Shrub Walk Key

Shrub Walk Key: Wayfaring Tree - Viburnum lantana Dense, somewhat rounded, LARGE shrub Opposite attachment White-ish tinge to branches (very short hairs that rub off) Big round white flower bud, exposed (no scales) Exposed, longer leaf bud Shriveled purple fruit in cluster persisting on the shrub Reddish/purple fall colour persistent leaves (especially on suckers) - acute tips, wider than they are long with hairs. Suckers Winged Burning Bush Corky Ridges (wings) on the stems Smallish - Medium size Red Fall colour (BURNING bush) Arils Lilac (probably Common Lilac) Gray mature bark LARGE size Dense suckering form Brown dried fruit panicles. Opposite attachment Nannyberry LARGE size Dried berries Covered buds - dark brown Flower bud “beaked” - round bulb with pointy tip Opposite attachment Honeysuckle Shreddy bark at the base / old bark VERY frothy, fine textured tips Stacked buds Form is relatively large and rounded Forsythia Actual honey brown bark (I know, I use that term a lot, but note how yellowy the bark is on this one vs just a regular light brown) Fine tipped / fine texture Tight pressed buds Exfoliating “sunburn” skin Pygmy Caragana Seed pods! Very pokey spines (only really on the pygmy - other caraganas just have the mucronate tip on leaves) Olive green mature bark Dense form, somewhat arching stems Small size (pygmy only, other forms of caragana tend to be much larger and often suckering). Double Flowering Plum Large, rounded size, relatively fine textured still, though. Dark brown wood Buds that look like little flowers. Elder Striped / soft wood (stinks when cut) Looks like it may have died back / regrown from base (especially the more fancy species) May see dried leaves on it Should be Med-Large to Large in size depending on hardiness. May see berries depending on species. Barberry Should be a very petite / small shrub Arching stems May have small shriveled fruit on it Usually colourful plant (purple / red tones popular) Mean spines on it - but long and hidden. Dwarf Korean Lilac VERY densely packed branches Opposite attachment. But VERY fine textured Hopefully has the dried seeds on it Rounded form - Med to Med Large. Common Caragana Olive green mature bark Seed Pods Persistent pod stems Often suckering Turkestan Burning Bush Wiry and Thicket forming Small, fine textured leaves with entire margins, often persist through winter, may be red toned. Arils Cotoneaster Look for the fruit, persisting through winter Fairly coarse textured Arching stems and Med Large - Large size if it hasn’t been pruned Ninebark Quite fine textured for being Med - Med-Large size Often has long crazy stems with dried leaves still clinging. May have fruits present - dried little capsule like cymes. Exfoliating wood. Tree Walk Key: American Elm Very Large Vase Shaped Dominant alternate attachment even in twiglets Graceful / lacey branching with fine textured twigs coming even from the trunk. Green Ash Coarse Textured, Oval form Grey bark with vertical lines Opposite attachment Might have single wing samaras Japanese Tree Lilac Smooth grey mature bark Dried fruit capsules Opposite attachment - often interesting structure to the tree Usually relatively coarse textured / thick twigged Med - small tree size and often rounded form. Willow Big trees - look for shed branches on the ground! Twisted trunk wood Very slender twigs with pointy buds. Ohio Buckeye Coarse textured tree - very chunky looking Grey bark is smoothish, and yet also flakey. (Not smooth and hard like a lilac or a chokecherry). Look for little dead skull fruits Low headed tree, if they’re big, they’re also usually wide. Bur Oak Corky ridges on the stems (“Bur”ly) Possibly acorns or dried lobed leaves on the ground Mature bark is also very corky Knobby / coarse textured tree Oval in form. Amur Maple VERY fine textured, small tree Red twigs Two-winged samaras Big Maple (I think Red) VERY smooth grey bark Usually large trees Maple-like leaves seen around them? Linden Strong central leader Smooth hard mature bark, rich brown new wood Little light coloured ball buds stacked 2 dimensionally Distinct little fruit clusters with papery bract attached. Butternut Sid the sloth leaf scars Very coarse textured, chunky look to it Walnutty smell to the wood. Evergreen Walk Key: Swiss Stone Pine Long, graceful needles in bundles of 5 with “teeth” Low branching, narrower form (like a pine cone) Light coloured, smooth mature wood Absence of needle bundle sheath Bristlecone Pine Short needles in dense clusters Cones are bristle-y and often have resin White resin like residue on needles (looks like a bug) Irregular form, usually. Scot’s (or Scotch) Pine Scotch coloured orange bark (look at the upper part) Open form (drops its needles early) Small cones. Limber Pine (Second Year Tree - compare to Swiss Stone) Long limbs, “limber” (think wind) Big resinous cones Needles in 5’s Irregular form, usually. Mugo Pine / Mountain Pine 2 needle pine Small cones Brown male flowers persistent on the branch Russian Cypress Lacy, softer foliage Prostrate, downward bending branches purple/brown Fall colour NO CONES Cedar Fan shaped branches Flatter, 2 dimensional scale like twigs Cones