Shortleaf Pine - Pinus echinata

Pinaceae - Pine Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 69
Shortleaf Pine Tree
Pinus echinata

Spring

Shortleaf Pine - Pinus echinata

This Shortleaf Pine lives in Cookeville, Tennessee.

The Shortleaf Pine provides habitat for birds and animals year round since it is an evergreen tree with new cones growing early in the spring and mature cones year round.

Summer

Shortleaf Pine

The Shortleaf Pine usually has two needles per bundle.  The needles are straight and 3-5 inches long.

The Shortleaf Pine tree provides valuable shelter and food for many different kinds of wildlife all year long.  Rabbits, birds, deer, and squirrels are just some of the wildlife that use the cover of this tree as their home. 

The Shortleaf Pine Tree

The Shortleaf pine has what is described as an open crown, and its needles are slender, flexible and not twisted.

This tree is compared to being confused at times with the Table Mtn. Pine, Pitch Pine and Virginia Pine. The differences being that the Table Mtn. Pine and Pitch Pine are said to have twisted needles that are coarse and not flexible, and the Virginia Pine has a irregular crown and is scraggly.

Fall 

Shortleaf Pine

Shortleaf Pine in Arkansas

Winter

 My favorite Shortleaf Pine Tree

Shortleaf Pine
This Short Leaf Pine Tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens

The Champion Shortleaf Pine Trees

The American Champion Shortleaf Pine tree lived in Smith County, Texas.  It had a circumference of 154 inches and was 91 feet high.  It was reported that it died in 2017.  I could not find another one on their website.
http://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/shortleaf-pine-pinus-echinata-2/

The North Carolina champion lives in Bath, NC.  It has a circumference of 132 inches and is 86 feet tall.

For the love of the trees,
Becky

Pinus echinata

Red Spruce - Picea rubens

Pinaceae - Pine Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 68
Red Spruce
Picea rubens

Spring

The Red Spruce - Picea rubens.  Photo by Robert Priddy

This Red Spruce lives on the Blue Ridge Parkway by the Mt. Pisgah Inn.
 http://www.pisgahinn.com/.

If you have never been there, I encourage you to go there.  It is so beautiful with the views that just go on forever.    When you get up that high at around 5,000 plus feet above sea level, you will be high enough to be in the spruce fir forest ecosystems.  During the second week of March, I saw the blooming red maples.  To be standing under a blooming red maple tree is magical, like you are standing under a living bouquet of flowers.

Summer

Red Spruce

Red Spruce Forest on the Parkway

My husband, Robert, found a whole forest of Red Spruce Trees on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 422, the Mt. Hardy Overlook. Two of his photos are on this blog post.

The parkway sign at Mt. Hardy overlook reads as follows:
"The United Daughters of the Confederacy in cooperation with the United States Forest Service planted this 125 acre forest as a living memorial to the 125,000 soldiers North Carolina provided the confederacy. The 125,000 Red Spruce Tree Forest was planted over a three-year period from 1941-1943."

I understand that it is easy to distinguish this tree from other conifers. How so?

The needles are square and 1/2 inch long. They are one per bundle.
They do not have the undersides of the Eastern Hemlock and Fraser Fir which are silvery.
The bark is flaky.
The cones hang down.
The needles are sharp and you feel it when you shake hands with a branch.

Spruce trees are the home of the endangered Northern flying squirrel.

This tree can live up to 350 years. It usually grows up to 130 feet tall.

There is a 50 acre virgin Red Spruce Forest in the Gaudineer Scenic Area in West Virginia in the Monongahela National Forest. I will go there in the near future and report back here on what I find. Oh my gosh, I can't wait!!

The Spruce Tree is the tree used to make the first chewing gum.  Did you know you can still buy spruce gum or make you own spruce gum. You could also make your very own spruce gum box, which was quite the item back in the 1800's. I think I may just make a spruce gum box myself.

To make your own gum, you will collect the sap, boil it, and put on a cookie sheet to cool. I understand that spruce gum is known to cure many addictions.

Fall 

The Red Spruce Tree

I photographed these trees today at the Red Spruce Memorial Forest on the Blue Ridge Parkway on a September morning. It was a very beautiful morning with the light filtering through the trees.

Winter

The Red Spruce
This photo is provided by the USDA Plants Database.  USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 61.
Picea rubens

The Champion Red Spruce Trees

The United States champion red spruce lives in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is 147 feet tall and has a 152 inch circumference. 

My favorite Red Spruce Trees

My favorite Red Spruce trees live at the Red Spruce Forest Memorial on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  When you walk into that forest and the light shines through the trees, you know you are on sacred ground.  

For the love of the trees,
Becky

Fraser Fir - Albies fraseri

Pinaceae - Pine Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 67
Fraser Fir
Albies fraseri

Spring

Fraser Fir female cones

This Fraser Fir lives on a mountain near Asheville.  There is so much new life happening this time of year.  There are new female and males cones growing.

Fraser Fir male cones

Summer

Fraser Fir in the Summer at the higher elevations on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Fraser Fir in the Summer at the higher elevations on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Fall 

Fraser Fir

This tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens in the woods on a quiet winding path. This tree usually grows at a higher elevation. It is doing well where it lives perhaps because it is in a cool shady wooded area.  www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

One can always identify the Fraser Fir by its needles. They are round ended and not sharp; making them friendly to the touch. They grow in a way that reminds me of the part in a person's hair when they part their hair in the middle of their head. The needles are flat and they are fragrant. There are also two distinct white lines on the underside of each needle. I have a time seeing these lines; however, with a hand lens or microscope you can see them quite well. While looking in my microscope I found it so interesting that the fir needles are stemless. The Hemlocks and Spruce needles all have little stems connecting them to the twigs.

Winter

The easiest way to identify a Fir tree is by observing that fir cones stand upright on the branches, and fir needles are flat and friendly.  You can differentiate Fir from Spruce for Spruce cones hang down and their needles are sharp and round.

The Fraser Fir is named after the Scottish botanist, John Fraser (1750–1811), who made numerous botanical collections in this region.

The Champion Fraser Fir Trees

North Carolina's Champion Big Tree Database

Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri)

County: Jackson
Town: Cashiers
Owner Name: High Hampton Inn & Country Club
Nominator Name: Ken & Pam Knox
Native:  Yes
Directions:  High Hampton Inn, approximately 1.5-2 miles South of Cashiers on East side of Rt. 107; tree is in front lawn of Inn and next to golf course.
Latitude:  35� 05' 54.07"N
Longitude:  83� 04' 56"W

http://www.ncforestservice.gov/Urban/tree_detail.asp?Tree_ID=6

The American Forest Champion Fraser Fir lives in Virginia.    It is 96 feet tall and has a 116 inch circumference.
http://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/fraser-fir-abies-fraseri-2/

My favorite Fraser Fir Tree

My favorite Fraser Fir Trees live on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the higher elevations.  The Richland Balsam trail has beautiful Fraser Firs living all along the trail.  

For the love of the trees,
Becky

My teacher at Tremont in the Smokies, Ken Voohris, says you can tell the Fraser Fir
 from the other conifers by the needles.
The Fraser Fir needles are flat, friendly, and fragrant.  Find a Fraser Fir and notice the needles.

Green Ash - Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Oleaceae - Oilve Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 66
Green AshTree
Fraxinus pennsylvanica

The Green Ash Tree leaves often have 7 leaflets in their compound leaf.  The margins are serrated and the branches are opposite.  Maples, Ashes, Dogwoods, and Horsechestnuts and Buckeyes are the most prevalent trees with opposite branching.
(from my journal)    

Spring

The Green Ash - Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Summer

The Green Ash Tree
The Botanical Gardens of Asheville

 ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

The Green Ash Tree has shiny green leaves above and paler beneath; leaves are opposite and pinnately compound. They usually have 7 leaflets. They are paired except at the end. The twigs are green and become gray with age. They are slender and hairless. The bark is gray, furrowed, and has a reddish inner bark.
The winged seeds, called samaras, are eaten by birds and small mammals. Whitetail and mule deer browse the twigs and foliage.

Fall 

Green Ash
This Green Ash lives at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville

Winter

The Green Ash at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville

"The ash grove, how graceful, how plainly 'tis speaking,

The harp through it playing has language for me;

Whenever the light through its branches is breaking,

A host of kind faces is gazing on me.

The friends of my childhood again are before me,

Each step wakes a mem'ry, as freely I roam;

With soft whispers laden, its leaves rustle o'er me;

The ash grove, the ashgrove alone is my home."

Welsh folk song from the 1700's called Ash Grove.

The Champion Green Ash Trees

The champion Green Ash lives in Cass, Michigan. It stands 98 feet tall and has a circumference of 271 inches.
The Ohio Champion green ash tree is in Warren, Ohio. It is 229 inches in circumference. It is 117 feet tall.

My favorite Green Ash Tree

My two favorite Green Ash Tree live at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville and the other by by the Oakley Buncombe County Library.  I will be photographing and drawing the one by the library this year.  Please check back.
For the love of the trees,
Becky

from my journal

White Ash - Fraxinus americana

Oleaceae - Oilve Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 65
White Ash
Fraxinus americana

Spring

White Ash Tree
Fraxinus americana

The leaves are opposite, with 5-9 compound leaflets. The leaves are entire or slightly toothed. The tree usually grows up to 80 feet and 2-3 feet in diameter.

Summer

The White Ash Tree

The "keys"are 1-2 inches long; they are brownish now in the summer with a narrow wing that hang in clusters. Each key contains one seed. These previous year's keys stay on the tree through the winter and will fall when spring comes. I have read about people making pickled ash keys for their salads that are delicious.

The Ash tree has an interesting sex life. It may be male one year and female the next. It may also grow the female flowers on part of the tree and the male flowers on another part of the tree. It does take at least 30 years for the trees to start producing the flowers. These tree can live up to 250 years.

There is a Emerald Ash Borer insect that has been killing the Ash trees in the Northern and Midwest regions of the United States. This beetle is native to Asia. The larvae of this beetle burrow into the bark of the Ash tree causing the tree to starve and then die. 40 million Ash Trees have died since 2002 due to this beetle infestation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and other parts of the United States and Canada. There are several treatment programs that have been helpful. Treatment program research is till underway.

There is a National Ash Seed Collection Initiative in Ft. Collins, Colorado, that is collecting, freezing, and storing the seeds for future research and development if this becomes necessary.

Fall 

The White Ash Tree in October

This White Ash tree lives by my house in Asheville.  It is starting to change to it's fall colors.

Winter

The White Ash Tree

The limbs and twigs and leaves all grow opposite each other. The trunks of this tree are usually very straight and tall. The bark is tight and uniform; the color is light brown to dark brown in older trees. The older trees develop a bark with diamond-shaped ridges.

The Champion
White Ash Trees

The Champion White Ash lives in Morris, New Jersey. It is 115 feet tall and has a circumference of 255 inches. You can read more at https://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/white-ash-fraxinus-americana-2/


The Champion North Carolina Tree lives in Forsyth County and is 100 feet tall and has a circumference of 206 inches.  You can read more at http://ncforestservice.gov/urban/nc_champion_big_trees_database_search.asp

My favorite White Ash Tree

My favorite White Ash lives besides my house.  I will be seeking another favorite one that lives in a public park or nature center.  
For the love of the trees,
Becky

This is a page from my journal on a fall day.

Fringe Tree - Chionanthus virginicus

Oleaceae - Oilve Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 64
Fringe Tree
Chionanthus virginicus

Summer

A Fringe Tree at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.

30021 Chionanthus virginicus, a photo by horticultural art on Flickr.

Fall 

I will out and about in the fall photographing and drawing the Fringe Tree, please check back.

Winter

I will out and about in the winter photographing and drawing the Fringe Tree, please check back.

Spring

The Fringe Tree

March is quite an interesting month.  You can see by this photo that the Fringe tree is still in what I call winter mode.  It is waiting, like the oak trees, who are still holding onto their leaves.  The Red Maples are in full spring mode with incredible red flowers right now.  It is amazing how nature works with all the budding that takes place in a certain sequence enabling all the wildlife to have food and habitat all year round.

The Fringe Tree
This Fringe Tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  http://www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org/

The Champion Fringe Trees

The American Forests Champion Fringe Tree lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.  https://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/fringetree-chionanthus-virginicus/
This tree is 45 feet tall.  The link has a great photo of the tree.

The North Carolina Forest Service Big Tree Program also has a Champion Fringe tree.  http://www.ncforestservice.gov/Urban/tree_detail.asp?Tree_ID=585
This tree is 25 feet tall and lives in Elizabeth City, NC.

" By recognizing these champions, we recognize the beauty and critical ecosystem services provided by our biggest and oldest trees."  https://www.americanforests.org/explore-forests/americas-biggest-trees/

My favorite Fringe Tree

My Favorite Fringe Tree lives at the Botanical Asheville of Asheville.  It lives by the parking lot by a trail leading to the Sunshine Meadow.  I hope you can find this one; if you need help finding me, let me know.
For the love of the trees,
Becky

Red Mulberry - Morus rubra

Moraceae - Mulberry Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 63
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra

Spring

 Red Mulberry - Morus rubra

This Red Mulberry lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

The buds had not opened when I photographed this tree around the end of March.

 Red Mulberry - Morus rubra

Summer

Red Mulberry Tree 

I stood under this tree on a hot day in June, and the beautiful tree gave me a shady place to get out of the heat.

There were berries in the tree, red and purple mulberries.   I tasted a mulberry; it was so sweet!   I know why people make mulberry wines, pies and jam.  The berries ripen in June; they are red and purple oblong-shaped fruit. Birds and humans and probably any animal that can reach or find these berries love them.
The green leaves are toothed and heart shaped. Some of the leaves are lobed; the leaves have a rough texture and are hairy underneath.  They have pointed tips.
The twigs have a milky sap when broken.

Taste the natural, fresh tastes of summer. Smell the flowers and herbs of summer. Feel the breeze of summer winds and the heat of the summer sun on your skin. Look and listen to all the birds and insects that are flying and singing day and night. After the sensory awareness, your heart will always feel light.

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. ~John Muir

Fall 

The Red Mulberry

The Red Mulberry

The Red Mulberry tree that I love to photograph and sit with lives at John C. Campbell School. On the day I photographed this tree in September; the leaves were almost all gone with only a few remaining.  The ones that are left are yellow and looked sparkling in the sun today.  folkschool.org

Winter

I will get out and photograph and journal about this tree this coming winter.  Please check back.


For the love of the trees,
Becky