The World´s Tree Species: 2012

Lodgepole pines after a forest fire

A few weeks ago I visited the site of the 1988 Red Bench Fire on the western edge of Glacier National Park. In an area about 15 miles north of Polebridge I came across the are in this image where the old burned out trunks of the previous forest are still standing as the new growth of Lodgepole pines form a thick bed of new growth below. This is the growth 24 years after the fire which burned in 1988. The new trees range in height from 4 - 10 feet.

Vine maple leaf

Vine maple - Acer circinatum

Characteristics...

Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
Margin:serrate
Venation: palmate
Size: 8-15 cm
Petiole: 5-10 cm
Color: green
Autumn color: yellow, orange - red.

Vine maple blog post

Sugar maple leaf

Sugar maple - tree species: Acer saccharum

Characteristics...

Shape: palmate (3 upper lobes are pronounced, 2 basal lobes are small)
Margin: 1-3 points per lobe
Venation: palmate
Size: 8 - 16 cm (width and length relatively equal)
Petiole: 5-13 cm
Color: green
Fall color: yellow to bright orange
Deciduous

The Sugar maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Silver maple leaf

Tree species: Acer Saccharinum - Silver maple

Acer saccharinum laciniatum-leaves

Characteristics...

Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
Margin: serrate
Venation: palmate
Size: 8 - 16 cm
Petiole: 5-13 cm
Color: green

Alternate common names..

creek maple
river maple
silverleaf maple
soft maple
water maple
white maple

Bigleaf maple leaf

Bigleaf maple (Oregon maple) - Acer macrophyllum

Characteristics...

Arrangement: opposite
Shape: palmate (5 deeply incised lobes)
Margin: spiny / poiny
Venation: palmate
Size: 20 - 35 cm (largest leaves of all the maple tree species)
Petiole: 20 - 50 cm
Color: green
Autumn color: yellow - orange

Big leaf maple blog post

Crimson king maple leaf

Crimson king maple leaf - Norway maple - Acer platanoides var

Characteristics...

Arrangement: opposite
Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
Margin: spiny and wavy
Venation: palmate
Size: 10-25 cm
Petiole: 8 - 20 cm
Texture: smooth
Color: purple

Norway maple leaf

Norway maple - Acer platanoides

Characteristics...

Arrangement: opposite
Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
Margin: spiny
Venation: palmate
Size: 10-25 cm
Petiole: 8 - 20 cm
Texture: smooth
Color: green (purple on some cultivars)
Autumn color: yellow, orange - red.

Norway maple blog post

Which is the maple leaf blog post

Box elder maple leaf

Boxelder maple - Acer negundo

Characteristics...

Arrangement: opposite
Shape: pinnately compound
Margin: unevenly serrate
Venation: pinnate (on individual leaflets)
Leaflet size: 7 -12 cm
Petiole: 5-15 cm
Texture: smooth
Color: light green when new to dark green when mature

Boxelder maple tree post

Sycamore maple leaf

Acer pseudoplatanus L. Sycamore maple

Characteristics...

Arrangement: opposite
Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
Margin: serrate (somewhat irregular)
Venation: palmate (veins pronounced on underside of leaf)
Size: 10-25 cm
Petiole: 5-15 cm
Texture: leathery
Color: green (purple on some cultivars)

Sycamore maple tree post

American Sweetgum flowers - male and female

The inflorescence of American Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) are paired male and female flowers growing in close proximity to each other. In the image above as well as in several of the images below the upright male flower "raceme" (red color) and the hanging female flower (cream color) can be clearly seen.

In the image below the new flowers can be seen beside several of the previous years spiky seed pods.

The star shaped leaves of the American Sweetgum are seen unfolding as well.

European alder - Spring blossom series

The European alder (also called Black alder, Common alder) has separate male and female inflorescence that bloom at the same time. The long catkin type male inflorescence can be seen in the image above while the small red female inflorescence can be seen in more detail in the image below.

The female inflorescence goes on to develop into the small "cone" like seed pods that are characteristic of this tree species.

Silver wattle: Spring Blossom Series

Today´s tree for the Spring blossom series is the Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) which has one brightest yellow colored flowers that you will find. I took these pictures this morning while walking in a local park here in Madrid. Only a few other trees are in bloom so for which makes this bright bloomer stand out all the more. Enjoy the pics!

Cherry plum - Spring blossom series

The third installment of the spring blossom series is of the Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). In a previous post on this tree species I confused this tree species with the Malus x purpurea in one of the images. Hopefully I´ve got it right this time. This tree is a favorite as an ornamental tree both for its colorful flowers and for its purple leaves.

Almond - Spring Blossoms series

One of the first trees to blossom in the spring is the Almond tree, Prunus dulcis (Northern Hemisphere). The trees in full bloom often stand out backdrop of trees in their winter dormant stage with no color but the dull brown of their trunks and branches. The brilliant white to pink flowers are often the first hint that Spring is about to begin.

Hanami - Cherry Blossom Viewing

Prunus serrulata - Japanese cherry blossom

"Hanami" is a Japanese word that means "Cherry blossom viewing" and refers to an important annual event that occurs every spring in Japan.

"Many Japanese believe that the blooming of the trees symbolizes the transience of life and is an annual reminder that time is precious. The cherry blossom cycle is seen as a metaphor for life itself – a time to reflect on your achievements and think ahead to your future." BBC article

Cook Island Pines in Oropesa Del Mar

I recently came across several Cook Island Pines in Oropesa del Mar (Spain) located along the beech. For some years I had been wanting to photograph the pollen cones of this tree species but the closest that I had come was to one tree with the pollen cones about 20 meters high at the top of the tree. This time I was lucky to have the pollen cones within my reach close to the ground (images above and below). One curious thing about these cones is that they grow at the terminal ends of of the long whorled leaves.

Almost all of these Cook Island Pines (Araucaria columnaris) showed the characteristic curved trunk like the one below. This is one of the best ways to distinguish the Cook pines from their close cousins the Norfolk pines.

The image below is of the Cook pines seed cones which are about the size of softballs. One curious thing about these cones is that the seeds are incorporated into the scales. Each scale that falls to the ground contains a winged seed (see bottom image).

Other Araucarias in this blog...