Forestry

1. Forestry By: Steven Bradley 2011

2. Tree Identification Made in Color Plate format

4. White Oak - Quercus Alba • LEAVES: Alternate, simple, 6"-9" long, and 4" wide, with 6-10 rounded lobes; bright green above, paler below, both surfaces smooth on mature leaves. • TWIGS: Red-grey, often with a grayish coating. Buds rounded, reddish-brown, smooth, to 1/8" long; end buds clustered. • FRUIT: An acorn, ¾-1" long, light brown, cup bowl like, hairy inside, enclosing ¼ of the nut; cup scales warty at the base. Acorn ripens in September after one season. • BARK: Pale grey, scaly, not deeply fissured, often flaky. • GENERAL: A dominant forest tree on dry to moist sites throughout the Commonwealth usually reaching 80'-100' high. This tree is very important to both wildlife and people. The acorn is an important wildlife food and eastern Native Americans made a flour from these acorns. Traditional uses of White oak wood include hardwood flooring, whiskey barrels and boat building. The "white oak group" includes all oaks without bristle-tipped lobes and acorns that ripen in one season.

6. Northern Red Oak – Quercus rubra • LEAVES: Alternate, simple, 4"-9" long, to 6" wide, with 7-11 bristle-tipped lobes, sinuses between lobes extend half-way to the mid-rib. Smooth, dull green above, paler with small tufts of reddish-brown hair in vein-axils beneath. • TWIGS: Greenish brown to reddish brown, smooth when mature. Buds pointed, light brown, smooth. • FRUIT: An acorn, ¾" to 1¼" long; the cup shallow, saucer shaped, covering 1/4 of the nut, cup-scales reddish-brown, narrow, tight, sometimes fuzzy on the edges. The acorns need two growing-seasons to ripen; the kernel is bitter. • BARK: Smooth and greenish-brown or grey, maturing to dark grey or nearly black and is divided into rounded ridges. • GENERAL: A dominant forest tree throughout the state growing to 90' in moist to dry soils. Deer, bear, and many other mammals and birds eat the acorns. It is often planted as a shade tree. The hard strong wood is used for furniture, flooring, millwork, railroad ties and veneer. The "red oak group" includes all oaks with bristle-tipped leaves and acorns ripening over two seasons.

8. Southern Red Oak – Quercus falcata Southern red oak also is known as Spanish oak or red oak. It seldom is found above 2,000 feet elevation. Its habitat often is dry hills of poor, sandy or gravelly soils. Occasionally, this tree is found along streams in fertile bottoms, where it reaches its largest size. Southern red oak trees usually grow to a height of 60 to 80 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet; however, heights of over 100 feet are not uncommon. Its large spreading branches form a broad, round, open top. The bark is rough, though not deeply furrowed, and varies from light gray on younger trees to dark gray or almost black on older ones. Leaves are of two different types: (1) irregularly shaped lobes that are mostly narrow and bristle tipped, with the central lobe often being the longest; or (2) pear-shaped with three rounded lobes at the outer end. The leaves are dark lustrous green above and tan and downy beneath. This contrast is strikingly visible in a wind or rainstorm. They average 5 to 9 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide. The flowers appear in April while the leaves are unfolding. The fruit ripens during the second year. The small rounded acorn, about 1/2 inch long, is set in a thin, saucer-shaped cup that tapers to a short stem. 

10. Water Oak – Quercus nigra It is a medium-sized deciduoustree, growing to 30 m (100 ft) tall with a trunk up to 1 m (3 ft) in diameter. Young trees have a smooth, brown bark that becomes gray-black with rough scaly ridges as the tree matures. The leaves are alternate, simple and tardily deciduous, only falling well into winter; they are 3–12 cm (1–5 in) long and 2–6 cm (1/2–2 in) broad, variable in shape, most commonly shaped like a spatula being broad and rounded at the top and narrow and wedged at the base. The margins vary usually being smooth to shallowly lobed, with a bristle at the apex and lobe tips. The tree is easy to identify by the leaves, which have a lobe that looks as if a drop of water is hanging from the end of the leaf. The top of each leaf is a dull green to bluish green and the bottom is a paler bluish-green. On the bottom portion of the leaves, rusty colored hairs run along the veins. The acorns are arranged singly or in pairs, 10–14 mm (1/3-1/2 in) long and broad, with a shallow cupule; they mature about 18 months after pollination in fall of second year.

12. Post Oak – Quercus stellata • It grows slowly and commonly reaches a height of 40 to 50 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet.Its leaves are 4 to 6 inches long and are deeply divided into five lobes by broad sinuses. The central-lateral lobes are roughly square on the ends, giving the leaf a cross-like appearance. The oval acorn, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, is about one-third covered by the bowl- a saucer-shaped scaly cup. Post oak bark is rougher and darker than the white oak and is broken into much smaller scales. Horizontal cross-breaks in the ridges of the trunk's bark are a characteristic of this tree.Post oak often has stout branches that spread to form a dense, round-topped crown. The branches and upper stem often are twisted and gnarled.

14. Blackjack Oak - Quercus marilandica • The presence of blackjack oak is said to indicate poor soil. This tree most commonly is found on poorly drained, heavy clay soils or on dry gravel or sandy upland soils where few other forest trees thrive. Blackjack oak leaves are 4 to 8 inches long and leathery; the underneath surfaces are brownish or orangish and are quite hairy. The leaves have many shapes, but commonly are much broader at the end than at the base, with three ill-defined large lobes at the apex. They often are described as "bell-shaped. " Its acorns are less than an inch long. They are oblong and about half-covered by thick, scaly cups. Blackjack oak bark is rough, very dark (often nearly black) and broken into small, hard rectangular blocks. Small, stiff dead branches commonly are present. These trees rarely grow larger than 20 to 30 feet tall. They are scraggly and not very valuable as a timber species. The wood makes excellent charcoal and is used commercially for this product.

16. Loblolly Pine – Pinus taeda • The trees reach a height of 30–35 m (98–115 ft) with a diameter of 0.4–1.5 m (1.3–4.9 ft). Exceptional specimens may reach 50 m (160 ft) tall, the largest of the southern pines. Its needles are in bundles of three, sometimes twisted, and measure 12–22 cm (4.7–8.7 in) long; an intermediate length for southern pines, shorter than those of the Longleaf Pine or Slash Pine, but longer than those of the Shortleaf Pine and Spruce Pine. The needles usually last up to two years before they fall, which gives the species its evergreen character. Although some needles fall throughout the year due to severe weather, insect damage, and drought, most needles fall during the autumn and winter of their second year. The seed cones are green, ripening pale buff-brown, 7–13 cm (2.8–5.1 in) in length, 2–3 cm (0.79–1.2 in) broad when closed, opening to 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) wide, each scale bearing a sharp 3–6 mm spine.

18. Shortleaf Pine – Pinus echinata • This tree reaches heights of 20-30 m with a trunk diameter of 0.5-0.9 m. • The leaves are needle-like, in bundles of two and three mixed together, and from 7-11 cm long. The cones are 4-7 cm long, with thin scales with a transverse keel and a short prickle. They open at maturity but are persistent. • Shortleaf pine seedlings develop a persistent J-shaped crook near the ground surface.[2]Axillary and other buds form near the crook and initiate growth if the upper stem is killed by fire or is severed.

20. Virginia Pine – Pinus virginiana • LEAVES: Evergreen needles in clusters of 2, twisted, stout, relatively short 1½"-3" long. • TWIGS: Slender, curved, flexible, brown to purple with bluish white coating. Buds egg-shaped, usually less than ½" long, brown and resinous. • FRUIT: Cone 2"-3" long, prickles small but sharp, edge of scales with darker bands, usually without a stalk, remains attached for 3 or 4 years. • BARK: Smooth, thin, reddish brown and scaly, shallowly fissured into small flat plates. • GENERAL: Also called Scrub pine, this small tree attains a height of 30'-40' on sandy or poor rocky soils of barrens and ridgetops. It is valuable as cover for worn-out farmlands and is harvested for pulpwood. The seeds are eaten by squirrels, songbirds and game birds.

22. Sourwood - Oxydendrumarboreum • Sourwood is found scattered on both rich and poor soils but is least abundant in the low alluvial parts of the state. It is a small tree, 8 to 12 inches in diameter and 30 to 40 feet tall, but rarely taller. The bark is thin, light gray and divided into narrow shallow ridges. On the strong, straight, first-year shoots, sourwood bark often is bright red. The twigs lack terminal buds. Sourwood leaves are 3 to 6 inches long, simple, alternate, very acidic to the taste (oxalic acid). They are often rough with solitary, stiff hairs. The leaves are a shiny green on the upper surface and usually turn a deep crimson in the fall. The flowers, which appear in early summer, are small, white or cream-colored and are borne in particles of 5 to 10 inches long on the ends of the twigs. Sourwood fruit is a conical, dry capsule, 1/3 to 1/2 inch long that contains many small seeds. These capsules hang in drooping clusters sometimes a foot long, often persisting late into the fall. The wood is heavy, hard, very close-grained and compact. It is brown, sometimes tinged with red. Sourwood is seldom considered a commercial wood. It is sometimes used for turnery, handles, pulp and other items

24. Bald Cypress - Taxodium distichum • It is a large tree, reaching 130 feet (25–40 m) (rarely to 44 m) tall and a trunk diameter of 10 feet (2–3 m, rarely to 5 m). The bark is gray-brown to red-brown, shallowly vertically fissured, with a stringy texture. The leaves are borne on deciduous branchlets that are spirally arranged on the stem but twisted at the base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 1-2 cm long and 1-2 mm broad; unlike most other species in the family Cupressaceae, it is deciduous, losing the leaves in the winter months, hence the name 'bald'. It is monoecious. Male and female strobili mature in about 12 months; they are produced from buds formed in the late fall, with pollination in early winter. Theseedcones are green maturing gray-brown, globular, 2-3.5 cm in diameter. They have from 20–30 spirally arranged four-sided scales, each bearing one or two (rarely three) trianglular seeds. The number of seeds per cone ranges from 20–40. The cones disintegrate when mature to release the large seeds. The seeds are 5-10 mm long, the largest of any species in the cypress family, and are produced every year but with heavy crops every three to five years. The seedlings have 3–9 (most often 6) cotyledons.

26. Flowering Dogwood – Cornusflorida • LEAVES: Opposite, simple, 3"-5" long; clustered toward tips of twigs; margins smooth or wavy; veins prominent and curved like a bow. Foliage bright red in autumn. • TWIGS: Red tinged with green, often with a bluish white powdery coating; marked with rings; tips curve upward. End leaf bud covered by 2 reddish scales; side leaf buds very small; flower buds conspicuous, silvery, button-shaped, at ends of twigs. • FRUIT: An egg-shaped drupe, 1/2"-3/5" long; coat red; flesh yellowish; stone grooved, 2-celled; usually in clusters of 2-5; persist after the leaves fall. Flowers greenish white or yellowish, small, in flat-topped clusters; four showy white bracts underneath; open before the leaves. • GENERAL: Bark red-brown to reddish gray, broken by fissures into small blocks, like alligator hide. A small native tree with low spreading crown, especially valued for ornamental planting. Wood used primarily for textile weaving shuttles. Horticultural varieties with red or pink bracts have been developed.

28. Eastern Red Cedar – Juniperusvirginiana • LEAVES: Evergreen, opposite, two types (often on the same tree) the older more common kinds are scale-like and only 1/16"-3/32" long, while the young sharp-pointed ones may be up to 3/4" in length; whitish lines on the upper surface. • TWIGS: Slender, usually 4-sided, becoming reddish brown. Buds small and not readily noticeable. • FRUIT: Bluish berry-like, covered with a whitish powder, about 1/4" in diameter; flesh sweet and resinous; contains 1-2 seeds. Ripens the first year. • BARK: Reddish brown, peeling off in stringy and flaky strips. • GENERAL: A slow growing and long-lived tree, to 40' high. Red cedar is adaptable to a variety of wet or dry conditions. It is common in abandoned farm fields in the southern tier counties and on rocky bluffs. The wood is used chiefly for fence posts and moth-proof chests. Cedar wax-wings and other song birds and game birds eat the fruits.

30. Red Maple – Acer rubrum • LEAVES: Opposite, simple, with 3-5 shallow lobes, coarsely toothed, light green above, pale green to whitish beneath, turning brilliant red or orange in autumn. • TWIGS: Slender, glossy, at first green, later red. • FRUIT: Wings usually less than 1" long, spreading at a narrow angle, red to brown, maturing in May or June. • BARK: Smooth and light gray on young trunks and branches, older trunks darker, shaggy and roughened with long, irregular peeling flakes. • GENERAL: Found throughout Pennsylvania in a wide variety of habitats, typically reaching 50' high, it grows best in wet soils, sometimes over 100'. Also known as Soft maple because its wood is not as hard as Sugar maple, this is an excellent ornamental tree. Young trees are heavily browsed by deer and rabbits; rodents consume the seeds.

32. Green/Red Ash - Fraxinuspennsylvanica • It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 12-25 m (rarely to 45 m) tall with a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter. The bark is smooth and gray on young trees, becoming thick and fissured with age. The winter buds are reddish-brown, with a velvety texture. The leaves are 15-30 cm long, pinnatelycompound with seven to nine (occasionally five or eleven) leaflets, these 5–15 cm (rarely 18 cm) long and 1.2–9 cm broad, with serrated margins and short but distinct, downy petiolules a few millimeters long. They are green both above and below. The autumn color is golden-yellow, and the tree is usually the earliest to change color, sometimes being in autumn color as early as Labor Day. The flowers are produced in spring at the same time as the new leaves, in compact panicles; they are inconspicuous with no petals, and are wind-pollinated. The fruit is a samara 2.5-7.5 cm long comprising a single seed 1.5-3 cm long with an elongated apical wing 2-4 cm long and 3-7 mm broad.

34. Black Walnut • LEAVES: Compound, alternate; leaflets 15 to 23, each 3"-4" long, small-toothed; dark yellow-green above, paler, hairy below. End leaflet absent or very small. Main leaf-stem with very fine hairs. • TWIGS: Stout, orange-brown to dark brown, roughened by large leaf scars, easily broken; pith pale brown, chambered. Buds gray, downy; side buds 1/6" long, end bud larger. • FRUIT: A round nut, 1"-2" in diameter, shell rough, covered with a thick, almost smooth, green spongy husk; oily kernel sweet. Flowers in drooping green catkins, appearing with the unfolding leaves, which is also true of butternut. • BARK: Dark brown to gray-black, with narrow ridges. • GENERAL: A large-sized tree, found locally on rich soils mainly in the southern part of state. Wood valuable for quality furniture, veneer, gun stocks and musical instruments.

36. Bitternut Hickory - Caryacordiformis • LEAVES: Alternate, compound, 6"-10" long, divided into 7-11 lance-shaped leaflets, bright green and smooth above, paler and somewhat downy beneath, margins finely to coarsely toothed. • TWIGS: Slender smooth, glossy, orange-brown to grayish with numerous pale lenticels. Buds covered by 4 sulphur-yellow, gland-dotted outer scales. End buds flattened, ¾" long. • FRUIT: Nearly round, ¾"-1½" in diameter with a thin, yellowish gland-dotted husk, which splits into 4 sections almost to the middle when ripe. The ridgeless reddish brown to gray brown nut has a thin shell protecting a bitter kernel. • BARK: The tight gray bark remains rather smooth for many years eventually developing shallow furrows and low, narrow interlacing ridges. • GENERAL: Bitternut hickory normally attains heights of 60'- 70' when growing on moist, fertile bottomland soils but it can also be found on well-drained uplands throughout the state. The wood of this species is somewhat more brittle than other hickories and the nuts are too bitter to eat. Bitternut hickory is reported to be the best wood for smoking ham and bacon, giving a rich "hickory smoked" flavor

38. Mockernut (White) Hickory - Caryatomentosa • LEAVES: Alternate, compound, 8"-12" long with 7 to 9 leaflets, margins toothed, dark yellowish green above, brownish beneath with golden glandular dots, leaves very fragrant when crushed, the leaf stems finely hairy. • TWIGS: Stout and hairy, reddish brown to brownish gray with numerous pale lenticels and distinct three-lobed leaf scars. Buds large, with 3 to 5 yellowish brown, densely hairy outer scales, end buds ½" to ¾" long. • FRUIT: Nearly round to egg-shaped, 1½"-2" long, with a thick husk which splits into 4 pieces when ripe. The slightly ridged, thick shelled nut is reddish brown with a sweet kernel. Flowers in catkins, about May when the leaves are half-developed. • BARK: The gray to dark gray bark is tight when young and becomes shallowly fissured as the tree ages. • GENERAL: Mockernut hickory is so named because the nuts are large but with thick shells and very small kernels. Found in moist open woods and slopes mostly in the southern part of the state, it usually reaches 50'-75' high. A black dye can be extracted from the bark by boiling it in vinegar solution. As with other hickories, the wood is heavy, hard, and strong and used for tool handles and furniture.

40. Pignut Hickory – Carya glabra • LEAVES: Alternate, compound, 8"-12" long usually divided into 5 toothed, lance-shaped leaflets. The leaf is smooth on both surfaces, dark yellowish green above and paler beneath. • TWIGS: Slender and usually smooth, reddish brown with numerous pale lenticels. Buds reddish brown to gray, blunt pointed, with 6 outer scales which fall off during winter exposing the grayish downy inner scales. End buds ¼" to ½" long, smallest of our native hickories.. • FRUIT: Somewhat pear shaped tapering toward the stem, 1"-2" long with a thin husk only partly splitting when ripe. Nuts brownish white, thick-shelled, kernels often taste bitter. • BARK: Gray to dark gray, usually tight, becoming shallowly fissured on older trees. • GENERAL: Pignut hickory reaches 50'-60' high growing on dry ridgetops and slopes throughout the southern half of the state. As with other hickories, the wood is heavy, hard, and strong with very high shock resistance, and is principally used for tool handles. Although the nuts are too bitter for human use, they are an important food for squirrels and chipmunks.

42. Black Locust – Robiniapsuedoacacia • LEAVES: Alternate, compound, 7-19 oval leaflets 1"-2" long, margins smooth. • TWIGS: Angled, somewhat zigzag, brittle, with short stout prickles; no end bud, side buds small and hidden in winter. • FRUIT: A thin, flat pod, 2"-4" long; usually with 4-8 seeds; splits into halves when ripe. Flowers white, showy, very fragrant in drooping clusters, appearing in May and June. • BARK: Reddish brown, rough, furrowed, thick. • GENERAL: A medium-sized tree to 45' high, found in open woods, floodplains, thickets and fencerows throughout the State. Wood is durable in contact with the soil and in demand for posts, poles, railroad ties, and mine timbers. Unfortunately, several insects and wood rots cause heavy damage, especially to trees on poor soils. Squirrels eat the seeds and bees make honey from the nectar of locust flowers.

44. Common Sassafras – Sassafras albidium • LEAVES: Alternate, simple 4"-6" long, smooth, dark green above, much lighter beneath, characteristically aromatic when crushed. Usually three types can be found on a tree: entire, 2-lobed and 3-lobed (rarely 5-lobed). • TWIGS: Bright green, sometimes reddish, smooth and shiny; large white pith. End bud much larger than side ones, with many loose scales. • FRUIT: A berry, dark blue, shiny, about 1/2" in diameter, on a red stem enlarged at the point of attachment; borne in clusters. Yellow flowers appear before the leaves unfold. • BARK: Young trees furrowed, greenish, changing to brown; inner bark salmon colored; older trees show deep fissures extending long distances up the trunk. • GENERAL: A small to medium-sized tree, to 50' high, with crooked branches; often spreading by root suckers. Its roots, leaves, twigs and fruit have a spicy odor; the oil contained in these parts is used for a "tea," in medicines, perfumes, etc. Wood used chiefly for fuel and fence posts.

46. American Sweetgum- Liquidambar styraciflua • Bark: Light brown tinged with red, deeply fissured, ridges scaly. Branchlets pithy, many-angled, winged, at first covered with rusty hairs, finally becoming red brown, gray or dark brown. • Wood: Bright reddish brown, sapwood nearly white; heavy, straight, satiny, close-grained, not strong; will take a beautiful polish; warps badly in drying. Has been used with good results in the interior finish of sleeping-cars and fine houses. The wood is usually cut in veneers and backed up with some other variety which shrinks and warps less. Sp. gr., 0.5910; weight of cu. ft., 36.83 lbs. • Winter buds: Yellow brown, one-fourth of an inch long, acute. The inner scales enlarge with the growing shoot, becoming half an inch long, green tipped with red. • Leaves: Alternate, three to five inches long, three to seven inches broad, lobed, so as to make a star-shaped leaf of five to seven divisions, these divisions acutely pointed, with glandular serrate teeth. The base is truncate or slightly heart-shaped. They come out of the bud plicate, downy, pale green, when full grown are bright green, smooth, shining above, paler beneath. In autumn they vary in color from yellow through crimson to purple. They contain tannin and when bruised give a resinous fragrance. Petioles long, slender, terete. Stipules lanceolate, acute, caducous. • Flowers: March to May, when leaves are half grown; monoecious, greenish. Staminate flowers in terminal racemes two to three inches long, covered with rusty hairs; the pistillate in a solitary head on a slender peduncle borne in the axil of an upper leaf. Staminate flowers destitute of calyx and corolla, but surrounded by hairy bracts. Stamens indefinite; filaments short; anthers introrse. Pistillate flowers with a two-celled, two-beaked ovary, the carpels produced into a long, recurved, persistent style. The ovaries all more or less cohere and harden in fruit. Ovules many but few mature. • Fruit: Multicapsular spherical head, an inch to an inch and a half in diameter, hangs on the branches during the winter. The woody capsules mostly filled with abortive seeds resembling sawdust.[1]

48. American Sycamore - Platanusoccidentalis • Bark: Dark reddish brown, broken into oblong plate-like scales; higher on the tree, it is smooth and light gray; separates freely into thin plates which peel off and leave the surface pale yellow, or white, or greenish. Branchlets at first pale green, coated with thick pale tomentum, later dark green and smooth, finally become light gray or light reddish brown. • Wood: Light brown, tinged with red; heavy, weak, difficult to split. Largely used for furniture and interior finish of houses, butcher's blocks. Sp. gr., 0.5678; weight of cu. ft., 35.39 lbs. • Winter buds: Large, stinky, sticky, green, and three-scaled, they form in summer within the petiole of the full grown leaf. The inner scales enlarge with the growing shake. There is no terminal bud. • Leaves: Alternate, palmately nerved, broadly-ovate or orbicular, four to nine inches long, truncate or cordate or wedge-shaped at base, decurrent on the petiole. Three to five-lobed by broad shallow sinuses rounded in the bottom; lobes acuminate, toothed, or entire, or undulate. They come out of the bud plicate, pale green coated with pale tomentum; when full grown are bright yellow green above, paler beneath. In autumn they turn brown and wither before falling. Petioles long, abruptly enlarged at base and inclosing the buds. Stipules with spreading, toothed borders, conspicuous on young shoots, caducous. • Flowers: May, with the leaves; monoecious, borne in dense heads. Staminate and pistillate heads on separate peduncles. Staminate heads dark red, on axillary peduncles; pistillate heads light green tinged with red, on longer terminal peduncles. Calyx of staminate flowers three to six tiny scale-like sepals, slightly united at the base, half as long as the pointed petals. Of pistillate flowers three to six, usually four, rounded sepals, much shorter than the acute petals. Corolla of three to six thin scale-like petals. • Stamens: In staminate flowers as many of the divisions of the calyx and opposite to them; filaments short; anthers elongated, two-celled; cells opening by lateral slits; connectives hairy. • Pistil: Ovary superior, one-celled, sessile, ovate-oblong, surrounded at base by long, jointed, pale hairs; styles long, incurved, red, stigmatic, ovules one or two. • Fruit: Brown heads, solitary or rarely clustered, an inch in diameter, hanging on slender stems three to six inches long; persistent through the winter. These heads are composed of akenes about two-thirds of an inch in length. October.

50. Yellow Poplar [Tulip Tree] - • LEAVES: Alternate, simple, 4"-6" in diameter, generally 4 lobed, bright green, turning yellow in autumn. • TWIGS: In spring and summer, green, sometimes with purplish tinge; during winter reddish brown, smooth, shiny. Buds large, smooth, flattened, "duck-billed." • FRUIT: At first green, turning light brown when ripe in autumn; cone-like, 2½"-3" long, made up of winged seeds. Greenish yellow tulip-like flowers in May or June. • BARK: Young trees dark green and smooth with whitish vertical streaks, older trunks dark gray and furrowed. • GENERAL: Also known as Yellow poplar, Tulip poplar, White poplar and Whitewood. A large tree, the tallest of the eastern hardwoods. It grows rapidly and is an important timber and shade tree. The wood is valuable for veneer and many other uses. Songbirds and game birds, rabbits, squirrels and mice feed on the seeds. Whitetail deer browse the young growth.