Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road


Barking up the Right Tree

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Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience.

~Hal Borland

Melissa and I try to test each other as we walk any trail this time of year with a tree trunk quiz – we try to identify trees by just looking at the trunk at eye level…no fair looking up, unless we are stumped.  I thought I would give that a try as an interpretive challenge for one of the nature trails at work. For now, I just have a few images of trees along the trail with answers on the back. Think you can identify trees just by their bark? Give it a try. I gave a hint for each with the photo caption. Answers will be provided in the next post.

sycamore bark
Upper trunk and branches have peeling, mottled bark (looks like camouflage)
Ironwood trunk
Small to medium tree with hard wood; trunk looks muscular
hackberry-1
Bark with warty knobs; fruit is an important food source for birds and squirrels
Flowering dogwood trunk
Small tree with dense, hard wood; berries are an important food for wildlife
Sourwood trunk
Small to medium tree; trunks often lean instead of growing straight up
American beech trunk
Large tree with smooth gray bark; dried leaves remain on branches through winter
Loblolly pine
Large pine with needles about 7 inches long
Shortleaf pine
Large pine; needles about 3.5 inches long; small resin pits in bark

Comments

3 responses to “Barking up the Right Tree”

  1. gary phillips Avatar

    Sycamore, Ironwood, hackberry?, dogwood, sourwood, Beech. I don’t know my pines so well. Longleaf and yellow, or maybe shortleaf?
    As always, thanks.

    1. roadsendnaturalist Avatar

      Hmmm, not bad, check back tomorrow:)

    2. jack norman shirley Avatar
      jack norman shirley

      Loblolly and yes yellow pines

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Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

Copyright Mike Dunn and Melissa Dowland