherry

82.  Prunus serotina - Black Cherry

83.  Sorbus americana - American Mountain Ash

Rutaceae – Rue Family

84.  Ptelea trifoliata - Hoptree

Salicaceae – Willow Family

85.  Salix nigra - Black Willow

Styracaceae – Storax Family

86.  Halesia carolina - Carolina Silverbell

87.  Styrax grandifolius - Bigleaf Storax

Tiliaceae – Basswood Family

88.  Tilia americana – Basswood

Ulmaceae – Elm Family

89.  Celtis occidentalis – Hackberry

90.  Ulmus alata – Winged Elm

91.  Ulmus americana – American Elm

92.  Ulmus rubra – Slippery Elm

Thank you everyone for reading this.  I would love to hear from you.  
Becky

celerylady@gmail.com