Being devoid of trees, J. Sterling endeavored to encourage tree planting in order to attract people to the state. He did that first as Editor of Nebraska City News, and then as President of the Agricultural Board. In 1872, he proposed that the state declare April 10 as Arbor Day, and his proposal was accepted. On that day in 1872, it is said that Nebraskans planted one million trees.
In 1885, Nebraska declared J. Sterling Morton's birthday, April 22, as Arbor Day and made it a legal holiday. Today, all 50 states, as well as many countries around the world, recognize Arbor Day in some manner. The day on which it is observed varies by region, depending on the best time of year to plant trees. Arbor Day is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future. - J. Sterling Morton -- Morton Arboretum's History of Arbor Day | |
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Family Cupressaceae – Redwoods, Cypress, Arborvitae, and Juniper
There are thirty (many monotypic) genera and 142 species in the family Cupressaceae, now widely regarded as including the Taxodiaceae, previously treated as a distinct family. The Cupressaceae are found in the fossil record as far back as the Jurassic Period, about 210 million years ago.
The heartwood of many species of Cupressaceae is resistant to termite damage and fungal decay, and therefore it is widely used in contact with soil. Most prominent in the flora are redwood and baldcypress; the premier coffin wood of China, Cunninghamia lanceolata, is another member of the family. Other genera, usually called cedars, may have aromatic woods with a variety of specialty uses. Wooden pencils are made from incense-cedar, Calocedrus decurrens, and eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, which is also used for lining cedar chests. Wood from species of
Thuja is still used for "cedar" roofing shingles. |
Family Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
The Fabaceae, or Legumes, are mostly herbs but include also shrubs and trees found in both temperate and tropical areas. They comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants, numbering some 400 genera and 10,000 species. Peanuts, beans, peas, wisteria and locust trees are among the family.
Legumes harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria in nodules in their root structures. (Alders do the same). Legumes comprise the vast majority of pioneer plants species
because of their ability to survive ecologies with few nutrients, such as the blow-down area around the 1980 explosion of Mount Saint Helens; the legume lupines were the first plant life found in the essentially sterilized (by pyroclastic flow) wasteland of volcanic ash downstream from the crater.
The thorns pictured at right are defense features on an ancient
tree, the Japanese locust. The thorns on these trees are so
thick and profuse, they deter not only large grazing animals,
but squirrels and other small mammals. However, I assume snakes
have no trouble navigating the thicket. |
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Family Fagaceae - Beeches, Chinkapins and Oaks There are about 900 species in this family worldwide, about 65 trees and 10 shrubs of which are native to North America. The Oak genus, Quercus, includes some of our most important native hardwoods, and are some of the most-recognized trees in our nature-starved populace. The beech genus, Fagus, contains 10 species native to temperate Europe and North America.
We've managed to photograph over twenty
species of Oaks, Chinkapins and Beeches at the Morton Arboretum, as
well as The State of Illinois' Millennium Tree, (a Bur Oak),
and another Bur Oak that is known to be still healthy and
injury-free after more than three hundred years. There is a
grove of dozens of Bur, White, and Red Oaks there that are
easily among the largest Oaks on the planet, with ages
ranging from 200-300 years. It's truly a sight to behold! |
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Family Hippocastanaceae - Horse-chestnuts, Buckeyes
Three genera and 15 species: Asia (Himalayas to Japan), SE Europe, North America, also Central and South America (Billia); two genera (one endemic) and five species (two endemic, two introduced) in China.
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Family Juglandaceae - Walnuts, Hickories, Butternut and Pecan
The Walnut family is a large group of deciduous, aromatic trees including hickories, pecan, butternut and walnuts. There are about 50 species worldwide, 17 in North America. |
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Family Magnoliaceae -- Magnolias
The Magnolia genus is one of the most ancient among flowering trees. Growing to 30 meters, cucumber tree is the most widespread and hardy of the eight magnolia species native to the United States, and the only magnolia native to Canada. |
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Family Moraceae: Figs and Mulberry
Trees, shrubs, herbs or vines, both evergreen and deciduous; mainly woody and tropical, they are most abundant in Asia. The largest genus is Ficus, with about 750 species of figs. Species bearing edible fruit include the mulberries, breadfruit and jackfruit. Although weeping figs and rubber plants are often sold as houseplants, economically the most important species are related to the silk trade; they serve as food plants for the silkworm, Bombyx mori. |
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Family Pinaceae: Pines, Cedars, Spruce, and Firs
The Pine family is the most varied of all the groups of trees that bear cones. Pinaceae contains more than 250 species which are native to, and which form the dominant forest cover over much of the northern hemisphere. |
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Family Rosaceae - Hawthorn, Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, Peach, Almond, Mountain-Ash and Whitebeams.
There are about 2800 species in 95 genera.
The Rose family is a large assemblage of trees, shrubs and herbs
including many of our most familiar and valued fruits, the drupes and pomes. The family is characterized by flowers
that have sepals, petals, and stamens attached to the receptacle margin.
Of course, the family is named for the type genus,
Rosa, which contains perhaps the best known and loved flowers on
Earth, the Roses.
The fruits come in many varieties and were once
considered the main characters for the definition of subfamilies. They
can be follicles, capsules, nuts, achenes, drupes (cherries and
apricots) or accessory fruits, like the pome of an apple.
[Family Rosaceae Table of Contents] |
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Family Rutaceae - Cork trees, Citrus trees
The Rutaceae are herbs, shrubs, and trees with glandular punctate, commonly strongly smelling herbage comprising about 150 genera and 1,500 species that are further characterized by the common occurrence of spines and winged petioles. The Citrus genus includes the edible fruit trees: orange, lime, grapefruit, kumquat, and mandarine.
Among our
specimens: Amur Cork Tree
(Phellodendron amurense),
Chinese Cork Tree
(Phellodendron chinense)
and
Japanese Orixa - Orixa japonica. |
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Family Salicaceae -- Willows, Cottonwood and Poplars
There are only two genera in this family, Salix (willows), with about 300 species, and Populus (poplars), with barely 40 species. Salicaceae are found throughout the temperate parts of the world, with the majority of species occurring in the north. Both willows and poplars have a strong affinity for water, and are commonly found near ponds and along watercourses. |
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Family Taxaceae - Yews
There are 17 species in five genera 5 in this small family. The Yews are evergreen trees or shrubs, usually not resinous or aromatic. The Taxaceae are now generally included with all other conifers in the order Pinales. |  |  |
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Family Tiliaceae - Basswoods, Lindens
50 genera and 400 species; widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, with relatively few species in temperate regions. Especially abundant in Southeast Asia and Brazil.
Lindens are called Lime
trees in Great Britain and
The Commonwealth.
The
leaves of all the Tilias are
heart-shaped and most are
asymmetrical, and the tiny
fruit, looking like peas,
always hang attached to a
ribbon-like, greenish yellow
bract, whose use seems to be
to launch the ripened
seed-clusters just a little
beyond the parent tree. The
flowers of the European and
American Tilias are similar,
except that the American
bears a petal-like scale
among its stamens and the
European varieties are
devoid of these appendages.
All of the Tilias may be
propagated by cuttings and
grafting as well as by seed.
Lindens are so of the most
popular shade and street
trees in North America.
Their pyramidal forms are
eminently suitable for
specimen plantings in large
landscapes. |
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Family Ulmaceae - Zelkovas, Hackberries and Elms
There are about 200 species of trees and shrubs in Ulmaceae. 14 trees and 2 shrubs are native to North America. The Elms fell victim to Dutch Elm disease during the 1950's; until that time, they were the premiere shade tree along the streets of our towns and cities.
The Morton Arboretum is one of the largest living Ulmus collections in the world (more than 30 species, in addition to numerous infraspecific taxa, hybrids, and cultivars) and has the source of numerous elm cultivars.
We
present here more than 20
different species from this
outstanding collection.
The three
American elms pictured at
left display the classic
vase-shape that lined
thousands of streets
worldwide before the spread
of Dutch Elm Disease.
[Trees Alphabetic Table of Contents]
[Family Ulmaceae Table of Contents] |
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