Plant ID - Week 4 Flashcards
Physocarpus opulifolius
Rosaceae
Multi-stemmed Shrub - deciduous
Very hardy
Leaves: yellowish to purple/chocolate
3-lobed / Margins crenate to serrated
Alternate / Glabrous
Flowers: White corymb, May-July
Fruit: bright red to dark red
Winter ID: exfoliating bark strips on mature branches, reddish-light brown inner bark
Potentilla fruticosa
Rosaceae
Very hardy
Deciduous Shrub - deciduous
Leaves: compound-palmate, alternating, mostly elliptical
Glandular hairs, Lustrous
Flowers: Cyme
Winter ID: very twiggy; bark shaggy, cinnamon coloured
Fruit: 5-lobed - Achene
Spiraea X bumalda ‘Goldflame’
Rosaceae
Shrub - deciduous
Leaves: start bronze-red, turn yellow-green in summer, yellow red & orange in fall;
Alernate / Lanceolate, Ovate / Pubescent
Florets: Bright pink corymb
Winter ID: Branches fine, upright with many dry terminal bark is reddy-brown, smooth.
Fruit: Follicle - clusters
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium (Mahonia)
Berberidaceae
Broadleaf evergreen
Leaves: Sessile / Pinnately compound / Ovate
Leathery, Prickly
Inflorescence: showy yellow clustered racemes;
Fruit: True berries, blue-violet, in clusters.
Edward Goucher Abelia
Abelia ‘Edward Goucher’
Caprifoliaceae
Broadleaf evergreen, Semi-evergreen
Arching reddish branches
Leaves: Ovate / Opposite, glossy dark green / acuminate tips; some bronzing in winter
Flower: Cyme - Pink / Fragrant
Silver Dogwood
Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’
Cornaceae
Shrub - deciduous
Very hardy
Leaves: Opposite, acuminate tip, ovate; Elliptic
Flowers tiny, white, flat corymb-like cymes
Fruit ellipsoid, white/bluish tinge. - Drupe
Winter ID: stems turn bright red
Squamata Juniper
Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’
Cupressaceae
Conifer
Leaf: Needles awl-shaped in whorls of 3 - bluish year round
Bark: Exfoliating, shaggy cinnamon bark
Fruit: Cone
Eastern White Cedar
Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
Cupressaceae
Conifer / Columnar from
Very hardy
Leaves: Scale-like
Fruit: Small Cone - Brown
Canada Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Pinaceae
Conifer
Leaf: Single needles, 1, two-ranked, shiny dark green above, 2 lines of white stomata below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males yellow, small, round; females light green at branch tips.
Fruit: Small light brown cone, with rounded, entire scales
Eastern or American Larch
Larix laricina
Pinaceae
Conifer, Tree - deciduous
Very Hardy
Leaves: Needles in bunches of 10-20, - Yellow in fall
Fruit: Cones (winged seeds) Red, Pink, Brown
Douglas Fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Pinaceae
Conifer
Leaves: Needle-like, much shorter and flatter than pine trees
Fruit: Cones pendulous with 3-pointed bracts tucked under cone scales, look like tail and back legs of a mouse hiding under scale;
Bark very thick, deeply fissured
Pin Oak
Quercus palustris
Fagaceae
Tree - deciduous
Leaves: Deep lobes with ‘pins’ on the tips
Pinnately lobed / Elliptic, Oblong / Alternate
Winter ID: buds light brown; branching pattern is distinct - upper branches point up, middle branches are strongly horizontal, bottom branches point down.
Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Fagaceae
Tree - deciduous
Leaves: Pointed lobes (sinus not as deep as Q. palustris)
Elliptic, Ovate / Alternate ./ Cleft (parted)
Winter ID: buds dark reddish at terminals, small and brown / obvious small scales / branching upright (45 degree angle).
American Ash
Fraxinus americana
Oleaceae
Tree - deciduous
Very hardy
Leaves: Compound, Opposite, Crenate, Entire, Serrate, Undulate (wavy)
Spectacular fall colour
Winter ID: buds rusty to dark chocolate brown with suede-like scalloped scales; leaf scar crescent shaped with the lateral bud sitting within the scar; densely branches.
London Plane
Platanus X acerifolia
Platanaceae
Tree - deciduous
Leaves: 3 major lobes / alternate / Ovate
Palmately lobed
Winter ID: fruit like a pom pom; buds red, smooth, bark exfoliating, looks like camouflage; branches zig-zag.
Vine Maple
Acer circinatum
Sapindaceae
Shrub - deciduous, Tree - deciduous
Multi stem trunk
Leaves: Opposite, rounded, serrated / Pinnately lobed -
shallow lobes / nine major veins palmately arranged
Fruit: Samara
Winter ID: fringe of fine white hairs on base of buds, green bark.
Manitoba Maple
Acer negundo
Sapindaceae
Tree - deciduous
Very hardy
Leaves opposite, compound, odd-pinnate in 3s to 5s
Toothed leaflets / Dentate
Fruit: Samaras
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Sapindaceae
Tree - deciduous
Very Hardy
Leaves: Opposite, Double serrate, Palmately lobed
Fall colour vibrant red; terminal buds multiple;
Fruit: Samara Red / Brown
Winter ID: buds small, red opposite; flower buds in large clusters circle twigs, give branches a bumpy look
