Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (21) View all

Common forest trees of North Carolina

items 49 of 80 items
  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-9709.jpg
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  • tf$e<5j§j-s= -o-^-^- ST TRE ^s> -#fe<«i>-^5e>.-?^<^s.- WILLOW OAK (Quercus phellos L.) THE willow oak, often called water oak, occurs generally over the State, except on the higher slopes and mountains. It is most often found in lowlands and along the borders of rivers and swamps, but often also on rich sandy uplands. It is a beautiful and long-lived tree, and desirable for roadside, lawns and parks, for which it has been widely planted. The slender willow-like leaves, on a tree whose habit of growth is nianifestly that of an oak, make the tree easy to identify in the forest. The leaves are 2 to 4 inches long and one- half to 1 inch wide, with smooth or slightly wavy margin, bristle- pointed, smooth, light green and shiny above, but dull and usually smooth below; alternate in arrangement on the twig and borne on a short stout stem. The bark is generally smooth and of a reddish brown color; with age, the bark becomes slightly roughened and divided by narrow ridges. The small acorns, closely set along the stem, mature at the end of the second year. The nut is a light-brown hemisphere, about one-half an inch in diameter, its base scarcely enclosed in the shallow, reddish-brown cup. The nuts are eaten as food by bluejays, grackles ("black birds"), and several other species of birds, as well as by rodents. The wood is not separated commercially from other species in the red oak group. It is heavy, strong, rather coarse-grained, light brown tinged with red, and not durable when exposed to the weather. It is used locally for crossties, bridge planks, barn sills, and general construction. WILLOW OAK Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size. 47
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).