Jimmy D's Trees

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Welcome to my Field Guide

Hello, and welcome to my field guide, BUILD/BEAUTY. Here is a quick rundown of how things work here.

Above, are three main pages; BUILD/BEAUTY, Plant Communities, and Archive. 

If you click plant communities, you will be linked to each plant I have logged in each community, pretty self explanatory. 

If you click Archive, you will get the master list of my plants by scientific name.

If you click BUILD/BEAUTY, you will be brought to a 1-10 scale for a tree or plants buildable qualities, or its beauty, which is rated on a system examining its bark, leaves/needles, and its landscape uniqueness. 

To explain some of the terminology that I discuss in the build catergory, please see the two following diagrams. 

First is the Janka hardness test, which is a compression test on wood to let you know how hard it is. It is measured in pounds (lbs), of how much force is needed to embed mental ball of .444″ diameter 1/2 way into the wood.

(Image source: https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/janka-hardness/)

The second test I reference to is Modulus of Elasticity, abbreviated as MOE. This is a good indicator of a woods strength, it’s a measurement of the ratio of stress placed upon the wood compared to the strain (deformation) that the wood exhibits along its length. MOE is expressed in pounds-force per square inch (lbf/in2)

(Image source: https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/modulus-of-elasticity/)

Also a note on the beauty category; this is all MY opinion, I have not created this field guide with the intention of having some sort of divine knowledge of flora aesthetics, but I take a pretty good swing at it anyways. So remember, if a plant gets a score you don’t agree with, please don’t take it too seriously. Lastly, please enjoy the 71 plants listed here!

Jim

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Magnolia macrophylla

Big Leaf Magnolia

Magnolia macrophylla

Family: Magnoliaceae Native Range: Caribbean, Mexico, southeastern United States Zone: 5 to 8 Height: 30-40 feet Spread: 30-40 feet Bloom Time: May Bloom Description: White with purple petal bases Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low

BUILD/BEAUTY

This tree surprised us all with not only its giant leaves, but giant buds as well. Its even in the name, Macro, meaning large, and phylla, meaning leaves. This tree had lost the majority if not all of its leaves already, but we found the massive 2 foot long leaves scattered throughout the area, and left us all wondering where it was coming from. The bud size makes sense for a leaf of this size, the big leaf magnolia gets a 4 out of 4 for its leaves. For its bark, its dotted lightly, almost pimply bark, gets a 2 out of 3. The bark is smooth on its youngest pieces, but as it ages it forms these pock marks that run up and down the main trunk. For landscape uniqueness, this tree gets a 3 out of 3 for its placement. The leaves are huge, it blooms well in the spring, and isn’t a huge tree, so it earns a combined score of 9 out of 10. 

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 4

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 9

As for a building material, this tree has very little information available online about its lumber. It is an understory tree that doesn’t grow rather high or straight, making this tree not a viable option for dimensional lumber. Through research of similar magnolia trees, the hardness can range from 400-1,200lbs on the janka hardness scale, depending on the type. This tree is grown and cultivated more for ornament rather than for its wood, so it will get only a 2 out of 10. The only points going for it is that the wood is hard but rather weak and light, close-grained, and has very limited commercial use. 

Source: 

1. https://www.uky.edu/hort/Bigleaf-Magnolia

2. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a884

3. https://www.thespruce.com/bigleaf-magnolia-growing-profile-3269302

4. https://plantfacts.osu.edu/pdf/0247-717.pdf

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Juniperus rigida

Needle Juniper

Juniperus rigida

Family: Cupressaceae Native Range: Japan, Korea, northern China Zone: 6 to 7 Height: 15-25 feet Spread: 10-20 feet Bloom Time: Non-flowering Bloom Description: Non-flowering Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low

BUILD/BEAUTY

This tree is located in the Arnold Arboretum in the evergreen section. One thing I found online is that this exact tree has a bonsai version, which is the same tree except scaled down to merely a foot tall in some cases. I enjoy the form of this tree, and its needles as well. The needles are spaced far apart, giving the fronds a unique airy look. The needles are arranges in 360 degrees around the twig, and continue all the way up and down the frond. This tree is exceptionally old, being planted in 1892, and still cooking. I will award this tree a 3 out of 4 for its needles, and a 2 out of 3 for its landscape uniqueness. The bark like many other junipers is a smooth and veined, similar to a bald cypress of metasequoia. I will award a 2 out of 3 for its bark, resulting in a respectable 7 out of 10 for its beauty score. 

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 3

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

Total: 7

This tree has great rot resistant wood, but it is a slow growing plant, and takes ages to gain a height of that seen in the example above. For the most part, people use this tree as a decorative bonsai tree, but its lumber uses include carvings, turned objects, as well as moisture resistant building items such as fence or sign posts, anything that will be in the ground, sopping up water. since there isn’t a plethora of information about this tree’s specific wood qualities, I will only award this tree a 5 out of 10 for buildability, when I know this wood is good in large sections, rather than just as small ornamental garden trees.

Source:

1. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=279596&isprofile=0&

2. https://conifersociety.org/conifers/juniperus-rigida/

3. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Juniperus+rigida

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Tilia americana

Basswood

Tilia americana

Type: Tree Family: Malvaceae Native Range: Central and eastern North America Zone: 2 to 8 Height: 50-80 feet Spread: 30-50 feet Bloom Time: June Bloom Description: Pale yellow Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Low

BUILD/BEAUTY

This Basswood tree is located in the Arnold Arboretum by the south gate. The tree was identifiable by the little suckers that came off of the trunk closest to the ground. We all thought that it was a different plant at first, but it all turned out to be the same tree. This tree’s leaves aren’t particularly stunning, besides the fact that they are on the larger side. They have a large heart shape, and are about as big as my hand. This tree gets a 2 out of 4 for its leaves. The bark is like many other trees, but the ravines don’t separate much. Its more of a mountainous scene rather than a river through a valley scene, which I think looks pretty good. I will award this tree a 2 out of 3 for its bark. The Landscape uniqueness is low on the scale, scoring a 1 out of 3 due to its ability to blend in with other deciduous trees in the area, sans suckers. This creates a combined beauty score of 5 out of 10. 

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 5

Ah, basswood, the bane of my existence when it comes to architectural model making. From what I have personally learned about this wood, its very easy to work with, glues well, but when sanding can cause fuzziness. You have to be careful for tear out as well when cutting thin pieces. The wood is very easy to cut with a blade, and structurally, has a janka hardness scale of 410lbs. I was expecting it to be lower, as this wood is soft. This tree is far too soft of a wood to have any structural members, or dimensional lumber, so it earns a 3 out of 10 for building, while its uses include carving, musical instruments (electric guitar bodies), veneer, plywood, and wood pulp. The MOE of this wood is 1,460,000 lbf/in^2 Which isn’t too bad.

Source:

1. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TIAM

2. https://www.wood-database.com/basswood/

3. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a917

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Ailanthus altissima

Tree of Heaven

Ailanthus altissima

Type: Tree Family: Simaroubaceae Native Range: Northern China Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 40-80 feet Spread: 30-60 feet Bloom Time: June Bloom Description: Greenish Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: High

BUILD/BEAUTY

This tree is an invasive tree that can be seen almost anywhere. It can even thrive in a crack in the pavement. Sometimes called the ‘ghetto palm’ for this reason, often growing in neglected parts of town. The bark of this tree is smooth, and a nondescript gray with plenty of little lenticels dotting its skin, looking pock marked. The bark gets a 1 out of the possible 3. The leaves are a compound leaf, almost looking fern like, or that of a honey locust, except more broad. The Leaves get a 2 out of 4, as they don’t look half bad. The landscape uniqueness is a high scorer too, with a 3 out of the possible 4. I know its invasive and frowned upon, but I enjoy the shape and form of this tree, even without its leaves. It earns a spot of 6 out of 10 for beauty. 

Bark: (1-3) 1

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 6

The wood of this tree is surprisingly quite hard, at 1,420lbs of force for its janka hardness rating. The wood of the tree of heaven is easy to work with, despite its trunks never getting to a size that might be useful for a building material. Some of the uses for this tree include cabinetry, paper, and turned objects. The tree has not been used for construction framing uses, but has considerable hardness, gaining a score of 5 out of 10 for buildability. 

Source:

1. https://www.wood-database.com/ailanthus/

2. https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven

3. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a847

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Picea abies

Norway Spruce

Picea abies

Type: Needled evergreen Family: Pinaceae Native Range: Europe Zone: 2 to 7 Height: 40-60 feet Spread: 25-30 feet Bloom Time: Non-flowering Bloom Description: Non-flowering Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low

BUILD/BEAUTY

This coniferous tree is located at the Arnold Arboretum, high up on the evergreen hill. The Norway pine is a great looking tree, and this specimen is no exception. The needles of this tree are arranged in a cylinder type formation, encompassing the entire twig 360 degrees around. It very well may have been just the lighting but these needles appeared waxy and blue green under the overcast skies. The needles look great and earn a 3 out of 4 for its category. The bark, similar to that of many other pines, is reddish hued, and plated. Also to note, this tree gives off plenty of resin, which can be seen on the placard. I will award a 2 out of 3 for the bark. For landscape uniqueness, this tree gets a 2 out of 3, as the tall airy form works well in this landscape among other conifers, but would also look real cool by its self in a field. The combined score the Norway Spruce gets is a 7 out of 10 for beauty. 

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 3

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

Total: 7

The Norway Spruce’s wood is relatively soft, at only 380lbs on the Janka hardness scale. The wood is easily workable but you need straight lumber and grains to avoid a tear out. The wood doesn’t stain well due to the closed pore structure. The main uses of this tree include paper, construction lumber, Christmas trees, and musical instruments. The wood is used in framing construction, in that it has good compressible strength, and hard wood isn’t essential for that. This tree does have some construction benefits, so It will be receiving a rating of 8 out of 10 for buildability.

Source: 

1. https://www.arborday.org/Trees/TreeGuide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=924

2. https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/norway-spruce

3. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e620

4. https://www.wood-database.com/norway-spruce/

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Liquidambar styraciflua

Sweet Gum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Family (Botanic): Hamamelidaceae Planting Site: Residential and parks Tree or Plant Type: Tree Foliage: Deciduous  Native Locale: Illinois, North America Landscape Uses: Shade tree, Specimen Size Range: Large tree  Mature Height: 60-75 feet Mature Width: 40-75 feet Light Exposure: Full sun  Hardiness Zones: Zone 5-9 Soil Preference: Acid soil, Moist, well-drained soil, Wet soil

BEAUTY/BUILD

This sweet gum tree is located in the Arnold Arboretum, and its a beautiful, albeit late season example, of a sweet gum tree. There are a few unique characteristics of this tree, firstly being its spiked fruiting bodies. These resemble cherries from hell, but its how this tree lets out its seed, they act as the seed pod. I would avoid planting this anywhere there is heavy foot traffic as these fruiting bodies are everywhere. Although this particular example is out of leaves, they have a lovely star shaped leaf, that changes great colors in the fall. Clearly I had just missed it. There is nothing striking about the bark, as it gets a 1 out of 3, but it seemed to be a good home for moss. The leaves (and fruiting bodies) get a 4 out of 4, due to their uniqueness. For landscape placement, I will award a 2 out of 3, due to its uncommon nature, and uniqueness. The total score is a 7 out of 10 for beauty.

Bark: (1-3) 1

Leaves: (1-4) 4

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

Total: 7

Sweet gum is a relatively hard wood, scoring an 850lb janka hardness. The wood is easily workable when fresh, but can warp pretty good when drying out. The heartwood is more good looking than the sapwood, so its more expensive, as the sapwood is much larger in this type of tree. This means that the tree has to be much older in order to get a good yield on the inner pretty sapwood. The MOE of this trees wood is 1,640,000 lbf/in2, which is an OK score, not the best not the worst. The uses of this tree include veneer, plywood, furniture (speaker/acoustic cabinets), interior trim, boxes and turned objects. The sweet gum tree scores a 5 out of 10 for buildability, because it is not used in commercial applications for building.

Source:

1. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=928

2. https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/sweet-gum

3. https://www.wood-database.com/sweetgum/

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Cryptomeria japonica

Japanese Cedar

Cryptomeria japonica

Type: Needled evergreen Family: Cupressaceae Native Range: Japan, southern China Zone: 5 to 9 Height: 50.00 to 60.00 feet Spread: 20.00 to 30.00 feet Bloom Time: Non-flowering Bloom Description: Non-flowering Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Leaf: Evergreen

This tree was one of the last trees that I logged as I was leaving the Arnold Arboretum, and it caught my eye due to its soft looking branches. Upon further inspection this tree was in fact pretty soft, its needles were small at around 1/4″ and formed these tendril like fronds that draped well over the tree. The bark has some typical cedar qualities with how it flakes, and is multi colored, so it scored well for the Bark category. The needles were in the middle of the road scoring wise, as they appeared soft but were typical of many evergreens. The uniqueness in the landscape stood out as well, this tree had great form. See the scoring below, for a respectable 8 out of 10.

Bark: (1-3) 3

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 8

The building qualities of this tree are similar to that of many other cedars, such as the common red cedar. This tree is the national tree of japan, and has been used much throughout Japanese history traditionally. It has an impressive strength to weight ratio, and commonly was used as a structural member in many applications of early Japanese architecture. As of most cedars, it is very water resistant and does well in ship building, or pier making. The impressive qualities makes this wood score highly at a 8 out of 10. This might be one of the highest combined scores we have had so far.

Source: 

1. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a158

2. https://www.rarewoodsusa.com/product/cedar-japanese/

3. http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/detail.php?pid=150

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Picea Asperata var. Ponderosa

Big Cone Dragon Spruce

Picea Asperata var. Ponderosa

Type: Needled evergreen Native Range: Western Sichuan Province Zone: 6 to 9 Height: 50.00 to 150.00 feet Spread: 25.00 to 40.00 feet Bloom Time: Non-flowering Bloom Description: Non-flowering Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Leaf: Evergreen

This tree appeared ragged and sparse from far away, but as you got closer you could easily see that it was thriving just fine, from the density of its twigs. Although this tree’s name states its the big cone version, I didn’t see any of these so called ‘big cones’ anywhere on the ground or above. The bark on the main tree reminded me of that of red pine, in that it dripped of resin and had a defined scale appearance. This bark scored a 2 out of 3 for its score. The Needles were a bluish green as you got closer, closer to that of a blue spruce. Although soft looking, they were rather hard and spiky, resulting in a danger to touch. check out how spiky the twigs are, rather scary. They get a 2 out of 4 for leaves. For landscape uniqueness, this tree surely gets a high score, for it is native to Chinese river valley mountains, surely a sight to see on the outskirts of Boston. This one seemed perfectly content growing here, so we will award it a 3 out of 4 for uniqueness.

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 7

Like many other larger evergreens researched so far, this tree has tremendous structural abilities, while retaining some lightweight qualities as well. Some sites even say that this wood has been used in early aircraft due to its strength and levity. Another use for this tree is it has been made into railway sleepers as well as furniture. This wood has been grown an cultivated for usage in construction, so it scores very highly at 9 out of 10.

Source:

1. https://conifersociety.org/conifers/picea-asperata/

2. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/picea-asperata/

3. http://www.mustila.fi/en/plants/picea/asperata

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Quercus X Sargentii

Sargent Oak

Quercus X Sargentii

Family:  Fagaceae Native Range: Japan, southern China Zone: 3 to 9 Height: 50.00 to 70.00 feet Spread: 30.00 to 60.00 feet Bloom Time: Non-flowering Bloom Description: nondescript catkins Sun: Full sun, not fussy though Water: Low-medium Maintenance: Low Leaf: Deciduous

This tree was one that I spotted from the top of Bussey Hill in the arboretum from a mile away. Not only was I just stunned by the immense size of the trunk, I was relieved to see a tree with most of its leaves still clinging on for dear life as its mid November in New England. The leaves reminded me of a swamp white oak or even a red oak, with their slick rounded edges and good color. The leaves allegedly in the summer are a dark leathery green so they score highly a 4 out of 4 for leaves. The bark is typical of many older oaks, deep furroughs, and a lighter gray color than the typical brown trunked tree. This tree if placed in a forest in New England could easily be overlooked unless it was of this size. It gets a 2 out of 3 due to its size. The bark scores a 2/3.

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 4

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

Total: 8

Some trees I have documented have been hard to catergorize in the build category, because 1. no ones ever used the wood  or 2. its not big enough to be used for its wood. This one falls into the first category, as this tree is incredibly rare, and I don’t think it exists in nature. I would like a yard filled with them, but I don’t want to wait 150 years for them to look like this one. The closest relative to this tree is the Chestnut oak, or Quercus montana, and I will be analyzing that wood as such. The wood makes great cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, boat building, barrels, and veneer. There are plenty of workable uses to this wood, and it takes stain well, and is easily worked. I will award this one a 7 out of 10, and for the most part, there isn’t much use for many oak types in structural members, but it is a useful wood.

Source:

1. https://oikostreecrops.com/products/sargent-oak/

2. http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1980-40-4-outstanding-plants-of-the-arnold-arboretum-quercus-x-sargentii.pdf

3. https://www.wood-database.com/chestnut-oak

4. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=366134

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Fraxinus americana

White Ash

Fraxinus americana

Type: Deciduous Native Range: North America Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 50.00 to 80.00 feet Spread: 40.00 to 50.00 feet Bloom Time: April Bloom Description: green, purple non ornamental flowers Sun: Full sun Water: Any Maintenance: Low Leaf: Deciduous

This tree sadly had lost almost all of its leaves, so documenting the leaves of this tree was nearly impossible. I found myself often looking at the ground around trees trying to find their fallen leaves. I couldn’t find this one. online they looked rather non important anyways, earning a 1 out of 4. The bark looked the best on this tree, deeply ravined, yet also flattened on the top, almost plateau like it reminded me of a canyon landscape. The scoring for the bark went 3 for 3 and the landscape uniqueness came up short earning a 1 out of 3. This tree is pretty nondescript in a New England deciduous forest.

Bark: (1-3) 3

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 5

I would be amiss if i didn’t mention the emerald ash borer once in my first ash tree entry, and this tree is not immune. The good news is that out of all the ash family, this one isn’t the preferred target, like the green ash and black ash. The wood must be tasty. The wood properties of this tree include  flooring, mill work, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as tool handles.

This tree is similar to oak in its capabilities, where it CAN be used in construction, but other woods are preferred over it. The tree still scores well, and is reasonably priced in the market, earning a 6 out 10 for build. The MOE of this tree is 1,740,000 lbf/in2, which isn’t a bad rating, but still lacking behind other hardwoods.

Source: 

1. https://www.wood-database.com/white-ash/

2. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=1082

3. https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/programs/environmental/courses/es282/fraxinus_americana.php

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa

Downy Birch

Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa

Type: Deciduous Native Range: Sweden Zone: 5 to 7 Height: 30.00 to 60.00 feet Spread: 20.00 to 40.00 feet Bloom Time: none Bloom Description: none Sun: Full sun/partial when young ok Water: medium Maintenance: Low Leaf: Deciduous

BUILD/BEAUTY

I thought that this tree originally was just one of the normal white birch that you would commonly find in the woods of New England, but it had to be some obscure Swedish variant of course. The bark, like most, scored highly a 3 out of 3 and the leaves were low scoring at 1 out of 4. I find birch leaves quite unexciting, although in the fall they do look great when they turn that distinctive yellow. The landscape uniqueness was on the higher end due to its papery bark, making it a 2 out of 3 for a total score of 6 for beauty

Bark: (1-3) 3

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

The good news is that my primary database did test the downy birch, which is what this tree is, but it is ssp. tortuosa, making it somewhat different but I will analyze the downy birch anyways. Like most birch, this tree is good at being plywood, so it does have some building qualities. Some other uses include boxes, crates, turned objects, interior trim, and other small specialty wood items. I will award this tree a 5 out of 10, as it is a relatively strong wood with great properties but still, isn’t used enough in structural means to score higher.The MOE of this wood is 1,745,000 lbf/in2, which is not bad for a birch derivative.

Source:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17210030

2. https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/betula-pubescens

3. https://www.wood-database.com/downy-birch/

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Zelkova schneideriana

Schneider Zelkova

Zelkova schneideriana

More Images Common Name: Japanese zelkova   Type: Tree Family: Ulmaceae Native Range: Asia, Russia Zone: 5 to 8 Height: 50.00 to 80.00 feet Spread: 50.00 to 80.00 feet Bloom Time: March to April Bloom Description: Green Sun: Full sun

BUILD/BEAUTY

This Asian tree is located in the Arnold Arboretum and caught my eye for a number of reasons. The first being how green the tree was for late November iin New England, and the second being as I got closer, its bark was pretty good looking, a mix between smooth and rough. It was smooth but scaled as pieces started to peel off, almost like a beech and a birch and a dogwood had a baby and came up with this thing. I will award it a 3 out of 3 for its bark. Its serrated leaves were nothing special despite being almost fully green. The color change didn’t seem to be present, and it gets a 1 out of 4 for leaves. The landscape uniqueness is high up at 2, because of its ability to hold onto its leaves, its foreign nature, as well as its cool bark. Total score, 6 out of 10.

Bark: (1-3) 3

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

Total: 6 out of 10

For a building material, the zelkova doesn’t have a large resource of information due to its main uses being turned objects such as bowls, cups, and the likes. The wood is also great for furniture such as chests and amours, and takes stain well. This wood is most similar in my opinion to a teak, where it has good ornamental value. This tree will get a rating of 4 out of the possible 10, due to its ornamental value, but the wood does not have much structural uses.

Source:

1. https://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/Zelkova-schneideriana-Chinese-Zelkova-04-14-2017.aspx

2. https://www.woodworkerssource.com/wood_library_show_tree.php?wood=Zelkova%2520serrata

3. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a927

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Betula alleghaniensis

Yellow Birch

Betula alleghaniensis

Family (Botanic): Betulaceae Planting Site: Residential and parks Tree or Plant Type: Tree Foliage: Deciduous  Native Locale: Chicago area, Illinois, North America Landscape Uses: Shade tree Size Range: Large tree  Mature Height: 60-75 feet Mature Width: 60-75 feet Light Exposure: Full/partial sun Hardiness Zones: Zone 3-7

BUILD/BEAUTY

This yellow birch found in the Arnold Arboretum is placed on the northern side of Bussey Hill. From a distance it did not look much like a typical birch, in that its bark wasn’t white or excessively peeling. The bark is that of a beech, but it does have a peely appearance to it, rather than being smooth. the gray reminds me of a graphite pencil, as it has some shimmer in the sunlight. It scores some points for this, gaining a 2 out of 3 for bark. Its leaves, aren’t exactly mind blowing. They look similar to many other birches, where they are simply pointed and yellow in the fall, earning a 1 out of 4. The landscape uniqueness is also around 1 out of 3. This is due to the fact that it blends in well with the landscape, the tree trunks splitting near the ground, and the color of the bark just doesn’t spark excitement.

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 4

The Yellow birch has a janka hardness rating of 1,260lbs, making it a hard wood. This tree’s wood main uses include plywood, boxes, crates, turned objects, interior trim, and other small specialty wood items. The closest thing this wood comes to being a building material is when its turned into plywood. The wood is workable, but you have to be careful of the wood breaking down a a grain strip, where it wants to come apart on a weak spot in the grain. The MOE of yellow birch is 2,010,000 lbf/in2, which is pretty good. This wood gets a low 4 out of 10 score for buildability, due to it not being used in many building applications, but it has some uses in smaller woodworking activities and having good strength in general.

Source:

1. https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/yellow-birch

2. https://www.wood-database.com/yellow-birch/

3. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BEAL2

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Ulmus glabra ‘camperdownii’

Camperdown Elm

Ulmus glabra ‘camperdownii’

Type: Tree Family: Ulmaceae Native Range: Northern and central Europe, Asia Minor Zone: 4-6 Height: 70-100 feet Spread: 50-70 feet Bloom Time: March to April Bloom Description: Reddish-green Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Medium

BUILD/BEAUTY

This has to be one of my favorite trees I have run into so far. I have a soft spot in my heart for this tree, due to its whimsical nature, as well as how much I have ran into this exact type of tree this year. I moved my sister into a new apartment that happened to have a walkway lined with these exact trees. Then I find one on Northeastern Campus, of all places. I would have to say its the most unique landscape tree I have rated, due to it having leaves of an elm, the form of a bonsai willow, and the essence or Halloween built into its twigs. The tree gets a 3 out of 3 for landscape uniqueness, and a 3 out of 4 for its leaves, which is mainly boosted up by its twigs. The bark gets a 2 out of 3, for its gnarled gray appearance, with small plates covering the trunk. I enjoy this tree greatly, I would like a yard full of them someday.

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 3

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 8

The building information for this exact elm is sparse, due to its rarity and value as an ornament. luckily, I did find some information on its close cousin the wych elm, which is not the softest wood, for being so ornamental. The wood scores a hefty 990lbs on the janka hardness scale. The wood holds nails and screws well, as its a dense wood, but you must watch out for grain tear out, as well as fuzz forming when working with machined tools. This wood is clearly too small to ever be used in construction, but its most common uses include boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, and pulp for paper making. The wood also looks great sealed up. I will award this tree a 4 out of 10 for buildability, a score that could easily be lower if it wasn’t so good looking.

Source: 

1. https://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/2181/camperdown-elm/

2. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/wych-elm/

3. https://www.wood-database.com/wych-elm/

4. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287399

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Ulmus ‘Kansas Hybrid’

Kansas Hybrid Elm

Ulmus ‘Kansas Hybrid’

(U. pumila X U. Americana)

Type: Tree Family: Ulmaceae Native Range: Kansas, I suppose Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 50.00 to 70.00 feet Spread: 40.00 to 70.00 feet Bloom Time: March to April Bloom Description: Reddish-green Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium

BUILD/BEAUTY

This Elm is a cross between the Siberian Elm and the American Elm, to create the Kansas hybrid elm. As you could guess, this elm has little to no information about it online, due to its sparse propagation and rare nature. The bark is multicolored, due to its ability to grow all sorts of mosses and lichens, creating a great mosaic of grays, browns, greens, and even some hues of steel blues. I will award this tree a 2 out of 3 for its bark. The leaves are similar to that of the american elm, which is a simple deep veined small leaf, earning a 1 out of 4. This tree is large in its landscape, but doesn’t do much for its self in terms of standing out. This tree gets a 1 out of 3 for landscape uniqueness, which gives a total score of 4 out of 10 for beauty.

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 4

The Kansas hybrid has no information about its wood online, but I can parse out what it would be like by studying the American Elm and Siberian Elm wood together to deduce a combination. The picture below is from a Siberian Elm, which has very pretty grain.

(Photo source: https://wunderwoods.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/siberian-elm-and-american-elm-leaders-of-the-elm-revolution/)

This wood is in the middle of the road in terms of hardness, it dries wacky when being cooked, and is hard to work with. The biggest hurdle for Elm being a good wood is dutch elm disease, which has wipes out many varieties of elm, leaving no good samples to use. The wood isn’t structurally great so its not used for building materials, mostly just as decorative pieces such as veneer or small wooden boxes and such. This tree gets a 4 out of 10 for build quality

Source:

1. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a925

2. https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/american-elm

3. https://wunderwoods.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/siberian-elm-and-american-elm-leaders-of-the-elm-revolution/

[jimmy-ds-trees]

Quercus macrocarpa

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

Family: Fagaceae Native Range: Northern and central United States, southeastern Canada Zone: 3 to 8 Height: 60.00 to 80.00 feet Spread: 60.00 to 80.00 feet Bloom Time: April Bloom Description: Yellowish-green Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low

BUILD/BEAUTY

This Bur Oak is located in the Arnold Arboretum, where it stands tall being almost 70 years old. The bark of this tree has great ravines, and the top faces of the bark are flat and gray/brown. The top plates of the bark have breaks every foot or so creating a great mosaic of bark, getting a 2 out of 3 for score. The Leaves are similar to that of other oaks, that typical lobed leaf. The lobes of this oak are round, almost like a red oak leaf, except a little more pronounced. I will award a 2 out of 4 for the leaves. For landscape uniqueness, this oak gets a 1 out of 3, there is not much in terms of real unique character for this tree. The total score is a 4 out of 10 for beauty

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 4

The Bur oak has  a respectable janka hardness score of 1,360lbs of force, making it quite the uneful hardwood, and is even native to North America. This tree is closely related to that of the White Oak, so its properties and uses will be similar. The common uses of bur oak include cabinetry and furniture as its main uses but its also used for interior trim, flooring, boat building, barrels, and veneer. The bur oak is good to work with and it has been cultivated for its lumber, making this tree score a reputable 7 out of 10 for build score, but loses points with a lower end MOE of 1,040,000 lbf/in2

Source: 

1. https://www.wood-database.com/bur-oak/

2. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=874

3. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a902