Wednesday, May 14, 2008

American Beech

Mature Size: 60 to 80 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter.

Form: Thick trunk and a broad, rounded crown.

Habitat: Rich, well-drained bottoms and moist coves.

Leaves: Alternate, simple, 2 to 6 inches, oblong to oval and pointed, with small incurving teeth on the edges; bright yellow in autumn, later turning light tan and often remaining on the tree until spring.

Values & Uses: The wood is very hard, strong and tough, though not durable when exposed to weather. The wood can be used for furniture, flooring, veneer, rough lumber, tools, wedges, novelty items, baskets, charcoal, fuel and a type of creosote used as a medicine.

Beech nuts are eaten by many birds and mammals, including mice, squirrels, chipmunks, black bear, deer, foxes, ruffed grouse, ducks and blue jays. Large, older trees often become hollow, providing den sites for wildlife.

Did u Know?
People frequently scar this tree by carving in its smooth bark. Beech is highly tolerant of shade. It often forms thickets by root suckering, so that old trees may appear to be surrounded by a ring of young ones.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Cootamundra Wattle

Small tree or large shrub to 10 m high by 6 m across. Leaves are grey, bipinnate and leaflets are linear. Profuse, gold, ball-shaped flowers occur in late winter. Pods are bluish when young.

Cootamundra wattle is a widely cultivated species that invades drier areas where annual rainfall exceeds 400 mm and is found on a range of soil types, although not permanently sodden or waterlogged soils (Muyt 2001). Cootamundra wattle invades heathland and heathy woodland, lowland grassland and grassy woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, and riparian vegetation (Carr et al 1992). It is also a weed of pine plantations (Blood 2001).