Northeast Community Park Arboretum and Cecil Best Birding Trail Guide

Welcome…

…to the Northeast Community Park Arboretum and Cecil Best Birding Trail. The vision for this section of the park began with a 1992 citizen survey, which included trail walking and hiking, wildlife observation, environment and habitat trails, and nature and a discovery center among the top ten desires for the area.

When work began in 2000, the Blue Earth Citizen’s Group, a planning committee for the park, teamed up with the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society in an agreement to restore and maintain a natural prairie and woodland. The NFHAS owned the land adjacent to the park, previously dedicated as the Cecil Best Memorial Birding Trail, which conveniently tied into the plans for the restored arboretum.

One of the main goals agreed upon when establishing these areas was to promote nature education: to spread knowledge of the necessity, beauty, and vulnerability of the natural environment.

With this brochure, we hope to help with that goal by providing information about the trees that can be found in the park. This, in turn, will hopefully spark your interest and desire to seek more knowledge on the topic, as well as help you foster an affinity for similar projects.

Thanks to…

The following sources were used in the production of this brochure. Many thanks for their assistance.

“Dutch Elm Disease” produced by Cleora J. D’Arcy of the University of Illinois for the American Phytopathological Society, and located at http://www.apsnet.org/education/LessonsPlantPath/DutchElm/top.htm

“Golden Currant,” available at http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/goldencurrant.html

“Invasives on Web,” found on the Nature Conservancy website at http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/ulmupumi.html

Kansas Forest Service, 2610 Claflin, Manhattan, KS, 66502-2798; 785-532-3300; http://www.kansasforests.org/

“Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0” produced by Michigan State University Extension and available at http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modzz/masterzz.html

“Siberian Elm,” which can be found on the Virginia Tech Forestry Department website at http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/upumila.htm

“Siberian Elm,” which can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/invasive/factsheets/elm.htm

“What Tree Is It?” produced by the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) and available at http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/products/tree/index.html

For the kids…

Choose two different species of trees and list three differences:

1. _______________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________

Using those same two trees, list three similarities

1. _______________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________

Compare those trees to the pictures in this brochure. What kind of trees do you think they are?

1. _____________________

2. _____________________

Have you seen or heard any animals? __________________

What do you suppose would happen to those animals if the trees weren’t here?

_________________________________________________

How do these trees help provide a home and food for the animals who live here?

_________________________________________________

Look for (but don’t disturb) places where the animals might have homes.

Try to identify things that the animals might eat.

Trees You’ll Find Here

NE Community Park Arboretum:

American Plum	3
Bur Oak	5
Chokecherry	6
Golden Currant	10
Green Ash	11
Redbud	14
Swamp White Oak	17

Cecil Best Birding Trail:

Boxelder		4
Cottonwood		7
Elm
	American	8
	Siberian	9
Green Ash		11
Hackberry		12
Honey Locust		13
Red Mulberry		15
Silver Maple		16

Glossary	18
Credits	19
For the Kids	20
Your observations	21

American Plum

Prunus americana

The American Plum (a.k.a.: Wild Plum) is naturally occurring throughout most of Kansas, though also is a common candidate for planting.

Mature Size: 6 – 12 ft. tall; thickets up to 35 ft. wide

Growth Rate: 12 – 18 in./year

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Alternate; 2.5 – 4 inches long; oval or elliptic; tapered tips and sharp teeth along edges
*Fruit*	White flowers (early April); Red/orange fruit (August); whitish film; .75 – 1 in. long
*Stem*	Dark brown, scaly bark; twigs rigid/spine-tipped

Common uses:

Ideal for windbreaks due to dense growth

Great wildlife habitat due to thorny thicket tendencies and edible fruit

Water erosion control: can tolerate several days of flooding

Used for wines, jams and jellies

Other traits:

Grows best in deep, moist soils

Space 4 – 6 ft. apart

Plantings: 1-yr-old, bare root seedlings 18 – 24 in. tall

Glossary

Asymmetrical- not symmetrical; irregular shape or outline

Leaflet- one of the segments of a compound leaf; a small leaf or leaf-like part

Ornamental- a tree used for the purpose of decoration

Palmately- having three or more veins, leaflets or lobes radiating from one point

Petiole- the stalk that attaches a leaf to the stem, twig or branch

Pinnately- having leaflets arranging on opposite sides of a common axis or vein

Root suckers- secondary root produced from that base or roots of a woody plant

Rust- a variety of minute mold or fungus, using multiple plant species during different stages of life

Serrate- having an edge with small, sharp, tooth-like projections

Shade intolerant- species that does not prosper when in shady conditions

Shade tolerant- species that continues to prosper despite shady conditions

Symmetrical- having parts on one side corresponding to parts on the other side

Windbreak- a row of trees used to soften or break the force of the wind

Swamp White Oak

Quercus bicolor

The leaves of the Swamp white oak give the tree its name. They have a dark green upper surface, but underneath are whitish (unlike other oaks). Also, when the dark brown bark is peeled away, a lighter surface is exposed.

Mature Size: 50 – 80 ft. tall

Growth Rate: 12 – 18 in./year

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; rounded teeth; under surface is downy
*Fruit*	Acorn without fringe; on 1.5 – 3 in. stalk
*Stem*	Dark brown bark; peels away in ragged curls; lighter colored bark underneath

Common uses:

Hardwood flooring

Native American used acorns to make flour

Native Americans and settlers both boiled acorns to use as food

Food for wildlife

Other traits:

Close-grained, strong wood

Similar to, though more knotty than, White Oak

As name implies, prefers moist environments

Boxelder

Acer negundo

The Boxelder (a.k.a.: Ash-leafed Maple) prefers moist bottomlands along streams, ponds and swamps. It has a relatively short life span, especially considering its susceptibility to insects.

Mature Size: 50 – 75 ft. tall

Growth Rate: more than 18 in./year

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; pinnately compound; toothed edges; non-uniform leaflets
*Fruit*	Paired wings less than 45° apart; 1.5 – 2 in. long
*Stem*	Relatively light/weak

Common uses:

Pulp for paper products

Cheap furniture/woodenware

Shade

(Due to weak wood and insect susceptibility, limited uses)

Other traits:

Weak wood

Susceptible to insects (especially Boxelder bug)

Use is illegal in some locations

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

The Bur Oak is native to eastern Kansas and tends to become quite massive during its long life. Its many uses make it a popular tree, widely distributed around the state.

Mature Size: 50 – 80 ft.; crown spread: 40 – 60 ft.

Growth Rate: initially slow, though potentially
2 – 3 ft./year after well-established

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; 6 – 10 in. long; 4 – 5 in. wide; pinnately lobed; smooth without bristle tips; main vein ends in lobe; large end lobe
*Fruit*	Acorn; cup w/ fringe
*Stem*	Young twigs light brown: smooth; corky ridges after second year; bark of older trees dark w/ deep vertical furrows

Common uses:

Multi-row windbreaks (w/ adequate spacing)

Multiple lumber products

Acorns are common food for wildlife

Other traits:

Shade intolerant, so spacing is important

Hearty and disease resistant

Silver Maple

Acer saccharinum

The Silver Maple is named for its leaves, which show their silvery undersides when blown by the wind. It also has characteristic scaly bark, giving it a “shaggy” appearance.

Mature Size: 70 – 80 ft. tall; 50 – 60 ft. diameter

Growth Rate: 2 – 4 ft./year

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; 4 – 7 inches long; palmately lobed; V-shaped notches; light green above, silvery below
*Fruit*	Flowers in early spring; winged seeds produced in pairs
*Stem*	Scaly; flakes off with age

Common uses:

Good for interior windbreak rows

Firewood: moderate heat, fast growth

Cheap furniture, paneling, pallets

Other traits:

Iron chlorosis, resulting from a lack of available iron in the soil, limits the use of silver maple in western Kansas.

No know serious insect/disease infestation problems

Sprouts vigorously from the cut stump for future wood production

Red Mulberry

Morus rubra

The Red Mulberry is popular due to its edible fruit, though it has many other uses, too. It can be found from Kansas south through Mexico and East to the Atlantic.

Mature Size: 50 – 70 ft. tall

Growth Rate: Fast

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; fine, double teeth; symmetrical, heart-shaped base
*Fruit*	Tightly-packed seeds
*Stem*	Dark brown; furrowed into thin plates; peels off in long flakes

Common uses:

Furniture, tools

Fence posts

Berries eaten by humans and wildlife

Other traits:

Wood is soft but tough – very durable when in contact with ground

Found in hardwood forests of bottomlands and foothills

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

The Common Chokecherry tends to remain small, sometimes even shrub-like. Though the wood lacks commercial value due to its small size, the live tree is valuable habitat for wildlife.

Mature Size: 6 – 20 ft. tall; 2 – 6 ft. diameter

Growth Rate: 12 – 18 in./year

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; less than 5 in. long; fine, double teeth; oval; smooth; pointed tip; usually 2 prominent glands on petiole near blade
*Fruit*	Dense clusters of white flowers (May); 4 – 6 in. clusters black or red round fruits; fruit has pit
*Stem*	Prominent horizontal lenticels

Common uses:

Very popular wildlife habitat due to food and cover qualities

Dense growth good for outer rows of windbreaks

Attractive white flowers

Root suckers stabilize stream banks

Fruit used in jams and jellies

Eastern Cottonwood

Populus deltoids

The Eastern Cottonwood, occurring throughout the Kansas, is the state’s official tree. It is North America’s largest variety of poplar tree, capable of reaching heights well over 100 ft.

Mature Size: 70 – 100 ft. tall; 50 – 70 ft. diameter

Growth Rate: 8 ft./year (w/ adequate moisture)

Characteristics:

*Leaves*	Broad; flat; triangular; pointed tips; broad base; 2.5 – 5 in. long/wide
*Fruit*	Flowers appear before leaves (April); male/female on separate trees; “cotton” produced by female trees released in May/June
*Stem*	Bark yellow-green and smooth when young; gray w/ deep furrows and flat ridges when old

Common uses:

Pulp and low-grade construction

Fast growth aids firewood production

Cover for large and small wildlife

Can be used for windbreaks, but should be well-spaced

Other traits:

Can survive long periods of partial flooding

Soft, light and weak wood

Several insect and disease pests

Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis