CHECKLIST OF VIRGINIA TREES AND THEIR USES

(including urban trees and important forest plants)

For use with the 4-H tree identification project.

___ Beginner (10 trees)

___ Novice (25 trees)

___ Advanced (50 trees and plants)

___ Master (100 trees and plants)

Ginko Family

___ Ginko (specimen)

Pine Family

___ Eastern white pine (cabinets, lumber, specimen)

___ Loblolly pine (lumber, plywood, poles, shade)

___ Pitch pine (same as above)

___ Virginia pine (same as above)

___ Shortleaf pine (same as above)

___ Table-mountain pine (same as above)

___ Pond pine (same as above)

___ Long leaf pine (same as above)

___ Norway spruce (specimen)

___ Red spruce (lumber, pulpwood)

___ Eastern hemlock (rough lumber, pulp, specimen)

Cypress or Cedar Family

___ Baldcypress (decay-resistant wood products)

___ Leyland cypress (wind screen)

___ Northern white-cedar (posts, shingles)

___ Atlantic white-cedar (posts, shingles, woodenware)

___ Eastern redcedar (posts, storage chests)

Magnolia Family

___ Cucumbertree (cabinets, shade)

___ Saucer magnolia (specimen)

___ Southern magnolia (specimen)

___ Sweet bay (specimen)

___ Tulip tree (veneer, furniture, trim)

Custard-apple Family

___ Pawpaw (fruit)

Laurel Family

___ Sassafras ( posts, rails, flavorings)

Sycamore Family

___ Sycamore (butcher blocks, boxes)

___ London planetree (shade, street)

Witch-hazel Family

___ Sweet gum (flooring, pulp, baskets)

Elm Family

___ American elm (containers, furniture)

___ Winged elm (same as above)

___ Slippery elm (same as above)

___ Hackberry (firewood)

___ Japanese zelkova (street)

Mulberry Family

___ Red mulberry (posts, wildlife food)

___ Osage-orange (bows, dye, firewood)

Walnut Family

___ Black walnut (high quality furniture)

___ Butternut (furniture)

___ Bitternut hickory (tool handles, implements)

___ Shagbark hickory (tool handles, implements)

___ Mockernut hickory (tool handles, implements)

___ Pignut hickory (tool handles, implements)

Beech Family

___ Beech (flooring, furniture)

___ American chestnut (posts, paneling)

___ Chinese chestnut (specimen)

___ Chinkapin (food for game animals)

___ Northern red oak (veneer, furniture, shade)

___ Pin oak (construction, crossties, shade, street)

___ Scarlet oak (specimen, firewood)

___ Black oak (veneer, furniture)

___ Southern red oak (rough lumber, furniture, shade)

___ Blackjack oak (firewood)

___ Water oak (crossties, firewood)

___ Willow oak (crossties, general construction, street)

___ White oak ( shipbuilding, furniture, flooring, shade)

___ Post oak (crossties, posts)

___ Swamp chestnut oak (lumber, veneer, shakes, baskets)

___ Chestnut oak (crossties, rough construction, firewood)

___ Laurel oak (firewod)

___ Turkey oak ( firewood)

___ Live oak (shade, specimen)

Birch Family

___ River birch (furniture, shade, specimen)

___ Yellow birch (lumber, veneer)

___ Sweet birch (furniture, flavorings)

___ Paper birch (specimen)

___ Hophornbeam (posts, tool handles, implements)

___ Hornbeam or blue beech (tool handles, implements)

Linden Family

___ Basswood (woodenware, pulp, street)

___ Little-leaf linden (street)

Willow or Poplar Family

___ Eastern cottonwood (pulp, furniture components)

___ Bigtooth aspen (pulp, furniture components)

___ Black willow (boxes, crates, furniture components)

___ Weeping willow (specimen)

Heath Family

___ Sourwood (specimen)

Ebony Family

___ Persimmon (fruit)

Rose Family

___ Serviceberry (fruit, ornamental)

___ Black cherry (furniture, handles, wildlife food)

___ Flowering crabapple (specimen)

___ Flowering pear (specimen, street)

Legumes

___ Goldenraintree (specimen)

___ Redbud (specimen)

___ Honey locust (crossties, shade)

___ Black locust (posts, firewood)

Dogwood Family

___ Black gum (containers, pulp, firewood)

___ Dogwood (street, specimen)

Holly Family

___ Holly (cabinets, specimen)

___ Foster holly (specimen)

Buckeye Family

___ Buckeye (woodenware, pulp, specimen)

Maple Family

___ Norway maple (shade, street)

___ Sugar maple (furniture, syrup, shade)

___ Boxelder (firewood, speciemen)

___ Silver maple (shade)

___ Red maple (shade, street)

Bitterwood Family

___ Tree-of-heaven (pest)

Olive Family

___ White ash (furniture, baseball bats)

___ Green ash (shade, street)

Figwort Family

___ Paulonia tomentosa (specialty)

Trumpet-creeper Family

___ Catapla

Important Forest Plants

___ Alder

___ Devilís walking stick

___ Hawthorn

___ Russian olive

___ Wild azalea

___ Sumac

___ Mountain laurel

___ Elderberry

___ Poison ivy

___ Greenbrier

___ Strawberry bush

___ Witch-hazel

___ Spicebush

___ Japenses honeysuckle

___ Virginia creeper

___ Blueberry

___ Viburnum

___ Wild grape

___ Trumpet creeper

___ Pepperbush

Glossary

Cultural- wood that is especially valued by certain cultures, such as paulownia wood in Japan.

Crossties- timbers on which railroad tracks are placed.

Implement- tool, utensil.

Pulp- ground up wood used to make paper.

Rough lumber- wood that is used in rough construction, such as fencing, sheds, scaffolding, etc.

Shade tree - a tree used to provide shade to a landscape area, building or structure.

Shakes- a rough shingle.

Specimen tree - a tree used to give ornamental or aesthetic interest to a landscape.

Street tree - a tree used in a median strip or sidewalk planting area.

Trim- wood strips which are used to decorate or hide edges, such as where a floor and wall come together.

Veneer- a thin layer of wood used to cover an inferior material, such as in plywood or furniture.