American beech and sugar maple are the most tolerant hardwood species in our area.
Adirondack hardwood identification bark.
Ellen graduated from suny esf in 1988 with a bs in forestry and biology and has worked as a naturalist in new york.
Leaf veins thick and run from center to edge of leaf without branching 17 16.
Mountain maple is a small understory tree that grows in northern hardwood and mixed conifer hardwood forests in the adirondack mountains and provides an important winter food source for white tailed deer mountain maple acer spicatum near lake placid 10 june 2019.
Every winter i teach several tree identification classes to biology students.
The paper birch betula papyrifera is a small to medium sized fast growing deciduous tree usually found in mixed hardwood conifer forests in the northern us and canada including the adirondack mountains this tree a close relative of the yellow birch which also grows in our part of the adirondacks is a member of the birch family.
Bigtooth aspen populus grandidentata is a native deciduous tree which grows throughout northeastern north america including new york state and the adirondack mountains it is also known as largetooth aspen poplar or popple.
It is a member of the willow family.
Sure white bark means birch but some birches have black yellow or reddish bark.
In some cases however bark is the main identification key.
The distinctive peeling bark of birch trees is the main clue to distinguish them from other deciduous trees in the adirondacks.
Leaf veins thin and branch often 16 15.
Ellen rathbone is by her own admission a certified nature nut she began contributing to the adirondack almanack while living in newcomb when she was an environmental educator for the adirondack park agency s visitor interpretive centers for nearly ten years.
Cold or colder it s always outdoors but if student evaluations are on the level it s always fun.
Leaf at least 3 times as long as wide willow species common species include weeping willow and black willow 15.
Bark is not the best feature for identifying trees.
A fast growing but short lived pioneer species bigtooth aspen attains heights of 60 to 80 feet.
Ellen rathbone adirondack tree.