Pinus mugo (PINACEAE) Mugo or Swiss mountain pine C. Europe Needles (linear leaves) 2 per fascicle, curved but not really twisted Crowded on branches 1-3 in long Medium to dark green Margins finely serrate Stomatal bands on both sides Cones upright, sessile or short-stalked Solitary or 2-4 together Ovoid,1-3 long Tall shrub, broad spreading rarely tree to 40 ft. Branchlets brownish Bark brownish-gray, scaly Slow growing Used in rock gardens and borders Cryptomeria japonica (CUPRESSACEAE) Japanese cedar Japan Lvs spirally arranged in 5 ranks Awl shaped, 4 angled ¼-3/4 long, curving inward Decurrent Slightly flattened laterally Stomatal bands on both sides Entire margins Apex blunt pointed Shiny dark green, stiff and spreading Male cones catkin-like, axillary, sessile, oblong, many stamens, near tips of hanging twigs Female cones w/20-30 scales terminal on short scaly branches Picea pungens (PINACEAE) Colorado blue spruce Rocky Mountains Needles (linear leaves) Spirally arranged ~1 long Sharply pointed Square in cross section Bluish green Peg-like stalks on branchlets Female woody cones w/persistent scales. Cones yellowish Pendulous (hang down) Male catkin-like Scales paper thin Scales notched 2-4 long Evergreen tree to 45 ft. Fast growing ~ buttressed roots Bark reddish-brown and stringy "crypto" means hidden, "meria" - a part - all reproductive parts are concealed. 'Elegans' is a cultivar with soft juvenile foliage, turns bronze when cold Tree to 90 ft. Horizontal branches in whorls Scaly bark Subject to insect infestations here, better in colder climates Page 1 of 6
Fagus sylvatica (FAGACEAE) European or common beech C. Europe to Caucasus alternate, simple Ovate 2-4 long, 1 ½ - 2 ½ wide Broadly cuneate at base ~ dentate (ciliate when young) to entire Undulating margin 5-9 pairs of veins Male in short, erect catkins Female in 2-4 flwd spikes Surrounded by soft-spiny involucre Nuts triangular-shaped in 1 long hard woody 4-lobed husk Ilex aquifolium (AQUIFOLIACEAE) English holly British Isles, S. & Central Europe Alternate, Simple Undulate margin Variable spines Older leaves entire 1-3 inches Short petiole Leathery & Shiny Small Infl. Radial 4 parted, White Imperfect Dioecious Fragrant Drupe Fleshy, bright red, globose (ball-shaped) Tree to 100 ft. Smooth, gray bark elephant hide look to older trees, can have HUGE trunk Branches to the ground Leaves are always buggy in this climate Lvs russet & golden-bronze in fall Lvs emerge late spring (May) Cultivar 'purpurea' has young deep black-red lvs, changing to purple green Tree to 50ft Evergreen Forms dense pyramid or round head "aquifolium" means water leaf Invasive (birds eat fruit and deposit them) Page 2 of 6
Acer campestre (SAPINDACEAE) English hedge maple Europe, W. Asia Opposite, Simple 3-5 lobes (w/middle lobe also 3-lobed) 2-4 long & wide (small) Entire Milky latex in petiole Under pubescent Petiole ~ as long as blade Not serrate Infl erect cluster (corymb) w/several Green, but bee-pollinated Schizocarp (double samara) > 180 angle Small tree to +45 ft Deciduous Young branches may become corky Gray-black, lightly furrowed bark Campester means from plains or flat areas Laburnum anagyroides (FABACEAE) golden-chain tree E. France to Italy, S. Central Europe, Slovenia, Croatia Alternate, Ternately compound Lflts elliptic-obovate, 1-3 in. long Mucronulate tip Under white pubescent Infl Pendulous racemes 8-12 in. long Yellow papilionaceous 5 parted 10 stamens 1 style Quercus robur (FAGACEAE) English oak. white oak Europe Legume, somewhat grayish Persist Alternate, simple Lvs obovate 2-5 long, ¾-2 ¼ wide Subcordate or truncate at base 3-7 pairs of rounded lobes, lobes irregular Petioles 1/8 long Apex rounded Lt green when young, deeper later in summer Staminate flws in slender, pendulous catkins Small sepals, no petals Female flw short stalked Acorn ovoid to ovoid-oblong, set in a cup 1 long, narrow Enclosed 1/3 to ½ by cup 1 or several on a 1-4 long peduncle Nut shiny brown Small tree to 20 ft. All parts are poisonous Somewhat invasive Deciduous tree to 75 ft Bark deeply furrowed, grayish black Straight trunk, broad crown No fall color Quercus robur smooth all over (lobes and apex rounded) Page 3 of 6
Landscape Plant Recognition Plant Descriptions Field Day #12 Spiraea (ROSACEAE) Northern hemisphere Leaves Flowers Fruit Other Deciduous Alternate Serrate or lobed No stipules Infl ~ Umbel or spike-like Small fls - < ¾ across Carpels simple, ~ 5 Capsules, follicles, achenes Shrubs with many thin branches Dense foamy clusters of small white or sometimes pink "Spiraea" means twisted or spiral Aesculus x carnea (SAPINDACEAE) red horse-chestnut Leaves Opposite Palmately compound 5-7 leaflets Leaflets short stalked No stipules long petioles, ~ red colored Lflts obovate, serrate 3-8 long Flowers Infl terminal upright multi-branched (panicles), 6-8 tall pink Page 4 of 6 Garden Origin Fruit 3-valved capsules Small spines Other Deciduous tree, 30-40 ft. Cross between A. pavia and A. hippocastanum. Intermediate between them in every respect One of the most popular trees in England. Not as susceptible to disease as A. hippocastanum
Chamaecyparis pisifera (CUPRESSACEAE) sawara-cypress Eastern Asia Tip of leaves blunt Drooping branches with branchlets very thin and stringy at the ends Round cone Evergreen tree up to 40 ft Bark reddish and peeling "pisifera" means pea-bearing, refers to the small Chamaecyparis cones Viburnum opulus (ADOXACEAE) European Cranberrybush Viburnum Europe, N Africa, NAsia, N America Opposite, Simple 3-5 palmately lobed 2-4 long Serrate Petioles ½ - ¾ long, w/narrow groove 2-3 glands near blade at top of petiole Base truncate Infl flat-topped cluster (with sterile on margin and fertile in center White- may change to slightly pink as senesce Red drupes Edible, but very tart Deciduous shrub to 12 ft. Branches & branchlets smooth Arching branches Red fall color Garden origin cultivars with spheres of showy sterile (V. opulus Roseum ) Very similar to V. edule another NW native Berberis thunbergii (BERBERIDACEAE) Japanese barberry Japan Alternate Simple, Entire Obovate to spatulate Under whitish Spines on stems Spines ~ 1 in Infl Axillary branched clusters (racemes) Yellow 3 merous (6) Ellipsoid berry Bright red ½ long Deciduous, compact shrub Branchlets prominently grooved Red-leaved cultivars are popular. Multi-colored cultivars are the most popular right now. Page 5 of 6
Platanus (PLATANACEAE) Plane Tree or Sycamore Garden Origin Alternate, Simple 7 long, 10 wide Palmately lobed (3-5) Triangularly coarsely serrate lobes, depth of lobes varies for species Rounded, shallow sinuses Base truncate to cordate Pubescent (esp. when young) Hairs are easily rubbed off and can be irritating to the skin and eyes Infl dangling balls Male & female on separate balls Crataegus monogyna (ROSACEAE) common hawthorn Europe Rounded syncarp (aggregate of achenes) 1 to 3 round syncarp per stalk ~1 across Tiny seeds are a nuisance for asthma sufferers Alternate Simple Ovate to diamond-shaped Pinnately lobed with 3-7 lobes, w/veins extending to the points of lobes as well as sinuses Sinuses go most of the way to the midvein Stipules Infl flat topped cluster (corymb) Radial, perfect, white Sepals 5, fused at base. Petals 5. Stamens many, often with purple pollen. Styles 1. Ovary inferior. Insect pollinated (bees). Pome (also called a haw) w/ one hard-shelled seed, red ¼-1/3 Deciduous tree 100ft Thin, exfoliating, peeling bark, burls on trunk P. orientalis (1 fruit) P occidentalis (3 fruits) Platanus x hispanica is used as a street tree, but very invasive roots, originated in a 17 th century garden in Spain Deciduous tree or shrub to about 30 ft Branchlets somewhat spiny Birds like fruit Somewhat invasive in local urban forests Kratos=strength, refers to hardness of wood Monogyna=one seed Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' has magenta double Page 6 of 6