Week 2

1
Week 2

• Plant Group 1
• Large Deciduous Trees

2
Acer saccharinum Silver Maple
Location East of Pearson Hall Leaves have very
deep sinuses and are coarsely serrate Leaf is
green above and silvery beneath Flower buds often
in clusters Blooms in early spring, earlier than
sugar and Norway maples Tolerates urban
conditions such as compaction and
drought Fast-growing, messy plant which tends to
break or shed parts in storms
3
Acer platanoides Norway Maple
Location SE of Pearson Hall Leaf blades similar
to sugar maple but wider Samaras are larger and
more spread apart than sugar maple Wound bleeds
white sap when leaf plucked Yellow spring flowers
are ornamental Overused an invasive tree!
4
Aesculus flava- Yellow Buckeye
Location SE corner of Town Engineering
Building Palmately compound leaflets similar to
horsechestnut, but less obovate Large terminal
buds are NOT sticky Fruits are large and smooth
on the outside Potential for yellow to orange
fall coloration Better suited to large spaces
5
Aesculus hippocastanum Common Horsechestnut
Location Across street from Morrill
Hall Palmately compound leaves larger than Ohio
buckeye, doubly serrate, with obovate
leaflets Terminal bud is large and STICKY Valued
for panicles of white flowers Has disease/stress
problems on leaves Native to Europe
6
Betula nigra River Birch
Location East of Pearson Hall Wispy branches,
lower branches often hang Exfoliating bark is
coppery to creamy in color Male catkins form in
the fall (good ID for birches) More heat-tolerant
and resistant to bronze birch borer than other
birch species
7
Catalpa speciosa Catalpa
Location East of Pearson Hall Very large,
entire, heart-shaped leaves are opposite or
whorled Produces long capsules in
fall Valued for early June flowers Messy,
coarse, often loses branches Effective for
large landscapes
8
Fraxinus quadrangulata Blue Ash
Location East of Kildee Pavilion Opposite leaf
arrangement pinnately compound leaves Leaflets
are very glossy and tend to hang down Stems are
square! Would be a good choice, if not for
Emerald Ash Borer
9
Gymnocladus dioicus - Kentucky Coffeetree
Location NW of Horticulture Hall Very large,
bi-pinnately compound leaves Dioecious, females
produce large brown pods Has coarse branching,
gangly looking when young Probably underused
10
Koelreuteria paniculata Goldenraintree
Location East of LeBaron Hall Pinnately
compound leaves, serrated margins Petiole is
ridged, and base of petiole is swollen Lenticels
are raised Yellow flowers in July produce papery
capsules Ames is the northern limit for this
species Weedy because of seedlings and
root-suckering
11
Nyssa sylvatica Black Gum
Location West end of Lake LaVerne and a mature
tree on north side of Helser Residence
Hall Alternate, simple leaves are entire (no
serration) Flowers and fruits form on
spurs Dioecious, with deep blue fruits on
females 90 branch attachment Brilliant red fall
color Underused!
12
Quercus imbricaria Shingle Oak
Location West of Kildee Hall along
street Unlike the other oaks weve covered, this
one has unlobed leaves Clustered terminal buds
typical of oaks Leaves turn red in the fall, then
turn brown and are retained on the tree Native to
southern Iowa
13
Quercus palustris Pin Oak
Location East of Palmer Building - i.e. NW of
Horticulture Hall Clustered terminal buds
typical of oaks Leaves have deep, U-shaped
sinuses Lower branches point downward, middle
branches horizontal, upper branches point
upward Bright red fall color, but only in acidic
soils Very susceptible to iron deficiency in
high-pH soils Not a good choice for Iowa
14
Robinia pseudoacacia Black Locust
Location North end of campus along Lincoln
Way Pinnately compound leaves Rope-like bark
texture Root suckers are a common
problem Irregular, scraggly growth form Large
clusters of FRAGRANT white flowers Very tough
tree, fixes nitrogen via Rhizobia
15
Styphnolobium japonicum Japanese Pagoda Tree
Location West of the Hub Pinnately compound
leaves, green stems and twigs, hidden buds are
black and shiny Not reliably cold hardy in
Ames Very commonly planted in southern and
eastern United States Valued for late
July/early August flowers
While a legume, it does not fix nitrogen
16
Tilia cordata Littleleaf Linden
Location West side of Agronomy Hall Very
similar to American linden, but with generally
smaller leaves and buds Buds in winter turn pink,
but not as red as American linden Finer texture
than other Tilia Suckering is a common problem in
the landscape Good choice for street plantings,
as it tolerates drought and compacted soils
17
Tilia tomentosa Silver Linden
Location East side of Agronomy Hall Leaves and
fruit similar to other Tilia, except silvery Leaf
blade dark above, nearly white beneath Very
uniform globe-like form without shearing Narrow
branch angles typical of lindens often leads to
breakage Native to Europe
18
Ulmus americana American Elm
Location North of MacKay Hall Oblique leaf
bases and coarsely serrate leaves Valued for its
vase-shaped form Weedy, with many seedlings Dutch
Elm Disease diminishes its usefulness in the
landscape