American linden, Basswood (Tilia americana) Identification Guide*

Phenological observations: Budburst, Full Leaf, First Flower, Full Flower End Flower, Seed Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics: 
Size:  large deciduous tree
Leaves:  The leaves are alternate and are unevenly heart shaped.  The base is often truncate (nearly straight across), with a stem (petiole).  The blades are 5 to 12.5 cm (2 to 5 inches) wide, thick and soft, slightly leathery, with shallowly toothed margins.  They are mostly smooth and green on both sides with some soft short hairs on the lower surface giving it a slight whitish appearance. 
Flowers:  The flowers are yellowish-white, 10 to 14 mm (approximately half an inch) broad, fragrant and nectar-bearing, in drooping 6 to 20 flowered clusters hanging on a stalk that diverges from near the center of an oblong, leaflike, and strongly veined bract 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) long.  First flower is defined as when flowers are fully open and fragrant.
Fruits: Spherical, 8 – 10mm (0.3 to 0.4 inches) broad, hard and dry  Seed dispersal is defined as when bracts and seeds turn brown.
Bark:  The grey bark is thin, furrowed with flat ridges.
Habitat:  The American Linden is found in moderately moist sites (coves, lower slopes, river bottoms) usually on deep well-drained soils. It rarely occurs in pure stands but it usually mixed with other forest species. It is also a popular ornamental tree across the country.
Bloom time: Flowering generally occurs from May to June and sometimes as late as July at northern locations or high elevations.  Flowers appear usually 1 to 4 weeks after leaves appear.
Did you know?  Native Americans and settlers used the fibrous inner bark (“bast” as a source of fiber for rope, mats, fish nets, and baskets.  Before the widespread availability of synthetics, American Linden was once the material choice for prosthetic limbs.  It is still valued for its soft, light, easily worked wood especially for turned items and hand carving.  It is highly prized as an ornamental because of its intense fragrance when flowering, fast growth, symmetrical shape to branches and the cool shade it provides in the summer.

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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND.

Antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentate), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Antelope bitterbrush is a perennial-deciduous, rigidly-branched shrub or small tree, typically 1 to 3 m height (3 to10 ft), but can grow to 5 m (16 ft).
Leaves: Leaves are wedge-shaped, alternate, 10-20 mm long, deeply 3-lobed at the tip, greenish on the upper surface and grayish-woolly beneath.
Flowers: Flowers are terminal and solitary on short, lateral, leafy spurs. They have five petals that are yellow to pink-red to white, 6-9 mm long.
Bark: The bark is thin, grayish to brown. The twigs are slender, reddish brown becoming gray-brown with age.
Habitat: Dry, well-drained soils (sandy, rocky, gravelly) typical of sagebrush desert, shrub-steppe, ponderosa pine forest and juniper woodland.
Bloom time: Spring/summer (April-June)

Did you know? Antelope bitterbrush is long lived: it has been reported that a 115-year-old plant existed that was only 25 cm (10 in) high and spread over 1.8 m2 (7 square ft), while at a lower elevation the same botanist found a 128-year-old plant that was 3.6 m (12 ft) high and 6 m (20 ft) across. Antelope bitterbrush is also important browse for wildlife and livestock, and it supports several species of insects.

Information sources:
The Jepson manual: higher plants of California.University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, and London, Paris.
USDA, NRCS. 2007.
The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov, 13 March 2007).
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. 2006. (biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/collections/list.php)
USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information Service. 2007. (www.fs.fed.us/database/feis)

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Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Salicaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: The plant can grow to 11 to 22 m (36 to 72 ft) tall.
Leaves: Simple, deciduous, broadly ovate to nearly round, 3.8 to 6.4 cm (1.5 to 2.5 in) long, small, rounded teeth on the margins, a slender, flattened petiole, dark green and shiny above, pale green below, turning bright yellow, yellow-orange, gold, or reddish after the first frosts.
Flowers: The male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers are on separate trees, each type of flower borne in pendent catkins.
Bark: Typically smooth, greenish-white to gray-white, often thin and peeling, becoming thicker and furrowed with age, especially toward the base.
Habitat: Aspen occurs in a wide variety of habitats and at a great range of elevation. It characteristically forms pure stands or mixed stands with bigtooth aspen. It occurs with scrub oaks and sagebrush at lower elevations and as a prostrate form above timberline and exists as a dominant species in many communities at mid elevations.
Bloom time: Mid spring

Did you know? Aspen stands are good firebreaks, often dropping crown fires in conifer stands to the ground when they reach aspens and even sometimes extinguishing the fire because of the small amount of flammable accumulation.

Information sources:
USDA (plants.usda.gov/plantguide)
Wildflowercenter (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants)

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Beaked hazelnut, Filbert (Corylus cornuta), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Betulaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: The beaked hazelnut is a multi-stemmed perennial-deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow 1 to 6 m (3 to 19 ft) in height.
Leaves: Alternate leaf arrangement with hairy, oblong to ovate leaves generally 4 to 10 mm long. Leaf margins doubly serrate.
Photograph by John R. Seiler @ USDA-NRCS PLANTSDatabase
Flowers: Beaked hazelnut has separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers. Tiny pistillate flowers are arranged spirally in a yellowish catkin that hangs from twigs; pistillate flowers are enclosed in bracts at the tips of twigs (appear as terminal buds) with red showy stigmas visible.
Bark: Smooth or scaly, dark brown. Twigs glabrous to sparsely pubescent, sometimes with glandular hairs
Habitat: Full sun to part shade in organically rich, medium moisture but well-drained soils. Associated with forest edges and openings, thickets, and rocky slopes at low to middle elevations.
Bloom time: Early spring

Did you know? As the common name suggests, the husk (involucral tube) surrounding the nut extends beyond the nut by at least one inch to form a beak. Nuts ripen in late August and September and are edible, though most commercially-available hazelnuts come from hybrid plants.

Information sources:
(1) The Jepson manual: higher plants of California. University of California Press.
(2) USDA, NRCS. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov)
(3) Flora of North America Editorial Committee (www.fna.org/FNA/)
(4) Missouri Botanical Garden. (www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp)

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Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Aceraceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower, Seed or Fruit Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Long-lived medium to large trees that reach up to 30 m (100 ft) in height with a trunk up to 76 cm (30 in) in diameter. Its usual height is 5 to 30 m (16 to 100 ft).
Leaves: Leaves are simple, opposite, shiny dark green, and large: 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) long and borne on long petioles (5 to 12 cm long, or 2 to 5 in) that attach them to the stem. The leaves are deeply lobed, and the margins are usually undulating or with shallow lobes.
Flowers: The separate male and female trees have sweetly fragrant flowers. They are creamy white colored and bean-like arranged in a pyramidal spike. The flower clusters are 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long and the individual flowers have five petals.
Bark: On young stems and twigs, the surface is smooth and gray to brown, becoming red-brown with age. Older branches have deeply fissured bark, which eventually fragments into separate scales.
Habitat: Big leaf maple is most common in coarse and gravelly soils in dry to somewhat moist habitats. It is most abundant near the borders of low-elevation mountain streams and in river bottoms.
Bloom time: Late spring

Did you know? The inner bark of Big Leaf maple used to be dried and ground up into a powder that was used to thicken soups, just as we sometimes use cornstarch or flour to thicken soups and stews today.

IInformation source:
The Jepson Manual. 1993. University of California Press

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Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Asteraceae

Phenological observation: First Flower, Seed or Fruit Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: A tall, rounded shrub, usually less than 30 cm (12 in) in height, but it has been observed to grow as high as 4 to 5 meters (15 ft) tall when conditions are highly favorable.
Leaves: Leaves wedge-shaped, generally 1 to 3 cm long, although they can reach 6 cm in length. Leaves are usually 3- or 5-toothed at the tip, although sometimes the leaf tips are rounded. The surfaces of the leaves are silvery to gray-green and covered with dense hairs. If you crush and smell the leaves, you will find that they are highly aromatic.
Flowers: Flowers are small and borne in dense heads that are 2.0 – 2.5 mm in diameter, located at the tips of the erect stems. They are usually rather inconspicuous, so take a close look!
Habitat: Common in habitats with dry soils, and on desert slopes, including valleys and slopes 300 – 3000 m (1000 to 10000 ft) elevation and higher.
Bloom time: Buds typically form in June; Flowering and seed ripening occur in the fall.

Did you know? Sage grouse depend on big sagebrush for food more than any other species. Up to 70 – 75% of their diet is composed of the leaves and flower heads of big sagebrush. Antelope and mule deer also eat big sagebrush leaves and stems during the fall, winter, and spring. A variety of birds can also be found hiding in the brush provided by sagebrush, including sage grouse, sharp tailed grouse, prairie sparrows, chukar, quail, and gray partridge.

Information source:
The Jepson Manual. 1993. University of California Press; U. S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Fabaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: medium-sized deciduous tree
Leaves: The pinnately compound leaves are 10 to 35 cm (8 to 14 in) long, with 7 to 19 short stalked leaflets. Those leaflets are dull green colored and ovoid or oval shaped. They are 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) long, thin, scabrous (rough/scaly) above and pale below.
Flowers: The separate male and female trees have sweetly fragrant flowers. They are creamy white colored and bean-like arranged in a pyramidal spike. The flower clusters are10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long and the individual flowers have five petals.
Bark: The bark is deeply furrowed and dark reddish-brown to black in color. It has an alternate branching pattern, which creates a zigzag effect. A pair of sharp thorns grows at each node. They are 1.25 to 2 cm (0.5 to 0.75 in) long, and very stout.
Habitat: Black locust can live on a wide variety of soil types, but grows best on sites that are deep, well drained, and derived from limestone.
Bloom time: Late spring

Did you know? The wood of black locust is strong, hard, and extremely durable. It is very useful for fencing, mine timbers, and landscaping ties. The tree also serves as a good erosion control plant on critical and highly disturbed areas, due to its ease of establishment, rapid early growth and spread, and soil building abilities. In some regions it is considered invasive.

Information sources:
USDA (plants.usda.gov/plantguide)
Uconn Plant Database (www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/)

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Blue elder, Common elderberry, Blue elder, Elderberry, Blue elderberry, American elder, wild elder (Sambucus mexicana, Sambucus niger, Sambucus caerulea)), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: The elderberry is 2 to 8 m tall (6 to 24 ft)
Leaves: Pinnately compound with 3-9 leaflets per leaf; the leaflets are oval to elliptical, smooth-surface or hairy, with a highly pointed tip and often with an asymmetrical base. The margins of the leaflets are serrated. Leaves are deciduous.
Flowers: Flowers are white or cream-colored, small, and borne in terminal clusters (4 to 33 cm in diameter) that bear dozens to hundreds of flowers. The flower is radially symmetrical and 5-lobed.
Bark: The bark of mature trees is dark and rough.
Habitat: Common, particularly in stream banks, riverside woodlands, and in open areas in the forest understory. Although elderberry’s preferred habitats are the bottoms of canyons where water persists longest during the summer, it is also often found on dry hillsides.
Bloom time: Flowers from May – September

Did you know? The flowers develop into blue berries which are an important source of food for birds and mammals. The blue berries were also dried and preserved for eating by Native Americans, and used by the early California immigrants to make jam and wine.

Information sources:
Math/Science Nucleus: http://msnucleus.org and http://msnucleus.org/watersheds/mission/trees.php; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Boxelder, Ash-leaf maple, California boxelder, western boxelder, Manitoba maple (Acer negundo), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Aceraceae

Phenological observation: First Flower, Seed or Fruit Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Box elder reaches 6 to 20 m (18 to 65 ft).
Leaves: Leaves opposite are pinnately compound; the entire leaf is 13 to 20 cm (5 t0 8 in) long. There are 3-5 leaflets per leaf, with the central leaflet being the largest. Leaflets are 5 to 12 cm (2 to 5 in) long with 3-5 lobes and toothed margins.
Flowers: The flowers are small and yellow-green, with no petals. They are borne in hanging, drooping clusters. The flowers develop into pairs of reddish, finely hairy fruits that are 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in) long and hang in long clusters; they are easily-recognized due to their similarity to small pairs of “helicopter blades” which spin through the air as they disperse from the parent tree.
Bark: On young trees, the bark is smooth, but it develops ridges and furrows in older trees.
Habitat: Box elder trees favor streamsides and river bottoms at elevations of 1800 m (5900 ft) and lower. They particularly favor heavy and wet soils that are seasonally flooded.
Bloom time: Early spring

Did you know? Box elder trees are either male or female, although occasionally you may find a bisexual flower that has both anthers (male) and a stigma (female). No individual tree produces both pollen and seeds.
Information sources:

Information sources:
The Jepson Manual. 1993. University of California Press; http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/kids/tree_box.htm; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: This rapidly growing tree reaches about 4.5 m (15 ft) at maturity.
Leaves: Leaves are alternate, oval-shaped, with fine teeth along the margins. They are glossy green on the tops and dull green underneath.
Flowers: Flowers are characteristic of the Rose family, with 5 white petals and many stamens, and are aromatic. Individual flowers are 0.6 to 1.25 cm (0.25 to 0.5 in) long; clusters of flowers form 12.5 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in) long racemes.
Bark: Gray to reddish on young trees, and darker brown and furrowed on mature trees. Lenticels are prominent (horizontal rows of raised air pores).
Habitat: Chokecherry is present in a variety of habitats and may become weedy. It prefers direct sunlight.
Bloom time: April-July

Did you know? Chokecherry was first cultivated in North America as an orchard crop in 1724. It has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, including relief of diarrhea and sore throat.

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Common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus),

Identification Guide* Coming soon

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Creeping barberry, Creeping Oregon grape (Mahonia repens, or Berberis aquifolium var. repens), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Berberidaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Creeping barberry is an evergreen shrub usually about 80 cm (31 in) in height.
Leaves: Leaves are variable, pinnately compound, with 5 – 7 leaflets, each 2 to 7 cm (0.75 to 2.75 in) long. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, attached by 1 to 6 cm (0.4 to 2.4 in) petioles. Each leaf is made up of 3 – 11 round to elongated leaflets with spine-toothed margins.
Flowers: Flowers are borne in branched clusters at the sides or tips of branches. Each flower has 9 sepals produced in 3 tiers and 6 petals produced in two tiers of three petals. The flowers develop into spherical to elliptical, purple-black berries in grape-like clusters.
Bark: On young trees, the bark is smooth, but it develops ridges and furrows in older trees. Young twigs are covered with a waxy coating that appears shiny and green to purple in color.
Habitat: Creeping barberry favors hills, dry slopes, and canyons in coniferous forest, oak woodland, and chaparral, often in partial shade.
Bloom time: Generally flowers from April – June.

Did you know? Creeping Oregon grape is adapted to habitats that have regular wildfires. It regenerates after a fire when dormant buds sprout from the surface of the underground rhizomes.

Information source:
The Jepson Manual. 1993. University of California Press

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Curl-leaf mountain mahogany, Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: The plant can grow to 3.7 to 11 meters (12 to 36 feet) tall.
Leaves: Evergreen, alternate, simple, and persistent. Commonly clustered on spur shoots. Small (1 to 3 cm, or 0.5 to 1 in long) and narrowly elliptical, thick and leathery with entire, rolled edges, green above and below.
Flowers: Small, inconspicuous, trumpet-shaped, fuzzy.
Bark: Reddish to grayish brown with deep, wide furrows and ridges that may break into plate-like scales.
Habitat: High altitude desert areas; dry, rocky slopes; 1200 to 3050 m (4000 to 10,000 ft).
Bloom time: Early spring

Did you know? The wood of curl-leaf mountain mahogany is extremely hard and so dense that it won’t float in water. It makes an excellent fuel, giving off an intense heat while burning for a long time. It is occasionally used in the manufacture of small articles for domestic and industrial use.

Information sources:
Wildflowercenter (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants)
College of natural resources (www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology)
Ibiblio (www.ibiblio.org/)

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Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Pinaceae

Phenological observations: Budburst, Full Leaf, First Flower, Full Flower End Flower, Seed Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics: 
Size:  Large coniferous evergreen tree with a broad, pointed pyramidal crown.
Leaves:  Small, crowded, flat, straight evergreen needles that are spirally arranged, but can appear flattened in 2 rows due to twisting at the base.  They are 2 to 3 cm ( 0.8 to-1.3 inches ) long, pointed at the tip, but needles are flexible and soft to touch, dark yellowish green to blue-green in color and aromatic when crushed.  Budburst is defined as when new needles are longer than the length of the old bud scales, full leaf is defined as when needles reach mature length
Buds: one of the most easily identifiable features of Douglas-fir are the distinctive red pointed buds. This contrasts with the true firs (e.g. subalpine fir, grand fir, white fir) which have whitish to greenish round sticky buds.
Flowers: as a conifer Douglas-fir does not have true flowers. It produces male and female strobili (structures that produce spores) at the tip of branches on trees at least 12 to 15 years old. Male strobili are yellow to deep red located at branch tips and are about an inch long.  Female strobili are approximately 3 cm (1.2 inches) long and green to deep red, they have large distinctive leaf-like bracts and occur along the sides of branch tips. First flower is defined as when you first see pollen on the male strobil, full flower is when > 50% of the branches have cones with pollen, and end flower is when you no longer see pollen on the cones.
Fruit: (Cones) They are 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) long, ovoid-cylindrical cones that are pendant and green to reddish brown with semi-woody scales.  A distinctive feature is the 3-pronged bract that extends beyond the scales (sometimes referred to as “the mouse tail”)   Seed dispersal is defined as when cone scales turn brown and expand outward. Dispersal generally occurs between mid August and late September depending on elevation and latitude.
Bark:  On young trees, the bark is gray or ashy-brown and thin and smooth with distinctive resin blisters.  As the tree matures, the color becomes more grayish-brown with deep and irregular ridges and fissures and develops distinctive thick bark, which can be many inches thick in older trees
Habitat:  Grows best in well drained, deep, moist soils, but can also exist in dry soils.  Often in pure conifer forests or in transition zones with the forest; from dry grassy valleys to timberline. 
Bloom time:  Blooms (pollen disperses) in mid spring (March-April in southern range, May-June in Montana or at higher elevations).
Did you know? Douglas-fir is the one of the most valuable lumber trees in the world.  The wood is used as poles, beams, in bridges, as rail road ties, structural timber, in plywood, and to make furniture.  It is found in many homes every December as a popular Christmas tree.  Native Americans used the resin as an antiseptic in the treatment of burns, scrapes, and rashes.  European explorers often placed young shoots in their boots to prevent athlete’s foot and nail fungus.  It is also one of the worlds tallest trees, commonly reaching over 76 meters (250 feet) high, (record is 100 meters or 330 feet high!) and can exceed 1,000 years of age.

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Eastern serviceberry, Eastern juneberry, shadow serviceberry, Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower, Full Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: A small understory tree or large multi-trunked shrub, 2 to 6 m (6 to 20 ft) tall, usually growing in clumps with many upright branches.
Leaves: Green leaves are simple and oval-shaped, with a fine-toothed edge.
Flowers: Showy blossoms are long-petaled, 2 to 3 cm (1 in) across, and white, and open before leaves emerge.
Bark: Smooth when young, ashy-gray with dark stripes; later becoming rough with long splits and furrows.
Habitat: Moist but well-drained soils in wood borders and moist upland woods
Bloom time: Mid-spring (April-May), depending on location

Did you know? Serviceberries are subject to many disease and insect problems. Damage from these problems is usually cosmetic rather than life threatening. Also, it is an important browse and food plant for birds and other wildlife.

Information sources:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Database (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/result.php?id_plant=AMCA4)
Virginia Tech Forestry Department Dendrology Database (www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=850)

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Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Pinacae

Phenological observations: Budburst, Full Leaf, First Flower, Full Flower End Flower, Seed Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics: 
Size:  Large up to 40 meters (130 feet) and almost 6 meters (20 feet) in diameter coniferous evergreen tree with distinctive thick scaly plate bark. They are the largest conifer of the eastern and upper Midwest forests.
Leaves: The evergreen needles (leaves) are found in clusters of 5, soft, flexible, 6 to 12 cm (2.5 to 5 inches) long, straight to twisted, and bluish-green with white stripes on bottom (stomata).
Flowers: Male cones yellow, turning brown when they shed pollen, elliptical in shape about 1.25 cm (0.5 inches) long. They occur mostly at the base of new twigs (shoots), on older lateral branches on lower part of tree. Female cones are elliptical to cylindrical gray-brown sometimes with purple tint, 7.5 cm (3 inches) or more in length. First flower is defined as when you first see pollen on the male cones, full flower is when >50% of the branches have cones with pollen, and last flower is when you no longer see pollen on the cones. Note that in some trees male cones are not produced every year.
Fruits: (Cones) The cones are about 10 to 20 cm ( 4 – 8 inches) long and 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick.  These remain attached for 1 to several months after ripening in the autumn of the second season.  Cone production peaks every 3 to 5 years. Seed dispersal is defined as when cone scales turn from green to yellow-green or light brown. Dispersal generally occurs between mid August and late September depending on elevation and latitude.
Bark:  On young trees, the bark is thin, smooth, and greenish-brown in color.  On older trees the bark becomes thick, deeply fissured and dark grayish brown.
Habitat:  Eastern white pine prefers well-drained sandy soil and cool, humid climates, but can also grow in boggy areas and rocky highlands. 
Bloom time: Pollen dispersal generally occurs in May and June.
Did you know?  White pine has the most valuable and versatile wood of any tree in the East. During the age of sail, the tall trees with their high quality wood were valued for masts.  In colonial times, many trees were marked with a broad arrow reserving them for use by the British Royal Navy.  Today, wood from the eastern white pine is used for all forms of lumber and structure, for cabinets, toys, boxes, and similar items.  It is frequently used for windbreaks and screens long fields and new right of ways. White pine bark is used as an astringent and an expectorant, and the wood has been used to produce tar. Pines are also good at stabilizing strip mine spoils.

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Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Cornaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower (this is before leafing), Budburst/First Leaf

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: The flowering dogwood is a small tree growing to about 10 meters (30 to 35 ft).
Leaves: simple, oppositely arranged, deciduous, and 10 to 16 cm (4 to 6 in) long by 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) wide. The ovate shaped leaves usually have slightly fuzzy, dark green upper surfaces while the underneath surface is paler and hairy. The leaf base is acute and the tip is pointed. The leaf margin is smooth.
Flowers: tiny and have 4 large white, occasionally pink, petal-like bracts
Bark: Grayish-brown, thick and rough with angular scales that appear as small, pebbly blocks.
Habitat: Flowering dogwood grows in the well-drained, light upland soils to deep, moist soils along streams and lower slopes

Did you know? Flowering dogwood is a very popular tree often used as an ornamental. You might find non native cultivars with different colored flowers (red and pink). Many species of birds and mammals browse the fruits, leaves, and twigs. The white wood is hard, tough, close-grained, and good for making tool handles.

Information source: University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (www.ifas.ufl.edu)

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Kinnikinnick, Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Ericaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Can occur in extremely dense, trailing stands, with heights rarely taller than 15 cm (6 in).
Leaves: Leathery, dark green leaves have rounded tips and are 2.5 cm (1 in) long, held vertically by a twisted leaf stalk.
Flowers: Small, white to pink urn-shaped flowers occurring in clusters.
Habitat: very cold tolerant, preferring coarse, well-drained soils of forests, sand dunes, bald or barren areas.
Bloom time: Late spring (May to June), depending on location

Did you know? “[Kinnikinnick] serves a dual role on sandy soils, as both a beautification plant as well as a critical area stabilizer. The thick, prostrate, vegetative mat and evergreen character are what make bearberry a very popular ground cover. It is often planted around home sites, sand dunes, sandy banks, and commercial sites.” Contributed by USDA NRCS Northeast Plant Materials Program

Information source:
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARUV)

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Lewis' mock orange, Wild mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Hydrangeaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Perennial-deciduous shrub 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft).
Leaves: Leaf arrangement is opposite, leaf shape is generally ovate and 2 to 8 cm long by 2 to 4 cm wide, glabrous to hairy. Each leaf bears three main veins from the base, margin ranges from smooth to toothed.
Flowers: Flowers can appear in clusters of 3-11 at tips of branches. Generally 2 to 3 cm wide with 4-5 white-ivory, round or notched petals and 4-5 sepals. Flower centers contain 25-40 yellow stamens. Fragrance similar to orange blossoms.
Bark: Red-brown, aging gray, peeling as narrow strips or narrow rectangles; twigs glabrous to hairy.
Habitat: Full sun to part shade, well-drained areas, particularly along streams and in rocky slopes and open banks. Moist or rocky slopes, ravines, grasslands, thickets and open woodlands, generally at 2100 m (7000 ft). Oak or pine woodland.
Bloom time: May-July

Did you know? The genus name comes from the Egyptian king Ptolemy Philadelphus (309-247 BC), and the species name honors Meriwether Lewis, who first described the shrub along the Bitterroot River. It is a very popular ornamental shrub in temperate climates due to its intense sweet fragrance that is similar to orange trees. Poulticed or powdered leaves have been used for medicinal or culinary purposes, while the wood has been used for snowshoes and tools/weapons.

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Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Pinaceae

Phenological observations: Budburst, Full Leaf, First Flower, Full Flower End Flower, Seed Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics: 
Size:  Medium to large, 30 to 36 meters (100 to 120 feet) tall, coniferous, evergreen tree
Leaves:  Needles are in bundles of 3 they are shiny, dark green, and20 to 38 cm (8 to 15 inches) long.  Budburst is defined as when new needles are longer than the length of the old bud scales, full leaf is defined as when needles reach mature length
Flowers: Male flowers (catkins) are purple and are mostly in the lower crown of tree, female (conelets) form on upper part of tree. First flower is defined as when you first see pollen on the male strobil (structures that produce spores), full flower is when >50% of the branches have catkins with pollen, and end flower is when you no longer see pollen on the catkins. 
Fruits: (Cones) The cones are 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long. Its seeds are the largest of all southern pines. Seed dispersal is defined as when cone scales turn brown, and open scales, usually mid-September to late October
Bark: Scaly bark orange brown to gray, developing flat plates
Habitat:  Longleaf pines grows best in a warm, wet, temperate climate with an annual precipitation range of 114 to 177 cm (45 to 70 inches).  It is common on wet poorly drained flatwoods and swamps to dry rocky or sandy soils, mostly below 198 meters (660 feet) elevation.
Bloom time: First flower varies from February in the south to April in the north and generally lasts 1 to 3 weeks.
Did you know?  Longleaf pine needles are used extensively for mulch. In presettlement times it was a major source of timber and naval stores (for resins) it covered over 60 million acres, or most of the southern coastal plain. Now fewer than 4 million acres have these valuable pines.

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Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Cornaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 3.5 to 11 m (12 to 36 ft) tall
Leaves: Opposite arranged, simple oval shaped, 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 in) long and 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) broad.
Flowers: Large, showy, creamy white blossoms sometimes flushed with pink. The individual flowers are small and inconspicuous. They are 0.2 to 0.3 cm (0.08 to 0.12 in) across and produced in a dense, rounded, greenish-white flowerhead with a diameter of 2 cm (0.8 in). The 4-8 large white "petals" are actually bracts, each 3.75 to 7.5 cm (1.5 to 3 in) long and broad.
Bark: Young bark is thin and smooth. Ridges develop later making the trunk appear scale like.
Habitat: Mountain woods and stream banks between 900 to 1800 m (3000 and 6000 feet).
Bloom time: Mid spring to summer

Did you know? Pacific dogwood bark was used by Nlaka `pamux, indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast, to make brown dye. Bark has also been used as a blood purifier, lung strengthener, stomach treatment and possibly to cure malaria

Information sources:
Wildflowercenter (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants)
Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us/)

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Paper birch, Paperbark birch, Silver birch, Canoe birch (Betula papyrifera), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Betulaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: A medium sized tree that grows up to 21 m (70 ft) tall, often with several trunks
Leaves: Oval- or triangular-shaped, greener on the topside and paler on the underside.
Flowers: in long, yellowish clumps called catkins.
Bark: thin, smooth and dark on young stems, becoming bright creamy white with a peeling, papery texture.
Habitat: Grows best in well-drained soils with cold soil temperatures and ample moisture. This species grows best in full sunlight and is very shade intolerant.
Bloom time: Mid-spring

Did you know? “The sap and inner bark is used as emergency food. White birch can be tapped in the spring to obtain sap from which beer, syrup, wine or vinegar is made. The inner bark can be dried and ground into a meal and used as a thickener in soups or added to flour used in making bread. A tea is made from the root bark and young leaves of white birch. It was also used by native Americans to make canoes, buckets, and baskets. …North American Indian tribes used white birch to treat skin problems of various rashes; skin sores, and burns.” Prepared By Lincoln M. Moore @ USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

Information sources:
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BEPA)
Virginia Tech Forestry Department Dendrology Database
(www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=14)

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Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Pinaceae

Phenological observation: First "Flower" (when male cones shed pollen)

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Ponderosa pine grows to about 18 to 30.5 m (60 to 100 ft).
Leaves: Simple, linear, long, green needles. Three needles grow together in a bundle.
Flowers: Ponderosa pine has separate male and female cones (not true flowers).
Bark: Gray–brown to black in young trees; red-brown in older ones. The bark of older trees is split into broad plates covered with small concave scales.
Habitat: Rocky hills; low elevations in mountains
Bloom time: Flowering is correlated closely with the passing of freezing weather. Mid-Spring

Did you know? Ponderosa pine got his name because of its ponderous, or heavy, wood. It is one of the most widely distributed pines in western North America. Ponderosa pine is a major source of timber, which is especially suited for window frames and panel doors. Ponderosa pine forests are also important as wildlife habitat. Quail, nutcrackers, squirrels, and many other kinds of wildlife consume the seeds. Dispersal is aided by chipmunks that store the seeds in their caches.

Information sources:
USA-National Phenology Network (www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/pponder/index.php)
Flora of North America (www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200005351)
Wildflower Centre (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/result.php?id_plant=PIPO)

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Red maple (Acer rubrum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Aceraceae

Phenological observations: Budburst, Full Leaf, First Flower, Full Flower End Flower, Seed Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics: 
Size:  Small to medium-sized deciduous tree 9 to 27 meters (30 to 90 feet) tall.
Leaves:  The leaves are opposite, simple, 3 to 5 palmate lobes with toothed (serrated) edges.  They are 5 to 10 cm (2 – 4 inches) long.  In the spring, the leaves are red-tinged.  In the summer, they are green above and whitened and sometimes finely hairy underneath. In the fall, they are bright red (hence their name). Twigs are also red with red buds.
Flowers:  Small reddish to yellowish flowers on slender stalks with petals which appear before leaf budburst. First flower is defined as when male flowers are fully open and pollen is present., end flower as when 95% of the male flowers don’t have pollen.  Most trees have both male and female flowers (usually on separate branches) but occasionally trees only produce female flowers. Try to find trees that have male flowers.
Fruits: A double samara (“helicopter”) with wings that angle downward. Seed dispersal is defined as when the fruits turn brown and start falling, which usually occurs before leaves are fully developed, April through July (depending on elevation).
Bark:  Smooth and light gray on young trees becoming darker with age and becoming furrowed into long, narrow, scaly ridges on older trunks and branches.
Habitat:  Red maple is one of the most common trees in the Midwest and East. It is often found in swamps and on moist soils, but can also thrive in drier habitats
Bloom time: Red maples are one of the first trees to flower in spring, usually March-April.
Did you know?  Because of its brilliant red color in the fall, Red maple is prized as an ornamental.  The sap can be used for producing maple syrup, however its sap has only about half of the sugar content as sugar maple.  Native Americans used rep maple bark as an analgesic, wash for inflamed eyes and cataracts, and as a remedy for hives and muscular aches.

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Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea aka Cornus stolonifera), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Cornaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 2 to 3 m tall (6 to 10 ft), with equal or greater spread
Leaves: Simple and opposite, oval-shaped with a pointed tip. Prominent veins are arc-shaped.
Flowers: Individual flowers are small and white, forming flat-topped clusters
Bark: Green in spring, turning red in summer
Habitat: Characteristic of swamps, floodplains, and moist forests; requires full sunlight
Bloom time: May-July

Did you know? Red-osier is a popular ornamental shrub, due to the bright red color of its twigs in winter.

Information sources:
USDA (plants.usda.gov/plantguide)
Uconn Plant Database (www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/)

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Rocky Mountain maple, Mountain maple, Douglas maple (Acer glabrum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Aceraceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: This plant may be found in variable form as a shrub 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 7 ft) tall or as a tree 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft) tall, with a short trunk and slender upright branches.
Leaves: Leaves are a shiny dark green on the topside, paler or whitish on the underside, with a reddish stem. They are usually oval-shaped with a double-toothed edge, occurring in clumps of 3-5. Sometimes they are more lance-shaped and occurring in clumps of 3.
Flowers: small greenish-yellow clusters on drooping stalks
Bark: thin, tight, and smooth; gray or brown
Habitat: Rocky mountain maple grows at moist but well-drained seepage sites, mostly in rocky areas, along streambanks, moist slopes, canyons, and ravines, sometimes dry ridges, at low to middle elevations and moist sites in high mountains.
Bloom time: Mid-spring to summer (April-July), depending on location

Did you know? “Rocky Mountain maple is a highly valued big game browse species. Moose, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer to varying degrees throughout the year eat its leaves and twigs, but it is especially important as a winter food source.” Contributed By: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center & the Biota of North America Program

Information sources:
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ACGL)
Virginia Tech Forestry Department Dendrology Database
(www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=161)

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Shrubby cinquefoil, Golden-hardhack, Potentilla (Dasiphora floribunda aka. Potentilla fruticosa, Pentaphylloides floribunda), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: A low, rounded shrub, 1 m (3-4 ft) tall and equally as wide.
Leaves: Dainty, grayish-green compound leaves
Flowers: Long-bloomy, showy yellow flowers.
Habitat: Wet to dry, open sites. bogs, meadows, shores; in limy soil
Bloom time: Early- to late-summer (June-September)

Did you know? “Floribunda” means freely blooming. Cheyenne Indians used the dried, powdered leaves rubbed over hands, arms and body for Contrary dance. The Blackfoot Indians used the leaves mixed with dried meat as a deodorant and spice, and to fill pillows. They used the dry, flaky bark as tinder when starting a fire with twirling sticks. The Eskimo used the dried leaves to make tea.

Information sources:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Database (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/result.php?id_plant=DAFRF)
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov)
Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn) (herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Dasiphora+floribunda)

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Tulip poplar, Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Magnoliaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: A tall, straight, deciduous tree up to 45 m (150 ft) or taller, with a narrow crown that spreads with age.
Leaves: Smooth, waxy leaves are distinctively star-shaped
Flowers: Showy, yellow-orange, tulip-like flowers are often missed because they are up 15 m (50 ft) or higher in the tops of trees.
Habitat: Low, rich woods; stream banks
Bloom time: Mid- to late-spring (April through June)

Did you know? First Nations used the inner bark medicinally as worming medicine, antiarthritic, cough syrup and cholera remedy. Pioneers hollowed out the massive trunk to make a long, lightweight canoe. One of the chief commercial hardwoods, Tulip Poplar is used for furniture, as well as for crates, toys, musical instruments, and pulpwood. This is a favorite nesting tree for birds and the flowers attract hummingbirds.

Information sources:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Database (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/result.php?id_plant=LITU)
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov)

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Western serviceberry, Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Serviceberry is a perennial-deciduous shrub or small tree 1 to 8 m (3 to 26 ft) in height.
Leaves: Alternate leaf arrangement; ovate to round shape, 9 to 50 mm long by 8 to 45 mm wide. Nearly hairless, generally serrate (toothed) beyond middle of leaf, with blunt tip. Have distinctive parallel veins coming off at an acute angle from the midrib. In the fall the leaves turn a reddish brown before falling off.
Flowers: White-ivory flowers found in leafy clusters near the terminal ends of branches. Regular-flat/rotate in appearance. The flower has 5 long white, slender petals that create a star-like shape around a star-like yellowish green center.
Bark: Gray-brown to red-brown; twigs generally short.
Habitat: Often associated with water. Found along hillsides, rocky slopes, stream and roadside banks. Open woods and shrublands, grasslands, and forests at both low and montane elevations.
Bloom time: In spring while new leaves are still forming.

Did you know? Serviceberry is considered a valuable browse species for deer and elk in winter habitat areas. The human uses for this shrub are seemingly endless. It was essential to many Native peoples because not only are the sweet, juicy berries good fresh but they dry very well (like raisins) and save well through out the winter. They can be dried individually or in cakes.

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Woods' rose (Rosa woodsii), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Rosaceae

Phenological observation: Budburst/First Leaf, First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 1 to 2 m (3 to 6 ft) tall
Leaves: Leaves are deciduous, alternate and odd-pinnately compound. The 5-7(-11) leaflets are obviate to ovate or elliptic and about 1.25 to 3.75 cm (0.5 to 1.5 in) long. They are finely toothed toward the tip.
Flowers: The pink to lavender colored flowers appear on the branches that laterally grow from the old wood. They are 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long and usually grow with a few in a cluster at the stem tip. Solitary ones are found as well. They are usually persistent and have short, dense, matted hairs on their margins.
Stem: Reddish-brown to gray, with straight or slightly curved prickles.
Habitat: Woods’ roses are common dominant species on riparian and wetland sites. You’ll also find them as common pioneers on disturbed sites, especially along roadsides and south-facing cutbanks. They occur on bluffs, dry grassy slopes, prairie sandhills, and in clearings in boreal and subalpine forests; also as understory species in stands dominated by cottonwood, ponderosa pine, and Douglas fir.
Bloom time: Late spring and summer

Did you know? The roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits are used for foods and therapeutic materials. The hips are a source of vitamin C. They are dried to flavor tea, jelly, fruitcake, and pudding. Native Americans boiled the inner bark and roots to treat diarrhea and stomach aliments. A tea made from the bark was used to treat muscle problems.

Information sources:
USDA (plants.usda.gov/plantguide)
Wildflower center (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants)

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Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia ), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Oleacea

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 2.5 to 3 m (8 to 10 ft) tall and 3 to 3.5 m (10 to 12 ft) wide
Leaves: The upper side is medium to dark green and the underside is a little lighter. The leaves are 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 in) long and 1.25 to 2.5 cm (0.5 to 1 in) wide. Their shape is ovate to lanceolate toward the tips. They are arranged opposite from each other and have toothed margins. Leaves appear after blooming.
Flowers: The brilliant yellow flowers are 3 to 3.75 cm (1.25 to 1.5 in) long. They have 4 lobes and appear mostly in clusters of 2 to 6.
Bark: The bark is yellowish-brown with prominent raised lenticels (small dots or bumps).
Habitat: Forsythia grows on many soils, but it needs full sun is for best form and maximal flowering. It is tolerant of partial shade and urban conditions.
Bloom time: Early spring

Did you know? Forsythia was named for the British royal gardener William Forsyth (1737-1804) who brought this beautiful shrub home from a trip to China.

Information source:
Uconn Plant Database (www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/s/syrvul/syrvul1.php)

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Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Oleaceae

Phenological observation:
Budburst/First Leaf, Full Flower, First Flower, Full Flower, End of Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: This shrub grows up to 2.5 to 4.5 m (8 to 15 ft) high and 1.8 to 3.5 m (6 to 12 ft) wide.
Leaves: Smooth and heart-shaped, opposite arranged leaves. They are 5 to 12.5 cm (2 to 5 in) long and dark green in color.
Flowers: The small, fragrant, showy, purple flowers grow in clusters 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long. The exact color differs per variety.
Bark: Light-gray and smooth with small, raised bumps and raised leaf scars
Habitat: As a non-native garden shrub, Lilac bushes only grow where they have been planted, such as in parks and gardens.
Bloom time: Late spring

Did you know? As it originates from Europe, Common purple lilac was commonly imported by homesick settlers. Bushes still can be seen thriving near abandoned pioneer homesteads.

Information sources:
USA-National Phenology Network (www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/pponder/index.php)
Plant Watch Canada
Distribution Area:
(www.naturewatch.ca/english/plantwatch/species_details.asp?species=15)
Uconn Plant Database (www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/s/syrvul/syrvul1.php)

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American pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens aka. Anemone patens), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Ranunculaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 30 to 45 cm (1 to 1.5 ft) tall perennial forb
Leaves: Highly dissected, fern-like leaves are hairy on the underside
Flowers: 7.5 cm wide (3 in), 5-8 purple or bluish, hairy sepals (these appear petal-like)
Habitat: Open areas such as dry prairies and sandy hillsides and outcrops
Bloom time: Late March-May; one of the earliest prairie flowers to bloom

Did you know? Pasque flower is the state flower of South Dakota.

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Bigleaf lupine, Wyethís lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus  aka. Lupinus wyethii), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Fabaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Big-leaf lupine is a perennial forb, which is invasive in some locations when it escapes from gardens. It grows to 1.25 to 2.5 m (4 to 8 ft) in height.
Leaves: Palmately compound leaves, 11-17 oblong leaflets.
Flowers: Spike of purple to blue, asymmetrical flowers. Some ornamentals may be pink or magenta.
Habitat: Well-lit places on sandy-loamy soil
Bloom time: June-July

Did you know? The genus name, Lupinus, comes from the Latin word for wolf, since it was believed that lupines ‘wolfed’ nutrients from the soil, preventing other plants from growing near it. In fact, lupines are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, so that they are able to thrive in nutrient-poor soils where few other plants survive.

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Bitter root (Lewisia rediviva), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Portulacaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Low, little plant, less than 31 cm (1 ft) tall.
Leaves: The many succulent, linear leaves form a rosette and usually wither by flowering time.
Flowers: Flowers range from white to pink with 10-19 petals. Flowers are up to 4 cm (2 In) across and they close at night and reopen with the morning sun.
Habitat: The plant grows in open woodlands and sagebrush shrublands with pine, oak or juniper in many soil types such as shale, sand, clay, granite, serpentine, or talus (loose rocks).
Bloom time: Early spring (March-June), depending on location.

Did you know? The roots were harvested with a digging stick and eaten traditionally many Native American groups. Families in some cultural groups still gather the roots today. The roots are prepared for eating by removing the bark and boiling, steaming, or pit-roasting them and they are eaten fresh or dried. Also, the gray-crowned rosy finch feeds on the seeds. It was first collected by Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who is honored by the genus name.

Information sources:
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LERE7)
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Database (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/result.php?id_plant=LERE7)

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California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Papaveraceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Flowering stems may be erect or spreading, 5 – 60 cm (2 to 24 in) long
Leaves: Leaves are linear to dissected, concentrated at the base of flowering stems. If the leaves are subdivided, the divisions can be round-tipped to pointy-tipped.
Flowers: Flowers open from erect and long-pointed buds enclosed within two sepals. When the flowers open, they reveal four petals that may be yellow to light orange to dark orange. The petals are 20 – 60 mm (0.75 to 2.5 in) long, and you may see orange spots at the base of yellow flowers. When the petals wither and drop, they leave a crown-like rim around the base of the developing fruits. The flowers then develop into dry, elongated fruits 3 to 9 cm 1.25 to 3.75 in) long, which split open from the base to release the feathery seeds.
Habitat: Grassy, open areas and slopes, from 0 – 2000 m (0 to 6500 ft); can be found from Coastal dunes to foothills and mountains.
Distribution Area:
Bloom time: February - September

Did you know? An entire song has been written about California poppies. Based on the words to this song, can you imagine what the flowers do at night?
Pretty poppies golden, In thy yellow cup
Sunbeams bright, lend their light, Honey bees doth sup
In thy bed so dainty, Soothe to slumbers deep,
Poppies, golden poppies, Flowers fair and sweet,
Pretty poppies golden bright, good night, good night,
Nod your little golden heads, good night, good night.
(Words by Mary A. Lombard, music by Leo Bruck wrote the music; Re-printed by E. E. Smith in The Golden Poppy)

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Colorado blue columbine, Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia caerulea), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Ranunculaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Colorado blue columbine is a bushy, clump-forming perennial herb less than 1 m (3 ft) in height.
Leaves: Compound, biternate, glabrous leaves with lobed and deeply-cleft leaflets.
Flowers: 5 sepals (generally pale-sky blue), 5 petals (generally whitish) with backward-extending, straight and slender spurs to 5 cm (2 in). Typically upward-facing flowers, 5 to 8 cm across (2 to 3 in).
Habitat: Partly shady, moist, well-drained, sandy-loamy, organic rich soil in moderate to montane elevations.
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer

Did you know? Aquilegia is the Latin term for eagle; the five flower spurs of this plant resemble eagle talons. While most authors have spelled the epithet "caerulea,” the original spelling is "coerulea." It has been noted that an infusion made from the roots of Aquilegia caerulea was used by the Gosivte tribe to treat abdominal pains or as a panacea. Colorado blue columbine is the state flower of Colorado, whose state song also happens to be “Where the Columbines Grow” (A.J. Fynn, 1915).

Information sources:
UW-Madison Botanical Garden (www.botany.wisc.edu/garden)
The State of Colorado (www.colorado.gov)
USDA, NRCS (plants.usda.gov)
Missouri Botanical Garden (www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp)

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Common yarrow, Milfoil (Achillea millefolium ), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Asteraceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Yarrow is a perennial herb 30 cm to 90 cm (12 to 36 in) in height.
Leaves: Alternate leaf arrangement, evenly distributed along the stem with varying degrees of hairiness. Blades are finely dissected but lanceolate in outline (fern-like), approximately 0.5 to 3 cm wide by 3 to 15 cm long.
Flowers: Many small whitish to yellowish-white flower heads (occasionally pinkish) arranged in flat-topped clusters at tip of stems. Each flower head: 3-8 ray flowers (appear as ‘petals’) surround 15-40 tiny disk flowers. Approximately 10-20 flower heads make up one flower cluster.
Habitat: Distributed widely throughout temperate areas in the northern hemisphere. Found in dry, disturbed areas up to the alpine zone (including grasslands, sagebrush, meadows, and alpine tundra).
Bloom time: May-September

Did you know? The genus Achillea comes from the Greek god, Achilles. Achilles is told in stories to have saved the lives of many of his soldiers by applying yarrow to their wounds to stop bleeding during combat. The species name, millefolium, comes from the French terms "mille", which means 1,000, and "feuille", leaf, a reference to the plant's numerous leaf segments.

Information sources:
The Jepsen Manual: Higher Plants of California (Hickman, J.C., University of California Press)
Wildflowers of the Northern Great Plains (Vance, F.R., Jowsey, J.R., McLean, J.S., University of Minnesota Press)
Plants of the Rocky Mountains (Kershaw, L., MacKinnon, A., Pojar, J., Lone Pine Publishing)

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Darkthroat shooting star, Western shooting star, Southern shootingstar, dark-throat shooting star, prairie shooting star (Dodecatheon pulchellum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Primulaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower, Seed or Fruit Dispersal

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Perennial herb, hairless, with fleshy-fibrous roots; flowering stems are 5 to 40 cm (2 to 16 in) in height.
Leaves: Leaves occur in a rosette at the base of the flowering stalk; leaves are oval to oblong, narrowing towards the petiole that attaches them to the rosette. Leaves are 4 to 25 cm (1.5 to 10 in) long.
Flowers: Floral parts are in groups of five, with the flower lobes 9 to 14 mm long, magenta to light purple. The anthers are arranged in a tube that is 1.5 to 3.5 mm long, and yellow, orange, dark maroon to black in color. The anthers themselves are 3 to 5.5 mm long, and yellowish to maroon to black. The flower develops into a 5-valved fruit, 5 to 15 mm long, smooth to hairy, with each valve splitting open to release the tiny black seeds.
Habitat: Wet meadows and slopes from 1200 to 2200 m (4000 to 7200 ft) in elevation.
Bloom time: April to May

Information source:
The Jepson Manual. 1993. University of California Press; The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture website (www.biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium), Seattle, Washington.

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Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Ranunculaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Eastern red columbine is a perennial forb which grows to about 30 to 76 cm (12 to 30 in) in height.
Leaves: Leaves are compound, divided into rounded leaflets which give them the distinctive buttercup appearance.
Flowers: Flowers face downward, with petals which extend backward into long spurs.
Habitat: Eastern red columbine is found in well- lit areas on the edges of woodland areas, on open hillsides and bluffs, and even peat bogs.
Bloom time: May-July

Did you know? Eastern red columbine is pollinated by hummingbirds (notice the red, tubular flowers). In northern latitudes, bees are also important pollinators of this species. Seeds of the red columbine have been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, from treating kidney ailments to relieving rashes caused by poison ivy.

Information source:
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov)

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Indian pink, woodland pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Loganiaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Indian pink is an erect, clump-forming plant that grows 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) tall.
Leaves: Lance-shaped leaves occur in 4-7 pairs along a wiry stem.
Flowers: At the end of each stem, there is a one-sided spike of deep-red to scarlet tubular/trumpet-shaped flowers – each ending in five yellow lobes. Flowers are red on the outside and yellow on the inside.
Habitat: Shaded woods, open woodlands, woodlands' edge, forest openings in moist, sandy, fertile soils
Bloom time: Late spring into summer (May-July), depending on location.

Did you know? The bright red trumpet-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds. They are commonly planted in ornamental perennial gardens, bog or pond areas, and water gardens.

Information sources:
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Database (wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/result.php?id_plant=SPMA3)
USDA Plants Database (plants.usda.gov)

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Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Araceae

Phenological observation: First Flower (gently open the spathe or “pulpit” and look at the spadix or “Jack” to see if the tiny flowers are shedding pollen)

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a perennial forb, growing to a height of 30 to 90 cm (1 to 3 ft).
Leaves: Jack-in-the-pulpits have two compound leaves, with 3 large, oblong leaflets that sit atop long petioles.
Flowers: The flower consists of a spadix (this would be Jack) of many tiny flowers green and purple, enclosed in a spathe (the ‘pulpit’) which is usually green with purple veins (though some white flowers exist).
Habitat: Jack-in-the-pulpit grows in fertile, moist woodlands, often in shady conditions.
Bloom time: April-June

Did you know? Jack-in-the-pulpit produces crystals of calcium oxalate, which is toxic to herbivores. Researchers in Wisconsin have found that this plant has increased in abundance in forest understories over the past several decades, possibly because these crystals help it to deter white-tailed deer.

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Lanceleaf springbeauty, Western spring beauty (Claytonia lanceolata), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Portulacaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Lanceleaf spring beauty is a small, perennial forb, growing to only about 7.5 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in) in height.
Leaves: 1-6 lance-shaped, basal leaves; often absent at flowering.
Flowers: small flowers, 8-14 mm (0.3 to 0.5 in), with white to pink petals
Habitat: Sagebrush and montane foothills to alpine areas in the Western U.S., particularly where snow persists; 500-3000 m (1600 to 9800 ft)
Bloom time: April-July

Distribution Area:
Did you know? The roots of spring beauty are a favorite food of marmots and bears.

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Large flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Liliaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 in) perennial forb
Leaves: Whorl of three leaves, each oval-shaped with pointed tip
Flowers: White, 3-parted flower with prominent yellow anthers, about 2” wide; flower may turn pink with age
Habitat: Grows in partial shade of woodlands on rich, dry to medium-moist soils.
Bloom time: May-June

Did you know? Trilliums do best on steep slopes, where they are less likely to be eaten by white-tailed deer.

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Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Berberidaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) tall perennial forb, often in clones
Leaves: Leaves are peltate, meaning the stem is attached in the center of leaf, giving it an ‘umbrella’ appearance. Plants have just one leaf if they are not in the flowering stage; reproductive plants have two leaves.
Flowers: each reproductive plant bears a single white, 6-9-parted, 2.5 to 6.25 cm (1 to 2.5 in) wide flower which hangs from the junction of the 2 opposite leaves
Habitat: Moist woodlands in partial shade
Bloom time: May, as the name suggests

Did you know? The fruits of the mayapple are edible, but beware of the highly poisonous roots and leaves! CAUTION: Do not eat the fruit until it is ripe. Ripe fruits are yellow and soft. Unripe fruits are greenish and not soft. They are slightly poisonous when unripe: green fruits are strongly cathartic.

Information source:
Robert Freckmann Herbarium, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (wisplants.uwsp.edu/index.html)
Wildwood Survival
(wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/food/edibleplants/mayapple/index.html)

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Pacific trillium, White or Western trillium (Trillium ovatum), Identification Guide*
Plant Family: Liliaceae

Phenological observation: First Flower

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Pacific trillium is a perennial herb that grows from short, thick rhizomes to attain heights generally around 30 cm (12 in).
Leaves: Typically whorled in 3, at top of otherwise naked stem. Glabrous, ovate-rhombic shape, 7 to 12 cm (3 to 5 in) by 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 in). Main veins prominent, leaves can be blotched and mottled.
Flowers: Three petals, generally whitish but can vary to pink, purple or dark red; can have pink/blush markings. Petals lanceolate in shape, three sepals, green and lanceolate. Flower solitary, stalked, facing upward or nodding, odorless.
Habitat: Generally prefers moist and shaded habitats at low to mid-elevations, associated with forest understory, especially redwood and mixed-evergreen forests.
Bloom time: Early-mid spring

Did you know? It is said that Paiute native Americans of central Oregon, as well as other tribes in the western U.S., have used root poultices of Trillium ovatum as a wash for sore eyes.

Information sour