Hiker's Guide to the Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Ricketts Glen State Park

Hiker's Guide to the Trees, Shrubs,

and Woody Vines of Ricketts Glen State Park

Third Edition -- Internet Version

Introduction

References

Leaf Types

Leaf Arrangements

Leaf Edges

Identification Key

Descriptions

Species List

Vines Ground Covers Trees with Needle-Leaves Trees and Shrubs with Opposite and Simple Leaves Trees and Shrubs with Opposite and Compound Leaves Trees and Shrubs with Alternate and Compound Leaves Trees and Shrubs with Alternate and Simple Leaves

TREES AND SHRUBS WITH ALTERNATE AND SIMPLE LEAVES
Leaves Lobed (Toothed or Not)

Red-Black Oak Group

This group comprises several named species: Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Black Oak (Q. velutina), Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea), and Pin Oak (Q. palustris). The leaves are lobed, with the lobes ending in a bristle-tip extension of a vein.

Red Oaks may attain a height of 150 ft, but more typically reach a maximum height of about 100 ft. Scarlet Oak usually does not exceed 70 ft in height. Species in the Red-Black Oak group may hybridize, making identification using leaf shape difficult. The depth of the sinuses between the lobes is variable, but approaches circular in Scarlet Oak and U-shaped in Red Oak. The following list of characteristics will help to distinguish the two members of the Red-Black Oak group seen in the Park, but keep in mind that hybrids may be intermediate.

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra, including the variety borealis)

Leaves typically 7 - 11 lobed, with U-shaped sinuses. Seen mostly along the Ganoga View Trail, the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, the picnic area just north of Rt. 118, the Evergreen Trail, the Ganoga View Trail, the Grand View Trail, and around Mountain Springs Lake, with a few small trees seen on the Falls Trail, near Glen Leigh.

Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)

Leaves typically 5 - 9 lobed, with more circular sinuses. Seen on the Old Bulldozer Road Trail.

Other Oaks with Lobed Leaves

Scrub Oak (Quercus ilicifolia). Also known as Bear Oak.

Height to 10 ft; shrubby. Leaves 2 - 5 in; woolly; lobes bristle-tipped. Twigs hairy, but buds hairless. Seen along the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, the picnic area just north of Rt. 118, and on the Grand View Trail. Commonly associated with Pitch Pine.

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Height to 100 ft. Leaves 2 - 9 in; lobes rounded; often lighter beneath. Members of the White Oak Group (especially White Oak and Chestnut Oak) hybridize; therefore intermediate forms may be seen, especially along the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, where both species are common. Seen on the Ganoga View Trail, the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, the picnic area just north of Rt. 118, the Evergreen Trail, and the Grand View Trail.

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) has wavy-edged leaves.

Other Alternate, Simple, Lobed-Leaved Species

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) Also known as Tulip Poplar, and Yellow Poplar

Height to 100 ft, often taller. Leaves distinctively four-lobed; aromatic when crushed. Main trunk usually very straight. Twigs with fine encircling lines where the leaves attach (stipule scars). Flowers large (tulip-like) and showy; with orange and green zones (May to June). Fruits clustered into a tight cone; 1 - 2 in (September - November). Seen only in the lower parts of the Park, especially on the Evergreen Trail south of Boston Run, and along the lower portions of the Falls Trail below Waters Meet.

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Height to 50 ft. Leaves 2 - 9 in; of three types - not lobed, with two unequal lobes resembling a kitchen mit, and with two small and one larger central lobe; rarely with more than three lobes; fragrant when crushed. . Bark deeply furrowed in older specimens (but not as deeply as Chestnut Oak). Smaller trees were encountered on the Old Bulldozer Road Trail (below Valley View), and larger trees were seen on the Grand View Trail, northwest of the fire tower.

Bristly Black Currant (Ribes lacustre)

Height to 5 ft. Leaves ½ - 4 in; deeply dissected. Stems with thorns and weak prickles. Flowers green to violet (May - August). Fruits purple, with a disagreeable odor when broken (July - September). Uncommon on the Falls Trail.

Roundleaf Gooseberry (Ribes rotundifolia)

Height to 3 ft. Leaves ½ - 4 in. Stems thorny. Flowers green to violet (April - June). Fruits dark purple-black; with a pleasing taste (June - September). Seen along the Old Bulldozer Road Trail (below Valley View), and on the Glen Leigh side of the Falls Trail, and near the bottom of the Grand View Trail along Rt. 487.

Fanleaf Hawthorn (Crataegus flabellata = C. macrosperma)

Height to 20 ft. Leaves 1 - 2½ in. Stems with stiff thorns. Fruits ovoid; greenish, turning red. Seen in open woods near Valley View, on the Old Bulldozer Road Trail.

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Height to 150 ft (however only seedlings and young trees have been observed in the Park!). Leaves 4-8 in; 3-5 lobed; with large teeth; distinctive stipules encircling the base of the petiole. Bark of mature trees mottled, with large pieces of grayish outer bark separating from and revealing yellow to white underlying layers. Habitat is typically riparian (growing along rivers). Seedlings and young trees observed along the shoreline of Mt. Springs Lake.

Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)

Height to 5 ft. Leaves 4 - 15 in; with 3 to 5 lobes; hairy; the only raspberry with simple leaves. Stems hairy. Flowers pinkish-purple; showy (June - September). Fruits dry; red (July - September). Seen along the unnamed trail that follows the shoreline of the Kitchen Creek, as a loop of the Falls Trail below Waters Meet.

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Updated 21 July 2008.

Red-Black Oak Group This group comprises several named species: Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Black Oak (Q. velutina), Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea), and Pin Oak (Q. palustris). The leaves are lobed, with the lobes ending in a bristle-tip extension of a vein. Red Oaks may attain a height of 150 ft, but more typically reach a maximum height of about 100 ft. Scarlet Oak usually does not exceed 70 ft in height. Species in the Red-Black Oak group may hybridize, making identification using leaf shape difficult. The depth of the sinuses between the lobes is variable, but approaches circular in Scarlet Oak and U-shaped in Red Oak. The following list of characteristics will help to distinguish the two members of the Red-Black Oak group seen in the Park, but keep in mind that hybrids may be intermediate.
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra, including the variety borealis) Leaves typically 7 - 11 lobed, with U-shaped sinuses. Seen mostly along the Ganoga View Trail, the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, the picnic area just north of Rt. 118, the Evergreen Trail, the Ganoga View Trail, the Grand View Trail, and around Mountain Springs Lake, with a few small trees seen on the Falls Trail, near Glen Leigh.
*Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)* Leaves typically 5 - 9 lobed, with more circular sinuses. Seen on the Old Bulldozer Road Trail.
Other Oaks with Lobed Leaves
*Scrub Oak (Quercus ilicifolia). Also known as Bear Oak.* Height to 10 ft; shrubby. Leaves 2 - 5 in; woolly; lobes bristle-tipped. Twigs hairy, but buds hairless. Seen along the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, the picnic area just north of Rt. 118, and on the Grand View Trail. Commonly associated with Pitch Pine.
*White Oak (Quercus alba)* Height to 100 ft. Leaves 2 - 9 in; lobes rounded; often lighter beneath. Members of the White Oak Group (especially White Oak and Chestnut Oak) hybridize; therefore intermediate forms may be seen, especially along the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, where both species are common. Seen on the Ganoga View Trail, the Old Bulldozer Road Trail, the picnic area just north of Rt. 118, the Evergreen Trail, and the Grand View Trail.
*Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)* has wavy-edged leaves.**
Other Alternate, Simple, Lobed-Leaved Species
*Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) Also known as Tulip Poplar, and Yellow Poplar* Height to 100 ft, often taller. Leaves distinctively four-lobed; aromatic when crushed. Main trunk usually very straight. Twigs with fine encircling lines where the leaves attach (stipule scars). Flowers large (tulip-like) and showy; with orange and green zones (May to June). Fruits clustered into a tight cone; 1 - 2 in (September - November). Seen only in the lower parts of the Park, especially on the Evergreen Trail south of Boston Run, and along the lower portions of the Falls Trail below Waters Meet.
*Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)* Height to 50 ft. Leaves 2 - 9 in; of three types - not lobed, with two unequal lobes resembling a kitchen mit, and with two small and one larger central lobe; rarely with more than three lobes; fragrant when crushed. . Bark deeply furrowed in older specimens (but not as deeply as Chestnut Oak). Smaller trees were encountered on the Old Bulldozer Road Trail (below Valley View), and larger trees were seen on the Grand View Trail, northwest of the fire tower.
*Bristly Black Currant (Ribes lacustre)* Height to 5 ft. Leaves ½ - 4 in; deeply dissected. Stems with thorns and weak prickles. Flowers green to violet (May - August). Fruits purple, with a disagreeable odor when broken (July - September). Uncommon on the Falls Trail.
*Roundleaf Gooseberry (Ribes rotundifolia)* Height to 3 ft. Leaves ½ - 4 in. Stems thorny. Flowers green to violet (April - June). Fruits dark purple-black; with a pleasing taste (June - September). Seen along the Old Bulldozer Road Trail (below Valley View), and on the Glen Leigh side of the Falls Trail, and near the bottom of the Grand View Trail along Rt. 487.
*Fanleaf Hawthorn (Crataegus* flabellata = C. macrosperma) Height to 20 ft. Leaves 1 - 2½ in. Stems with stiff thorns. Fruits ovoid; greenish, turning red. Seen in open woods near Valley View, on the Old Bulldozer Road Trail.**
*Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)* Height to 150 ft (however only seedlings and young trees have been observed in the Park!). Leaves 4-8 in; 3-5 lobed; with large teeth; distinctive stipules encircling the base of the petiole. Bark of mature trees mottled, with large pieces of grayish outer bark separating from and revealing yellow to white underlying layers. Habitat is typically riparian (growing along rivers). Seedlings and young trees observed along the shoreline of Mt. Springs Lake.
*Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)* Height to 5 ft. Leaves 4 - 15 in; with 3 to 5 lobes; hairy; the only raspberry with simple leaves. Stems hairy. Flowers pinkish-purple; showy (June - September). Fruits dry; red (July - September). Seen along the unnamed trail that follows the shoreline of the Kitchen Creek, as a loop of the Falls Trail below Waters Meet.