​The Southern Red Oak is a pretty widespread species, common in over a dozen southeast states. They prefer to grow upland (though will occasionally sprout along streams), and thrive in the poor mesic soil that other tree species would find uninhabitable.  ​As their upland home might suggest, these behemoths prefer full sun exposure and are extremely drought-resistant. They can still survive flooding on occasion, though, and will tolerate partial shade assuming their soil is well-drained.

​As with most oak species, these trees drop acorns. Around a quarter of an inch to half an inch long, these tiny fruits are protected with hairy little caps that cover about a third of the total nut. They’re generally stouter than the classic acorn shape, but are still instantly identifiable.  ​While these acorns make for a delicious source of food for a variety of animals (and a fun scavenger hunt for the kids!), they can also be a nuisance, especially along sidewalks or in your backyard.

Did You Know? ​Southern Red Oaks have been known to cross-pollinate with other red oak species in the southeast, resulting in hybrid acorns that grow into hybrid trees!​

Prior to these tripping hazards, however, come “flowers.” That’s in quotation marks because, though scientifically classified as such, the fruiting bodies of the Southern Red Oaks look nothing like what you’d think of when you hear the word.  ​As a monoecious species, both male and female flowers grow together on the same tree. The male catkins are yellowish-green in color and long and skinny in shape, while the female clusters are reddish-brown in color and grown shorter and stouter. Interested in learning about more tree species? Check out our other Tree of the Month articles!

Author

​Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Unlike other kinds of birches, which have more specific environmental needs, river birches are pretty tolerant of…well…everything. They’re indifferent to most soil types, can handle both drought and flood, and while they prefer around 4 hours of unfiltered sunlight per day (known as “partial shade” in the arboreal world), they do just fine with more or less. They do just as well in the hot southern states as they do the colder northern states, and are resistant to birch borers, a type of pest that commonly harms other birch species.

​Young river birches will grow around 13 to 24 inches in a year, until they reach maturity, at which point their growth rate will stall. On average, mature river birches will top out at heights of 40 to 70 feet, with a crown stretching out 40 to 60 feet. This impressive spread is thanks to the multiple trunks of the river birch’s natural growth pattern. With multiple trunks allowed to grow freely, the river birch will have a rather irregular crown shape. In urban settings, however, these multiple trunks are pruned back to a single trunk, encouraging the tree to grow taller rather than wider. River birches that have been pruned this way will end up with a more pyramidal shape.

Did You Know? ​River birch bark (and the bark of most birch species) has been used as paper for centuries. The oldest use of birch bark as paper is thought to be a collection of Buddhist texts from the 1st century CE!

River birches are probably most well-known for the same reason all birches are liked: their papery, peeling bark pattern, and their stunning yellow leaves in the fall. River birch bark is usually darker than other birch species (hence the alternative name of “black birch”), with less white and grey tones and more brown and reddish tones.

​The leaves of the river birch are around 2 to 3 inches long, and have the classic, rounded leaf shape. They grow in alternate pairs up and down a single stem, and are ridged along the edges. New leaves are bright green in color with a glossy finish, and will fade to a more muted green over time. But what really makes river birch leaves (and all birch tree leaves in general) stand out is their fall display.  ​As other tree leaves begin brown, sometimes turning a little red or orange before they fall, river birch leaves transition to a bright, almost startling yellow for the autumn season.

Along with their yellow leaves, river birches will grow small male flowers in the fall. They won’t bloom, however, until the spring, when the small female flowers grow. Both flowers are a type of catkin, and will range from warm brown to dull green in color. Male river birch catkins are long and skinny, while female catkins are more cone-like. After the female flowers mature (somewhere in May or June), river birches will yield tiny little winged nutlets that are popular amongst local wildlife.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. 

​But black walnuts aren’t just pretty as furnishings. The trees themselves are beautiful and larger than life. Young trees can grow up to 2 feet per year until they reach maturity after 12 to 15 years. Their crown spread tends to mirror their height, meaning they grow out just as much as they grow up. How far out, and how high? On average, we’re talking 50 to 75 feet when grown out in the open. When left to their own devices in the forest (or lovingly cared for on a plant farm), black walnuts have been known to reach heights eclipsing 150 feet.  ​Black walnuts generally reach about 6 feet in diameter, their trunks covered in medium brown bark with thick, interfacing ridges. Their branches will happily grow low to the ground if there’s room, but in more crowded forests, they’ll self-prune up to about 2/3 their total height (basically, they’ll let lower limbs die off to direct energy upwards, where leaves have the best chance of getting sunlight, and therefore nutrients). If you’ve got one out in the open and you’d rather not have huge branches growing out into where you’d like to walk around, you can prune them yourself. Black walnuts are bleeders (which means sap runs from any wounds), so be sure to prune during the dormant season, not spring.

Did You Know? ​The wood of the black walnut is very easily worked, and is prized in the furniture industry for its attractive color and exceptional durability. So much so, in fact, that thieves (called “walnut rustlers”) will steal and then make off with with whole black walnut trees in the dead of night. They’ve even used helicopters in their operations!

​The leaves of the black walnut tree, though skinny, are proportionally just as large as the tree they grow on, reaching anywhere from 1 to 2 feet long! Leaves grow in pairs down a single stem, sometimes ending with a singular leaf at the tip. Leaflets, on the other hand, have toothy ridges—not that you’ll ever see them. They’re usually hidden by their larger, older brethren. This fern-like foliage offers mottled shade that filters harsh sunlight, making them a popular addition to parks and along sidewalks.

​These nuts don’t start out looking like what you buy in the store. As they ripen in early- to mid-autumn, they’ll look like lime green, fleshy baseballs. Black walnuts aren’t usually harvested off the tree, but are instead collected from the ground after they fall. They’re just as heavy as they look, and those with black walnuts near their house are more than familiar with the intermittent thudding on their roof that signals ripe fruit.

Did You Know? ​With a higher protein content than most nuts (7 grams per serving), high levels of Manganese, Omega-3, and antioxidants, and a range of other nutrients, black walnuts are considered a superfood. They support the metabolism, encourage healthy bone structure, and can even help protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain neurodegenerative conditions.

Fallen black walnuts are known for littering sidewalks and bruising innocent passersby, and are even more notorious for staining any surface they come in contact with. ​ ​ Black walnut tree owners may spend hours picking up the fallen fruit (wearing gloves, of course, because those green husks will stain skin just as readily as clothes). Even if they have no plans to eat it, the tripping hazard alone is worth putting in the work. The fallen fruit will also attract animals like squirrels interested in an easy meal, and will eventually rot and mold.  ​After harvesting, the green baseballs are broken to reveal the corrugated, thick black inner shell. This is the part you think of when you think of walnuts. They’re left to dry out, and can be stored for up to a year. When you’re ready to eat them, you may find them tough to break, but the effort ends with a delicious, sweet nut. Be careful at this stage too, though, because these inner shells, when crushed, can also stain pretty much anything.

​Juglone is emitted in large quantities from black walnut roots, which may stretch out 50 feet or more from the base. The substance can also be found to a lesser extent in the leaves and fruit husks, but there’s still enough to harm anything growing beneath the crown of the tree.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. 

Whereas in many of the States of the Union some tree indigenous to the soil of the State has been chosen as an emblem of its sovereignty; and

Whereas hitherto the General Assembly of Georgia has made no such selection; and

Whereas the live-oak, being a tree indigenous to the soil of our State and especially flourishing along the Coastal plains and islands thereof where the first settlers and founders of this State resided, and which tree is so closely associated with our early history, and particularly with the lives of many famous Georgians such as General James Edward Oglethorpe, John Wesley and Sidney Lanier;

Be it therefore resolved by the House of Representatives of Georgia, the Senate concurring, that, at the suggestion and request of Edmund Burke Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, the live-oak be and the same is hereby adopted as and declared to be the official tree emblematic of the State of Georgia.

​Live Oaks (also known as Virginia Live Oaks, thanks to their scientific name, Quercus virginiana) are well-known for their looks. They grow just as wide as they do tall, which is saying something, considering mature Live Oaks can reach heights of 65 to 85 feet. Their trunks are usually so big around that multiple people would have to join hands to fully circle it.

DID YOU KNOW?  The largest Live Oak on record was discovered in 1976 close to Louisburg, Louisiana. Its trunk diameter measured 11.65 feet across, and its branches reached 55 feet into the sky. But what made this tree a national champion was its crown spread, which stretched 132 feet wide!

​On average, adult Live Oaks stand around 40 to 50 feet tall, with a crown spread around 80 feet and branches that measure up to 5 or 6 feet in diameter. They’re considered one of the faster-growing trees when young, clocking around 2 feet of height per year. Once they’re established, however, that growth rate slows down significantly. The growth rate of fully matured Live Oaks is almost entirely stalled, as they devote most of their energy to supporting their massive size.    As you might be able to guess, Live Oaks grow best in well-drained, sandy soil with plenty of moisture, and prefer high humidity and full sun—exactly what you find along the coast. They can tolerate drier climates and more compact soils, but they will grow much slower and likely won’t reach their full potential. Live Oaks that do grow in their favorite environment are one of the longest-living oak species. On average, any given Live Oak you see is probably 200 to 300 years old.

​Though they often appear lighter green thanks to the interspersing of Spanish Moss, Live Oak leaves are actually a dark green, and covered with a waxy coating that protects them from salt spray. Unlike other oak species that lose their leaves seasonally, Live Oaks are nearly evergreen. Old leaves will yellow and drop only when new leaves begin to push through, sometime around late winter to early spring.

​Live Oaks are generally pruned when young to establish one strong, central trunk structure, but otherwise require little to no maintenance. They are susceptible to a fungal gall called leaf blister, but this usually only disfigures a few leaves and doesn’t cause any serious damage. You can rake up and burn or otherwise dispose of infected leaves to help reduce the chances of a tree contracting the fungus again. While other oak species are at a high risk for oak wilt disease, which can kill even the largest of trees, there have been no documented cases of oak wilt in Live Oaks, potentially because of their salty surroundings.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. 

Next up for Tree of the Month is sassafras albidum. Sometimes called America’s “only native species,” and more commonly referred to as just sassafras, these trees have a wide distribution that reaches as far south as central Florida, as far west as Texas, and as far North and East as Maine. You might know them by their unique, bilobed leaves. The asymmetrical dual lobes mimic the shape of a winter mitten, and can be left- or right-handed. This prompts children to hold their hands against these leaves to compare size and see if the “mittens” will fit their hands. Though the bilobed leaves get all the attention, sassafras leaves actually come in two other shapes: unlobed and trilobed. Unlobed leaves look like simple ovals, while the trilobed ones look like a rounded-off trident. You might even find a five-lobed sassafras leaf, but this is pretty rare (and might be lucky, like finding a four-leaf clover!).

Did You Know? The largest known sassafras tree in the world is over 100 feet tall! Its trunk has a 21-foot circumference. You'll find this behemoth in Owensboro, Kentucky.

They generally reach around 3 to 7 inches in length, and give off a pleasant aroma when crushed or rubbed. The smell has been described as similar to things like citrus, root beer, and cinnamon. In fact, every single part of the sassafras is said to possess the scent! The fully grown sassafras is a medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 30 to 60 feet, and crown spreads of 25 to 40 feet. Slender, tapering branches grow in a generally rounded shape when left alone. They are sympodial, which means that, when the branch grows an offshoot, the main branch will end and growth will be left to the offshoot. Then, the offshoot will end and sprout another offshoot, and so on and so forth. This process creates horizontal, cloud-like tiers that are stunning to look up through. ​The trunk of the sassafras is rich, deep brown with red undertones and deep ridges and furrows. Without any maintenance, a sassafras trunk will grow many different shoots. This results in more width than height and the overall appearance of a large shrub. To prevent this, simply trim back any offshoots until the main trunk is firmly established.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Did You Know? The largest known Red Maple resides in Smoky Mountains National Park. In 1997, the National Register of Big Trees declared it a champion at 141 feet tall, with a 7-foot-wide trunk!

One of the reasons for their wide-spread population is their vast environmental tolerance. Red maples are happy in any kind of soil, be it acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, or even clay. This means they do just fine in all the Georgia red clay we have around here, and also allows them to grow in marshes and swamps. They have just enough drought tolerance to get them through the occasional dry spell, but also don’t mind the rainy seasons. They can be happy in partial shade, but flourish best with at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, giving them a distinct advantage in the Southeast. ​ No matter their surroundings, red maples are considered one of the faster-growing species of tree, and can clock height increases of anywhere from 13 inches to over 24 inches per year until maturity. Fully grown, they can reach heights of over 60 feet, with crown spreads over 45 feet. One of the tallest red maples recorded actually stretches over 100 feet into the sky. ​ While they are known (and named) for their beautiful fall color displays, red maples actually have vibrant green leaves most of the year; these leaves grow around 2 to 6 inches in length and have 3 or 5 irregularly-toothed lobes.

You’ve probably seen the likeness of the red maple leaf on merchandise relating to   Canada, as the red maple leaf is on their flag!

Did You Know?​ The red maple tree is the state tree of Rhode Island. It was chosen in the 1890s by a group of students who voted for their favorite candidate - possibly due to the name alone. The Rhode in Rhode Island comes from the Dutch word for "red!"

Red maple root systems are also incredibly dense and fibrous, and they will easily overwhelm nearby flora by leaching soil nutrients and soaking up available water. So, if you’re considering adding one of these gorgeous trees to your property, be sure to   account for the roots! You’ll also want to keep an eye out for any  signs of damage or decay; red maple branches are rated at medium-weak strength, meaning they are susceptible to broken limbs from inclement weather or human interaction. While red maples are fairly disease- and pest-resistant, exposed wounds like this can lead to infection and infestation if not properly cared for; if you think your red maple may be afflicted, feel free to   call us    and schedule a   free estimate!

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

They are tenuously attached to the tree, and will fall at the slightest provocation, leading to sidewalks and driveways littered with a veritable carpet of color. Children—and even, admittedly, adults—love to rustle the branches while standing under them to watch them float gently to the ground, like a colorful snowfall.  ​ The flowers and even leaves and seeds are rated as safe for human consumption, so if you have an adventurous toddler interested in munching some petals, they’re perfectly safe. The   ASPCA  has also certified them as safe for animal consumption, so you don’t have to worry about your beloved fur-baby who loves to eat anything and everything in sight.

A common misconception when it comes to Crepe Myrtles is that, in order to secure bountiful blooms for the next season, you need to chop off all branches down to the main trunk(s). This is not true, and often referred to in the arboreal world as Crepe Murder. Not only does a lobbed-off tree look sad, it’s also extremely unhealthy. All nutrients and energy will be channeled into new growth from the nubs, and while this new growth will bloom as desired, the blooms will be too heavy for the twigs they grow on, and will weigh them down until they break.

So now that you’ve reached the end of this article, you’re probably thinking how much you’d like to plant a Crepe Myrtle or two in your backyard, or maybe by your front door, and you’re probably feeling put out that it’s summer now, and most trees need to be planted in the early spring. But never fear! While they do prefer to be planted in early spring, they can still survive a summer planting, so long as they are sufficiently watered. If you do decide to grab yourself a new tree friend, be sure to read the tag thoroughly before you buy, so you get the exact size and color you want. There are many colors to choose from, and it would be a shame if you have your heart set on light pink blooms and you end up with dark red next year.

Did You Know? The common Crepe Myrtle is a native of China and Korea. They call it The Lilac of the South.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Nellie R. Stevens Holly 101

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

These tall, fast-growing evergreens are named after the depressed lowlands of the east coast of the United States that they are native to, and have the second highest population of trees across the country, surpassed only by the   red maple. ​ If you’ve ever driven down a back road or old highway and seen tons of tall pine trees planted in clear, evenly-spaced rows, then you’ve seen the loblolly pine. These loblolly “farms” supply a variety of industries, as the loblolly, classified in the lumber industry as a southern yellow pine, can be used for everything from furniture to plywood to pulp for paper and cardboard production.

Loblolly 101

Why the Loblolly? There are many reasons behind the loblolly’s widespread, dense population, one of which is the species’ rapid growth rate. Loblollies grow over 24 inches, or 2 full feet, per year, making them an ideal choice for quick screens; screens, in this instance, refer to a barricade of trees planted specifically to enhance privacy, reduce sound, or otherwise block off a specific area.  For example, during construction of a new structure, the surrounding area is usually raised to make way for equipment and machinery, as well as provide space to work. Once the structure is complete, however, the property owner will likely want something growing around their building, or along their property line; that’s where the loblolly steps in. These trees can populate a barren landscape within just a few years, making them one of the first choices for repopulating an area.

Did You Know? ​The loblolly pine is dominant on 11.7 million hectares (29 million acres!) of land, and comprises more than half the standing pine volume in the South.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

The eastern red cedar, scientifically known as juniperus virginiana, is a tall, conically-shaped evergreen that can be found on the North American continent, east of the Great Plains and all the way from Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico. Just like  our last tree of the month, the willow oak, isn’t actually a willow tree, the eastern red cedar isn’t actually a cedar tree! It shares the look and some of the properties of cedars, but it belongs to the   juniper family. You might have also heard it referred to as red cedar, eastern juniper, red juniper, Virginian juniper, and even aromatic cedar.

Did You Know? The National Champion of eastern red cedars is located in the cemetery of Lone Hill Methodist Church, in Coffee County, Georgia. It stands 57 feet tall and 75 feet wide!

This grand tolerance for soil type and hardiness to environment isn’t necessarily a bad thing; eastern red cedars are considered a pioneer species, which means they are some of the first trees to return to eroded, cleared, or otherwise damaged land. It also means that, even if your yard isn’t suitable for growing more delicate plant species, it’s probably great for some eastern red cedars. These trees are often used as ornamental addition to landscapes, and take well to being trimmed to form certain shapes; if you’re feeling adventurous and want to try and make an elephant out of a tree, an eastern red cedar will do the job! ​When properly supplied with sunlight, nutrients, and space to grow, healthy eastern red cedars can grow anywhere from 12 to 24 inches every year. At full maturity, they can reach heights of 40 to 50 feet with foliage spreads of 8 to 20 feet in all directions. “Full maturity” for eastern red cedars is about 10 to 20 years of age, but don’t let that fool you; these old coots can live well over 900 years long, reaching heights recorded up to 90 feet. Make sure you plan for this kind of space and height when looking to plant, so you don’t end up with a tree growing through the eaves of your home!

The trunks of these stately trees are usually very wide at the base, and angle to a skinnier diameter the higher you go. Covered in soft, silvery bark, the heartwood is known for its appealing smell, hence the colloquial name of “aromatic cedar;” you might remember a cedar hope chest that your grandmother had, or perhaps a cedar wardrobe that kept away the moths and made all your clothes smell delicious!

Female eastern red cedars produce the gray- or blueish-colored fruits that measure only a quarter of an inch in diameter; they are a diet staple for many of the same species that use the tree for shelter. In particular, the Cedar Waxwing bird loves them, and contributes significantly to the germination and dispersion of its namesake. Browser and grazer animal species will also eat both fallen and green twigs and foliage. All parts of the tree also have their place in herbal medicinal practices, but be careful; the leaves and berries have   low levels of toxicity to humans. They won’t do any lasting damage to you or any kiddos running around, but they might upset little tummies.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.