Okay, let's get started.

Transcription

1 This is the "Between Lincoln Hall and Jot Travis " Tree Tour. It starts at the southwest corner of Lincoln Hall, proceeding clockwise, touring the fenced area north of the Jot Travis Building, and ending near North Virginia Street. Okay, let's get started.

2 1 Cutleaf Weeping Birch The two white-barked trees to the left of the door of Lincoln Hall at number 1 on the map are Cutleaf Weeping Birch (scientific name Betula pendula 'Laciniata'). There are three differences between this cultivar of the European native and the species: it has leaves cut more deeply, its branches are several feet long and hang like curtains, and it seems to be more resistant to the insect Bronze Birch Borer (which has almost decimated mature trees of the species in Reno). Both trees have white bark. 2 Pin oak At number 2, near the other corner of Lincoln Hall, are two Pin Oaks (scientific name Quercus palustris, planted 1975), native to eastern and midwestern U.S. This tree, a member of the Red Oak Group with its pointed lobes, has lower branches which droop. Although locally popular, it is intolerant of high ph, which saps the vigor of the tree and causes its orange-red Fall color to appear in June. 3 Weeping Sequoia Turn right toward the raised planter bed at number 3 with a number of tall, skinny conifers. Pick any one. These are Weeping Sequoia (scientific name Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Pendula'). This cultivar of the species, which is native to the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, has a vertical central trunk and branches hanging vertically; these trees are commonly used next to buildings. Note that the leaves are awl-shaped and are arranged in long strings. Turn right at the sidewalk between the fence and the Jot Travis Building, which houses the Davidson Academy. At the end of the sidewalk look at the tree about 20 feet past the fence at number 4. This tree has compound leaves. A compound leaf has a central stem attached to the branch, with a number of leaflets coming out from it (in this case, five to seven), and a simple leaf has only one leaflet coming out from it.

3 4 Green Ash This tree is a young Green Ash (scientific name Fraxinus pennsylvanica), native to the Eastern United States. This tree is desirable because of its bright yellow color in early Fall, but Green Ash trees all over Reno are susceptible to aphids (which curl up leaves but don't necessarily kill trees) and a new pest, the Western Ash Borer, which has killed many mature Green ashes in Reno. 5 Red Maple Turn around and look at the white-barked tree to your left at number 5. It has a simple leaf (that is, a central stem with only one leaflet coming out from it. This is Red Maple (scientific name Acer rubrum). It is native to the eastern and midwestern U.S. This tree is tough, grows quickly, is cold-hardy, and provides reliable red Fall color (which is possibly why there are so many Red Maples on campus). There are perhaps 100 cultivars of this species with different leaf shapes. 6 Tricolor Beech Retrace your steps until you reach the next-to-last Weeping Sequoia. On the other side of the fence is a tree with multicolored leaves at number 6. This is Tricolor Beech (scientific name Fagus sylvatica 'Tricolor', planted in 1986). This cultivar of the European native European Beech was introduced in 1883, and is popular because its leaves -- a combination of pink, white and green -- become very pink in late Spring; and a pink-leaved tree is at once beautiful and uncommon.

4 7 Mugo Pine with 1-inch cone The short, twisted conifer next to the European White Birch at number 7 is Mugo Pine (scientific name Pinus mugo), native to mountains in central and southern Europe. It is usually considered a treeshrub (a plant which can have either a tree or shrub form), but over time it can grow to tree size. It has one-inch cones. 8 Jeffrey Pine The straighter-growing conifer between it and the gate at number 8 is Jeffrey Pine (scientific name Pinus jeffreyi), native to the east side of the Sierra Nevada, where it grows at altitudes of 5000 to 9000 feet. It has three needles in a bundle, and its bark smells like vanilla. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, Jeffrey Pine was clear-cut in the late 1800s to provide wood for the Comstock Silver Boom in Virginia City. 9 Sycamore Maple Near the fence on the other side of the gate at number 9 is Sycamore Maple (scientific name Acer pseudoplatanus, planted 2010), native to Europe and western Asia. Cultivated for centuries, it is distinguished from Norway Maple by the "toothiness" of its lobes; Norway Maple has a few teeth, but Sycamore Maple has many. UNR has recently planted a bunch of these. 10 Quaking Aspen The tall tree with white bark behind the Sycamore maple at number 10 is Quaking Aspen (scientific name Populus tremuloides), the most widely distributed broadleaf tree in the U.S. The "quaking" of the leaves is caused by the connection between the leaf and the branch, which

5 allows the leaf to turn in the wind. This tree has reliable yellow Fall color; some trees have orange color. Quaking Aspen usually grows in moist woods. 11 Norway Spruce The last conifer in the fenced area, by far the biggest tree at number 11, is Norway Spruce (scientific name Picea abies) native to Central and Northern Europe. Its branches tend to droop on each side of the limb, and the limbs tend to droop from the trunk. The branches are long, and, on some trees, you can see daylight between the branches. Goldenrain Tree (Tree Number 12)

6 12 Goldenrain Tree Walk past the Pin Oak to a compound-leaved tree next to the parking lot at number 12. This is Goldenrain Tree (scientific name Koelreuteria paniculata), native to China, Japan, and Korea. In June, a couple of months after most of the other trees have bloomed, it has foot-long spikes of yellow flowers; in Summer, green lantern-shaped fruits appear, changing color to yellow in Fall, and brown in Winter. Some fruits stay on the tree until Spring, and this helps us identify them readily. 13 Pin Oak The last tree on the tour, between the parking lot and North Virginia Street at number 13, is another Pin Oak. This one was planted in This concludes the "Between Lincoln Hall and Jot Travis" Tree Tour.