Plants, Identified

LARC 2430 • Anastasia Leopold

[plantsidentified]

Acer rubrum (Cultivar of Red Maple)

Family: Sapindaceae

Native region: New England and eastern US

Plant Community: Old Field

Size: Cultivated 40'-60', upper range in 100'-120', 30-50' wide

Hardiness Zone: 3-9

Habitat: Forest edges, forests, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands), woodlands. Though usually found in moist woodlands and wet swamps, also found in drier woods. Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soils, but prefers moist, slightly acid (pH <6.8) conditions. Very cold hardy.

Leaf: Red leaf petioles in summer and red samaras in female trees in early spring; most commonly bright red, sometimes yellow or greenish-yellow in fall.

Flowers: Reddish buds with pink/red flowers for male. Females have samaras. Blooms in March and April.

Ecosystem services: This species is not drought tolerant, but is heat tolerant, cold tolerant, and tolerant of air pollution. It works well to recolonize disturbed areas, areas with high water content like floodplains and areas for stormwater management. Because it is a generalist and can tolerate pollution and acidic soil, this is a good choice for urban environments as well. An added perk is that is grows quickly.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/acer/rubrum/

https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ACRU

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

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=j170

[plantsidentified]

Amelanchier nantucketensis (Nantucket Shadbsuh)

Family: Rosaceae

Native region: NE US

Size: 4-5' tall, 4-5' wide

Hardiness Zone: 3-6

Habitat: Mainly found in sunny, dry, sandy habitats including old fields, grasslands, sandplains, pine barrens, ridges/ledges, roadsides and disturbed sites, but also some seaside locations and river and lake shores.

Leaf: Green in summer, orange-red in fall.

Flowers: White, blooming March-May

Ecosystem services: This species is a good choice for sunny, water-side locations for floodplain and stormwater management. This species is also drought-tolerant, making it a good choice for areas that at some points are dry and other times flood. It is also good for man-made and disturbed areas.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/amelanchier/nantucketensis/

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AMNA2

https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=AMNA2

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=293434&isprofile=0&

[plantsidentified]

Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry)

Family: Rosaceae

Native region: Eastern Canada, central and eastern US, eastern North America, Newfoundland to southern Ontario and Minnesota south to Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia

Size: 3-6' tall and wide

Hardiness Zone: 3-8

Habitat: Low woods, swamps, bogs, cliffs, ledges, roadsides, peatlands and moist thickets but occasionally to dry upland areas. Prefers well-drained soils of medium moisture in full sun to part shade, but can tolerate boggy soil and wet conditions.

Leaf: Dark green in the summer, purple/red in the fall.

Flowers: White, blooming in May

Ecosystem services: Because this species can tolerate such wet soil conditions, it is a good candidate for areas of stormwater management, floodplains, and rain gardens.

Sources: 

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/aronia/melanocarpa/

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=j420

[plantsidentified]

Betula alleghaniensis (Yellow Birch)

Family: Betulaceae

Native region: Northeastern US and Canada

Plant Community: Red Maple Swamp

Size: 50'-100' tall

Hardiness Zone:

Habitat: Forest edges, inland forests, swamps, and stream banks. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. It is not tolerant to heat and serves as the main canopy in a forest.

Leaf: Dull green above and yellow underneath in the summer, yellow in the fall.

Flowers: Yellow, green, and brown, blooming in April and May.

Ecosystem services: This tree makes a good choice for area close to flooding and storm water interventions because it is resistant to rot below the waterline and prefers wet soil.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/betula/alleghaniensis/

https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=BEAL2

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

[plantsidentified]

Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch)

Family: Betulaceae

Native region: NE US, Canada, stretching to the Rocky Mountains

Plant Community: Northern Hardwood Swamp

Size: 50-70′ tall, 25-50′ wide

Hardiness Zone: 2-6

Habitat: Found in forests and forest edges. Prefers medium to wet, well-drained soils in sits with northern or eastern exposure that receives some afternoon shade. It needs consistently moist soils that are sandy or rocky. Thrives in cool climates.

Leaf: Dark green in the summer, yellow in the fall.

Flowers: Male flowers are yellowish-brown and female flowers are green, blooming in March and April.

Ecosystem services: This is a good choice for restoration areas near water sources and sandy river banks like flood plains, areas for stormwater management, and habitats for larger mammals like beavers that use the pliable bark for food and shelter.

Sources: 

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/betula/papyrifera/

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a849

[plantsidentified]

Cornus sanguinea or Swida sanguina (Cultivar of Bloodtwig Dogwood)

Family: Cornaceae

Native region: Northern Region and NW Asia

Naturalized region: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington

Size: 5′-15′ tall and wide

Hardiness Zone: 5-7

Habitat: Found in meadows, fields, and disturbed/man-made areas. Prefers consistently moist, well-drained soil and sun to partial shade. This species if tolerant of a wide range of soils but prefers ones that are organically rich.

Leaf: Dark green in the summer, red-purple and green-purple in fall.

Flowers: White, blooming in May and June.

Ecosystem services: Because this species is so tolerant to moist soil, it serves as a good choice for areas prone to flooding or designed for stormwater management. It also thrives in man-made and disturbed areas, so this makes a good choice for urban interventions like rain gardens. This species is also helpful for areas prone to erosion, making it an extra good option for areas prone to erosion from flooding.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/swida/sanguinea/

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=255942&isprofile=0&

[plantsidentified]

Gleditsia triacanthos (Common Honeylocust)

Family: Fabaceae

Native region: All US except PNW, lower NE Canada

Size: 30-75' tall

Hardiness Zone: 3-8

Habitat: Found in moist woods, stream banks, dry sites, upland sites, forest edges, river and lake shores, and shrublands. Prefers organically rich, moist, deep, well-drained soils in partial shade to full sun. While this species can grow in loam and clay, it prefers circumneutral soil (pH 6.8-7.2).

Leaf: Yellow-green in summer, yellow in fall. Exhibits large thorns.

Flowers: Green and yellow, blooming in May and June.

Ecosystem services: This is a very hardy tree which is drought tolerant, heat tolerant, and cold tolerant. Gleditsia triacanthos can withstand soil of high acidity, high saline conditions, clay-heavy soil along with a range of other conditions, this species makes a good candidate for planting conditions that are difficult for other trees, have been disturbed, or for urban areas that have had its soil disturbed. It also makes a good street tree because it is fast growing and tolerant of wind and air pollution. However, the large thorns make it dangerous, so thornless varieties should be considered. 

Surce:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/gleditsia/triacanthos/

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

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a871

[plantsidentified]

Sambucus canadensis, Sambucus nigra var. canadensis (American Elder)

Family: Adoxaceae

Native Region: Central to eastern North America, Northeast Canada, California

Size: 5-12' tall and wide

Hardiness zone: 3-9

Habitat: It typically occurs on streambanks, wetland margins, moist woodlands, thickets, fence rows, roadsides, alluvial forests, bogs, ditches, and old fields. Prefers medium to wet, well-drained, cirumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2) soil in full sun to part shade.

Leaf: Yellow-green in summer, gold-yellow in fall.

Flower: White, blooms May-July

Ecosystem services: Since its natural environment includes moisture-rich habitats like bogs and streambanks, it can tolerate wet soil, making it a good candidate for stormwater management corridors, wetland zones, rain gardens, and banks of waterways. It is also anthropogenic, meaning it thrives in man-made environments and disturbed areas. It also tolerates clay-heavy soil and serves as a tool to prevent erosion. Potential applications include water corridors, rain gardens, urban interventions, and damaged areas susceptible to erosion. 

Note: Branches are susceptible to damage from high winds and heavy snow and ice in the winter.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/sambucus/nigra/

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=f470

[plantsidentified]

Rhododendron vaseyi (Pinkshell Azalea)

Family: Ericaceae

Native Region: Mountains on NC, naturalized to MA

Size: 5-15' tall

Hardiness Zone:

Habitat: Ravines, bogs, wetlands, forest edges, and streambanks. Prefers moist, well-drained, slight acidic (pH<6.8) soil and shade.

Leaf: Medium green in summer and dark red in fall.

Flower: Pink to pure white with yellow throat, blooming in April

Ecosystem services: Because it prefers moist soils and habitats close to water, this species is a good choice for storm water management corridors and systems. It is also an endangered species, so a good choice to plant in order to support population size.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/rhododendron/vaseyi/

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

[plantsidentified]

Nyssa sylvatica (Cultivar of Black Tupelo)

Family: Nyssaceae

Native Region: Eastern North America

Plant Community: New England Barrier Beach

Size: 30-50' tall but up to 90', 20'-30' wide

Hardiness Zone: 3-9

Habitat: Low wet woods, bottomlands and pond peripheries, but also can be found on dry rocky wooded slopes and ravines, moist woodland gardens, low spots subject to periodic flooding or in boggy areas. Prefers moist, acidic soils with partial to full sun.

Leaf: Dark green on top and pale green on the bottom during summer, scarlet in the fall.

Flower: Greenish white and blooms May-June.

Ecosystem services: Tolerates wet, poorly drained soil and standing water, making it a strong candidate for flood plains, river banks, and systems for storm water management. It also can grow in clay-heavy soil, making it a good choice for clay soil conditions. In urban settings, it is a good choice for a street tree or for rain garden areas. Due to its wide range of soil adaptations and habitats, it can also serve as a re-colonizer for brown fields and other cleared areas.

Sources:

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/nyssa/sylvatica/

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a670

[plantsidentified]

By the Veteran’s Memorial

[plantsidentified]

Dawn Redwood, Meta Sequoia

Centennial Common