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Table of Contents

Tours

1. Tree Trail

   Landscape Services points out various trees of interest

   Stops

   1. Black Walnut

      Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) The black walnut tree is among the most popular hardwoods for making gunstocks and furniture. Native Americans made a tea from the bark of the black walnut tree to use as a laxative or to induce vomiting. They also chewed on the bark to relieve toothaches.

   2. Ginkgo Tree

      Ginkgo Tree (Ginkgo biloba) Ginkgo’s tenacity may be seen in Hiroshima, Japan, where six trees growing between 1–2 km from the 1945 atom bomb explosion were among the few living things in the area to survive the blast. While almost all other plants (and animals) in the area were destroyed, the ginkgos, though charred, survived and were soon healthy again. The trees are alive to this day.

   3. Flowering Dogwood

      Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) Dogwood twigs were used by pioneers to brush their teeth. They would peel off the bark, bite the twig and then scrub their teeth. One theory of the origin of the name ‘dogwood’ is that it came from the technique of using the tree bark to treat dogs with mange.

       

   4. Leyland Cypress

      Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis ×leylandii) Leyland Cypresses were discovered in 1888 when C.J. Leyland found six seedlings growing at Leighton Hall in the South of Wales. The two parent trees cross-bred accidentally---a rare occurrence in conifers. Mr. Leyland continued to develop the trees, and in 1941 the first rooted cuttings arrived in California.

   5. Tulip Poplar

      Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) The Tulip Poplar is actually a member of the magnolia family, not the poplar family. Pioneers would use the tulip poplar to make houses, barns and canoes. It is the state tree of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana.

   6. Bradford Pear

      Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’) These trees have a relatively short lifespan, needing replacement every 15-20 years. The weak branching structure can cause the tree to split and sometimes fall apart during strong winds.

   7. Yoshino Cherry

      Yoshino Cherry (Prunus ×yedoensis) In 1909 First Lady Taft agreed to accept a donation of 2,000 cherry trees given on behalf the city of Tokyo. When they arrived they were diseased and infested and had to be burnt. Tokyo then made a second donation of over 3000 trees to be planted in and around Washington, D.C. The city now holds an annual Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate this beautiful tree.

   8. Crape Myrtle

      Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) Nicknamed the lilac of the south, crape myrtle is a summer flowering deciduous tree or large shrub characterized by showy, fragrant blooms. The low maintenance plant is especially popular in the southern United States.

   9. Little Gem Magnolia

      Little Gem Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’) The ‘Little Gem’ is very similar to Southern Magnolia, only much smaller. ‘Little Gem’ Magnolias reach only 1/4 the size of a Southern Magnolia and produce the same beautiful white flowers and leaves, only proportionally smaller.

   10. Dawn Redwood

       Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) is a fast-growing, deciduous tree. It is native to the Sichuan-Hubei region of China and grows to at least 200 feet (60 meters) in height.

   11. Osage Orange

       Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) The Osage was often used by ranchers as a natural property fence. The Osage’s strong wood, hardy nature and thorny branches all combined to make hedges that were effective in holding in livestock. There is a festival in Texas (Bois d’Arc Bash) “dedicated to celebrating this this hard, durable, and tough tree.” The Mississippi Champion Osage Orange is located near the University Museum.

   12. Drake Elm

       Drake Elm (Ulmus parvifolia 'Drake') The Chinese elm is native to China, Korea, and Japan. The flowers are produced in early autumn, small and inconspicuous, with the seed maturing rapidly and dispersing by late autumn. The fruit are round samaras appearing in the fall.

   13. White Oak

       White Oak (Quercus alba) White oak is among the most important of all American trees. Some of the uses for its wood included shipbuilding, barrel making and supporting timbers in colonial times, supplanted now by utilization in flooring, cabinets, furniture and as railroad ties. White oak is an exceptional species for large landscaping purposes, providing shade as well as acorns for wildlife to feed on.

   14. Sweet Bay Magnolia

       Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) The Houma tribes of Louisiana and Rappahannock people of Virginia used its leaves, bark, and roots medicinally. Colds, rheumatism, pleurisy, cough, consumption, typhoid fever and autumnal fever were managed by the use of sweetbay tissues and juices. They also enjoyed sweetbay for its hallucinogenic properties.

   15. Japanese Magnolia

       Japanese Magnolia (Magnolia ×soulangiana) a.k.a. Saucer Magnolia - These Magnolias are early bloomers that begin to show in early March, causing the drabness of winter to disappear quickly. When Saucer Magnolias bloom, spring is right around the corner.

   16. Water Oak

       Water Oak (Quercus nigra) Water Oak, a White Oak cultivar, has been used for timber and for fuel by people in the southern states since the 17th century. Other names include spotted oak, duck oak, punk oak, orange oak or possum oak.

   17. Forest Pansey Red Bud

       Forest Pansey Red Bud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’) Redbud is also known as “The Judas Tree” because, according to legend, Judas Iscariot used an old world relative of redbud to hang himself. This is why the tree is now so weak-wooded; it refuses to grow branches that would be strong enough to hang another.

   18. Japanese Maple

       Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) The Japanese Maple was named by Swedish doctor-botanist Carl Peter Thunberg, who traveled in Japan in the late 1700s and returned with drawings of this small tree. He gave it the species epithet “palmatum,” after the hand-like shape of its leaves. Japanese gardeners referred to this group of maples as “kaede” and “momiji,” referring to “frogs’ hands” or “babies’ hands.”

   19. Red Maple

       Red Maple (Acer rubrum) Brilliant fall coloring is one of the outstanding features of red maple. Red maple is a highly desirable wildlife browse food. Elk and white-tailed deer especially use the current season’s growth of red maple and aspen as an important source of winter food.

   20. Willow Oak

       Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) The Willow oak is one of the most popular trees for horticultural planting, due to its rapid growth, hardiness, balance between axial and radial dominance, ability to withstand both sun and shade, light green leaf color and full crown.

        

       The two Willow Oak trees near J.D. Williams Library were planted on Arbor Day in 1932 to commemorate George Washington’s bicentennial birthday. These two trees are appropriately named George and Martha.

   21. Pecan

       Pecan (Carya illinoensis) Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree in 1919. In fact, Texas Governor James Hogg liked pecan trees so much that he asked if a pecan tree could be planted at his gravesite when he died.

   22. Southern Magnolia

       Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) The Mississippi state Legislature officially adopted the southern magnolia as the state tree in 1938. Commonly referred to as the Magnolia State, Mississippi is the only state with the southern magnolia and its blossom representing the state tree and flower. The National Champion sourthern magnolia is located in Smith County, MS and is over 122 feet tall and the trunk is over 6 feet wide.

   23. Ligustrum

       Ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum) a species of Ligustrum native to central and southern Japan and Korea. It's an evergreen shrub or small tree growing between 2-5 m tall with smooth, pale grey-brown bark on the stems. The leaves are 5-10 cm long and 2-5 cm broad, glossy dark green on top and a paler glaucous to yellowish green below with a thick and leathery texture.

   24. Northern Catalpa

       Northern Catalpa (Catalpa Speciosa) – a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 15-30 meters tall and 12 meters wide. The leaves are deciduous, large, heart shaped, 20-30cm long and 15-20 cm broad, pointed at the tip and softly hairy beneath.

       *Champion Tree*