Forest Trees of Texas
How to Understand Them

A tree gets taller and wider each year by adding new branches.

Air supplies carbon, the primary nutrient for trees, which is taken in through the underside of their leaves.

Leaves make food from air and soil and release moisture through transpiration. Light and heat are crucial for the chemical processes involved.

The breathing pores of the entire tree — found on the leaves, twigs, branches, trunk, and roots — take in oxygen. Flooding, harmful gases, or smoke can kill a tree.

Root tips or root hairs take in water along with small amounts of dissolved minerals.

The buds, root tips, and __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__ layer are the parts of the tree that are still growing. The roots absorb water with a small amount of dissolved minerals, which is then moved up through the __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_1__ to the leaves, where it combines with carbon from the air to create food. This food is carried by the inner __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_2__ to all the growing parts of the tree, even down to the root tips.

The first edition of Forest Trees of Texas—How to Know Them was put together by W. R. Matoon and C. B. Webster in 1928. The sections “Trees as Mankind’s Friends,” “Studying a Tree,” “Other Texas Trees,” along with drawings of twigs, leaves, and fruits, as well as the glossary, were included in the fourth and fifth editions by S. L. Frost and D. A. Anderson. The sixth and seventh editions were edited by H. E. Weaver and W. A. Smith, respectively. Some of the illustrations in this publication were provided by the United States Forest Service.

The eighth edition was revised and edited by John A. Haislet to align with the terminology in Check List of Native and Naturalized Trees of the United States (Including Alaska), Agriculture Handbook No. 41, prepared under the supervision of the United States Forest Service Tree and Range Plant Committee. D. A. Anderson’s “A Guide to the Identification of the Principal Trees and Shrubs of Texas” was updated and included in the eighth edition to make it more useful for non-technical students of trees.

Trees have played a significant role in human life since the beginning of time. They provided early humans with weapons for self-defense and offered food, shelter, and fuel.

Trees have been crucial in the history of the United States. Timber was our country's first export. The forest also supplied our ancestors with their homes, farming tools, rifle stocks, and wagons. By providing ties and utility poles, the forest enabled the expansion of railroads, electric power, and telephone networks. Every industry relies on forest products in some way.

Trees are more important now than ever. Over 10,000 products are said to be made from trees. Thanks to chemistry, the simple woodpile is producing chemicals, plastics, and fabrics that were unimaginable when someone first chopped down a tree in Texas.

The American standard of living relies significantly on how carefully we manage our forest resources. Luckily, trees are renewable. They can be cultivated like crops and harvested in a way that keeps the forest productive, ensuring a consistent supply of forest products.

A tree is typically described as a woody plant that has one clearly defined trunk and a more or less distinctly shaped crown, usually reaching a height of at least eight feet. By using water and minerals from the soil, gases from the air, and energy from the sun, a tree produces the food it needs for growth and reproduction. Trees grow quickly when they're young, but their growth gradually slows down; they start to decline and eventually die. Nature then breaks them down to the elements from which they were made.

The terms “hardwood,” “softwood,” “deciduous” and “non-deciduous” are commonly found in tree literature. These terms can be confusing and often misleading. Trees that bear needles or cones are labeled as softwoods, even though the wood can be dense. Hardwoods are the broad-leaved trees (as opposed to needle-bearing or scales), and their wood can be either dense or soft.

The conifers, or softwoods, usually keep their leaves for more than one growing season and produce seeds in cones; 4 however, there are exceptions. Baldcypress, a conifer, is deciduous because it drops its leaves in the fall. Cedar and juniper have berry-like cones that barely look like cones.

The hardwoods, or broadleaf trees, are usually deciduous; that is, they lose their leaves in the fall. Texas has many exceptions, such as southern magnolia, live oak, and American holly, which keep their green leaves throughout the winter.

More than half of the 1,100 species of native trees in the United States are found in the South. Of these, over 200 species and varieties are native to Texas. Additionally, many exotic species have been introduced and now grow in various parts of the state.

The four main forest regions of Texas include: the Southern pine forest in East Texas; the central hardwoods; the post oak and cross timbers of North-central Texas; the semi-tropical forest in the Rio Grande Valley region; and the mountain forest, the wooded areas of West Texas that continue the timber types of the Southern Rocky Mountains. In Texas, trees make up the primary vegetation over an estimated area of 28,805,617 acres.

Texas also has small tree areas that are almost unique to the state: the cedar breaks and the oak shinneries. Some of the shinnery trees are among the smallest in America. In some places, fully matured trees are no taller than knee-high and look like miniature forests. In other areas, the same species can grow 20 to 30 feet tall, creating almost impenetrable thickets.

The pine-hardwood forests of East Texas cover 12,525,417 acres across all or part of 42 counties. The main forest products produced in the Piney Woods of East Texas include lumber, paper, baskets, boxes, ties, poles, piling, posts, handles, and shingles.

Farther west, in East Central Texas, the post oak forests span about 5,030,200 acres across all or part of 39 counties.

The east and west “cross timbers” cover about 3 million acres. The term “cross timbers” was coined by early settlers who, while traveling from east to west, crossed back-and-forth between patches of forests and prairies, and thus named these forests “cross timbers.”

Farther south in the Edwards Plateau region are the cedar breaks that cover over 3¾ million acres. Cedar grows on the steep slopes and rolling hills typical of this area, alongside live oak and mesquite.

Other wooded areas of the state include about 500,000 acres of mountain forests in the Trans-Pecos Region and the live oak region along the Gulf Coast.

Two of Texas' trees, guaiacum and ebony, produce the hardest woods in the United States. Both species can be found in the Rio Grande Valley. The tree with the lightest wood in the United States, corkwood, grows near the mouth of the Brazos River. The drooping or weeping juniper, named for its drooping branches, grows in the Big Bend area but hasn’t been reported as native anywhere else in the country.

Catclaw, huisache, mimosa, baretta, pistachio, black persimmon, Mexican ash, anaqua, flatwoods plum (sloe), and guajillo are other trees that are unique to Texas.

In 1915, the 34th Texas Legislature established the State Department of Forestry by law and made it part of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. In 1925, the department was renamed the Texas Forest Service. As it expanded, the service provided increased support to Texas. It now helps protect the state's forest resources from fire, pests, and disease; assists landowners in managing their properties effectively; provides seedlings for reforestation and windbreaks; conducts research on improving and managing forest trees; and runs an educational program to inform Texans about the importance of practicing forestry.

The Texas Forest Service, which has over 300 employees, consists of four departments: Forest Fire Control, Forest Management, Forest Products, and Information and Education. The offices of the Director, along with the Forest Management and Information and Education Departments, are located in College Station. The headquarters for Forest Fire Control and the Forest Products Department are in Lufkin.

Seven administrative districts, each led by a district forester, handle the work of the Texas Forest Service concerning both intensive and extensive forest fire protection. The district headquarters are found in Linden, Henderson, Lufkin, Woodville, Kirbyville, Conroe, and College Station.

More than 10 million acres of state and privately owned timberland in the Piney Woods are now being heavily protected from fire, insects, and diseases. An additional 5 million acres, known as the post oak region, located to the west and next to the pine-hardwood area, has been under extensive protection since 1962.

The Texas Forestry Association is a statewide nonprofit group focused mainly on educating the public about forest conservation. Established in 1914, the Association played a significant role in passing the law that led to the creation of the Department of Forestry at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, which eventually gave rise to the Texas Forest Service.

For over 48 years, this organization has worked alongside the Texas Forest Service and other interested agencies to promote Texas's forest economy. Membership in the Texas Forestry Association is open to all citizens who care about conservation.

The increasing reliance on forest resources for raw materials, products, water protection, wildlife conservation, and recreation makes Arbor Day, which is dedicated each year to honoring trees, even more important.

Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872. It was first celebrated in Texas in 1889 on George Washington’s birthday, February 22. In 1949, the Texas State Legislature passed the following resolution:

Arbor Day is best celebrated by planting one or more appropriate trees around a school or community area, or by creating a school garden. Not only does this honor the beauty of trees, but it also highlights their importance to human well-being. The Texas Forest Service continues to help clubs and schools organize Arbor Day events.

The pecan, Carya illinoensis, (Wangenh.) K. Koch, was officially named the state tree of Texas by a legislative act in June 1919.

By an amendment in 1927, certain state agencies were asked to pay special attention to the pecan tree when enhancing state parks and other public property owned by the state.

Trees, like people, become friends only when we get to know them and understand the qualities that make them special to us. This bulletin about the trees of Texas can serve as a useful reference for identifying trees you aren’t familiar with, or it can be the foundation for building friendships with trees. The following is a guide or lesson plan that will help you become friends with each tree you study.

Sepals called calyx.

Petals known as corolla.

The mature ovary includes the __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__.

Ripened ovules of the ovary make up the seed of the fruit.

A flower missing either calyx, corolla, stamens, or pistil is an incomplete flower. If the male and female flower parts are found in separate flowers on the same tree, the species is referred to as monoecious. If the male and female flowers are on different trees, the species is called dioecious.

Limber pine is plentiful in the Rocky Mountains and in scattered regions across much of the West. In Texas, you can find limber pine in the Guadalupe and Davis Mountains of West Texas.

As the name suggests, the branches and twigs are particularly flexible and strong, often light purple in color. The branches create a rounded crown or top. The trunk is thick and noticeably tapered.

The needle-like LEAVES are grouped in bunches of five. They are firm and thick, measuring about 2 to 3 inches long, and are situated in clusters or tufts near the tips of the branches. They remain on the twig for five or six years.

The “FRUIT”, a cone, is pretty short and thick, usually ranging from 3 to 6 inches long, composed of rounded, fairly thick scales, with some facing forward and others backward. The cone has a short stalk. Like all pines, the seeds mature at the end of the second growth season.

The wood is relatively soft, reasonably fine-grained, and slightly yellow or red. It isn’t harvested in large quantities, and the trees are typically quite limby and short, which mostly explains the limited commercial use.

Pinyon appears as scattered trees or in small groves across the mountains and canyons in the western part of the state, reaching elevations of up to 8,000 feet. It's a small tree that thrives on warm slopes or in protected areas, developing a bushy top with orange-colored branchlets.

The needle-like LEAVES grow in groups of two (rarely 3); while in Pinus cembroides Zucc., the Mexican Pinyon, there are usually three needles per cluster. The dark green needles are about one inch long, stiff, thick, and curved. They stay on the tree for 5 to 8 years.

Like all pines, it has male and female “flowers” on the same tree. The “FRUIT”, a cone, is rounded, about 1 to 2 inches wide, and produces large seeds or “nuts”, which are ½ to ¾ inch long. The seeds are nutritious and are an important part of the diet for the Indigenous people. The seeds are collected and sold widely as gourmet “nuts” in many larger towns and cities.

The wood is lightweight, soft, tight-grained, and light brown, used for fuel and occasionally for fencing. A close relative P. cembroides can be found scattered in the Texas cedar breaks.

Ponderosa pine is the most important commercial pine in the Southwest and many areas of the Rocky Mountain region. It reaches the southeastern edge of its range in the Guadalupe and Davis Mountains of West Texas, where it is sparse and not very valuable commercially. It is popular as an ornamental tree in the Texas Panhandle.

The needle-like LEAVES come in groups of three and are typically 5 to 8 inches long. The needles, clustered at the tips of naked branches, stay on the tree for around 3 years.

The “FRUIT”, a short-stemmed cone, is oval-shaped, reddish-brown, and has sturdy curved prickles.

The wood from this species, sourced from trees in the commercial part of its range, is of excellent quality for lumber. The wood is hard, strong, and has a fine grain. The heartwood is a light reddish-white, while the sapwood is almost white. Lumber from this tree is commonly used for building houses and making furniture.

This rapidly growing yellow pine is the most common and valuable species in Southeast Texas, from Orange County all the way to Walker and Waller Counties. The species is also plentiful extending north to the Oklahoma border. Loblolly pine is also what makes up the pine of the "Lost Pine Region" near Bastrop.

Loblolly quickly takes over abandoned fields. Because of this, it’s often referred to as old field pine. In the untouched forests of Texas, loblolly pine was most commonly found along stream banks. It remains the main pine tree in wet areas but can also grow in relatively dry spots.

The dark-colored BARK is deeply grooved and can be up to 2 inches thick on larger trees. The needle-like LEAVES, which are 6 to 9 inches long, usually grow in clusters of three (sometimes two). In the spring, bright green clusters of needles emerge at the tips of the branches, giving the tree a lush look. The “FRUIT,” a cone, matures in the autumn of the second year and measures 3 to 5 inches long. Many seeds with wings that are an inch long are released during the fall and early winter.

The resinous wood is coarse-grained. There’s a noticeable contrast, like in other yellow pines, between the layers of springwood and summerwood. The wood from second-growth trees has a wide variety of uses, including building material, box shooks, barrel staves, basket veneers, pulpwood, lath, mine props, piling, and fuel.

Shortleaf pine is an important tree across a large area in Northeast Texas and is also common in other parts of the “Piney Woods.” Mainly found in hilly regions, it grows in pure stands and alongside hardwoods. The mature tree has a tall, straight trunk and an oval crown, reaching heights of about 100 feet and a diameter of around 2½ feet. Unlike other southern pines, young shortleaf pine trees can reproduce by sprouting when they are cut or burned back.

The BARK is a brownish-red color, broken into rectangular plates; it's thinner and lighter in color than loblolly pine.

The needle-like leaves grow in groups of two or three (3 to 5 inches long), are slender, flexible, and dark blue-green. The “FRUIT”, a cone or bur, is the smallest of the Texas pines, measuring 1½ to 2½ inches long, oblong, with small sharp prickles; they are usually clustered and often stay attached to the twigs for 3 or 4 years. The small mottled seeds have a wing that is widest near the center.

The wood from old trees is quite heavy and dense, yellow-brown or orange, with a fine grain and less resin compared to other major Southern pines. It’s used for finishing, general construction, veneers, paper pulp, excelsior, barrels, mine supports, and various other uses.

Young longleaf pine with its single upright stem, candle-like silvery buds, and long, shiny leaves makes a beautiful tree. As it matures, the sturdy, sparsely-branched sapling, with thick twigs and gray bark, grabs your attention right away. Mature trees have tall, straight trunks, 1-3 feet in diameter and open irregular crowns.

Longleaf pine grows in sandy soils from Orange County, north to Sabine County and west to Trinity County. A hybrid hybrid between longleaf and loblolly pine is often found in this area and is known as Sonderegger pine.

The needle-like LEAVES are gray-green, measuring 10 to 15 inches long, growing in clusters of three, and concentrated near the ends of the thick, scaly twigs. The “FLOWERS,” which appear in early spring before the new leaves, are a deep rose-purple; the male flowers form prominent, short, dense clusters, while the female flowers are in less noticeable groups of two to four. Unlike other Southern pines found in Texas, this species spends 2 to 5 years in a “grass” stage, during which it looks like a clump of grass. Once the longleaf pine begins its height growth, it grows quickly.

The “FRUIT”, a cone bur, is 6 to 10 inches long and slightly curved, with the thick scales equipped with small curved prickles. The cones typically drop soon after the seeds ripen, leaving their bases attached to the twigs.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, tough, and durable. It’s used for construction. Naval stores such as turpentine and rosin are obtained from the tree.

Slash pine isn't native to Texas; its natural range in the U.S. extends along the coast from South Carolina to eastern Louisiana. The first planting of slash pine in East Texas occurred at the E. O. Siecke State Forest near Kirbyville in 1926. It has been extensively planted in East Texas and has thrived so well in terms of growth and adaptability that it's now recognized as a forest tree of the state. It's particularly popular for reforestation projects because of its very rapid height growth, high survival rate, and relative resistance to tip-moth damage.

In its natural habitat, a full-grown tree can reach up to 100 feet tall, with a rounded crown and a trunk that's 1 to 3 feet wide.

The BARK varies in thickness from ¾ to 1 inch, easily separating on the surface into large thin scales.

The needle-like LEAVES grow in clusters of 2 and 3, measuring 8 to 12 inches long and shiny. The “FLOWERS” bloom in late winter, with the male being dark purple and the female pink. The “FRUIT” is a cone that usually measures 4 to 6 inches long, brown and glossy, while the thin scales is equipped with fine prickles.

Slash pine wood is extremely hard, very strong, durable, with a coarse grain and a rich, dark orange color, featuring thick, almost white sapwood. In this way, it’s similar to longleaf and is sold as such, used for the same purposes. Naval stores, lumber, pulpwood, and other products can be made from this tree.

This valuable timber tree from the western United States stretches to its furthest southeastern point in the mountains of West Texas. It's a small tree in the local area, but in the Pacific Northwest, Douglas-fir can grow up to 250 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide.

The needle-like LEAVES are linear, mostly flattened, about an inch long, bluish-green, and arranged tightly in spirals around the stem. They stay on the twigs for several years. The buds are a deep reddish-brown and pointed.

The “FRUIT”, a cone, unlike true fir cones, hangs down and can easily be recognized by the sticking out bracts, or “straws.” The mature cones are 2 to 4 inches long and brownish-red.

The wood is fairly light, has a reddish tint, and is surrounded by almost white sapwood. It varies greatly in density, quality, and sapwood width. A lot of high-quality plywood is made from this species. Young Douglas-firs are sold as Christmas trees.

Baldcypress grows in swamps that are flooded for long periods, as well as on wet stream banks and low-lying areas. It can be found in East Texas, extending west to the Nueces River. The straight trunk has many upward-reaching branches and a narrow conical outline. In its later years, the tree typically develops a broad fluted, or buttressed base, a smooth trunk that gradually tapers, and a wide, open, flat top with a few heavy branches and many small branchlets. Virgin-growth timber can reach heights of up to 130 feet and diameters of up to 10 feet.

The BARK is a silvery to cinnamon-red color, streaked with many long fissures. The light green leaves are about ½ to ¾ inch long and are arranged in a feather-like pattern along both sides of small branchlets that drop in the autumn while still holding onto the leaves.

The “FRUIT,” a rounded cone, is about one inch across, with thick, uneven scales.

The wood is lightweight, soft, and easy to work with, featuring light sapwood and dark-brown heartwood. It is especially durable when in contact with soil. Cypress is sought after for exterior trim on buildings, greenhouse flooring, boat and ship construction, shingles, posts, poles, and crossties.

In Central and West Texas, there are at least nine species of cedars or junipers, including one eastern, one southern, and seven western species. Among these, the most common and significant is the Mexican juniper. This tree frequently creates large low forests or thick patches on the limestone hills and slopes of the Edwards Plateau and Grand Prairie.

The trunk is covered with shreddy, brown or reddish-brown BARK. The LEAVES are dark blue-green, small, opposite or arranged in groups of 3, scale like, blunt pointed, and edged with tiny teeth. On strong young plants, the leaves are sharp pointed and longer, reaching up to ½ inch long.

The “FRUIT”, a nearly round, dark blue, berry-like cone, is covered with glaucous bloom; it has a thin, sweet, pleasantly scented flesh that contains 1 or 2 seeds; and it ripens in a single season.

The wood is lightweight, tough, light brown, tightly grained but fragile. It's commonly used for fence posts and firewood. The tree is also occasionally planted for decorative purposes.

Redcedar is found throughout East Texas, typically on gravelly ridges and rocky hillsides in the uplands.

There are two types of LEAVES, typically found on the same tree. The most common type is dark green, small, and scale-like, wrapping around the twig in four ranks, making the twig look square. The other type, usually found on new growth or strong shoots, is sharp-pointed, spreading, and has a whitish appearance.

The BARK is thin, reddish-brown, turning ashy-gray on exposed surfaces, and peels off in long, shred-like strips. The trunk is usually more or less grooved.

The male and female FLOWERS blooming in February or March are at the ends of tiny branches on separate trees.

The “FRUIT” which ripens in one season is light blue, ¼ inch in diameter, and resembles a berry, with sweet flesh surrounding one or two seeds.

The HEARTWOOD is clearly red, and the sapwood is white, creating a very striking effect when used in cedar chests, closets, and interior woodwork. The wood is aromatic, soft, strong, and has an even texture, making it very durable in contact with the soil, and it’s in high demand for posts, poles, and rustic projects.

Since redcedar spreads cedar rust to apple trees, it’s not a good idea to plant this tree in or near orchards, or anywhere in areas dedicated to commercial apple production.

This valuable forest tree grows in rich lowland areas and moist, fertile hillsides, extending as far west as the San Antonio River. It can reach a height of almost 100 feet, with a straight trunk that is free of branches for half of its height.

The BARK is thick, dark brown, and divided by deep fissures into rounded ridges.

The LEAVES are alternate, compound, 1 to 2 feet long, made up of 15 to 23 leaflets that are a yellowish-green color. The leaflets are around 3 inches long, sharply tapering at the tip, and have teeth along the edge.

The FRUIT is a nut, typically found alone or in pairs, and wrapped in a sturdy green husk that doesn't open, even when the nut is ripe. The nut itself is black with a very tough, thick, finely ridged shell, containing a rich, oily, edible kernel.

The HEARTWOOD is dense, sturdy, and resilient. Its deep chocolate-brown color, lack of warping and cracking, ability to take a high polish, and long-lasting quality make it highly valued for furniture, cabinetry, and gunstocks. Walnut can be easily grown from the nuts, and it should be more widely cultivated for its wood and nuts.

LITTLE WALNUT or TEXAS WALNUT (Juglans microcarpa Berlandier) grows on limestone banks of streams in western Texas. The stumps provide a gorgeous veneer.

Pecan, the “State tree” of Texas, is native to the state from the Piney Woods all the way to Central Texas, particularly around the Colorado River watershed. It’s a great shade tree and is highly prized for the nut crop it produces. Many varieties are cultivated in orchards. The pecan is a tall tree, reaching heights of over 100 feet. When it grows in open spaces, it develops a large, rounded, symmetrical canopy.

The outer BARK is rough, hard, and tight, but it breaks into scales; on the limbs, it's smooth at first but later starts to scale or split as the bark ages.

The LEAVES look like those of other hickories and the black walnut. They consist of 9 to 17 leaflets, each oblong, jagged and pointed, measuring 4 to 8 inches long and about 2 inches wide.

The FLOWERS show up in early spring and hang in tassels that are 2 to 3 inches long. The FRUIT is a nut that measures 1 to 2 inches long and ½ to 1 inch in diameter, all wrapped in a thin husk that splits open along its grooved seams when the fruit ripens in the fall. The nuts come in different sizes and shell thicknesses. Cultivated varieties are sold in large quantities on the market.

The wood is heavy, hard, brittle, not strong, and has little value except for fuel and wagon stock. Some types of wood are good for making softball bats.

Bitternut, the only hickory with bright yellow buds, is a tall, slim tree with a broad pyramidal crown, reaching heights of 100 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet. It grows in the eastern part of the state on moist, rich soils, and is not very common.

The BARK on the trunk is granite-gray, lightly tinted with yellow, smoother than in most hickories, but still broken into thin, plate-like scales.

The bright yellow winter buds are compressed and scurfy. The leaves are alternate, compound, from 6 to 10 inches long, and made up of 5 to 11 leaflets. The individual leaflets are smaller and slimmer than those of the other hickories.

The male and female FLOWERS are on the same tree. The FRUIT is about 1 inch long and has a thin husk, while the nut has a thin, smooth gray shell that is brittle. The kernel is bitter.

The wood is hard, strong, and heavy; reddish-brown in color, and often referred to as red hickory. It has the same uses as the other hickories but is said to be of lower quality.

This tree, as its name suggests, grows in lowlands and lush, moist forests. It's found all across the eastern part of the state. It’s not a large hickory, rarely reaching a height of 100 feet or a diameter of 2 feet. It has a slender shape, with upright branches creating a narrow crown. It can be easily recognized from other hickories by its reddish-brown winter buds, which have yellow glands that fall off easily.

The light brown BARK separates easily into long, loose, thick, plate-like scales.

LEAVES are alternate, compound, 9 to 15 inches long, with 7 to 13 slender leaflets. The FLOWERS are similar to those of other hickories. The FRUIT, usually found in clusters of 3 or 4, is a fairly oblong nut, distinctively four-angled, with a thin, reddish-brown hull that splits slowly. The nut itself is nearly as wide as it is long, four-angled and ridged, with a thin shell and bitter kernel.

The wood is heavy, strong, tightly grained, brown, and somewhat brittle. It's likely only used for fuel.

Shagbark hickory grows from eastern Texas to Florida and north to the St. Lawrence River and Minnesota. It is a large, commercially important tree that can reach up to 100 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It thrives best in rich, moist soil.

The BARK of the trunk is coarser than on other hickories, light gray, and breaking into thick plates that are just slightly connected to the tree. The large terminal winter buds are oval-shaped, with the persistent outer bud scales featuring narrow tips.

The LEAVES are alternate, compound, ranging from 8 to 15 inches long and made up of 5, and occasionally 7, obovate to ovate leaflets. The twigs are either smooth or covered with short hairs.

The male and female flowers bloom after the leaves have reached almost full size.

The FRUIT comes individually or in pairs and is globular. The husk is thick and has deep grooves along the seams. The nut is light in color, the shell is thin, and the kernel is sweet. It's available in bulk for sale.

The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and strong. It's used to make agricultural tools, tool handles, wagons, and sports gear.

Mockernut, white, or bigbud hickory is common in well-drained soils in the eastern part of the state. It is a short-limbed tree that can reach up to 60 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet in diameter.

The BARK is dark gray, tough, with deep furrows and often looks cross-furrowed or netted. The winter BUDS are big, round or oval-shaped, and covered with downy, hard scales. The outer dark scales easily fall off in the autumn. The new shoots are short, sturdy, and somewhat covered with a fuzzy growth.

The LEAVES are large, aromatic, and hairy; made up of 7 to 9 obovate to oblong, pointed leaflets that are pale to orange-brown on the underside. The leaves change to a stunning yellow in the fall.

The flowers come in two types on the same tree; the male flowers are in three-branched catkins, while the female flowers grow in clusters of 2 to 5. The FRUIT is oval, almost round or slightly pear-shaped, with a very thick, strongly-scented husk that splits almost to the base when it’s ripe. The nut sometimes has 4 to 6 ridges; it’s reddish-brown, thick-shelled, and contains a small, sweet kernel.

The WOOD is dense, durable, tough, and strong. It is mostly white except for the relatively small, dark-brown center, which gives it the name white hickory. It is used for similar purposes as shagbark hickory and is great for fuel.

This is a common hickory found in northern and eastern Texas, growing on hillsides and sandy uplands alongside post and blackjack oaks. It is recognized by the rusty brown hairs on its young leaves and branches. It can grow into a tree that reaches 60 to 75 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 2 feet.

The BARK is dark gray or almost black, sharply divided into rough ridges, or it might be unevenly cracked and split into thin scales. The winter buds are ovoid and covered with rusty hairs blended with silvery scales.

The LEAVES, 8 to 12 inches long with 5 to 7, usually 7, leaflets and rusty-hairy slender stems, are dark green and shiny on top; much lighter underneath. The FLOWERS are similar to other hickories.

The FRUIT is egg-shaped, narrow, or suddenly narrowed into a short stem at the bottom, with a shell ¹/₁₂ to ⅙ inch thick, splitting halfway or almost to the bottom. The sweet-seeded nut is almost egg-shaped to oblong, rounded at the ends, flattened and slightly four-angled, with a shell ⅙ to ⅖ inch thick.

The tough, brittle wood is mainly used for fuel.

This lightest native wood in the United States grows in river swamps near the Gulf, around the mouth of the Brazos River. It's a small tree that can reach up to 20 feet in height or may even be a shrub, depending on its location and natural conditions. The base is typically swollen. The straight, gradually narrowing trunk is topped with a loose, open head. The young branches are covered in hairs that eventually fall off, leaving a smooth, dark red-brown stem.

The simple, alternate LEAVES are 4 to 6 inches long and about 2 inches wide, attached to petioles that are 1 or 2 inches long. The leaves have a shiny surface on top.

The FLOWERS are in catkins of two types or sexes, the male being about 1½ inches long and the female about ¾ inch long. Both types grow on the same tree and show up around the beginning of March. The FRUIT is either solitary or in clusters of 2 to 4, each about ½ to ¾ inch long, and ripens when the leaves are about half grown. The WOOD is soft, extremely light, generally consistent in texture, and has a pale yellow color. It is used as a substitute for cork for floats on fishing nets.

This cottonwood tree is commonly found along streams all over the state. It's easy to grow from cuttings and grows quickly, which is why it’s often planted for quick shade. However, it can be disappointing for shade since it tends to drop its leaves by midsummer. The cottony seeds from the female trees can be quite annoying. The soft wood breaks easily in strong winds, and the aggressive root growth can block drain pipes and cause sidewalks to crack and lift.

The leaves are simple, alternate, broadly ovate or triangular, pointed, square at the base, and coarsely toothed on the edges, 3 to 5 inches across each way, covered with soft white hairs on the underside, supported by flattened slender petioles, 2 to 3 inches long. The winter buds are covered with chestnut-brown, resinous scales. The male and female flowers are in catkins on separate trees and appear before the leaves. The FRUIT, a capsule, contains a number of seeds with white silky hairs that allow the wind to carry the seeds for long distances.

The wood is soft, lightweight, warps easily when drying, but is used for various purposes, sometimes as a substitute for yellow poplar and linden.

Three other species of Southern cottonwood can be found in western Texas. One species, P. sargentii Dode, which features long pointed leaves, is located in the Panhandle.

Black willow grows along streams all across the state. It usually doesn’t get taller than 50 feet and is often seen growing alone or in groups by the water. In the winter, the striking reddish-brown or golden, naked twigs stand out.

The BARK is sharply split into wide, flat ridges that break off into thick, plate-like scales. On older trees, it gets a shaggy look. Its color ranges from light brown with an orange hint to almost black.

The LEAVES are 3 to 6 inches long and less than ½ inch wide; the tips are sharply tapered, and the entire edge is finely serrated. The leaves are bright green on both sides, turning light yellow in early autumn.

The FLOWERS are in catkins, with male and female on different trees.

The FRUIT is a capsule containing many tiny seeds with long silky hairs that allow them to be carried over long distances.

The wood is soft, light, and not very strong. A high quality of charcoal, used in making gunpowder, is made from willow wood, and it's the main type of wood used for making artificial limbs.

American hornbeam, or blue beech, also called ironwood and water beech, is a small, slow-growing, bushy tree with a wide canopy of slender, crooked, or drooping branches. It typically grows along streams and in low areas, usually in the shade of other trees. Its height usually ranges from 20 to 30 feet, and its diameter is 4 to 8 inches, although it can occasionally grow larger.

The TRUNK is fluted with uneven ridges or "muscles" running vertically along the tree. The BARK is smooth, ranging from light brownish-gray to dark bluish-gray, occasionally featuring dark bands that stretch horizontally across the trunk.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, oval, long and pointed, with double teeth along the edges, and measure 1 to 3 inches long. They look similar to those of the black or sweet birch, but are smaller.

The FLOWERS grow in catkins separately on the same tree; the male catkin is about 1½ inches long, while the female is about ¾ of an inch, featuring small, leaf-like, three-lobed green scales. The FRUIT is a nutlet about ⅓ inch long. It falls attached to the leaf-like scale, which acts as a wing to help it spread by the wind.

The wood is durable, tightly grained, heavy, and strong. It's sometimes chosen for making levers, tool handles, wooden gears, mallets, wedges, and so on. The tree isn't very commercially important and often takes up space in the forest that could be used by more valuable species.

The tree gets its common names from the qualities of its wood and the hop-like fruit. It is a small, slender, typically round-topped tree, standing 20 to 30 feet tall and 7 to 10 inches in diameter. The top features long, thin branches that often droop at the ends. It mostly grows on fairly dry soils throughout the uplands in the eastern part of the state.

The BARK is mostly light, gray-brown, or reddish-brown, and finely divided into thin scales.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, generally oblong with narrow tips, sharply serrated along the edges, and measure about 2 to 3 inches long.

The FLOWERS come in two types on the same tree; the male ones hang down in catkins that formed last summer, while the female ones are in upright catkins on the newly grown twigs. The FRUIT, similar to that of common hop vines, consists of a branch with leaves that is 1 to 2 inches long and contains several flattened ribbed nutlets.

The wood, strong, hard, durable, light brown to white, with thick, pale sapwood, is often used for handles of tools, mallets, and other small items.

This is the only native birch found at low elevations in the South. It grows in East Texas and, as the name suggests, in the deep, rich soils next to streams, ponds, lakes, and swamps.

The BARK makes it easy to identify this tree. Its color ranges from reddish-brown to cinnamon-red and peels back in tough, papery layers. These layers stay on the trunk, creating a very rough and unique look. Unlike the bark of other birches, the thin paper layers are usually coated with a gray powder. On older trees, the bark on the main trunk becomes thick, deeply ridged, and a reddish-brown color.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, 2 to 3 inches long, approximately oval in shape, with a double-toothed edge. The top side is dark green, and the underside is a light yellowish green.

The FLOWERS are in catkins, with two types growing on the same tree. The FRUIT is cone-shaped, about an inch long, and packed with tiny winged nutlets that mature from May to June.

The wood is strong and has a fine grain. It's been used somewhat in making wooden items, in turning, and for wagon hubs. However, this tree is spread out in its distribution and isn't commercially important.

Beech trees are found in East Texas, along the Trinity River, in the lowlands of streams and the edges of swamps. They're among the most beautiful trees, whether in summer or winter.

The simple, alternate, oblong-ovate leaves are 3 to 4 inches long, pointed at the tip, and have coarse teeth and hair along the edges. When fully grown, they feel almost like leather. The beech tree provides a thick shade. The light brown winter buds are long, thin, and pointed.

The BARK is probably the most unique feature, as it keeps a consistent, light gray surface for its entire lifespan.

The small, brown, three-sided FRUITS or beechnuts are nearly as famous as chestnuts. The nuts grow in pairs within a prickly involucre. The nut inside is sweet and edible. The fallen fruit, called mast, is a popular food source for wildlife.

The wood from the beech tree is hard, strong, and durable, but it doesn’t hold up well when exposed to the weather or when buried in the ground. The tree is economically significant as a source of lumber, with the wood being used for furniture, flooring, tools for carpenters, and various novelty items.

Chinkapins can grow as trees or create dense shrub thickets; as a result, identifying them can sometimes be confusing.

Some taxonomists attribute one species and a variety to East Texas, while others recognize four species. More research is needed.

C. pumila grows in dry woodlands, sandy ridges, and on the edges of swamps from Florida to East Texas and north to Arkansas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It can grow into a small tree that reaches heights of 10 to 30 feet and may even grow up to 50 feet tall. If it gets burned back by fires, it can send out stolons or sprouts and develop dense, shrubby growths. BRANCHLETS pubescent, gradually changing to a shiny olive-green or orange-brown, and then darker. The LEAVES are 4 to 6 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches wide, oblong to ovate and acute, with coarsely toothed edges that have slender, rigid, spreading or inward-curving teeth. The base of each leaf is uneven, either rounded or wedge-shaped. Leaves start out tomentose on both sides and later turn yellow-green above and whitish-downy below. Petiole is short, stout, and flat on the upper side. FRUIT produces a single brown, ovoid, pointed, plump, sweet, edible nut that measures ¾ to 1 inch long, encased in a bur covered with erect, crowded spines about ¾ inch long. The WOOD is light, hard, strong, and coarse-grained; it's used for fence posts and railway ties. It has little economic importance due to its relative scarcity. C. pumila is a nut-producing tree with potential commercial value.

ASHE CHINKAPIN (C. pumila var. ashei Sudw.) is a small tree that grows in dry, sandy soils. Its leaves feel like felt on the underside. This variety is identified by its bur, which features scattered, forked, and horizontally divergent bristles. The surface of the bur has smooth spots that are free of bristles.

A type of chinkapin with leaves 3 to 4 inches long and shiny underneath is often referred to as FLORIDA CHINKAPIN (C. alnifolia var. floridana Sarg.)

This species, one of the largest Southern red oaks, was named after Benjamin F. Shumard, an early state geologist of Texas. SHUMARD OAK is found in the eastern part of the state on well-drained alluvial soils and on fertile slopes. It has a tall, wide-spreading, somewhat open crown. The BARK is dark, rough, divided into ridges, and usually 1 to 1½ inches thick. It rarely makes up the main species in any forest stands but more commonly appears as individual trees. It can reach a diameter of over 3 feet and a height of more than 100 feet, but is usually smaller.

Winter buds covered with gray, smooth scales, while the buds of Texas oak (page 44) are covered with red, densely pubescent scales.

The leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate 6 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide; they have 7 lobes, occasionally 5, and each lobe can be 2 or 3-lobed or have deep teeth. The lobes are often thicker than shown in the drawing. The leaves are smaller and have deeper lobed compared to those of the black oak. The leaves are smooth except for dense clusters of light hairs at the axils of the veins below.

The FRUIT is a small acorn, around ⅔ inch wide and ¾ to 1¼ inches long, placed in a shallow, saucer-shaped cup.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, fine-grained, and light reddish-brown in color, making it commercially important for lumber and cross ties.

The variety shumardii has leaves with narrow lobes, a rougher, dark grayish bark, and deeper cups for the acorns. It's the more common type in Texas.

Texas oak grows on the dry limestone hills and ridges, as well as in the richer soils at their base, across Central and western Texas up to the Edwards Plateau. It typically doesn't exceed 30 feet in height or 10 inches in diameter.

The BARK is light brown, with a hint of red, deeply ridged, and broken into plate-like scales.

The LEAVES are deciduous 2½ to 3 inches wide, 3 to 3½ inches long; widest above the middle; divided into 5 to 7 lobes, with the terminal lobe having 3 lobes; dark green and shiny on top, pale and shiny underneath; petiole slender, about 1 inch long.

The FRUIT has a short stem, typically single, measuring between ¼ to ¾ inch in length and width, and can be nearly 1 inch long and ⅓ inch wide. It's placed in a cup that covers one-third or less of the fruit, reddish-brown in color and often streaked with dark lines.

The wood is most useful for fuel.

GRAVES OAK (Q. gravesii Sudw.) is located in the Davis and Chisos Mountains of southwestern Texas.

Black oak, also known as yellow oak, grows up to 80 feet tall and has a diameter of 1 to 3 feet. It thrives in East Texas and in the hills and canyons near the mouth of the Pecos River. The crown is irregularly shaped and wide, featuring a clear trunk for 20 feet or more on larger trees. The BARK on the very young trunks is smooth and dark brown, but it quickly becomes thick and black with deep grooves and rough, broken edges. The bright yellow color and bitter taste of the inner bark are key distinguishing features.

The LEAVES are deciduous, alternate, simple, 5 to 10 inches long and 3 to 8 inches wide, either shallow or deeply lobed, with a shape that varies widely. When fully grown, the leaves are dark green and shiny on the top, lighter on the bottom, often covered with a scurfy yellow or orange fuzz, and have noticeable rusty brown hairs in the forks of the veins.

The FRUIT matures in the second season. The light brown nut is about ½ to 1 inch long, roughly hemispherical in shape, and is about half to three-quarters covered by the thin, dark brown, scaly cup. The yellow kernel has a bitter taste.

The wood, sold and marketed as red oak, is hard, heavy, strong, coarse-grained, and prone to cracking. It has a vibrant red-brown color with a thin outer edge of a lighter shade.

Southern red oak, also known as red oak and previously called Spanish oak, typically grows to about 80 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter, although some can be larger. It thrives on dry hills in the eastern part of the state all the way to the Brazos River, while three varieties are located in richer, wetter areas. Its large, spreading branches create a wide, rounded, open canopy. The BARK has a rough texture, is not deeply grooved, and changes from light gray in younger trees to dark gray or nearly black in older ones.

The LEAVES are deciduous, featuring pear-shaped or irregular, rounded or narrow bristle-tipped lobes, with the central lobe usually being the longest. The variety pagodaefolia Ell. (Cherrybark Oak) has more lobes. All leaves have a brown or gray fuzz on the underside.

The male FLOWERS are about catkins 3-5 inches long in April when the leaves start to open. The FRUIT matures in the second year. The small, round acorn, which is ½ inch long, sits in a thin, saucer-shaped cup that narrows down to a short stalk.

The wood is heavy, tough, and durable, with a rough texture, making it valuable for lumber. The bark is high in tannin. The tree is also great for providing shade and for decorative purposes.

The presence of blackjack oak is thought to indicate poor soil because it often grows in dry or poorly drained, gravelly, clay, or sandy upland soils where few other forest trees thrive. This might explain its slow growth rate. It can be found in areas of the state that support natural tree growth, as far west as Callahan County. The tree can sometimes reach heights of 50 or 60 feet and a diameter of 16 inches, but it’s usually much smaller. Its hard, stiff, drooping branches create a dense crown that typically holds many persistent dead twigs.

The BARK is coarse, very dark, often almost black, and “blocky”; the inner bark is bright orange or yellow.

The leaves are deciduous, fuzzy and tawny, with a leathery feel, dark green on top and lighter underneath, broadly wedge-shaped, and varying in shape, measuring 4 to 10 inches long and about the same in width. The FRUIT is an acorn around ¾ inch long, yellow-brown and often striped, enclosed for half its length or more in a thick, light-brown cup. The acorns mature by the end of the second season, with yellow cotyledon flesh.

The wood is heavy, tough, and strong. It's used for firewood and made into charcoal.

Water oak is found along the edges of swamps and streams and in rich bottomlands in Texas, extending as far west as the Colorado River. It has been widely planted along streets and in parks as a shade tree. When fully grown, this tree can reach a height of about 80 feet and a diameter over 1 to 3 feet. The BARK is smooth, light brown with a hint of red, and features many smooth, thin scales across its surface. Water oak can be best identified, as compared to the willow oak—a close relative that lives longer—by the differences in the overall shape and size of their leaves.

The LEAVES are simple, pretty variable in shape, mostly oblong, wider near the tip, and narrower at the base, giving a wedge-shaped look, often slightly three-lobed at the outer end, thin, and a dull bluish-green color, lighter underneath than on top; mostly smooth, and usually 2 to 3 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide; stay green for a while, then turn yellow and slowly drop from the tree during the winter.

The flowers show up in April when the leaves start to open up. The FRUIT, an acorn, reaches maturity at the end of the second season. The acorn is about ½ to ⅔ inch long and nearly as wide, light brown or yellowish-brown with stripes, and is only lightly enclosed at the base in a shallow, cup-like shell.

The wood is heavy, hard, and strong, light brown in color, with lighter-colored sapwood. This wood is mainly used for crossties and fuel.

Willow oak, also known as water oak and pin oak, is found in the eastern part of the state up to the Brazos River. It's commonly seen in low areas and along riverbanks and swamps, but it also thrives on fertile sandy uplands. This tree is beautiful and can live a long time, making it a great choice for roadsides, lawns, and parks.

The BARK is usually smooth and reddish-brown in color; as it ages, the bark gets a bit rough and is marked by narrow ridges.

The narrow, willow-like LEAVES on a tree that clearly grows like an oak make it easy to spot in the forest. The deciduous leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and ½ to 1 inch wide, smooth, light green and shiny on top, but dull and usually smooth underneath; alternate in arrangement on the twig and attached to a short, thick petiole.

The FRUIT, small acorns, tightly packed along the stem, matures at the end of the second year. The nut is a light yellow-brown half-sphere, about ½ inch in diameter, with its base barely covered by the shallow, pale greenish-red or reddish-brown cup. The nuts are food for bluejays, grackles (blackbirds), various other bird species, and rodents.

The wood isn't sold separately from other types in the red oak group. It's heavy, strong, somewhat coarse-grained, light brown with a hint of red, and not very durable when exposed to the weather. It's used locally for crossties, bridge planks, barn sills, and general construction.

This species, which thrives on dry sand hills, typically reaches a height of no more than 25 feet and has a diameter of about 5 or 6 inches; it mainly ranges across East Texas, extending as far west as the Brazos River and appearing sporadically in Central and Northwest Texas.

The BARK is similar to that of blackjack, being divided into thick, almost square blocks 1 to 2 inches long and covered with small dark brown or nearly black scales slightly tinged with red.

The leaves of this tree are long and narrow, light blue-green on top, almost white on the bottom; they measure 2 to 5 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches wide with a thick yellow midrib. The tree looks its best in early spring when it’s adorned with light red flowers and fresh leaves.

ACORNS are produced in large quantities, sessile, or on a short stem. They are rounded at the ends, striate, and about ½ inch long, maturing by the end of the second year.

The wood is hard, strong, fine-grained, light brown with a hint of red. It has a dark colored sapwood. The wood is worthless except for use as fuel.

There are several hybrids of this species reported in Texas.

In the canyons and on the southern slopes of the Davis and Chisos Mountains, you'll find this fascinating oak with shiny, spiky, “holly-like” leaves and sweet, edible acorns. The emory oak is a small, round-topped tree that can grow up to 30 or 40 feet tall, featuring drooping branches and slender, distinctly reddish twigs.

The leaves are mostly persistent, oblong, pointed, smooth, or sharply serrated along the edges, thick, very shiny green, about 2 inches long and less than 1 inch wide.

The acorn, or FRUIT, grows close to the branch and matures in one season. It has a oblong shape, at least ½ inch long, with a dark brown or nearly black nut that is enclosed for about one-third of its length in a narrow cup. The cup is lined with dense gray fuzz or “tomentum.”

The wood is heavy, strong, somewhat brittle, tight-grained, dark brown, with light brown sapwood tinged with red. The acorns are a significant food source for Mexicans and Indigenous people.

MEXICAN BLUE OAK (Q. oblongifolia Torr.), which looks a lot like emory oak, is a smaller tree and doesn't grow at the higher elevations (over 6,000 ft.) where emory oak can be found.

GRAY OAK (Quercus grisea Liebm.) is found in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. This species is a shrub or small tree that grows between 20 to 30 feet tall, but can occasionally reach heights of up to 65 feet.

Live oak trees are found from southeastern Virginia through the lower Coastal Plain of the Atlantic and Gulf States; in Texas, their range stretches from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to the Red River and west to the Guadalupe Mountains, as well as in southern Mexico and Cuba. They have a unique appearance due to their wide-spreading branches, sometimes extending over 100 feet across, and a short, sturdy trunk that measures 3 to 4 feet in diameter. The trunk splits into several large limbs with branches that grow nearly horizontally, creating a low, dense, rounded canopy. They typically grow to a height of 40 to 50 feet. The bark on the trunk and large branches is dark brown with a hint of red and has a slightly furrowed texture. These trees thrive best on rich hammocks and low ridges near the coast, usually just a few feet above sea level. They grow slowly and can live for a long time, making them a popular choice for roadside and decorative planting in many areas. They are also one of the few trees that seem to be resistant to cotton root-rot.

The leaves are simple, persistent, thick, leathery, oblong, smooth on top, pale and silvery white underneath; measuring 2 to 4 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide.

The FRUIT is an acorn that's about 1 inch long and ⅓ inch wide, attached to a long stem or peduncle; it is oblong, dark brown and shiny, and nestled in a top-shaped, downy cup that’s a light reddish-brown color. The acorn ripens at the end of the first season.

The wood is very heavy, hard, strong, and tough, light brown or yellow, with nearly white, thin sapwood. It was mostly used in shipbuilding.

Over a large area of Central Texas, on poorer soils, you can find four or more types of “shin” oaks, named for their low-growing, bushy appearance. Mature trees range from 3 to 18 feet tall. They are quite similar in their leaves and fruit. The “oak shinneries” create a forest cover in Central Texas that provides watershed protection in the headwaters of some of the state’s major rivers.

The tree has a thin, light-colored BARK, rough, with deep grooves running up and down the tree.

The deciduous leaves of the small tree species of shin oak are elliptical, either pointed or rounded at the tip, smooth or wavy, and sometimes lobed or slightly jagged along the edges. They are thick, gray-green, and densely hairy underneath, measuring about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide.

The acorns, or FRUIT, appear alone or in pairs on very short stems and mature within one season. They are small, deeply nestled in a relatively heavy cup that's thinner toward the outer end.

The wood of Mohr's oak isn't economically significant.

This oak grows in the well-drained soil of river bottoms from the coastal area of East Texas to the bottoms of the Guadalupe River (Victoria County) and further inland to San Saba County and the Dallas area.

It grows into a tree that is 60 to 90 feet tall with a trunk that is 2 to 3 feet wide; it has relatively small branches, with the lower ones being horizontal and the upper ones rising, creating a dense, rounded, attractive canopy.

The BARK is slim, light gray or almost white and split into loose appressed scales.

The deciduous LEAVES are 2½ to 7 inches long, yellow-green, thin, smooth on the edges, three-lobed at the tip, or irregularly lobed, with the three forms appearing on different branches of the same tree.

The FRUIT, an acorn, found alone or in pairs on a very short peduncle, is almost egg-shaped, light chestnut-brown, shiny, ½ to ¾ inch long, and just slightly surrounded at the base by the thin, saucer-shaped cup. The acorn reaches maturity in a single season.

The wood is tough and heavy and is mainly used as fuel.

Within its natural range, which covers almost the entire eastern half of the United States, the white oak is one of the most important timber trees. It can be found from East Texas to the Brazos River, typically reaching a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. It thrives in high-quality soils. When grown in a dense stand, it has a long, straight trunk that is free of side branches for more than half of its height. In an open environment, it develops a shorter trunk and broad crown with extensive limbs.

The BARK is slim, light ash gray, and covered with loose scales or wide plates.

The deciduous leaves are alternate, simple, 5 to 9 inches long and about half as wide. They are deeply divided into 5 to 9 rounded, finger-like lobes. The young leaves are a soft silvery-gray or yellow or red while unfolding, later becoming bright green and shiny or dull on top and much lighter and glaucous underneath. The FRUIT, an acorn that matures in one season, is ¾ to 1 inch long, light brown, and about one-fourth covered by a bumpy cup. The acorn is enjoyed by hogs and other livestock.

The wood is heavy, strong, hard, tough, tight-grained, durable, and light brown. It has many uses, including construction, waterproof barrels, furniture, wagons, tools, interior finishes, flooring, and fuel. Even though white oak grows slowly, it’s valuable for forestry, highway, and decorative planting.

Post oak in Texas is typically a medium-sized tree, with a rounded crown, usually growing to about 50 feet tall and 1 foot wide, but it can sometimes be significantly larger. It’s the most common oak in Central Texas and is often found in East Texas. It thrives best in poorer upland soils that have bad drainage.

The deciduous LEAVES are typically 4 to 5 inches long and almost as wide, deeply five-lobed with wide rounded sections, the lobes widest at the tips. They are thick and somewhat leathery, dark green and shiny on top, and lighter green and rough with hair underneath.

The FLOWERS, like those of the other oaks, come in two types on the same tree: the male ones in drooping clusters catkins, and the female ones, which are not very noticeable. The FRUIT, a oval acorn that is ½ to 1 inch long, is placed in a rather small cup that has thin scales and may or may not have a stalk. The fruit matures in one season.

The wood is heavy, hard, tightly grained, ranging from light to dark brown, and durable when in contact with the soil. It’s used for railroad ties and fence posts, and sometimes for furniture and lumber.

Aside from the usual type, there are two varieties found in the state. The variety margaretta (Ashe) Sarg. is the common post oak of eastern Texas.

Bur oak is found across the eastern part of the state and as far west as Callahan and Menard Counties, in fertile bottomlands near streams or on lush hillsides along spring-fed rivers. The name refers to the fringe around the acorn's cup, which can be quite large. The tree typically features a wide canopy with heavy, spreading branches and a relatively short trunk. When fully grown, it can reach a diameter of 5 feet or more and a height of over 80 feet.

The branches often have noticeable corky ridges after their second year.

The BARK is light gray and is typically broken up into small, narrow flakes. The deciduous LEAVES resemble those of the common white oak but are much larger and have a pair of deep indentations along the edges near the base, with wavy notches on the broad, middle, and upper parts of the leaf. They range from 6 to 12 inches long and 3 to 6 inches wide. The FRUIT, or acorn, sits deeply in the fringed cup. The fruit is usually 1 inch or more in diameter but varies widely in size and how much the nut is enclosed in the mossy-fringed cup. The fruit matures in one season.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, tough, and durable. It's used for many of the same purposes as other white oaks—for lumber, railway ties, and fuel.

Overcup oak, also called the swamp post oak or water white oak, grows into a large tree with small, often drooping branches. It thrives in the moist, fertile lowlands of East Texas through the Navasota River Valley.

The LEAVES are deciduous, 7 to 9 inches long, 1 to 4 inches wide, oblong, wider at the tip, tapered at the base, dark green on top, often pale underneath, with 7 to 9 clear pointed lobes. They often change to a bright red or a mix of red and orange in the fall. The BARK is rough, flaky, and gray with a hint of red.

The FLOWERS start as the leaves unfurl. The FRUIT, an acorn, matures in one season. The large, rounded or slightly flattened acorn, measuring an inch or more in diameter and ½ to 1 inch tall, is mostly covered by the ovate or nearly spherical cup, which is thicker at the base but gradually tapers off, often with an irregular split at the edge of the cup.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, and durable and is used for the same purposes as white oak.

This species, also known as basket oak and cow oak, is identified by its wavy leaf edges, a large fruit that has sessile or very short stalks, and it is most commonly found in lowland areas. It is mainly located in the eastern part of the state, extending as far west as the Trinity River.

In its look, the bark and branches are quite similar to a regular white oak, but the leaves don’t have deep cuts and the acorns are generally bigger. This tree can reach heights of around 100 feet and diameters of about 4 feet.

The LEAVES are deciduous, obovate or oblong ovate, with notched edges similar to the chinkapin oak, but the lobes are rounded instead of pointed. They range from 4 to 8 inches in length, are downy underneath and turn a deep crimson in the fall. The BARK is very light gray, and on older trees, it breaks into broad flakes or splits into strips.

The acorn, or FRUIT, matures in one season and reaches a diameter of over an inch and a length of 1½ inches. The acorn is a shiny, bright brown and sits in a fairly shallow cup. Cows often eat acorns, which is why the tree has one of its common names.

The wood is heavy, hard, tough, strong, and takes a great polish. It's used to make lumber, veneer, boards (shakes), water-tight barrels, fuel, fence posts, and baskets.

This oak, also called chestnut oak, can be found in the eastern part of the state and west to the Guadalupe River, as well as on the Guadalupe Mountains. It thrives in most types of soil, except for swamps, and is resilient in shallow, dry, limestone soil. The BARK is light gray and breaks into short, narrow flakes on the main trunk and old limbs.

It grows to a height of 20 to 50 feet. The straight, well-shaped trunk supports a round-topped canopy made up of small branches, making it a beautiful shade tree.

The LEAVES are deciduous, oblong, 3 to 6 inches long, 1½ to 3 inches wide, evenly toothed or notched on the edges, looking like the leaves of a chestnut oak. The FRUIT, which matures in the fall of the first season, is light to dark brown when ready to eat, and can be eaten if roasted. This acorn is ½ to nearly 1 inch long, usually less than 1 inch in diameter, and sits in a shallow cup.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, durable, and takes a great polish. It's used for barrels, fencing, crossties, fuel, and sometimes for furniture.

The range of this well-known American shade tree runs west to the Dakotas and south to Coke County, Texas. Throughout this large area, it's usually common, except in the high mountains and wet lowlands. It typically grows to an average height of 60 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. The BARK is dark gray, split into irregular flat-topped, thick ridges, and is generally firm. Cutting into an outer ridge of bark will reveal alternate brown and cream-colored layers. A cross-section of slippery elm bark is consistently cream or tan in color.

The leaves are alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long, fairly thick, a bit uneven, with double teeth along the edges, and either smooth or scabrous on top and soft pubescent or glabrate underneath. The leaf veins are very noticeable and run in parallel lines from the midrib to the leaf edge.

The FLOWERS are small, perfect, greenish, on slender pedicels, soon drooping, and appear before the leaves. The FRUIT ripens in the spring and is a light green, oval-shaped samara (winged fruit) with the seed part in the center and completely surrounded by a wing. A deep notch at the end of the wing is a distinctive feature of the species.

The wood is dense, durable, strong, tough, and hard to split. It's used for wheel hubs, saddle trees, veneer for baskets and crates, and slack cooperage.

American elm is quickly being wiped out in the East and Midwest by Dutch elm disease and phloem necrosis.

Winged elm gets its common name from the thin, corky growths or "wings" that are usually found on smaller branches. These "wings" typically end abruptly at the leaf nodes, while the cedar elm (p. 63) usually has continuous "wings." On large, fast-growing trees, the wings are often missing. It grows in eastern Texas, all the way to the Guadalupe River valley, in dry uplands, and in moist soils near streams and swamps. It grows quickly in wet areas and can also be planted along roadsides in relatively dry, poor locations. It is relatively disease-resistant but doesn't live long. Winged elm is a medium-sized tree, reaching 40 to 50 feet tall and rarely growing larger than 2 feet in diameter. It has a somewhat open, round-topped canopy.

The BARK is light brown with a hint of red, and divided by uneven shallow fissures into flat ridges.

The LEAVES are simple alternate, 2 to 4 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide, coarsely double-toothed, thick, dark green and smooth on top, and pale and slightly fuzzy or glabrous underneath with small hairs and noticeable veins. The leaves are small and pointed at the tip, which sets them apart from the small blunt leaves of the cedar elm.

The flowers show up in early spring, long before the leaves come out. The FRUIT ripens in the spring, around the time the leaves show up; it has wings, tipped with two small, curved arms or beaks; oblong, reddish-brown; about ⅓ inch long, with a long, thin pedicel at the base, and covered with white hairs.

The wood is very similar to that of the other elms—heavy, hard, and tough to split. It's sometimes used for hubs and mauls. In the past, rope made from the inner bark was used to bind the covers to cotton bales.

Cedar elm is found all over the state, near streams, in deep, fertile soil, and on dry limestone hills. It's the most common elm tree in Texas, reaching as far as the Pecos River. It can grow up to 75 feet tall with a tall, straight trunk that's 2 to 3 feet wide, and it has a rounded top that tapers down with drooping branches. It reaches its biggest size in the bottomlands of the Guadalupe and Trinity Rivers.

The BARK is a light brown with a hint of red, deeply cracked, featuring flat, scaly ridges. The young twigs are soft and reddish in color, occasionally developing thin corky wings that wrap around the leaf nodes.

The LEAVES are small, the largest being less than 2 inches long, often double-toothed and usually quite blunt at the tip. Their upper surface is dark green and rough, while the lower surface and petiole are hairy.

The FLOWERS that show up in the autumn are grouped in small clusters with short stems at the axils of the leaves. The FRUIT, which is an oval-shaped samara just over ¼ inch long, is covered in hairs all over, particularly on the edges, and has a deep notch at the tip.

The wood is reddish-brown, brittle, and has a thick layer of lighter-colored sapwood. It's sometimes used to make hubs, furniture, and fencing.

Slippery elm, or red elm, is located in the eastern and southern regions of the state, extending to the upper Guadalupe and Leon Rivers in Kerr and Comal Counties. It primarily grows along stream banks and on low hillsides in rich soil. This tree is small to moderate in size but has a noticeably wide spread. Typically, it stands less than 40 feet tall and has a diameter of 6 inches, although larger trees can occasionally be found.

The BARK on the trunk is usually 1 inch thick, dark grayish-brown on the outside, uniformly tan or cream colored on the inside, and marked by shallow fissures into flat ridges. The inner bark is used to some degree for medicinal purposes and, when chewed, provides a slippery mucilaginous substance, which is how the tree gets its name.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate on the stem, 4 to 6 inches long, sharp-pointed, their bases asymmetrical, serrated along the edges, thick, dark green, and very rough on top, pubescent underneath.

The flowers show up in early spring and are nearly sessile. The FRUIT, a samara, ¾ inch long and ½ inch in diameter, has a seed surrounded by a thin, wide, greenish wing. The fruit ripens when the leaves are about halfway grown. The edge of the fruit is not ciliate.

The wood is dense, tough, strong, heavy, hard, and somewhat durable when in contact with the soil. Slippery elm and American elm are sold commercially as “soft elm” and have similar uses.

Planer tree, or water elm, grows in low, wet areas along the streams in the eastern part of the state, reaching as far west as Brazos and Matagorda Counties. It develops into a small, spreading tree with a wide canopy, standing 30 to 40 feet tall and having a maximum trunk diameter of 20 inches.

The BARK is light brown or gray, about ¼ inch thick, and breaks into large scales.

The LEAVES look like those of the small-leaved elms. They are 2 to 2½ inches long and ¾ to 1 inch wide on a short petiole, dark dull green on top and lighter underneath, with yellowish veins.

The flowers show up with the leaves in March or early April. The small flowers can sometimes be perfect; sometimes the male and female flowers are found separately on the same tree. The FRUIT is a unique, rounded, shaggy-looking structure, about ⅜ inch long. It has a nut-like center covered with soft, irregular wing-like extensions that spread out from the center on all sides.

The wood is light brown, coarse-grained, and soft, very lightweight, and has a wide area of almost white sapwood. The wood has minimal economic value.

Hackberry is found throughout eastern Texas on different types of soil. It typically grows to be a medium to large tree, reaching heights of 60 to 100 feet or more and having a diameter of 10 to 20 inches. Its branches are often crooked and angular, featuring a canopy made up of slender, hanging branches or short, bristly, stubby twigs. In open spaces, the crown is generally symmetrical. It makes for an excellent shade tree.

The BARK is brownish-gray, one inch or more thick, and generally very rough with many scale-like or warty projections of dead bark.

The LEAVES are simple, ovate, alternate, one-sided, 2 to 4 inches long, thick, very rough on top, green on both sides, and the edges are jagged toward the long tip. The FLOWERS are not very noticeable, and the two types are found on the same tree. They bloom in April or May, and are a creamy greenish color. The FRUIT is a round, somewhat oblong, drupe or berry, dark purple, ⅓ inch in diameter, ripening in September. The peduncle (fruit stem) is much longer than the petiole of the leaf. It has a thin, purplish skin, and sweet yellowish flesh. The berries often remain on the tree for most of the winter.

The wood is heavy, quite soft, weak, and breaks down easily when exposed. It's mainly used for fuel and sometimes for lumber.

The range of this hackberry goes deep into the northern and northeastern regions of the United States.

Sugarberry is found all over the eastern half of the state. It grows most abundantly and reaches its largest size in rich alluvial soil but does well in different soil types. This species can grow 30 to 50 feet tall and 10 to 20 inches in diameter, though it can sometimes get much larger. Its branches spread out or hang down, creating a wide canopy. The younger branchlets are slender, light green, glabrous, or pubescent, and turn a bright reddish-brown in their first winter.

The BARK is light gray and has noticeable bumps all over it.

The LEAVES are simple, long and oval-shaped, one-sided, 2½ to 5 inches long, thin, smooth, with the edges completely intact.

The flowers, which aren’t very noticeable, grow on thin, smooth stems in April or May, and are a creamy-green color. The FRUIT is short and oval to pear-shaped, orange-red or yellow, ¼ inch in diameter, and ripens in September. The peduncle of the fruit is either shorter or slightly longer than the petiole of the leaf.

The wood is soft, weak, fine-grained, and light yellow, and is sometimes used for flooring and furniture, but mainly for fuel.

Red mulberry is found in eastern Texas and extends west to the canyon of Devils River in Valverde County. It thrives in rich, moist soils. This is a small tree, usually reaching up to 50 feet tall and 2 feet wide, often growing in the shade of larger trees.

The BARK is pretty thin, dark grayish-brown, and comes off in long, narrow flakes.

The LEAVES are alternate, thin, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped, serrated, pointed, 3 to 5 inches long, rough and hairy on top and soft and hairy underneath. Some of the leaves are shaped like mittens or lobed.

The FLOWERS come in two types, on the same or different trees, in long drooping catkins, with the female catkins being shorter and appearing alongside the leaves.

The multiple FRUIT is edible, dark purple or black when ripe, and ¾ to 1 inch long.

The wood is pretty lightweight, soft, not very strong, light orange-yellow, and the heartwood is sturdy when it comes into contact with the soil. It's mainly used for fence posts.

The TEXAS MULBERRY (Morus microphylla Buckl.) is found in West Texas and south of the Colorado River. Its leaves are usually no longer than 1½ inches.

The WHITE MULBERRY (Morus alba L.), originally from China, has become established in the United States.

Osage-orange, "bodark," hedge apple, or mock orange is native to eastern and Central Texas, growing its largest in the Red River Valley in the northeastern part of the state. It usually grows to a height of 20 to 40 feet and has a diameter of 4 to 12 inches. The BARK is thin, gray, and sometimes has a yellow tint; on older trees, it breaks into strips or flakes. It contains tannin and has been used for tanning leather. The twigs have thick, straight thorns that are ⅜ to 1 inch long.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, oval-pointed and shiny green on the top, 3 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, and smooth-edged. The leaves turn bright yellow in the fall.

The yellowish flowers show up in May; there are two types on the same tree—the male flowers in a linear cluster and the female flowers in a rounded ball. The FRUIT is globular, ranging from 2 to 5 inches in diameter and looking like a rough, green orange.

The wood is heavy, extremely hard, very strong, and highly durable when in contact with the soil. The heartwood is bright orange, changing to brown when exposed. It's mainly used for posts. Native Americans valued the wood for making bows and war clubs. The tree is also planted for windbreaks and hedges. The bark of the roots produces a yellow dye.

Magnolia is one of the most well-known trees in the eastern part of the state. No other tree surpasses it in the beauty of its leaves and flowers. It naturally grows in rich, moist soil along the edges of river swamps and nearby uplands in the Coastal Plain to the Brazos River valley, and it has been widely cultivated for its decorative appeal. In its natural habitat, it usually reaches heights of 60 to 80 feet and trunk diameters of up to 4 feet. The dense pyramidal head, or crown, consists of many small, spreading branches and branchlets.

The leaves are evergreen, thick, leathery, elliptical or oval, dark green and shiny on top, rusty or silvery underneath, and are usually 5 to 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, with noticeable midribs. They stay on the tree for about 2 years.

The large FLOWERS are 6 to 8 inches wide, with pure white petals surrounding a burst of bright purple in the center, and they have a lovely fragrance.

The FRUIT is a round or oval cluster that's 3 to 4 inches long, filled with seeds, each wrapped in a follicle. These open up in the fall, showing off the bright red seeds hanging on thin threads.

The wood is moderately heavy, hard, and has a creamy color. It’s mainly used for furniture, Venetian blinds, and as fuel.

Sweetbay, commonly called white or swampbay locally, is located in the southern part of the Texas pine belt to western Montgomery County, in swamps and rich, moist soils. It often appears as a cluster of sprouts in open woods, and in dense forests, it can grow as a tree 60 to 90 feet tall and up to 3 feet wide.

The bark is light gray, and the branchlets are silky white.

The leaves are simple, oblong, light green on top and fuzzy-white underneath, 4 to 6 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide, staying on new shoots until spring, typically falling off older trees in the fall.

The fragrant flowers, with 9 to 12 creamy-white petals on slender, smooth stems, measure 2 to 3 inches across. They keep blooming over several weeks in spring and early summer. The FRUIT aggregate or “bur” is oval-shaped, dark red or brown, about 2 inches long, and contains scarlet seeds that are usually oval, flattened, and less than ½ inch long.

The wood is soft, creamy white to reddish and is used for furniture, boxes, wooden items, and Venetian blinds.

This unusual and charming tree doesn’t grow widely in Texas and seems to be relatively unknown. It can be found near streams in the far eastern part of the state and is more common in Harrison and Grayson Counties. It usually doesn’t exceed 30 feet in height and has a trunk that’s 8 to 10 inches in diameter.

The BARK on young trees and branches is a smooth, clean brown; on older trees it becomes blotchy with gray and has a few small wart-like bumps.

The LEAVES are obovate—lanceolate, 8 to 12 inches long, light, bright green on top and lighter underneath.

The FLOWERS are really distinctive. The three light green, fuzzy sepals appear early deciduous. The outer three petals are a deep brownish-purple with prominent veins. The inner three petals are pointed, glandular, and stand upright.

The FRUIT is an oblong berry 3 to 6 inches long, and has several large, brown seeds. When it’s ripe, it falls to the ground and turns dark brown. The deep yellow flesh is tasty, although some people might not like its distinct flavor. The tree blooms and grows as either a shrub or tree.

The wood is lightweight, fragile, and porous, yellow in color, and has no known value.

Redbay is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states from Virginia to southeastern and southern Texas and is part of the Laurel family. In total, about 100 species of Persea are found in North and South America.

Redbay grows up to 70 feet tall and 3 feet wide, featuring a nicely shaped canopy of upright, sturdy, dark green branches. It thrives in moist, nutrient-rich soils near streams and swamps, and sometimes in drier soils alongside longleaf pine in the coastal area.

The aromatic LEAVES are oblong, thick or leathery, up to 4 inches long and 1½ inches wide, bright green with smooth edges and a narrow, orange-colored midrib. They stay green through the first winter. The yellowish-white FLOWERS are in small clusters.

The FRUIT is a nearly round, somewhat soft, shiny, dark blue or almost black drupe, about ½ inch long. It ripens in the fall and has a large rounded pit inside.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, bright red, with thin, lighter-colored sapwood. It's used for cabinet-making, interior finishing, and has even been utilized for boat construction.

SILKBAY (Persea humilis Nash) is a small or low-growing shrub or tree, standing 6 to 10 feet tall, found in southern Texas.

This small tree with aromatic leaves and twigs usually doesn't grow taller than 40 feet or wider than a foot in diameter. It's commonly found in Texas, extending to the Brazos River, thriving in drier soils, and is often one of the first broad-leaved trees to appear in abandoned fields, where birds drop the seeds. This species is closely related to the camphor tree from Japan. The BARK is red-brown and deeply furrowed, while the bark of the twigs is bright green.

The LEAVES are interesting because they come in many different shapes on the same tree or even on the same twig. Some are oval and whole, 4 to 6 inches long; others have one lobe, looking like a mitten; and some are split at the outer end into 3 separate lobes.

The FLOWERS are grouped together, greenish-yellow, and bloom as soon as the leaves start to open. The male and female flowers are generally found on separate trees. The FRUIT is a oblong, dark blue or black shiny drupe surrounded at the base by what looks like a small orange-red or scarlet cup at the end of the scarlet peduncle.

The wood is light, soft, weak, brittle, and durable in the soil; the heartwood is a dull orange-brown. It's used for posts and crossties. The bark of the roots produces the very aromatic oil of sassafras, which is commonly used for flavoring candies and various commercial products. The bark of the root is sold in small bundles for making sassafras tea.

This tall-growing shrub has the unique habit of blooming in late fall and producing its fruit in early spring. It's native to the far eastern part of Texas and grows in rich soil by streams or along the edges of forests.

The BARK is smooth, white, gray, and has light brown spots.

The LEAVES are usually obovate, 3 to 5 inches long, clearly veined, with a wavy edge, very uneven at the base, bright green on top and a bit lighter underneath. They're typically smooth.

The unusual yellow FLOWERS grow in clusters along the branch, featuring long, very narrow twisted petals. They bloom during November, December, and January, depending somewhat on the weather, and have a refreshing scent. The FRUIT is a hard, sturdy, two-celled capsule with two beaks. It splits in half, with each half holding a shiny black seed. In late summer or early autumn, the capsules burst open, releasing the seeds.

The wood is tough and tightly grained. The trees don't grow big enough to have commercial value.

An analgesic extract used in lotions and balms is obtained from the inner bark through distillation.

Sweetgum is a valuable yet sometimes problematic tree found in East Texas. It grows in rich river bottoms and swamps that often flood, as well as on drier uplands, extending as far west as the San Jacinto River Basin. The BARK is light gray and has a rough texture due to corky scales, which eventually becomes deeply furrowed. After the second year, the twigs often develop corky bark projections that make them look winged.

The simple, alternate star-shaped LEAF has 5 to 7 points or lobes, measuring 5 to 7 inches across and aromatic. In the fall, its colors range from light yellow to orange and red, ending with a rich bronze.

The flowers of both sexes show up on the same tree and bloom with the leaves. The FRUIT, which is about an inch or more across, consists of many capsules with sticking-out spines. It stays on the tree well into the winter.

The wood is moderately hard, has a fine grain, and isn’t very durable when exposed. The reddish-brown color, which gives it the name red gum, isn’t usually found in logs smaller than 16 inches in diameter. The wood is widely used for flooring, interior finishes, paper pulp, and veneers for various types of baskets.

In the uplands, this species competes fiercely with the more valuable Southern pines. Controlling sweetgum is, therefore, a challenge. This appealing species should be planted more widely for ornamental purposes.

American sycamore, also known as planetree and buttonwood, is regarded as the largest hardwood tree in North America. It can be found from eastern Texas to Zavalla County. It thrives the most and grows to its largest size near streams and in fertile lowlands. It grows quickly and can sometimes reach heights of 140 to 170 feet and diameters of 10 to 11 feet.

The BARK of the sycamore is a distinctive feature; on the younger trunk and large branches, it's smooth and greenish-gray. The outer bark of the limbs and upper trunk flakes off in large patches, revealing the nearly white younger bark underneath. Near the base of older trees, the bark becomes thick, dark brown, and split by deep grooves.

The leaves are simple, alternate, 4 to 7 inches long and about as wide; light green and smooth on top, and lighter underneath. The base of the petiole is hollow and, when it falls off, reveals the winter bud. The multiple FRUIT forms a ball about 1 inch in diameter, which hangs on its flexible peduncle—3 to 5 inches long. In early spring, the fruit ball breaks apart, and the small nutlets are scattered widely by the wind.

The wood is hard and fairly strong, but it breaks down quickly when buried in the ground. It's used for butcher blocks, tobacco boxes, furniture, and interior finishes.

Hawthorn, as discussed here, includes around 30 different species and varieties found throughout the state. Members of this group grow in both poor and rich soils, in shallow and deep areas, and on limestone hills as well as on fertile bottom lands and swamps. Most of the types share a similarity in having thorns and producing white flowers and red or yellow fruit. Some species are used as ornamental trees, but overall, the group has little commercial value.

The BARK is usually thin, gray, and on the old stems fragmented into thin, narrow scales.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, mostly oval or wedge-shaped, notched on the edges, and usually 2 to 3 inches long.

The flowers are white, some smell nice while others have a bit of a bad odor; they show up in early spring. The FRUIT ranges from globular to oblong, measuring from ¼ to ¾ inch in diameter; some, when ripe, have a soft, sweet, edible flesh surrounding 1 to 5 hard seeds.

The wood is strong, tough, heavy, hard, but rarely used for anything.

Many types of birds are drawn to these trees and bushes because of the fruit and the shelter they provide for nesting. Blueberry hawthorn, C. brachyacanthu, has fruit that ripens in late summer and is an important food source for deer. The fruit of most species ripens in the fall, and one or two varieties produce fruit that is highly sought after for making jelly.

This species is native to East Texas, found as far west as the Trinity River. It grows along rivers at the edges of swamps and ponds, where water collects for part of the year. These trees often create large thickets. The FRUIT of this haw, unlike other Texas haws, ripens in late April or May. After the fruit has fallen, it becomes harder to tell it apart from other haws. It has a low, spreading shape, sometimes growing into a tree that reaches 20 to 30 feet tall and about a foot in diameter. It usually has a few thorns that are about 1 inch long on branches that are two years old.

On old trees, the BARK is deeply cracked and split into dark brown, persistent scales. The wood holds no commercial value.

The leaves are about 2 inches long, pointed, tapering toward the stem, finely toothed from the middle of the tip, sometimes slightly lobed, dull green, and somewhat downy underneath.

The flowers that bloom in March are the biggest of Crataegus, measuring 1 inch across, white, and found in clusters of just 2 or 3. The FRUIT, an unusually large fruit, can be nearly an inch in diameter. When fully ripe, these haws turn bright red, shiny, soft, and have a nice tang. The fruit is collected in large amounts for making mayhaw jelly.

This common wild plum is a small tree that grows to heights of 20 to 25 feet and has a diameter of 8 to 10 inches. Rarely, it grows only to the size of a large shrub.

The BARK is dark, ranging from gray to almost black. Young branches have curling scales, but on older trunks, the bark is rough and deeply lined.

The leaves, when fully grown, are alternate, oval, sharply pointed, finely and doubly toothed along the edges, dark yellow-green, smooth and shiny, thick and firm, measuring 2 to 3 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide, tapering or rounded at the base, and clearly veined on both sides.

The white FLOWERS blossom in many small clusters in March before the leaves appear. With an abundance of flowers, this tree is one of the joys of early spring in the woods. The FRUIT, or plum, which ripens in late summer, is a dark purple-red color with a bluish "bloom", about 1¼ inches in diameter, and its taste can vary greatly. The stone is about ¾ inch long and smooth. The dorsal edge is ridged; the ventral edge is grooved.

This type of plum doesn’t sucker to grow in thickets, is drought-resistant, and has been used as grafting stock for producing commercial plums.

This shrub or small tree has a short, often crooked or leaning trunk, a flat-topped crown, and slender branches, and it usually doesn't grow taller than 20 feet. The branchlets, initially covered in dense, light fuzz, quickly turn smooth and bright red in the first year and then dull dark brown in the second year. It can be found throughout the eastern part of the state.

BARK ¼ inch thick, dark brown, almost black, and broken diagonally into small, hard, appressed, persistent scales. LEAVES bright bronze-green with red edges and petiole when they open up; at maturity, typically less than 2½ inches long, ovate-lanceolate to oblong with a rounded or slightly cordate base; leaf thin, dark green on top, lighter underneath; usually has two large dark glands at the base; edges finely and sharply serrate with inward-curving teeth.

Small white FLOWERS appear in clusters of 3 or 4 before the leaves. Each flower is about ⅔ inch wide. FRUIT a drupe on a stem that measures ½ to 1 inch long, round, ½ inch in diameter, and has a tough outer skin that can be black, yellow, or bright red, covered with a glaucous bloom, and filled with thick, acidic flesh. The stone is flattened, has brittle walls, and is wrinkled. The dorsal side has a groove; the ventral side features a noticeable ridge. Deer love to eat the fruit.

A medium-sized tree, reaching up to about 70 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide, black cherry is found in eastern Texas and in the mountains of West Texas. Trees that grow in forests have long, straight trunks with little taper. Trees that grow in open areas have shorter trunks with many branches and an irregular spreading crowns. The BARK on branches and young trunks is smooth and bright reddish-brown, marked by noticeable, narrow, white horizontal lines, and has a bitter almond taste. On older trunks, the bark becomes rough and breaks into thick, irregular plates.

The LEAVES are alternate, simple, oval shaped like lances, measuring 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 1½ inches wide, with fine, inward-curving serrations, shiny on the top, and paler underneath. Cattle that eat wilted leaves can suffer fatal poisoning.

The FRUIT is a dull purplish-black drupe, roughly the size of a pea, and grows in long hanging panicles. The fruit ripens in late summer, is edible but a bit bitter, and is enjoyed by wildlife.

The wood is reddish-brown with yellowish sapwood, moderately heavy, hard, strong, fine-grained, and resists warping or splitting when dried. Except for black walnut, cherry wood has a higher unit value than any other hardwood in the eastern United States. Cherry is highly valued for making furniture.

The SOUTHWESTERN BLACK CHERRY, Prunus serotina var. rufula (Woot. and Standl.) McVaugh is found in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas. At least five other cherry species are native to Texas. All have shrubby growth.

Called by many local names like cherry laurel, wild peach, and mock orange, this species is native to the eastern part of the state up to the valley of the Guadalupe River, where it thrives in deep, rich, moist bottomlands. It seems to be disease-free and is quite adaptable for landscaping. It typically grows as a small tree but can occasionally reach heights of 50 to 60 feet and a diameter of 18 inches when cultivated. The partially wilted leaves and young branches can be deadly to animals that eat them due to the presence of poisonous hydrocyanic acid.

The BARK is pretty smooth, gray, and has nearly black spots.

The LEAVES are persistent, elongated and lance-shaped, with a few tiny sharp edges along the sides, dark shiny green on top, lighter underneath. They stay on the plant until the second year.

The small white flowers grow in clusters in early spring. The FRUIT, a shiny black drupe, ripens in autumn and stays until the next spring. Some birds eat the fruit.

The wood is dense, sturdy, tough, tightly grained, deep brown in color, with a thick, lighter colored sapwood.

This beautiful evergreen appears as a small tree or shrub in South Texas from Matagorda Bay and south into Mexico. Its short, spreading branches create a wide, round shape and carry thick, zigzag twig-like branches that are dark reddish-brown or light gray, equipped with persistent stipular spines that are ¼ to ½ inch long.

The LEAVES, about 2 inches long, are feather-like (twice pinnate) with sessile, leathery leaflets that are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, and ¼ to ⅓ inch long.

The flowers are light yellow or cream colored, fragrant, and bloom from June to August in dense, cylindrical or interrupted spikes that are 1½ inches long.

The FRUIT ripens in the fall and stays on the branches until after the following year's flowering season. It’s a flattened, curved, hairy pod, 4 to 6 inches long and about 1 inch wide.

The wood is very heavy, hard, tightly grained, dark reddish-brown with a hint of purple, practically indestructible when used for fence posts, and highly prized for cabinet making.

The tree is seen as the most valuable species in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Mexicans use the seed as a coffee substitute.

Found on dry gravelly mesas, the sides of low canyons, and the banks of mountain streams in the Rio Grande Valley and westward, this small tree rarely grows taller than 30 feet and has a trunk that can be up to 12 inches in diameter. The top or crown is made up of many spreading branches and smooth pale brown or red branchlets, which are equipped with thick, curved spines.

The small, bipinnately compound LEAVES with 1 to 3 pinnae, the leaflets of which are about ¼ inch long.

The fragrant yellow FLOWERS bloom in the summer, forming dense, oblong, pubescent spikes, typically 2 to 3 clustered at the end of a branch.

The FRUIT matures by midsummer into a twisted or distorted pod, 2 to 4 inches long and about ¾ inch wide. The pod is narrower between each of the 6 to 8 seeds, which are almost round, flat, dark brown, and shiny. The pods hang unopened on the branches until winter or the following spring.

The wood is heavy, tough, strong, tightly grained, durable, and has a clear brown or red color.

This small, beautiful tree grows wild in western Texas, from the upper San Saba River to Devil’s River. It thrives along stream banks and in moist ravines, growing to a height of 15 to 20 feet and a diameter of 4 to 5 inches.

The LEAVES are finely and doubly compound; with 10 to 14 feather-like pinnae, each containing from 30 to 60 small leaflets, arranged along opposite sides of the rachis. Each leaflet is elliptical, grayish-green or bluish-green, smooth, and about ⅓ inch long.

The white FLOWERS are grouped together in dense round clusters, about 1 inch wide, on a long peduncle. Each tiny flower has sticking-out hairs that make the head look fuzzy.

The pods, or FRUIT, are 6 to 8 inches long and about ½ inch wide, flat, and with narrow wing-like edges.

The wood is dense, sturdy, finely grained, with a rich brown color streaked with red, featuring thin, clear sapwood.

Two other species of mimosa are found in Texas: L. pulverulenta (Schlect.) Benth., located above the mouth of the Rio Grande; and L. retusa Benth., in Jeff Davis, Kimble, Real, Uvalde, and Valverde Counties.

This familiar small tree is located in the central and western parts of the state. The short trunk, typically just 6 to 8 inches in diameter, splits into numerous branches that create a loose, open canopy or crown.

The root system is very big, featuring a thick taproot that can reach depths of 30 to 40 feet, along with numerous branching roots.

The LEAVES are pinnately compound, made up of 12 to 20 leaflets connected along a central rachis, or “stem,” that is 8 to 10 inches long. The leaflets are usually 2 inches long, smooth, dark green, and pointed. There are small spines near their bases.

The fragrant flowers are small and grow in clusters (spikes) that are 2 to 4 inches long. The FRUIT is a pod about 4 to 9 inches, with a narrow space between each of the 10 to 20 seeds covered in thick, sweet pulp, which the locals use as food and animals actively seek out.

The wood is heavy, hard, and a dark reddish-brown color. It's widely used for fuel and, because it lasts long in the ground, for fence posts.

Mesquite has long been known as P. juliflora (Sw.) D.C., with the varieties glandulosa (Torr.) Cockerell and velutina (Woot.) Sarg. found in Texas.

WESTERN HONEY MESQUITE (P. juliflora var. torreyana L. Benson) is found in the southern and Trans-Pecos areas of Texas. This species is typically a shrub or sometimes a small tree.

Eastern Redbud, also known as Judas-tree from its eastern relative, is a small tree found in the woods of East Texas to the Brazos River. It grows to a height of 25 to 50 feet and a diameter of 6 to 12 inches. Its sturdy branches typically create a broad, flat crown.

The BARK of the trunk is split into long, narrow plates, the bright red-brown surface breaking apart into thin scales.

The LEAVES are alternate, heart-shaped, smooth edges, 3 to 5 inches long and wide, shiny green, turning a vibrant yellow in the fall.

The striking, bright purplish-red FLOWERS are clustered along the twigs and small branches, and they appear before or alongside the leaves in early spring.

The FRUIT is a oblong, flattened, many-seeded pod, measuring 2 to 4 inches long, reddish in the summer, and often stays on the tree until the next summer.

The wood is heavy, hard, and not very strong, with a rich dark brown color, and it has little commercial value. The redbud is grown as an ornamental tree and could be more widely planted in this state for that

Several types of Cercis canadensis have been identified in Texas.

Honeylocust naturally grows in the eastern part of the state all the way to the Brazos River. It thrives in a wide range of soil and moisture conditions and is a popular choice for planting in the drier areas of Texas. It can reach a diameter of 30 inches and a height of 75 feet. The BARK on older trees is dark gray and divided into thin, tight scales. The strong, straight or branched, brown thorns are sharp, shiny, and grow on the 1-year-old wood, lasting for many years, making them a clear identifier of the honeylocust.

The LEAF is pinnate or feather-like, with 18 to 28 leaflets; or it is bi-pinnate, consisting of 4 to 7 pairs of pinnae, each 6 to 8 inches long.

The FRUIT, a 10 to 18 inch pod, is often twisted, 1 to 1½ inches wide, flat, dark brown or black when ripe, and contains a yellow sweet pulp and dark brown seeds. The seeds are hard and separated by pulp. Many animals eat the pods, and since the seeds are hard to digest, they are widely scattered away from the parent tree.

The wood is rough-grained, tough, sturdy, and moderately durable when in contact with the ground.

Honeylocust is a great tree to use instead of the black locust, which has almost been wiped out in West Texas by the locust borer.

TEXAS HONEYLOCUST (G. texana Sarg.), found in the Brazos River bottomlands, is reported to be a hybrid between G. triacanthos and G. aquatica.

In river bottoms and swamps along the Gulf Coast to the Brazos River and north to Arkansas, you can find the waterlocust, which is closely related to the well-known black locust. It can be identified by the small pod that usually has one seed, and sometimes two or three.

The waterlocust grows up to 60 feet tall and can be up to 3 feet wide. The trunk is typically short, branching out into several spreading and often twisted branches. The smaller branches have sharp thorns that range from 3 to 5 inches long, dark red in color and shiny.

The pinnately compound leaves are 5 to 8 inches long with 12 to 20 leaflets arranged on opposite sides of the leaf rachis. Each leaflet is about an inch long, oblong, sometimes slightly serrated on the edge, dull green or yellow-green on top and dark green underneath.

The FLOWERS appear in small clusters of green blooms on purple pedicels in a raceme 3 to 4 inches long, and grow from the axil of the leaf rachis and twig. The flowers bloom well after the leaves have emerged. The FRUIT pods hang in elegant racemes. The pods are 1 inch wide and 1 to 2 inches long, thin-walled, tough, papery, chestnut brown, and shiny. The SEEDS are flattened, nearly round, about ½ inch wide, and orange-brown.

The wood is heavy, hard, strong, light reddish-brown, and surrounded by a wide band of clear yellow sapwood.

Black locust isn’t native to Texas as far as anyone knows, but it’s been widely planted here and has spread from gardens. Black locust needs deep, well-drained, moist soil to grow well. It doesn’t do well on dry, well-drained sites. Recently, it has been severely affected by the locust borer and is no longer recommended for planting in pure stands.

The twigs and small branches have paired, straight or slightly curved, sharp, strong thorns, sometimes up to 1 inch long, that stay attached to the outer bark for many years.

The leaves are pinnate, or feather-like, ranging from 6 to 10 inches long, with 7 to 19 oblong, thin leaflets.

The FLOWERS are fragrant, white or cream-colored, and appear in elegant hanging clusters.

The FRUIT is a pod that measures between 3 to 5 inches long and holds 4 to 8 small hard seeds that mature late in the fall. The pod opens up during the winter, releasing most of the seeds. Typically, some seeds stay connected to each half of the pod.

The wood is yellow, rough-grained, heavy, very hard, strong, and durable when in contact with the soil. It's widely used for fence posts, poles, tree spikes, insulator pins, and sometimes for lumber and fuel.

This tree is native to East Texas and spreads west to the Colorado River valley and north to Dallas and Tarrant Counties, with some presence in the Rio Grande Valley. It’s a small tree, rarely exceeding 30 feet tall, with a short trunk usually less than 1 foot in diameter. It tends to favor well-drained, light, sandy soil and is often seen growing on bluffs near rivers.

The BARK is the most distinctive feature of this tree. It’s gray and has many corky bumps. The aromatic inner bark, with its strong pungent sap, has earned this tree several local names, like “tingle-tongue” and “toothache tree.” The inner bark was a popular choice in traditional home remedies for easing tooth pain.

The LEAVES are compound, 5 to 8 inches long, with 7 to 17 ovate, serrated, bright green leaflets.

The small, light green flowers, growing in loose, wide clusters, are 4 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, bloom in early spring when the leaves are nearly half grown. The small FRUIT, a one-seeded carpel, ripens in early summer. The seeds hang outside the carpels and birds eat them.

The soft, light brown wood isn't particularly valuable.

A variety, fruiticosum (A. Gray) S. Wats., is a bushy form found in West Texas. It has short, often 3-leaf clusters, pubescent leaves and blunt, leathery leaflets.

This small tree or large shrub is found scattered across the eastern part of the state. The bark and leaves are bitter and strongly scented and have tonic qualities.

The hoptree has a straight, slim trunk 6 to 8 inches in diameter and rarely grows taller than 20 feet.

The LEAVES are made up of 3 leaflets, sometimes 5, each of which is oval or pear-shaped and pointed, measuring about 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, with a dark green color on the top side. The central leaflet is the biggest.

The FRUIT is a small, round, 2-seeded, winged "key" or "samara", somewhat resembling the common paper caps for toy guns. The seeds grow in thick, drooping clusters and hang on the tree throughout the winter.

The wood is heavy, hard, yellowish-brown, and has a fine grain. The shrub is often used as an ornamental plant.

Shining sumac naturally grows west to the San Antonio River. It's usually a shrub rather than a tree, and it clusters in groups and thickets around the edges of fields and other open areas. The leaves turn bright red in the fall, adding a vibrant touch to the autumn scenery. The plant spreads through shallow root runners.

The BARK is nearly smooth, featuring horizontal streaks of light and dark gray, along with numerous small bumps. This paper-like outer bark breaks at uneven intervals, revealing patches of reddish-brown underneath.

The compound LEAVES are alternate, 6 to 8 inches long, with 9 to 21 small oval-lanceolate leaflets, shiny green on top, downy underneath. This sumac stands out from others because its leaf rachis is winged. The leaves are high in tannin and are used in large amounts for curing leather and making dyes.

The small, light green FLOWERS grow in dense conical, panicles in July. Male and female flowers grow on different trees. The tiny FRUIT is red, fuzzy, and has a sour taste. The fruits stick to the branches and are eaten by birds in late winter.

The reddish-brown wood is soft, lightweight, and has a rough texture.

PRAIRIE SUMAC (R. lanceolata [A. Gray] Britton) grows on the prairies from eastern Texas to the Rio Grande valley, often creating bushes along the banks of small streams. This species is recognized by its narrow, acute leaflets and its bigger flowers and fruit.

All parts of this beautiful plant release toxic oils that can irritate and blister the skin like poison ivy oils. Poison-sumac can grow as a shrub with multiple clustered stems or as a tree that can reach up to 25 feet tall with a trunk that’s 5 to 6 inches in diameter. The thin, smooth branchlets start off reddish-brown with orange-colored lenticels, and later turn light gray with raised and noticeable leaf-scars.

The compound, alternate leaves look very different from other sumacs, resembling those of ash, which is why it’s often called “poison ash.” The leaf stems are always reddish and usually quite noticeable. The leaves are 7 to 14 inches long, with 7 to 13 oval-shaped leaflets, each 3 to 4 inches long. The leaflets are bright green on top, lighter underneath, often with a red midrib.

The small FLOWERS are found in panicles much less compact than those of other sumacs. The FRUIT is a shiny white drupe, produced in slender, drooping clusters. The fruit ripens in September and is eaten by birds and rabbits. The sap can be used to create a black, long-lasting varnish.

American holly grows in rich, moist soils of bottomlands in East Texas and extends west to Wilson County. This tree usually reaches about 50 feet tall, but it can often grow to 80 to 100 feet with trunk diameters up to 4 feet. You can see a large specimen at the Texas Forest Service’s Indian Mound Nursery near Alto.

The BARK is light gray and has a rough texture with bump-like growths. The many short, thin branches create a thick pyramidal head in a vibrant dark green shade that stands out even more when the noticeable red drupes are visible.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, rather oval, thick and leathery, 2 to 4 inches long and usually have spiny edges. They stay on the branches for three years, falling off in the spring.

The flowers are small and white; male and female flowers usually grow on separate trees. The FRUIT, which ripens late in the fall on trees with female flowers, is a dull red or sometimes yellow, round or slightly oval-shaped berry-like drupe about ¼ inch in diameter and has 4 to 6 grooved, ribbed nutlets.

The wood is light, tough, not super strong, white when cut, and browns with age. It's valued and widely used for cabinet making, interior finishes, and turning. Many of the biggest and best holly trees have been cut and sold.

Holly is a popular Christmas decoration and a sought-after ornamental tree for yards. Wild holly is becoming rare. It’s important to avoid excessive cutting.

This close relative of the American holly is found in East Texas to Matagorda Bay, Rio Blanco, and the Guadalupe River, and north to southern Arkansas. In the fertile bottomlands of eastern Texas, yaupon grows as a small tree, reaching 20 to 25 feet in height with a trunk that is rarely over 6 inches in diameter; in other areas, it takes the form of a shrub.

The LEAVES are 1 to 2 inches long, ¼ to 1 inch wide, thick, shiny green on top, lighter underneath, and persistent for 2 or 3 years.

The FLOWERS, male and female, are found on separate plants. The FRUIT, a bright red, berry-like drupe, is produced in great abundance by the female plant.

The wood is basically only good for fuel.

Yaupon is used in the South as a hedge plant and is highly valued for Christmas decorations. A tea made from its leaves was once popular among Native Americans. Today, the plant is cultivated along the Atlantic Coast for the commercial production of yaupon tea for medicinal uses.

I. decidua Walt., known as Possum Haw (Winter BERRY), is similar to yaupon, but the leaves fall off in the fall; the fruits, which stay throughout the winter, are orange to orange-scarlet in color.

Silver, or soft, maple grows in wet areas and by streams in the far eastern part of the state. In its prime growing region, the valley of the lower Ohio River, it can reach heights of over 100 feet and diameters of more than 3 feet.

The BARK on old trunks is dark gray and broken into long flakes or scales. The twigs are slender, brittle, reddish-brown, and shiny.

The buds are round, red or reddish-brown, blunt-tipped, and generally similar to those of the red maple.

The simple, opposite LEAVES have between 3 and 5 lobes that end in long points with jagged edges, and they’re separated by deep angles sinuses or gaps; the leaves are light green on top, silvery-white underneath, and have a red petiole.

The flowers that come from the large, noticeable flower buds are a greenish-yellow color and appear in clusters in the spring before the leaves. The FRUIT ripens in the spring and consists of a pair of winged samaras or “keys” with wings 1 to 2 inches long on a slender, flexible, thread-like peduncle about an inch long.

The wood is soft, weak, smooth-textured, somewhat brittle, easy to work with, and decays quickly when exposed. It’s sometimes used for flooring, furniture, and fuel.

The silver maple grows quickly and has been planted in Texas as a shade tree. It's considered somewhat undesirable due to its brittleness and vulnerability to insects and fungal diseases.

Red maple is common in low, wet areas in the eastern part of the state. It’s typically a medium-sized tree, fast-growing, and has a relatively short lifespan. While it's used as a shade tree, its quality for this purpose is not the best. The BARK is smooth and light gray on younger branches and trunks, and dark gray and rough on older ones.

The LEAVES are 2 to 5 inches long and have 3 to 5 pointed, saw-toothed lobes separated by sharp angles or openings. The upper leaf surface when mature is light green, while the lower surface is whitish and partly covered with pale fuzz. In autumn, the leaves turn into bright shades of red, orange, and yellow.

The red FLOWERS appear in thick clusters in early spring before the leaves, sometimes turning a deep red before they open. The winter buds are small, red, and either round or blunt-pointed. The FRUIT ripens in late spring or early summer. It consists of pairs of winged samaras, or keys, that are ½ to 1 inch long, hanging from a long drooping peduncle (fruit stem), which can be red, reddish-brown, or yellow in color.

The wood, commonly called soft maple, is heavy, tightly grained, somewhat weak, and a light brown color. It is used to make furniture, as well as for turning, wooden products, and fuel.

Boxelder, the only Texas maple with compound leaves, is native to eastern and southern Texas, down to the lower Rio Blanco River. It's typically found along the banks of streams and lakes and at the edges of swamps. It grows quickly, providing shade in no time, and has a nice shape. The branches are fragile and tend to break easily. The tree doesn’t live long and is quite susceptible to diseases. It can sometimes reach a height of 50 to 60 feet, with a trunk diameter of 2 feet, but is usually smaller.

The BARK of the twigs is green; the trunk is grayish-brown, split into wide, rounded ridges, and breaking up on the surface into short, thick scales.

The leaves are opposite, compound, usually with 5 leaflets, and occasionally 3 or 7. The leaflets are 2 to 4 inches long, with rough and uneven edges, light green on the top and lighter underneath.

The small FLOWERS grow in hanging clusters. The FRUIT is similar to that of the other maples, green, turning light tan when mature. Unlike the seeds of other maples, they stay attached until after the leaves fall off.

The wood is creamy-white, light, soft, and weak but has a fine grain. It's sometimes used in other states to make low-grade furniture and interior finishes; it's also used for wooden products, barrels, and paper pulp.

Ohio buckeye grows as far west as eastern Texas near streams in fertile soils. Although it’s often just a shrub, it can turn into a medium-sized tree in rich floodplain areas. Its leaves and fruit are toxic to livestock.

The BARK is white and, on older trees, split or cracked into light brown flat scales, which make the tree trunks rough; the bark has a bad smell when crushed.

The leaves are opposite, palmately compounded, with 5 to 7 smooth, pale green leaflets, which smell bad when bruised. The leaves generally turn yellow in the summer.

The flowers are cream-colored and come in clusters, 5 to 8 inches long, blooming in April or May.

The FRUIT is usually round, light brown, typically thin-walled, rough with blunt prickles or bumps, and splits into 2 to 3 sections, revealing bright shiny seeds that are 1 to 1½ inches wide.

The wood is light, soft, and weak, and it decays quickly when exposed. It's used for wooden items, prosthetics, paper pulp, lumber, and fuel.

Aesculus pavia L., the RED BUCKEYE, is found as a shrub in Comal and Wilson Counties and is common throughout eastern Texas up to Bexar and Kendall Counties, growing to a height of 9 to 12 inches. This species was previously classified as A. discolor Parsh and A.d. var. Mollis (Raf.) Sarg.

This species, sometimes referred to as Indian soap plant, grows in damp clay soils or dry limestone hills. It is found from eastern Texas to New Mexico and the Rio Grande, reaching a height of 40 to 50 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet, with generally upright branches and branchlets that are initially somewhat angled.

The BARK is broken by deep fissures into long, narrow plates that are then fractured on the surface into small red-brown scales.

The leaves that appear in March or April have 4 to 9 pairs of alternate, opposite or both, lance-shaped leaflets that are pale, yellow-green, around 2½ inches long and ½ to ⅔ inch wide. The leaves drop off in autumn or early winter.

The flowers are pale white, in large, thick panicles.

The FRUIT, round yellow berries, ½ inch in diameter, and containing dark brown seeds, ripen in September and October and fall in the spring.

The wood is heavy, strong, fine-grained, and light brown with a hint of yellow. It splits easily into thin strips and is used for cotton baskets and the frames of pack saddles.

Three species of basswood are said to grow in Texas from the Arkansas border to the Brazos River and westward to Uvalde, Kerr, and Bandera Counties, usually in rich, moist soils. They are typically no more than 50 feet tall and 12 inches in diameter.

The BARK is light brown and has deep grooves.

The leaves are generally heart-shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, thin, with jagged edges, smooth on both sides in some species, but fuzzy on the underside in others.

The fragrant flowers, loved by bees, are yellowish-white and bloom in drooping clusters in early summer, with the flower stem connected to the middle of a long, narrow, leaf-like bract.

The FRUIT, a dry, 1 to 2-seeded nut-like drupe, ¼ to ½ inch in diameter, is covered with short, thick, gray-brown fuzz. It stays attached in clusters to the leafy bract, which later serves as a wing to carry the fruit away in the wind.

The wood is lightweight, soft, strong, not very durable, and light brown in color. It’s used in areas where the growth is better for making pulp, wooden items, furniture, trunks, packing material, and many other products. The main use of basswoods in Texas is for providing shade and decoration.

This tree, native to Northeast Texas, is covered from the ground up with many sharp spines, a feature that has earned it several names like Hercules-club, prickly-elder, and prickly-ash. The last name actually belongs to a different tree. Devils-walkingstick has enough beauty to make up for its prickly nature. The tree is usually small, but sometimes reaches a height of 30 feet, with its leaves forming a flat-topped, spreading crown.

The brown BARK is split by wide, shallow fissures into circular, horizontal ridges. The sharp spines along its trunk are the best way to identify this tree.

The leaves are doubly compound, or bi-pinnate, with the main leaf-stem 3 or 4 feet long, wrapping around the stem with a thickened base, leaving noticeable scars when they drop. The leaflets are jagged, pointed, dark green on top and lighter underneath. They turn yellow in the fall.

In the middle of summer, each plant produces one large panicle of small white flowers that rise above the leaves. The tree looks its best in the fall when the small black FRUIT ripens, and the fruit stems turn a deep wine-red. Birds feast on the juicy drupes. The wood isn't commercially valuable.

Black gum, often called sour gum, is found in eastern Texas to the Brazos River valley; typically in swampy, wet soil, but sometimes on dry slopes alongside the oaks.

The BARK on younger trees has grooves between flat ridges and slowly turns into square blocks that are dense, hard, and almost black.

The leaves are simple, 2 to 3 inches long, smooth, obovate to oval, shiny, and dark green. In the fall, the leaves turn a vibrant red.

The greenish flowers on long, slender stems show up in early spring when the leaves are about a third of the way grown. There are usually two types: the male flowers in large clusters and the female flowers in smaller clusters on different trees. The FRUIT is drupe-like, dark blue, about two-thirds of an inch long, containing a single hard stone, and grows 2 to 3 in a cluster on 1 to 2.5-inch stems.

The wood is very tough, has a cross-grain, isn’t durable when in contact with the soil, is hard to work with, and tends to warp easily. Once seen as a weed tree, this species is now valued for basket veneer, box boards, and paper pulp. In the past, the hollow trunks were used for “bee-gums.”

Swamp tupelo (N. s. var. biflora [Walt.] Sarg.), mostly found in the Coastal Plain, has narrow obovate to narrow oblanceolate leaves and fruiting stalks that are ⅜ to 1⅜ inches long. The bottom of the trunk swells when it's underwater.

Water tupelo is found only in deep river swamps or coastal swamps that are often flooded. The commonly enlarged base, large-sized fruit, hanging on a long peduncle (stem), and the brittleness of the twigs help to distinguish this species from the black gum. It forms a tall, often slowly tapering and somewhat crooked trunk that reaches 50 to 75 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. The spreading small branches create a narrow, oblong or pyramidal crown. The branches are usually smooth and light brown in color. The BARK of the trunk is thin, dark brown, and furrowed vertically along the trunk.

The leaves are simple, ovate, or oblong in shape, acute and often long-pointed. When fully grown, they are thick, dark green, and shiny on the upper side, pale and somewhat downy on the lower side, measuring 5 to 7 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide, wedge-shaped at the base, and either smooth or irregularly toothed on the edges. The petiole is sturdy, 1 to 2 inches long, grooved, and thicker at the base.

The FLOWERS, which bloom in March or April, are of two types, typically found on separate trees: the male flowers in tight round clusters, and the female flowers alone.

The FRUIT, maturing in early autumn, is a dark purple drupe, oblong or obovate shaped fruit, approximately 1 inch long, with a thick, sturdy skin that covers a flattened pit, and is attached to a thin peduncle that is 3 to 4 inches long.

The wood is lightweight, soft, and not very strong. It is used for wooden items, broom handles, fruit and vegetable baskets, marketed as tupelo or bay poplar lumber, and paper pulp.

Dogwood grows in the forests of eastern Texas, usually beneath the larger trees. It’s a small tree, reaching up to 30 feet tall and 12 inches wide, sometimes bigger, with a fairly flat and spreading crown and a short, often twisted trunk.

The BARK is reddish-brown to black and divided into small, four-sided, scaly pieces.

The LEAVES are opposite, ovate, 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, pointed, either smooth or wavy on the edges, clearly veined, bright green on top, and pale green or grayish underneath.

The FLOWERS, which bloom from the noticeable, round, grayish winter flower buds before the leaves emerge, are small, greenish-yellow, grouped in tight clusters surrounded by large white or pinkish petal-like bracts, which look like large spreading flowers 2 to 4 inches wide.

The FRUIT is a vibrant scarlet drupe that’s half an inch long and has a tough, two-chambered nutlet with 1 or 2 seeds inside. Typically, multiple fruits are found in one head, and they’re enjoyed by birds, squirrels, and other animals.

The wood is tough, dense, strong, finely textured, and ranges in color from brown to red. It's sought after for cotton mill machinery, woodworking, handles, and various shapes.

With its abundance of early spring flowers, its dark red autumn leaves, and bright red berries, dogwood is likely our most decorative native tree. It should be used more widely in eastern Texas for landscaping.

In the coastal region of eastern Texas up to Matagorda Bay, farkleberry, also known as tree huckleberry, grows in damp sandy soil along the edges of ponds and streams. While it's found from Virginia to Missouri and further south, it gets its biggest size, between 20 to 30 feet, near the Gulf Coast of Texas. The twisted trunk can reach a diameter of 8 to 10 inches. Further inland, it appears as a large shrub.

The leaves are oval and shiny green, ranging from 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. They mostly stay green year-round, or at least remain on the branches throughout the winter.

The FLOWERS are small, white, and bell-shaped, and appear in long open clusters on racemes.

The FRUIT are small, round, shiny, nearly black berries that ripen in the fall and, unless eaten by birds or animals, last until spring. They have a slightly tart but enjoyable flavor.

The wood is heavy, hard, finely grained, and a light reddish-brown. It's sometimes used for tool handles.

Gum bumelia, commonly known as false buckthorn or chittamwood, grows along streams in sandy forests from eastern Texas to the San Antonio River and across the Edwards Plateau to Palo Pinto County. It probably reaches its biggest size in Central Texas, where it can sometimes grow as a tree up to 80 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

The branches are short, thick, and rigid, and often have straight or curved thorns.

The LEAVES are oblong, grouped together near the ends of short spurs; rounded at the apex, narrowed at the base; thick, firm, dark green, and shiny on top, and rusty-woolly underneath. They are 1 to over 2 inches long and up to ¾ inch wide.

The flowers are small and bloom in summer, each on a hairy flower stem (pedicel) about ⅛ inch long. They grow in fascicles of 15 to 18, near the axils of the new leaves or close to the leaf-scars of old leaves. The petals are white and lobed. The fruit is fleshy, black, oblong, about ½ inch in length, found either alone or in groups of 2 or 3, and usually dry and firm on the outside containing a light brown, firm rounded seed. The ripe fruit falls from the tree in autumn.

The wood is light brown with white streaks and has a lighter colored sapwood around it. It's heavy, durable, and has a fine grain.

B. lanuginosa var. Rigida A. Gray is located in western and southern Texas, while B. lycioides L. Pers. is found in eastern Texas up to Milam County.

Persimmon is a well-known tree throughout its range. It is small, rarely exceeding 50 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter, and can be found in the state as far west as the Colorado River. It prefers dry, open areas and is most common in old fields, although it also grows in rich bottomlands.

The BARK of old trees is almost black and divided into thick, nearly square sections.

The LEAVES are alternate, oval, whole, 4 to 6 inches long, dark green and shiny on top, lighter underneath.

The small FLOWERS, which appear in May, are yellowish or cream-white, somewhat bell-shaped, with male and female flowers growing on separate trees; the males in clusters of 2 or 3, while the females are solitary. They attract many insects.

The FRUIT is a fleshy, round, orange or brown berry, an inch or more in diameter and filled with several flat, hard, smooth seeds. The fruit tastes very astringent when it's green, but becomes quite sweet and tasty when fully ripe. Both humans and animals enjoy it, especially after a few chilly nights.

The wood is hard, dense, and strong, the heartwood brown or black, the wide sapwood white or yellowish. It is especially valued for shuttles, golf club heads, and similar specialized uses, but it’s not commercially viable enough to justify growing it as a timber tree.

The TEXAS or BLACK PERSIMMON (D. texana Scheele) is described on page 127.

Sweetleaf is typically found along the edges of streams and swamps, mainly in East Texas. It rarely reaches a height of more than 30 feet or a diameter greater than 8 inches. The thin, upright branches create an open canopy and are bluish or grayish in color, with a distinctly rough texture due to raised leaf-scars, or points where the last set of leaves attaches.

The thick, shiny, dark green LEAVES, arranged alternately along the stem, vary from 5 to 6 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide. They stay on the twigs until spring. The leaves are sweet and are highly sought after as food by livestock.

The small, light yellow fragrant FLOWERS grow in tight clusters at various points along the branchlets. The FRUIT, a small single-seeded drupe, has a thin dark orange or brown skin. Deer eat the fruit to some degree.

The wood is lightweight, soft, and a light red or brown color, and it doesn't have any commercial value. Both the leaves and bark produce a yellow dye. The bitter aromatic roots have been used as a tonic.

This beautiful tree or shrub can grow up to a small tree, sometimes reaching 30 feet tall, with a trunk that’s 6 to 10 inches wide. It thrives in rich, wet woodlands and around the edges of swamps and streams, but it can adapt to various locations. It is found in the southeastern part of Texas, as it is native to the Gulf Region.

The BARK of the trunk is brown, split by uneven longitudinal fissures, and breaking apart on the surface into thin scales. The bark on the twigs creates long, loose, brown fibers, which makes it easy to identify during the winter.

The alternate, ovate to obovate leaves are bright green on top, lighter underneath, 3 to 4 inches long, and 2 to 2½ inches wide. They are significantly larger on young shoots. The leaves have tiny callous teeth.

The white flowers, typically around 1 inch long, appear before the leaves and grow in clusters of 3 to 5. The tree looks beautiful when it's heavily adorned with its “silver bells.” The FRUIT is about 2 inches long with two wide, thin wings, and two (occasionally three) narrow wings in between.

The wood is lightweight, soft, strong, tightly grained, and light brown, with thick, lighter-colored sapwood. It's not commercially significant.

Water ash is commonly found in shaded swamps, extending westward to the Neches River valley. It grows into a tree that is usually no more than 40 feet tall, with a trunk that can be about 12 inches in diameter, and has small branches that create a narrow, often rounded crown.

The BARK is thin, light gray, and has large irregularly shaped round patches that break up into small, thin, closely spaced scales.

The LEAVES are made up of 7 to 12 inches long, thick and firm when mature, with 5 to 7, ovate to oblong, finely to coarsely toothed leaflets, 3 to 6 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, dark green on top, and lighter underneath.

The small male and female FLOWERS show up on separate trees in February or March. The FRUIT is elliptical to oblong-ovate, often three-winged, 2 inches long, and ⅓ to ¾ inch wide. The wing extends below the body of the fruit and tapers into a stalk-like base.

The wood is light, soft, weak, finely grained, almost white, sometimes yellowish, with thick, lighter-colored sapwood. It is mainly used for fuel.

White ash is found in East Texas all the way to the Trinity River valley. It thrives in the rich, moist soils of the upper bottomlands. The bark is gray and furrowed, while the branchlets are smooth and gray with rust-colored winter buds.

The compound opposite leaves are typically straight, measuring 8 to 12 inches long, with 5 to 9 (usually 7) sharp pointed leaflets, dark green on top and lighter, whitish underneath.

The male and female FLOWERS grow on different trees, with the male in tight reddish-purple clusters and the female on more spread-out branches. The FRUIT is a samara, 1 to 1½ inches long, shaped like the blade of a canoe paddle, with a smooth, rounded body at the handle end. The fruit ripens in late summer and is spread efficiently by the wind.

The wood from white ash is really valuable because it's tough and flexible. It's commonly used for small tool handles, sports gear, and farming tools, and it's also widely used for furniture and interior finishing.

The ashes are the only group of trees in eastern America that have opposite, pinnately compound leaves with 5 or more leaflets. This makes it easy to identify the group. There are at least seven other species of ash in Texas.

Green ash is a common tree found along streams as far west as the Guadalupe River. It can grow to a height of 50 feet or more, has spreading branches, and a trunk that can be up to 2 feet in diameter. The twigs are smooth, round, and ashy gray, marked by pale lenticels and rusty bud-scales.

The BARK is ½ inch or thicker, brown with a hint of red, and has a slightly furrowed or ridged texture. The LEAVES are opposite compound, measuring 10 to 12 inches long, with 5 to 9 pointed leaflets that are slightly toothed along the edges. They are different from white ash leaves because they have a glossy green color on both sides or are a bit paler underneath. The terminal leaflet often grows at an angle from the main axis of the rachis.

The small, male and female flowers grow on different trees.

The FRUIT is flat, winged, 1 to 1½ inches long, ¼ to ⅓ inch wide, with the wing part extending well down past the middle of the cylindrical, many-rayed body. The wing is sometimes square or has a slight notch at the outer end.

The wood is heavy, hard, quite strong, brittle, and rough-grained. It's used for the same things as white ash but isn't as sought after.

Swamp privet, or forestiera, grows along riverbanks, lakes, and in standing water throughout eastern Texas up to the Colorado River. It typically is a large shrub but can also develop into a small tree, reaching heights of less than 30 feet, with a short trunk that is usually under 8 inches in diameter. Its younger branches are thin, somewhat hairy, slightly angular, and range in color from yellowish-green to brown. By the second season, they darken and become more rounded.

The BARK is slim, dark brown to brownish-gray, smooth, and a bit textured.

The LEAVES are thin, simple, opposite, 2½ to 4 inches long, 1 to 1½ inches wide, pointed at both ends, yellowish-green on the top side, lighter on the underside, and have slight teeth above the middle.

The FLOWERS show up in April before the leaves do. They come in two types, growing separately on the same tree, are pretty small, and grow in clusters.

The FRUIT, a drupe, drops when it's ripe in May or June. It measures about 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide, oblong, and ends with a point. The ripe fruit is a deep purple color and has a tough, dry pulp along with a single seed inside.

The wood is tightly grained, yellowish-brown, weak, and quite soft. It has no economic value.

Children call this tree, with its drooping, fringy white flowers, names like “grancy-gray beard” and “old-man’s beard.” Beautiful both in bloom and fruit, it’s a great choice for ornamental planting. It naturally grows in loamy soil throughout the eastern part of the state up to the valley of the Brazos River and typically thrives in the shade of other trees.

The BARK is like that of a young ash tree, but it's rougher and whiter. It has health benefits and is used in home remedies.

The large, ovate LEAVES are 4 to 8 inches long and ½ to 4 inches wide, dark green on top, lighter underneath, and turn a bright yellow in the fall. The leaves are opposite, and they leave noticeable scars when they drop.

The unusual white FLOWERS, which show up with the very young leaves, hang in long, loose drooping panicles. The petals are very narrow and long, creating a fringed effect.

The FRUIT is a dark blue-purple drupe, sometimes up to an inch long, with a glaucous bloom, and found in loose, drooping panicles. It's great food for deer and birds.

Catalpa, commonly misnamed "catawba," has naturalized in eastern Texas and grows in different types of soil, but it's most often found in rich, moist lowlands. This tree is medium-sized, typically reaching no more than 50 feet tall and 15 inches in diameter. The trunk is usually short, and the canopy is wide with spreading branches.

The BARK ranges from dark gray to brown and feels a bit rough, as it is broken into thin, shallow strips or flakes.

The LEAVES are simple, opposite, heart-shaped, long-pointed, 6 to 10 inches long, and softly pubescent underneath.

The FLOWERS appear in clusters or panicles in April or May, and are 1 to 2 inches long, trumpet-shaped, the wavy and spreading corolla irregular, two-lobed, and with a narrow notch on the margin; corolla white with purple and yellow markings.

The FRUIT is a bean-shaped capsule that measures between 8 to 16 inches long and has a diameter of ⅜ to ½ inch. It stays on the tree during winter and slowly splits into two halves, or valves. The seeds are around 1 inch long and have rounded wings with short fringes at the tips.

The wood is quite soft, light, coarse-grained, and durable, especially when in contact with the soil. It's used for fence posts, poles, and fuel, and sometimes for railroad ties. Trying to grow catalpa for fence posts or other purposes is a mistake unless it's on good agricultural soil.

SOUTHERN CATALPA (C. bignonioides Walt.) has a thin, scaly bark, with leaves that come to a sudden point, fetid when crushed. The edge of the lower lobe of the flower is smooth. The valves of the capsule flatten out after they open. The terminal tuft on the seed creates a point.

This fascinating tree, named for its willow-like leaves, is closely related to the catalpa. It often grows to about 25 feet tall and has a diameter of 10 to 12 inches. You'll usually find it in dry, gravelly, porous soils in the valley of the lower Rio Grande and throughout West Texas.

The leaves are less than ½ inch wide and 6 to 12 inches long, light green, and pointed. They are arranged on the twig either opposite or alternate.

The white FLOWERS transition to light purple and are marked with light purple in their “throats.” They appear in an elongated cluster, or raceme, blooming one after another towards the end of the flower stalk.

The FRUIT “pods” are capsules 7 to 12 inches long, tough or woody, very thin, and have lots of small seeds.

The soft, weak, close-grained wood is brown with yellow streaks. The sapwood turns to heartwood in 2 or 3 years.

Buttonbush of Texas is a small tree or large shrub that can reach up to 18 feet tall, with a straight, tapering trunk that can be up to 12 inches in diameter. It grows best in the moist, rich soil of eastern Texas but is also found in the Rio Grande valley. The branches are typically upright, and the spreading branchlets are pithy in the center, often occurring in whorls of three from a single spot on the stem.

The LEAVES appear in pairs or whorls of 3 (sometimes more), each oval or elliptical, pointed, rounded at the base, and range from 2 to 7 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide. They are thin, dark green on top, with a large central midrib, and somewhat hairy underneath. They drop in the fall or stay on the branches through the winter.

The FLOWERS create a creamy white or yellow round cluster about 1 inch in diameter. They grow in groups, and the numerous small flowers in the cluster are fragrant and produce nectar. The long, thread-like styles stand out noticeably on the flowering heads.

The FRUIT is made up of a cluster of nuts in a globular head that is about ¾ inch in diameter. The red-brown nutlets contains 2 to 4 closed, 1-seeded sections. The WOOD isn't very valuable.

Rusty blackhaw is found in the forests and brush of East Texas. It can grow into a tree that reaches up to 35 feet tall, with a trunk that's over a foot in diameter, but it’s usually much smaller and often blooms like a shrub. The twigs are ashy-gray and turn a dark, dull reddish-brown after one to several years. The winter buds are thickly covered with rusty brown hairs that stick around for several weeks at the base of the leaf stalks.

The BARK is ¼ to ½ inch thick, turning rough with small plate-like, dark brown scales shaded with red.

The simple leaves are opposite or whorled, elliptical to obovate or oval, pointed or blunt at the apex, wedge-shaped or rounded at the base, and have fine teeth along the edge. They have a leathery texture, shiny dark green above, pale and dull underneath, about 3 inches long, and 1 to 1½ inches wide.

The flowers are small and white; each has five petals and five stamens, and they bloom in the spring in dense clusters at the tips of branches.

The FRUIT ripens in the fall. It is a bright blue, oval drupe, over ½ inch long, covered with a glaucous bloom, and containing a stony seed ¼ inch long and ⅓ inch wide.

The smelly wood has no economic value.

is an evergreen that’s native to the mountains of the southern Trans-Pecos Region. It grows to a height of 30 to 70 feet and has a diameter of 18 to 24 inches. The needles are blue-green. Fruit a cone that can be as large as 1¼ inches in diameter. The wood is heavy and is used somewhat for fence posts.

grows in the mountains of southwestern Texas, usually as a small tree or even as a sprawling shrub in tough conditions. Its name comes from the fact that the bark on older trees looks a bit like alligator skin, broken into square plates that are 1 to 2 inches wide. The leaves are about ⅛ inch long and blue-green in color. The fruit is berry-like, nearly round, reddish-brown, and takes two seasons to mature. Seeds 3-4.

occurs in this country only on the slopes of the Chisos Mountains in Brewster County, Texas. It has elegant spreading branches with long slender, drooping twigs. After the leaves fall, the thin bright cinnamon-brown bark separating into thin loose papery scales is characteristic.

occurs throughout western Texas, usually as a spreading shrub or small, heavily branched tree. The bark is ashy gray, ridged, and shreddy. The leaves look like those of the alligator juniper but are gray-green and fringed with tiny teeth. The fruit is smaller, usually copper-colored or occasionally blue, typically has one seed, and matures in one season.

occurs in western Texas where it is often the largest of the junipers found there. The bark is reddish-brown or grayish-brown, thin, fibrous, and divided into flat, interlacing ridges. The leaves are similar to those of the alligator juniper, but range from pale to dark green. The fruit is nearly round, blue, and matures in two seasons. Seeds 1 to 3, usually 2.

sometimes called palm, but not to be confused with the dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor [Jacq.] Pers.) found in East Texas, grows to heights of 30 to 50 feet and often has a diameter of 2 feet. It originates from the fertile bottomlands along the Bernando River in Cameron County, Texas, but has been widely cultivated and can be found along the Gulf Coast, where the trunks are sometimes used for wharf piles. In the lower Rio Grande area, the leaves are used for thatching houses.

sweet myrtle is found in East Texas, usually in swamp lands. Its small yellow-green leaves have a fragrant, balsam-like resinous scent. Light green berries, about ⅛ inch in diameter, stay on the trees during the winter months and are covered with a thick, pale blue wax. Bay berry candles are made from the wax.

is one of several cottonwoods found in West Texas. Five other cottonwoods are native to the western part of the state. The wood is used for fuel and the rafters of Mexican houses. It doesn't last long when in the ground, but it grows quickly in most areas. Populus tremuloides Michx., known as quaking aspen or aspen popple, is a small-leafed, white-barked tree in the Trans-Pecos Region.

occurs in East Texas, extending west to around the 97th meridian. It's a bushy shrub with dense leaves and is among the first plants to grow new leaves in the spring. Birds eat the many nutlets produced by the woody, cone-shaped structure.

found mainly in South Texas, is a small, spiny shrub, with bright yellow flowers. Fruit a swollen, woody pod. The wood is heavy, hard, and a deep, reddish-brown.

pronounced “wa-he-o”, is the famous honey plant of the Lone Star State. From its white flowers, bees produce a clear honey, highly valued for its taste and purity. Guajillo is found in South Texas and looks similar to other trees in the acacia group. The wood is used locally as fuel.

sometimes called “tepehuaje” or mimosa, is found on the rich moist soil of riverbanks and small streams only a few miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande River. It grows 50 to 60 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter. The finely divided leaves give the tree the look of a giant fern. Seed pods are 10 to 12 inches long. The wood is heavy, hard, very close-grained, rich dark brown with a clear yellow sapwood. It is considered valuable and is sometimes made into lumber. Two other species, (L. greggii S. Wats.) and (L. retusa Benth.), are found in West Texas but are smaller.

also called “bear berry”, and pink or beaded locust, is native to most of Texas. It typically grows as a small tree, reaching 18 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 inches in diameter. The branches have a slight zigzag pattern, bright green when young, and turn to orange-brown as they mature. The leaves are 6 to 9 inches long and consist of 13 to 19 leaflets. In the fall, it is covered with clusters of black bean pods. The pods are uniquely shaped, pinched at each seed, giving them the appearance of a string of beads. This is why it is often referred to as the “necklace tree.” The wood is very hard, light red in color, with a thick, bright clear yellow sapwood.

or soap bush, an evergreen found in southern and western Texas, is typically a shrub but can occasionally grow up to 8 inches in diameter and 30 feet tall. It produces early spring honey in the Rio Grande Valley. Its wood is heavy, hard, and exceptionally durable. Guayacan, sometimes referred to as guaiacum, is the hardest wood in Texas and the United States. The commercial lignum-vitae comes from a different species.

a native of the Rio Grande Valley and common in Starr County where it can form significant thickets, this small, slender evergreen typically grows to about 5 or 6 feet tall. On limestone ridges of the Sierra Madre in Nuevo Leon, it can reach heights of 20 to 25 feet. Its leaves are trifoliate, measuring 1½ to 2 inches long, and are clearly marked with black glandular dots. The branches are brownish-red, featuring bright yellow new growth. This species isn't found in any other part of the United States.

is native to the East but has been brought to this country where it has grown wild and is commonly found throughout Texas. The long, feathery compound leaves, 24 to 48 inches long, with 11 to 41 leaflets, are glandular toothed at the base. The flowers and crushed leaves have an unpleasant smell. The tree grows quickly and spreads by suckers as well as by seed.

although a native of Asia, is so widely grown in Texas as an ornamental that it can be seen almost anywhere. It is a member of the mahogany family. The bark is furrowed, with the ridges flat-topped. The alternate leaves are twice-compound and 10 to 32 inches long. The leaflets are alternate, ovate to elliptic, sharply toothed or lobed, ¾ to 2 inches long, light green and usually smooth. The flowers are showy, lilac-colored, fragrant, nearly an inch across, and arranged in loose clusters which appear in April. The fruit is nearly round, ½ to ¾ inch in diameter, fleshy, and yellow when mature. The wood is moderately heavy and moderately hard, light reddish-brown in color, with a rather narrow, yellowish sapwood. Formerly it was much used for cabinet-work.

a member of the sumac family, it grows along the Medina and Guadalupe Rivers and in Kendall County, Texas. Occasionally it can reach a height of 30 feet and 12 inches in diameter, but it usually grows as a shrub or small tree, with its trunk splitting into several stems about 10 feet above the ground. The wood is a bright, clear, rich orange color and produces the same colored dye. Sometimes it’s used for fence posts. C. coggygria, the smoketree of gardens, is cultivated in the United States.

a less common member of the sumac family, is found native on limestone cliffs and the rocky bottoms of canyons along the lower Pecos River in Valverde County, Texas. It reaches a height of 15 to 20 feet and produces a fruit resembling the pistachio nut of commerce, except that it is smaller in size.

also called arrow-wood and burning bush in some places is a small tree that rarely grows over 20 feet tall and has a diameter of 4 to 6 inches. The bark is narrow and covered with small, thin scales. The wood is dense, hard, white, with an orange tint. The leaves are opposite, thin, and finely serrate. In the fall and winter, the tree is known for its bright red berries and lighter red, 4-lobed capsules. It is native to East Texas.

grows in East Texas and looks like the sugar maple (A. saccharum Marsh.) that it mixes with in Northeast Texas, except that the tips of the leaves of A. barbatum Michx. are more rounded and the young leaves are fuzzy on the underside when they first unfold.

a maple that originates from the mountains and canyons of the Trans-Pecos Region of Texas, grows to heights of 30 to 40 feet and sometimes has a diameter of 8 to 10 inches. Its bright red branches are almost surrounded by the narrow leaf-scars. The leaf lobes are few, either toothed or almost entire. When it's readily available, the wood is useful for fuel and building material.

resembles the above two maples but is found only in the Balcones Escarpment in western Texas along creek bottoms in parts of Kendall, Bandera, and Uvalde Counties. It is a rare tree, usually not more than 20 feet high. The branchlets are light red-brown and show pale lenticels during their first season, eventually turning a dull gray-brown.

grows from East Texas to the Edwards Plateau. The leaves are coarsely serrate with sharp-pointed tips, dark green and glaucous on top, and pale or covered with a silvery-white bloom and often have axillary hairs on the underside. The tree can grow to be 40 to 50 feet tall and 12 to 15 inches wide.

located in East Texas to the Edwards Plateau, Kendall County. The undersides of the ovate leaves are covered with soft, short, brownish-white hairs; they are smooth on the upper surface and have coarse veins. The leaves are usually obliquely truncate at the base.

all of the many species of Tamarix are native to the Mediterranean Region or to East Asia and India. However, three of them (T. araiculata Vahl, T. gallica L., and T. pentandra Pall.) are widely planted in the South. All are shrubby in nature, or they can grow into small trees. When they reach tree size, the trunk is usually short, with the main branches close to the ground. This results in a wide-spreading bushy crown. The leaves are sparse, delicate, evergreen, alternate, simple, small, scale-like, pale green to dull or bluish-green, ovate or rhombic, sharp-pointed, sometimes with thin, dry edges, and without petioles. The foliage has a leathery appearance. The wood is hard, heavy, white to light straw colored, shows a prominent mottled wavy pattern when quarter-sawn, and takes a high polish.

also called ironwood, is found along the Southeast Coastal Region of Texas. In contrast to B. lanuginosa, the leaves are smooth instead of hairy on the underside. They are also thin. Sometimes grows 25 to 30 feet tall with a short trunk rarely more than 6 inches in diameter. It has sturdy, flexible branches, usually without thorns.

occurs in Texas from the upper Brazos River to the Rio Grande and upper Guadalupe River. It has thick, leathery leaves that are smooth on the underside. The lateral branches are spiny and sometimes end in thick thorns; the branchlets are slender, often zigzag, and shiny. The freshly cut wood of the bumelias in Texas usually produces a significant amount of clear, sticky gum. Mexicans have named some species of this small tree “chickle” for that reason.

also called Mexican persimmon, is native to southern and southwestern Texas, from the Colorado River. It is characterized by 1 to 2 inch leaves and small edible black fruits, about ¾ inch in diameter. They will stain the skin black. Mexicans make a hair dye from the ripe fruit, which has given the plant the local name of “capote.” The wood is heavy with a black heartwood often streaked with yellow, and with a bright yellow sapwood. The wood is used in turnery and for the handles of tools.

a small tree, usually no more than 50 feet tall, found in the dry limestone bluffs and ridges of the Dallas area extending to the valley of the Colorado River and the Edwards Plateau. Leaves are 5 to 8 inches long with typically five, long-stalked leaflets. Fruit in short, tight clusters.

grows along the banks of streams and canyons in the San Antonio and Nueces River watersheds and over the Edwards Plateau. It is rarely more than 30 feet tall. The three to five leaflets are smooth. The wood is light brown and soft.

occurs along the lower Rio Grande Valley, is said to be nearly extinct. It’s a small tree, sometimes reaching 20 feet tall and 6 to 8 inches in diameter, known for its large velvety leaves (4 to 5 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide), clusters of yellow and white flowers, and delicate ivory-white coated fruit. The bark is thin, gray, with a reddish tint.

also called knackaway, anama, and yara, occurs in West Texas from the upper San Marcos River to the Rio Grande River. It is a tropical tree and, out of about 40 species in its family, is the only one found in the United States, and here only in Texas. It is appreciated as a shade tree in some communities of South Texas and is recognized for its growth and beauty. Occasionally, it reaches a height of 40 to 50 feet with a trunk 3 feet in diameter, reaching its largest size on the Guadalupe and Nueces Rivers. Anaqua has slender branchlets, without terminal buds, and leathery, very rough leaves that are almost evergreen. It blooms with white flowers in March and April and produces large clusters of edible red berries in June and July. The wood is heavy, close-grained, light brown, and of little value.

also called Texas Madroño, is a small, oddly shaped tree found on dry limestone hills, in the valley of the Rio Blanco, and among the Eagle Mountains. The trunk is rarely more than one foot in diameter and usually splits into several branches near the ground. The leaves are oval to oblong and persistent until new leaves grow. The bark of young stems and branches is smooth, thin, and yellowish-green with a hint of red. At the base of old trunks, the bark, which can be about ¼ inch thick, is dark reddish-brown.

is similar in appearance to red pine (P. resinosa Ait.) but the needles are stiffer. Bark is black to dark brown, and the cones are 1½ to 2 inches long. This tree is native to central and southern Europe and Asia Minor. It has been widely planted in the U.S. as an ornamental but hasn't become naturalized yet. It is commonly planted in Texas for windbreaks.

is a small tree, no more than 25 feet tall, typically with thorny branches. The leaves are simple, alternate, narrow and 2 to 3 inches long, bright green on the top and silvery underneath. It originates from Europe and Asia and is used as an ornamental plant and in windbreak plantings in the United States.

is a small silver gray-green tree with edible scarlet-colored fruit that is great for making jelly. It can grow 18 to 23 feet tall. The leaves are usually narrow, measuring ¾ to 2 inches long, and the twigs are often thorny. Its native range extends from the northern Great Plains to Kansas. It's beneficial for windbreak plantings and erosion control.

is more commonly known in the Plains area as Chinese elm. It is drought-resistant and grows in a variety of locations but can't handle too much water. It's a small tree with slender, drooping branches. Clusters of short-stemmed, winged seeds appear in April or May. The leaves are alternate, simple, and 1 to 2 inches long, with leaf edges that are doubly serrated. It's widely used for shade and windbreak plantings.

was introduced from China and has adapted well to the southern Great Plains area centered around the Texas Panhandle. The small tree is very resilient and drought-resistant. Its light green leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, pointed, and attached to slender stems. The heavy leaves make the stems bend, giving the foliage a drooping look. Young stems and branches are green, while older ones are gray. The fruit is a four-lobed capsule which, before ripening in the fall, has a pinkish tint. The ripened seeds are bright red.

The following guide has been included in the Eighth edition to help school kids and interested adults identify Texas trees.

The guide is straightforward and should be seen as such. You can find more detailed information in most public libraries.

In the guide, trees are categorized based on their distinctive features, which include leaves, leaf arrangement, flowers, fruit and location.

Note: Not included above but commonly found in the longleaf pine range is a cross between loblolly and longleaf pine. This hybrid tree has characteristics of both parents.