Amazing Trees

 Silver Birch Tree

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name - Betula pendula

Domain               -  Eukaryota

Kingdom             - Plantae

Phylum               - Magnoliophyta

Class                    - Mangnolipsida

Order                   - Fagales

Family                 - Betulaceae

Genus                  - Betula

Species               - B.pendula

Silver Birch is a striking deciduous tree, Light green leaves fade to yellow in autumn. Silver Birch provides food and a habitat for countless insect species. It's leaves are small and triangular-shaped with a toothed edge. Betula pendula, commonly known as Silver Birch, Warty Birch, European White Birch, or East Asian White Birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae.

The Silver Birch grows naturally from western Europe eastwards to Kazakhstan, the Sakha Republic in Siberia, Mongolia, and the Xinjiang province in China, and southwards to the mountains of the Caucasus and northern Iarn, Iraq, and Turkey. Silver Birches prefer an open, sunny site. They are not too fussy about soil types, as they grow well in just about all soils, and will even tolerate occasional water logging. The Silver Birch is a medium-sized tree, growing to 15 - 25 m in height, only exceptionally it can reach 30m. It develops slender trunks with diameters under 40cm. Silver Birch commonly lives for 90 - 100 years, and more rarely up to 150 years.

It's anti-inflammatory properties means it can treat conditions like arthritis, high cholesterol, heart and kidney swelling, and cystitis. Silver Birch stimulates the digestive system and aids in better digestion. It's nutrients are also effective in strengthening the bones and boosting overall immunity.

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 African Baobab Tree

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name -  Adansonia digitata

Domain               - Eukaryota

Kingdom             - Plantae

Phylum                - Tracheophyta

Class                     - Magnoliopsida

Order                   - Malvales

Family                 - Malvaceae

Genus                  - Adansonia

Species                - A.digitata  

Adansonia digitata, the African baobab, is the most widespread tree species of the genus Adansonia, the baobabs, and is native to the African continent and the Southern Arabian Peninsula. Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries.

Deciduous tree, leafs out during the period of maximum heat just before the first rain arrive in a tropical environment. It may grow to  65ft ( 20m ) high, with a massive trunk that is cylindrical, tapering, bottle-shaped or irregular; with a bare lower part. The African baobab tree ( Adansonia digitata ) is the oldest living flowering plant, or angiosperm, and is found in the continent's tropical regions. Individuals trees which can contain up to 500 cubic metres of wood can live for more than 2,000 years.

Though baobab has a good nutritional value and it's consumption is considered beneficial, there are certain downsides to it, such as: the seeds and pulp contain certain antrinutrients, especially phytates, tannins, and oxalic acid, which interfere with and seduce the absorption of nutrients.

The various parts of the plant ( leaves, bark and seeds ) are used as a panacea, that is, to treat almost any disease and specific document uses include the treatment of malaria, tuberculosis, fever, microbial, infections, diarrhoea, anaemia, dysentery, toothache, etc.

It is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in it's vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid. This is how it became known as " The Tree of Life ".  

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 American Hornbeam

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name  - Carpinus caroliniana

Domain                - Eukaryota

Kingdom              - Plantae

Phylum                 - Tracheophyta

Class                     - Tracheophytes

Order                    - Fagales

Family                  - Betulaceae

Genus                   - Carpinus

Species                 - C.caroliniana

Carpinus caroliniana, the American hornbeam, is a small hardwood tree in the genus Carpinus.  American hornbeam is also known as blue beech, ironwood, musclewood, and muscle beech.  American hornbeam is a slow growing, understory tree with an attractive, natural, rounded form growing, 15 -30 tall and wide. The smooth, gray trunk and larger branches of a mature tree exhibit a distinctive muscle like fluting. 

It is native to eastern North America, from Minnesota and southern Ontario east to Marine, and south to eastern Texas and Northern Florida. Tree size : 20 to 40 feet tall, 20 to 30 feet wide. Growth rate is slow, about 1 foot a year. Flowers are green catkins and bloom from April until June. The  American hornbeam can be grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or as a single-stemmed tree. It is more narrow and upright than the European hornbeam. The  American hornbeam grows slowly, about 12 per year, reaching an average height and spread of 20 - 30 over a life span of 50 - 150 years.

The  American hornbeam is extremely resistant to both pests and diseases, so problems rarely arise. However, hornbeam trees can develop cankers or dead sections on the bark or branches. They can present with leaf scorch or leaf spots. Proper maintenance and appropriate water amounts should prevent this.

It is whitish, extremely hard and heavy and has been used for making mallet heads, tool handles, levers, and other small, hard, wooden objects. The wood is not subject to cracking or splitting and was used by  American pioneers for bowls and dishes.

 American hornbeam is an important food of gray squirrels in southern bottom-land hardwoods; otherwise it is of secondary importance to wildlife. Seeds, buds, or catkins are eaten by a number of songbirds, ruffed grouse, ring-necked pheasants, bobwhite, turkey, fox and gray squirrels. 

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 Persian Silk Tree

Scientific Classification 

Scientific Name - Albizia julibrissin

Domain               - Eukaryota

Kingdom             - Plantae

Phylum               - Magnoliophyta

Class                    - Magnoliopsida

Order                   - Fabales

Family                 - Fabaceae

Genus                  - Albizia

Species               - A.julibrissin

Albizia julibrissin, the Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, or mimosa tree, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Flippo degli Albizzi, who introduced it to Europe in the mid 18th century. The species name, julibrissin, comes from the Persian word " gul-i-brisham " which means ilk flower.

Albizia julibrissin invades any type of disturbed habitat. It is commonly found in old fields, stream banks, and roadsides. Once established, mimosa is difficult to remove due to the long lived seeds and it's ability to re-sprout vigorously. The genus is pantropical occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, America, and Australia, but mostly in the Old World tropics. Albizia julibrissin, is a fast growing, small to medium sized, deciduous tree that typically grows in a vase shape to 20 - 40' tall with a spreading, often umbrella like crown. It is a short lived tree with an average lifespan is 30 years. The leaves are fern-like in appearance and are very sensitive.

Albizia julibrissin might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking Albizia julibrissin along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.

Albizia species have been used in folk medicine for the treatment of cough, diarrhoea, insomnia, irritability, rheumatism, stomach ache, tuber culosis, and wounds. 

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Dragon's Blood Tree

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name -  Dracaena cinnabari

Domain               - Eukaryota

Kingdom             - Plantae

Phylum               - Magnoliophyta

Class                    - Monocots

Order                   - Asparagales

Family                 - Asparagaceae

Genus                  - Dracaena

Species                - D.cinnabari

Dracaena cinnabari, the Socotra dragon tree or Dragon blood tree, is a dragon tree native to the Socotra archipelago, part of Yemen, located in the Arabian Sea. It is named after the blood like color of the red sap that the trees produce. Dracaena cinnabari, the dragon blood tree, is a unique tree that is one of the most peculiar trees in the world. The tree has a distinctive external shape that makes it look like a huge umbrella, as the leaves grow only at the end of branches and point upwards.

Dragon trees are native to Cape Verde, Morocco, Spain's Canary Islands, and Madeira, Portugal. The dragon tree is still found on five of the seven Canary Islands, but only a few hundred trees are left. Two hundred miles off the coast of Yemen is Socotra, a remote island known as the jewel of the Arabia, where a species of otherworldly tree known as dragon's blood has bloomed for millenia. The tree has a distinctive external shape that makes it look like a huge umbrella, as the leaves grow only at the end of branches and point upwards. It has many branches; it grows by dichotomy, which means that each branch is divided into two until the leaves finally grow on the branches' ends. Dragon's blood tree can grow to more than 30 feet in height and live for 600 years.

The dragon tree is an evergreen like plant that varies in size, from a small ornamental plant to a small tree. Dracaena species plants contain saponins which may cause drooling, vomiting, weakness, incoordination and dilated pupils when ingested.

 Today, its most common use is for digestive health. It was once thought to speed wound healing, and some healers used it for respiratory issues. Dragon's blood was also employed for different gastrointestinal conditions.

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 Silver Maple

Scientific Classification 

Scientific Name - Acer saccharinum

Domain               - Eukaryota

Kingdom             - Plantae

phylum                - Anthophyta

Class                    - Dicotyledoneae

Order                  - Sapindales

Family                - Sapindaceae

Genus               - Acer

Species               - A.saccharinum

Silver maple is a medium sized tree of short bole and quickly branching crown common in the Eastern United States where it is also called soft maple, rive maple, silver leaf maple, swamp maple, water maple and white maple. Silver maple, is a species of flowering plant in the scapberry and lychee family sapindaceae. 

In North America there are is native species. The silver maple extends from Marine and New Brunswick in the east, through Southern Quebec and Ontario, west to Minnesota and South Dakota. It also extends South Through Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma to Louisiana. It is native to Eastern North America and is often found in flood plains, a long streams or rivers, or low lying woodlands.

Usually, silver maple live between 100 and 125 years, depending on their environment. However, silver maple in urban settings have a much shorter lifespan at just 35 to 65 years. Among the maple trees mentioned, silver maple is more fragile and susceptible to disease and shortened lifetime. The silver maple is a large tree that can grow to be 35m tall with a trank that's more than 100cm in diameter. It light green leaves are 15 to 20cm long, with 5 or 7 lobes.

It can be used in flooring, making paper, and can be used for firewood. Silver maple can be turned in to timber which is sold with red maple as lumber. The sap from the silver maple can be used to make light syrup which contributes to the northeastern state large syrup industry. The silver maple helps in hydraulic lift which redistributes soil water. It draws water from lower soil layers and emits the water into upper drier soil layers. This not only benefits the tree itself, but also many other plants growing around it. 

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 Silk Cotton Tree

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name  - Bombax ceiba

Domain                - Eukaryota

Kingdom              - Plantae

Phylum                 - Magnoliophyta

Class                      - Dicotyledons

Order                     - Malvales

Family                   - Malvaceae

Genus                    - Bombax

Species                 - B.ceiba

The silk cotton tree or ceiba tree is one of the largest trees in the American tropics. The tree has played an important role in the spiritual and economic lives of the peoples who live in the Cirum - Caribbean region. Cotton wood trees are native plants that grow huge - over 100 feet tall and wide. They are famous for producing seeds attached to a cottony mass that floats on the breeze, coats window screens and clogs pool and AC filters. Some people say the cotton  - laden seeds make them sneeze.

Silk cotton trees are found in the wild in the tropical rainforests. These deciduous trees are native of South America but can be found in Africa and South East Asia. The ceiba is a rapidly growing deciduous tree that reaches heights of 80 feet or more, and a diameter of five to eight feet above it's buttresses. The buttresses themselves can be up to ten feet tall and extend ten feet from the main trunk. The tree has a brood, flat crown of horizontal branches. The most important ceiba in Guetemala is known as La ceiba de Palin Escuintla which is over 400 years old. In Caracas, Venezuela there is a 100 years old ceiba tree in front of the San Francisco Church known as La ceiba de San Francisco and is an important element in the history of the city. 

Silk cotton is a medicinal tree, which is also beneficial in cough and gallstones. By grinding it's raw fruit, making powder or decoction, you get to benefit in stones and other urinary problems. Called Kapok in Asia, the fibers are used for insulation, padding in sleeping bags and life preservers, and for stuffing mattresses and pillows. In Puerto Rico the tree was often planted in the center of plazas for shade, and it's considered a valuable honey tree.

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Mulberry

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name - Morus alba

Domain               - Eukaryota

Kingdom             - Animalia

Phylum               - Magnoliophyta

Class                    - Magnoliopsida

Order                   - Rosales

Family                 - Moraceae

Genus                  - Morus

Species                - M.alba

Morus alba, known as white mulberry, common mulberry, and silkworm mulberry. Mulberries are best known for their sweet-tart fruit, which is one of our favorites both fresh and dried. They are wonderful in other ways, too. In fact, the leaves are excellent animal fodder, with a protein content at about 20% of dry matter ( FAO 1998 ). 

Mulberries prefer a well-drained, fertile soil and tolerate any conditions expert wet soils. Mulberries are native to temperate Asia and North America, and several species are cultivated for their fruits and as ornamentals. Mulberry plants are also important as food for silkworms. The white mulberry tree can grow anywhere from 40 to 60 feet ( 13 - 18m ) tall, and approximately 40 feet ( 13m ) wide. Their shapes are quite variable, some can have saggy or droopy shapes, others can have rigid pyramidal or cone-like shapes. The tree has a relatively short life span, even though some have been found to live up to 75 years, most white mulberry have life spans averaging between 25 - 50 years.

Although mulberry leaf has largely been shown to be safe in both human and animal studies, it may lead to side effects in some people. For example, some people have reported adverse effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, bloating, and constipation, when taking supplements.

Mulberries may lower cholesterol levels, help prevent fatty liver disease, and improve blood sugar control. They also decrease oxidative stress, which may reduce cancer risk. White mulberries leaves are the preferred feedstock for silkworms, and are also cut for food for livestock in areas where dry seasons restrict the availability of ground vegetation. The leaves are prepared as tea in Korea. The fruit are also eaten, often dried or made in to wine.

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 Wollemi Pine Tree

Scientific classification

Scientific Name - Wollemia nobilis

Domain               - Eukaryota

Kingdom            - Plantae

Phylum               - Spermatophyta

Class                    - Pinopsida

Order                  - Araucariales

Family                - Araucariaceae

Genus                 - Wollemia

Species               - W.nobilis

 Wollemia nobilis is a genus of coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. It was known only though fossil records until 1994, when the Australian species Wollemia nobilis was discovered in a temperate rainforest wildness area of the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales. It was growing in a remote series of narrow, steep-sided, sandstone, gorges 150km north-west of Sydney. The genus is named after the National Park. In both botanical and popular literature, the tree has been almost universally referred to as the Wollemi pine, although it is not  a true pine, nor a member of the family, but is related to Agathis and Araucoria in the family Aracariaceae.

                              

The Wollemi pine growing in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney was planted by Principal Research Scientist from the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan Dr. Cathy Offord in 1996. Wollemia nobilis is an evergreen tree reaching 25 - 40m tall. The bark is very distinctive, dark brown, and knobby, quoted as resembling the breakfast cereal coco pops. Wollemi pines lives for an extremely long time, some of the oldest living trees around today are thought to be between 500 and 1000 years old.

The Wollemi Pine is classified as critically endangered ( CR ) on the IUCN's Red List, and is legally producted in Australia. After it was discovered that the trees could be successfully cloned, new trees were potted up in the Botanic Gardens of Sydney and Mount Annan. It is thought that the Wollemi Pine has been undergoing a slow natural decline for thousands of years, but today this species is threatened by it's small population size and restricted distribution making it very susceptible to the effects of human activities or unexpected catastrophes. 

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 Flowering Dogwood

 Scientific Classification

Scientific Name - Cornus florida

Domain              - Eukaryota

Kingdom            - Animalia                                

Phylum              - Anthophyta

Class                 - Magnoliopsida

Order                - Cornales

Family              - Cornaceae

Genus               - Cornus

Species            - C.florida

Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to Easter North America and Northern Mexico. An endemic population once spanned from southern most coastal Marine south to northern Florida and west to the Mississippi river. The tree is commonly planted as an ornamental an residential and public areas because of it's showy bracts and interesting bark structure.

Two subspecies are generally recognized. They are Cornus florida subsp.florida and Cornus florida subsp.urbiniana ( rose ).The state tree of Virginia, flowering dogwood grows 20 to 35 feet tall and spreads 25 to 30 feet. It is a plant with four-season character showy spring flowers, summer, and fall foliage, fall fruit and winter branching habit. Trees can be used in groupings, as specimen or in naturalized areas. The average lifespan is 80 years.

The fungus, Elsinoe corni, causes spot anthracnose. It is the common disease of flowering dogwood. while by itself this disease is not life threatening to healthy trees, it can be a contributing factor to tree decline. Generally speaking, dogwoods are not poisonous. There is plenty of variety when it comes to different dogwoods : some do and some do not shed berries. The berries by themselves are not considered poisonous but are considered inedible and they can cause some gastrointestinal distress if consumed in excess.

Native American used the bark and roots in a remedy for malaria. A red dye was also extracted from the roots. The species has been used in in production of inks, scarlet dyes, and as a quinine substitute. The hard, dense wood has been used for products such as golf club heads, mallets, wooden rake teeth, tool handless.

Cornus florida is the state tree and flower of Virginia. The state tree if Missouri and state flower of North Carolina.

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Red Maple

Scientific classification 

Scientific Name - Acer rubrum

Domain             - Eukaryota

Kingdom           - Plantae

Phylum              - Spermatophyta

Class                 - Dicotyledonae

Order                - Sapindales

Family              - Sapindaceae

Genus               - Acer

Species             - A.rubrum

Acer rubrum, the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous tree of eastern and central North America. The U.S. forest service recognizes it as the most abundant native tree in eastern North America. The red maple is named for it's red followers, red fruit, red twigs, and of course it's brilliant red fall foliage. Autumn sightseers of the eastern deciduous forest praise the red maple for it's striking scarlet leaves. Few people know that red maple foliage can turn yellow or orange in the fall too. The red maple is a important tree for nature. Because of it's colorful fall foliage, it is an  important ornamental tree, and it is also very important as a food source for wildlife. Red maple wood is used for sawtimber, pulpwood, furniture, veneer, plywood, flooring and other wood products. One example is that the maple trees in production in Quebec capture the carbon produced by the equivalent of 290,000 cars in a year. That's 9% of all cars in Quebec. The Quebec sugar bush capture and stores 8 times the carbon that it's production process emit. As well as maple tree, produce the most oxygen. They do this using photosynthesis, which convert carbon dioxide in to oxygen.

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Manchineel Tree

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name - Hippomane manchinella

Domain              - Eukaryota

Kingdom            - Plantae

Phylum              - Maggnoliophyta

Class                  - Magnoliopsida

Order                 - Malpighiales / Euphorbiales

Family               - Spurge / Euphorbiaceae

Genus                - Hippomane

Species              - H.manchinella

The manchineel tree is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family. It's native range stretches from tropical southern north America to northern south America. Known as the Hippomane manchinella by scientists, the manchineel tree can hit nearly 50 feet tall when it reaches full maturity. Distinguished by it's red bark, green leaves, and green and yellow flowers, the tree grows well in any tropical climate. Manchineel is one of the largest, but despite it's dangerous reputation is not the most famous, that'd be the poinsettia, the mancheel's more festive cousin. The manchineel is so toxic that it's fruit as known as the " Apple of death " is spanish. Every part of it from the leaves it bears to the bark itself-is riddled with a poisonous sap that causes blisters, bleeding, shock and even death in it's unfortunate victims. Native people have used manchinnel as medicine, gum made from the bark can reportedly treat edema, and dried fruit have even been used as a diuretic. As well as the manchineel tree tend to grow in clusters, on tropical beach shores. Although manchinnel tree is a poisonous tree, but it' a part of nature.

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Old Wisteria ( Japanese Wisteria )

Scientific Classification

Scientific Name - Wisteria floribunda

Domain              - Eukaryota

Kingdom            - Plantae

Phylum               - Magnoliophyta

Class                  - Magnoliopsida

Order                 - Fabales

Family               - Fabaceae

Genus                - Wisteria

Species             - W.floribunda

Wisteria is a genus of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae ( Leguminosae ), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, The Eastern United States, and North of Iran. I am talking this article about the Japanese Wisteria. Wisteria floribunda, common name Japanese wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to Japan. Growing to 9m ( 30ft ) it is woody, deciduous twining climbers. Japanese Wisteria originates from East Asia and likes warm, moist climates. It is suitable for growing in environments with a temperature range of 18-28'C. It can tolerate temperatures as low as -30'C but may grow poorly when the temperature rises above 35'C. It requires abundant water. Supported by trees, shrubs, and structures, and Japanese Wisteria is a beautiful tree. Long, hanging clumps of fragrant flowers grace the vine when it blooms. The lush, green vine is lovely when not in bloom too. Wisteria, one of the most beautiful plants on earth, can last for so years and more. It can also, and has a reputation for doing so, drive you and your heirs nuts. To begin with, after you plant Wisteria, years and years may go by before you see a first bloom. The fungal leaf diseases commonly known as powdery mildew and leaf pot are frequently observed in Wisteria, but they are not a major concern. Both may start as small yellow spots on leaves, but powdery mildew eventually develops a white, fuzzy coating that may engulf the whole leaf.

                                                                           

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