Tree ID tips for newbie's

Ohio State. I've no comparison to other State Conservation/Ag/Foresty programs, but have always been pretty impressed with ours in my dealings.

 

This is a great resource that was compiled at North Dakota State University. It is loaded with information about trees beyond just our state. Covers planting, growing, light requirements, soil conditions, disease, related trees, uses in food-medicinal-agriculture, good and bad pairings of trees, ect. Available on Amazon. I own it and love it!

 

Thanks for the invite T.Jeff Veal - should have posted those pics of the hickory nuts earlier as the squirrels may have hoarded them away.

Identifying them by number of leaflets can be a crap shoot as the general description on most is 9-13+ with so much variation, throw in the walnut species and pecan varieties and Ash and you have some real confusion.

Mockernut has the appearance of large nuts (Eric insert comment here) but is mostly a heavy husk that can be found around the base of a tree - looks similar to shagbark nuts, but the bark can differentiate in mature trees. Found on slopes in drained soil.

Bitternut have small quarter sized nuts growing from the under side of branches and usually prolific amounts of them - almost always found in lower wetlands

Pignut is in between size(1.5-1.75") the main identifier is the nut has a distinct snout/point which gives it the pignut name. Can be found in the same conditions as Mockernut, but any remnants of nuts/husks should allow identification.

 

I lived in Stillwater OK for 30+yrs so I think Oklahoma State when I see OSU. On a side note, I have a cousin that was the dean of College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Science at Ohio State. He retired a few years ago. He graduated from Okla State but he loves Ohio State!

 

I thought Hackberry too. The wood doesn't quite match though.

 

I would go to your local DNR forestry office and look at the handouts they provide.
These two publications have been invaluable to me in my woods.

 

I finally got a pic of an elm showing a couple of the bleached stripes they get. It could have been a better pic but I was stopped in the middle of the highway to take it


I found a good pic on the internet of the chambered pith of a black walnut twig.

 

Summerville?
Nice little town. I've been to the Flowertown (Azalea) festival a few times

Edit; Summerville is on the other side of the lake from Summerton...

 

Eric VW my inlaws have a place down at Lake Marion - we spend a fair amount of time down there in the summers. About an hour and a half for us from home by car.

 

Thanks Eric VW ! Usually the only reason people know Lake Marion is the catfish, but I happen to prefer the summer striper fishing!