Michigan
Trees
By: Andrea Berry
Michigan Water
Stewardship Program
Kinds of Trees
• Gymnosperms
– Conifers
– 10 native to Michigan
– Leaves remain for
several years
• Exception: tamarack
(e. larch)
– Evolved during
Mesozoic times
•
•
•
•
245-145mya
Triassic 245mya
Jurassic 208mya
Cretaceous 145mya
• Angiosperms
– Flowering plants
– Deciduous (North
Temperate Zone)
• “Hardwoods”
– Evergreen (Tropical)
• None native to MI
– First appeared during
Cretaceous
– Became widely
abundant during
Tertiary 65mya
– Today far outnumber
conifers in # &
diversity of species
Parts of a Tree
• Stem
– Bark
• Dead material
• Protects
– Cambium
• Living material
• Produces bark
– Phloem
• Moves nutrients “down” stem from leaves to roots
– Xylem
• Moves water “up” stem from roots
Parts of a Tree cont’
• Leaves
– Chloroplasts
• Photosynthesis
– Stomata
• Control water pressure
– Simple
• Not divided into distinct parts, may be lobed
– Compound
• Divided into leaflets
– Arrangement
• Alternate, opposite, whorled
– Venation
• Netted=reticulate, eucicots (aka dicots)
• Parallel=striate, monocots
Monocots vs. Eudicots
• Monocotyledons
–
–
–
–
Monocots
1 seed leaf
65,000 species
Grasses, lilies,
irises, orchids,
cattails, palms
– *Conifers*
– Parallel veination
• Eudicotyledons
– Eudicots
– 2 seed leaves
– Trees, shrubs,
herbs (nonwoody
plants)
– Not conifers!
– Netted veination
Ash Trees
•Opposite, pinnately
compound leaves
•Black, white, mountain
ash
Ashes
Black Ash
White Ash
•9 leaflets
•7-9 leaflets
•Wet, low swampy •Upland drier
sites
areas
American
Mountain-Ash
•9-17 leaflets
•N. acidic bogs,
ornamental
Aspens
• Boreal, northern species
• Dry or moist soils
• Reproduce by cloning
• Adapted to fire
• 2 species
– Large-toothed
– Trembling (quaking)
Aspens
Big-toothed aspen
Trembling aspen
Birches
Gray birch
Yellow birch
Paper birch
Cedars
Eastern Red
cedar
Northern White
cedar
American Elm
Balsam Fir
•Needles 2-ranked
•Needles spirally arranged
•Multiple white “lines” on
underside of needles
•Distinct balsam smell
•Seed cone smooth &
upward
Eastern Hemlock
•Needles 2ranked & spirally
arranged
•Needles flat
•Seed cone
round and
droops
Sycamore
Black Willow
Willow – water-loving species
associated with riparian areas
Maples
• 7 species native to Michigan (5 trees)
• *All leaves are arranged opposite*
• *All leaves are simple*
– Except Boxelder, compound
•
•
•
•
•
Winged-fruit – samara
Cool, moist habitats
Sensitive to fire b/c bark is thin
Shade-tolerant (except Boxelder)
Black, Norway, Red, Silver, Striped,
Sugar, Boxelder
Maples
Maples
Maples
Black Maple
Maples
Dogwood
Oaks
• 400 species, 12 native to Michigan
• Massive trunks, thick, fire-resistant bark, large,
deep roots
• Broad wide spreading crown
• Fruit – acorn
• Monoecious – male & female flower on
different part of the same tree
• Young oaks retain leaves in winter
• Very long-lived
• Black, Bur, N. Red, Pin, Swamp White, White
White Oak
Northern Red Oak
Bur Oak
Oaks
Black Oak
Swamp White
Oak
Oaks
Pin Oak
Pines
• 36 species in US, 3 native to MI
• Extensively logged, some with poor
management, ex. White pine
• All pines survive well in dry coarse soils – very
deep root system
• Many require fire to regenerate
• Cones require 2 years to mature
• Leaves persist for several years
• Distinguishing feature: needle clusters from 2-5
– Soft Pines – 5 leaves in a cluster
– Hard Pines – 2-3 needles in a cluster
Soft Pines – 5 Needles
Hard Pines – 2 Needles
2-ranked long needles;
plantation tree
Hard Pines – 2 Needles
Scotch pine – “twisted”
needles
Jack Pine – straight
needles
Jack Pines
Before Burning
After Burning
Jack Pines
•Require fire (natural or prescribed)
to regenerate
•Thrive on very sandy dry soils
•Kirtland’s Warbler nesting habitat
Tamarack
•Looses needles in
winter
•Nodules on branches
Spruces
• 7 species in US, 2 native to MI
• “Triangle” shaped
• Tolerate acidic, undrained soils
– Shallow roots
– Low nutrient requirement
• Needles are 4-sided & persist 5-10
years
• White, Black, Norway Spruces
Spruces
•Green-yellow glow, droopy
branches
•Introduced ornamental
•Whitish glow, upward branches
•Upland sites
Black Spruce
Wetland species
Thank You!
Questions?