|
Kentucky Plant Life -
Native Trees
Tulip Poplar -
Kentucky's State Tree
The American tulip
tree, pictured above at left; its bloom and a leaf from the tree are
shown above right. Photos courtesy of the U.S. Government.
Kentucky's Official State
Tree is the American Tulip, or tulip poplar, as it is more commonly
known here in the Bluegrass State. Other names by which the tree is
referred to are "tulip tree magnolia" and "whitewood". The tree is also
called "canoewood" in some locales, because Native Americans once
fashioned dugout canoes from the trunks of the tulip poplar.
The resemblance of its spring flowers to
tulips led to the first part of the name of the tree, (although the
blooms resemble more those of the magnolia). The tree is not an actual
poplar, but acquired the second part of the name due to the way the
distinctive four-lobed leaves flutter in the wind, much like trees of
the poplar genus.
The wood of the tulip poplar is a top
choice of organ makers. It is also used on the interior finish of houses
and in various wooden wares.
The inner bark of the roots yields an
alkaloid and heart stimulant used in medicine.
The flowers produce nectar used in
gourmet honey.
This magnificient tree can reach a
height of around 200 feet or 61 meters. However, on average the tulip
poplar spans 70-100 feet (21-30 meters), tall at maturity. The finest
specimens can be found in the Ohio River Valley.
|
Eastern |
Redbud |
|
The Eastern Redbud (pictured
at left), is a brilliant spring bloomer along rural Kentucky
roadsides and as a common understory tree in native forests. The
ornamental tree is also deliberately planted in manmade landscapes.
The small tree, (or large shrub), grows to 25-40 feet (8-12 meters)
tall with wide spreading branches in the wild. The spring blooms
appear in clusters on the bare stems and trunk of the tree before
the leaves appear. The light to dark rose color of the flowers stand
out against the stark early spring landscape of Kentucky. The summer
leaves are heart-shaped with a defining point.
In some parts of Appalachia, the tree is known as the spicewood
because green twigs from the branches were once used by early
settlers to season wild game.
The flowers have been used to flavor salads or fried and eaten as
a seperate dish.
The redbud is the state tree of
Oklahoma. |
Kentucky
Coffeetree
The Kentucky Coffeetree preceded the
tulip poplar as Kentucky's official state tree. This slow-growing
species can reach 70 feet (21 meters) in height at maturity, with large
compound leaves up to three feet (1 meter) long. The name of the tree is
a result of Kentucky being the first place Europeans encountered the
plant. And the seeds and pods, (which are poisonous in large
quantities), were used as a substitute for real coffee. Kentucky
Coffeetree timber is brittle and rarely used in
woodworking.
Ohio Buckeye
Native to Kentucky, the
Ohio Buckeye tree, (pictured at right), is a hardy specimen that
rarely exceeds 30 feet (9 meters) at maturity. This tree has long
been associated with the state of Ohio -- as the offiicial Ohio
State Tree, and as the nickname of The Ohio State University
sports teams from the early 1800's.
In the presidential election of 1840, William Henry
Harrison, who would go on to become our ninth president, lived
near Cincinnati on the Ohio River during the election. He used the
buckeye tree and nuts, (shown at right below the tree), as
campaign symbols, thus strengthening their link to the state of
Ohio.
In present-day Kentucky, "Buckeye" is used to
indicate any Ohioan.
Folk lore teaches that carrying one or more buckeyes
in a pocket brings good luck to the bearer and can ward off
rheumatism and other human physical ailments. Buckeyes are
poisonous if eaten by humans, horses, or cattle. However,
squirrels consume them eagerly.
Some folks refer to the fruits as "horse chestnuts",
as the buckeye is part of that tree
family. |
|
Sassafras
Tree
A member of the laurel family, the
Sassafras, (or American Sassafras) tree grows 50-120 feet (15-35 meters)
in the wild. This tree, fragrant from the roots to the tips of the three
distinct leaf patterns is common throughout Kentucky.
The leaves are dried and ground to
create a spice used in Cajun and Creole cooking, and as a thickening
ingredient in soups. An essential oil from the root bark has been used
for fragrance in perfumes and soaps; as a mosquito repellant; as a
painkiller in dentistry and medicine; and as a spice in food. This oil,
along with crushed leaves are used to make sassafras tea, a
beverage.
A yellow die can be extracted from the
wood of the sassafras and medicine for inflammation of the eyes, nose,
and throat from the pith of the trunk. The shoots of the sassafras were
once used to make root beer. However, due to food safety concerns, this
practice has ended.
Shagbark Hickory
The Shagbark, (or Shadbark), Hickory
Tree, a member of the walnut family, can reach a height around 100 feet
(30 meters), at maturity. This stately tree, one of several hickory
trees native to Kentucky, has been put to many uses by humans. Native
Americans made "hickory milk" from the sweet edible nuts of the tree.
The wood of the shagbark hickory has been used to make wheels for
carriages and early automobiles.
In modern times, the hickory is used to
create a flavoring charcoal to smoke ham, bacon, and other meats; to
form tool handles and sporting equipment, including baseball bats; for
furniture pieces; and as flooring material.
Folks in Kentucky still crack open the
nuts and eat the fruit inside as a delicacy.
Other native species of trees in Kentucky include:
Allegheny serviceberry; American beech; American holly; American
hophornbeam; American hornbeam; American linden; Bald cypress; Bigleaf
magnolia; Black cherry; Black locust; Black oak; Black walnut; Blackgum;
Blue ash; Bur oak; Chestnut oak; Chinkapin oak; Cockspur hawthorn;
Common witchhazel; Cucumbertree magnolia; Downy serviceberry; Eastern
hemlock; Eastern white pine; Flowering dogwood; Fringetree; Green
hawthorn; Green ash; Honeylocust; Mountain silverbell; Mountain
stewartia; Northern catalpa; Northern red oak; Pagoda dogwood; Pawpaw;
Pecan; Persimmon; Pignut; Pin oak; Red buckeye; Red maple; River birch;
Scarlet oak; Shadblow serviceberry; Shellbark hickory; Shingle oak;
Sourwood; Sugar hackberry; Sugar maple; Sweet birch; Sweetgum; Sycamore;
Umbrella magnolia; Virginia pine; White ash; White oak; Willow oak;
Yellow buckeye; Yellowwood.
The Horticulture Department of the University of
Kentucky College of Agriculture has pages on their web site showing how
to identify leaves from their shapes. Their web site also
offers pictures of various leaf shapes
and you can see a sampling of leaves from common
native Kentucky trees, including the Eastern redbud, the sassafras, and
the yellow buckeye, a cousin to the Ohio buckeye.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON A VARIETY OF
PLANTS:
|
KSNPC Rare Plants Database
Kentucky State Nature
Preserves Commission provides a searchable database where you can
search by "common name", "scientific name", your "county name" or
get a listing for statewide rare plants. |
|
USDA
PLANTS DATABASE
You can search by scientific or common
name, or do a state search and see a listing of plants in your
state. There are over 30,000 images of plants, and a wealth of
knowledge available on this site. |
|
Plant Facts is a huge interactive data base with photos
and videos produced and maintained by The Ohio State University.
Their web site says they have: "merged several digital collections
developed at Ohio State University to become an international
knowledge bank and multimedia learning
center" |
Trees -
Puzzles and Games
Copyright © 2007 Kentucky Crosswords. All
Rights Reserved. |
