Created by the Tree Trail Subcommittee to promote the appreciation of trees. June 2025
Our Trees
1. Tulip — Liriodendron tulipifera; aka Yellow Poplar, Fiddle & Canoe Wood Tree.
The Tulip Tree is the tallest tree in the US and can grow up to 160 ft. It is a member of the Magnolia family. Leaves have four lobes; are tulip shaped and have a glossy green top. Flowers are cupped, tulip shaped, orange, yellow and green in color and appear in late spring high in the canopy. The bark is gray and furrowed on mature trees and smooth on young trees. The fall seeds are winged and are arranged in a cone-like structure, which can persist into winter.
The wood is used for musical instruments and is a chief commercial hardwood used for furniture. It is termite resistant.
Flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and bees. The tree hosts many species of butterfly larvae. The canopy provides nesting sites for birds and other animals. Seedheads provide winter food for birds.
Native Americans used parts of the tree for medicinal purposes and the trunks for large dugout canoes.
2. Cottonwood — Populus deltoides
The Cottonwood is one of the tallest (150 ft) and fastest growing hardwoods. The gray bark darkens and furrows with age. Heart-shaped leaves have toothed edges, are green in summer and yellow in fall. They make a rustling sound in the wind. Female trees produce tiny seeds with white hairs that appear like fluffy “cotton.”
Cottonwoods are hot spots for wildlife providing food, shelter, and nesting sites for birds, mammals, insects and aquatic life.
Native Americans use the wood for cradleboards, drums and shelter. The bark and leaves were used for teas and poultices. Some tribes consider the tree sacred.
3. Pussywillow — Salix discolor
The Pussy Willow can be a small tree or shrub. The bark is grayish-brown and smooth when young, becoming rougher with age. Leaves are lance-shaped, green on top and whitish and fuzzy underneath. Male shrubs produce fuzzy catkins in early spring. The buds look like cats’ (“pussy”) paws. They turn yellow as they mature and release their pollen.
The Pussy Willow branches are often used in floral designs and craft projects.
Leaves, buds and twigs are browsed by wildlife. Dense branches provide shelter and nesting sites, and soft, fluffy catkins line nests. Catkins are a critical, early source of pollen and nectar. It is a host plant for the Viceroy, Tiger and Cecropia moths. Roots provide a microhabitat for aquatic species. Because of its critical ecological role, it is considered a “keystone species.”
Native Americans used salicin in the tree for anti-inflammatory effects and fever reducers. This led to the development of aspirin in the 19th C. Parts of the tree were also used for basketry, weaving, dyeing and fish traps.
4. Quaking Aspen — Populus tremuloides; aka Trembling, American & Mountain Aspen, Trembling Poplar
A medium size tree, 25-75 ft., the aspen has a pyramidal crown. The white, green or grayish bark is smooth. Flat stemmed leaves are egg shaped, finely serrated and sparsely haired on the upper surfaces. Leaves twist and flutter creating the “trembling” effect. Catkins are cylindrical flower clusters that appear in early spring. The species often propagates through its roots forming large stands from a shared root system.
Stands of aspen provide browse and shelter for many mammals. Catkins attract pollinators. Dense branches invite nesting birds.
Many Native American tribes used parts of the tree for health and healing. The tree contains salicylates (like aspirin) which were used for anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. The inner bark was eaten fresh or ground into flour. Wood was used for tools, cradleboards and construction materials. The “quaking” was often considered a spiritual quality.
5. Arrowwood — Viburnum Dentatum
Arrowwood is a small shrub, 5-10 ft high, with multiple stems. The oval leaves are glossy green, with toothed edges. They turn red orange in fall. White, palm size flower clusters occur in June. Blue-black berries appear in fall.
Dense branches provide shelter and nesting sites for birds and mammals. Berries are eaten by birds. Flowers attract pollinators. It is the host plant for the Spring Azure Butterfly and other butterfly and moth larvae.
Native Americans crafted “arrows” from the stems and made herbal remedies from the bark and roots.
6. Washington Hawthorn — Crataegus phaenopyrum
Introduced to Pennsylvania from Washington D.C. in early 1800’s, the hawthorn has been naturalized in the northeast. It is 25-30 ft tall with a pyramidal crown. Young bark is smooth with raised pores. Older bark is scaly and peels off, revealing an orange-brown inner bark. Twigs have thorns 1-3 inches long. Leaves are glossy green, lobed or toothed, and turn red or purple in fall. White, clustered flowers appear in late spring. Small, red, berry-like fruit ripens in fall and persists into winter
A dense canopy and long thorns provide protection and nesting sites for wildlife. Flowers attract bees and other pollinators. The fruit is eaten by birds and mammals throughout the winter.
Most Hawthorn species were used for medicinal and practical purposes by Native Americans. .
7. Winterberry — Ilex verticillata
The Winterberry is a cold-hardy, deciduous shrub, 6-12 ft tall, and part of the Holly family. The leaves are elliptical, dark green, serrated and pointed at the tip. Small white flowers appear in the spring and bright red berries (female plant) in the fall. Berries are mildly toxic to humans.
Berries are an important winter food source for birds. Deer browse the leaves and twigs. Spring flowers attract pollinators.
Native Americans made bark tea to treat fevers, digestive ailments and induce vomiting. Parts of the bush were used in healing, purification and ceremonial rites. Berries may have been used as a dye.
8. Red Maple — Acer rubrum; aka Swamp Maple, Scarlet Maple
The Red Maple is one of the most common species in Connecticut. It can grow up to 90 ft. The bark is smooth and gray, turning rough and furrowed with age. Tiny, red flowers appear in late winter before leaves. Paired winged seeds (samara) occur in early to mid-spring. The green leaves of summer typically have 3-5 lobes and turn a vibrant red in fall.
The maple provides early spring food for birds and shelter for mammals and pollinators. It can be tapped for maple syrup. Dead and wilted leaves can be toxic to horses.
Native Americans used the bark as a remedy for skin and eye conditions as well as treatments for coughs, diarrhea and muscle aches. Pioneers made ink and black and brown dye from the bark.
9. Autumn Olive — Elaeagnus umbellate
The Autumn Olive is a shrub-like tree that out competes native plants, alters soil chemistry and disrupts natural ecosystems. It is considered an invasive species. Oval leaves are green on top and silvery on the bottom. Highly fragrant, yellowish-white, trumpet-shaped flowers occur in spring. Prolific red berries appear in the fall.
Berries provide food for birds and wildlife, who disperse seeds widely. Jelly can be made from the fruit.
Native to East Asia, it was introduced to the US in the 1830’s for erosion control and as an ornamental. It was not part of the Native American culture.
10. Silky Dogwood — Cornus amomum; aka Kinnikinnick, Red Willow
This deciduous shrub grows 6-12 feet tall and wide. Stems have tan pith and are reddish brown and “silky” due to fine hairs. Leaves are oval with smooth edges. They are green in summer, turning a reddish purple in fall. Small, creamy white flowers bloom June-July. Clusters of bluish fruit ripen Aug.-Sept.
It provides stabilization of slopes and stream banks but is often planted as an ornamental.
The bush is a host plant for certain insects and attracts bees and butterflies. Fruit is a vital food source for over 40 species of birds and also feeds small animals. Twigs are eaten by deer and rabbits
Native Americans used the bark for its medicinal properties (natural tannins act as an astringent) and ceremonial smoking mixtures (Kinnikinnick), and other parts for fish traps, weaving materials, dreamcatchers and arrows. Some tribes attributed spiritual significance to dogwood.
11. Red Cedar – Juniperus virginiana
The Red Cedar (actually a Juniper) is cold hardy and long lived (100-200 yrs.). Thin, reddish-brown bark peels in long fibrous strips. Needles, green to bluish, appear on new growth, and flat, scale-like “leaves” appear on stems of mature trees. Blue, berry-like cones are produced in the fall.
Known for its fragrant oils (heartwood), it is also a natural insect repellent and thus used in closets and chests. The wood was used for log cabins and rail fences due to its rot resistance.
The blue cones (berries) are a late fall food source for birds. The foliage provides protection for birds, mammals and butterflies.
Native Americans used the wood for lances, bows and canoes, the bark for weaving mats, and the boughs for bedding. It was sometimes used in purification rites.
12. Crabapple — Malus coronaria
The bark is grayish-brown and often rough on older trees. Leaves are oval with serrated edges and turn yellow or red in fall. Fragrant white/pink flowers occur in spring. Small (less than 2 inches diameter), tart, reddish apples appear in the fall.
The tree is planted as an ornamental and its fruit is used in jellies.
Pollinators are attracted to the spring blossoms, and the fruit is consumed by many birds and mammals throughout the fall and winter. The tree serves as a host plant for 60 species, including many moths and butterflies.
Native Americans prepared the fruit in different ways, brewed bark tea for medicinal purposes and used the wood for tools and carvings.
Now, retrace to Bird Hill via #13.
13. Box Elder Maple —Acer negundo; aka maple ash
Fast growing but short lived, this “male” tree grows 35-80 ft. and often has several trunks. The bark is pale gray or light brown, ridged and scaly. Leaves are compound with 3-7 leaflets. In spring, ”male” trees will have clusters of dangling yellowish-green flowers, which release pollen but no seeds. A “female” tree, (located past the aspen) will have greenish flowers that turn into winged seeds after pollination from the male tree.
Seeds are food for birds and small mammals. Deer browse the leaves and twigs, and cavity nesting birds use older trees for nesting and shelter.
Native Americans used parts of the tree for medicinal purposes; crafted bowls, utensils and pipes from the wood; and tapped the sap for maple syrup.
*This tree ties for 4th place in the NOTABLE trees of Connecticut in the Box Elder Maple category. Check out:
http://oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/ViewTreeData.jsp?selected=226881.
14. Apple — Malus domestica
Introduced in the 1600’s, the Apple tree easily naturalized. These specimens were likely planted by the A.C. Petersen family for personal use on the dairy farm. The tree can grow up to 30 ft. and live to be 100 years. The bark is gray-brown, fissured and scaly. Pink-white flowers occur in spring. Leaves are oval with serrated edges and turn red or yellow in the fall. Fruit matures in the fall.
Apple wood is prized as fragrant firewood and for turning bowls. The fruit is often pressed for cider. Bees collect nectar from the flowers. The fruit is eaten by people and wildlife (bear, deer, mice).
After introduction in 1600’s Native Americans ate and dried the fruit and sometimes used it as a valuable trade item.
15. Paper Birch — Betula Papyrifera; aka white birch, Canoe Birch
This tree has died but shows its remarkable age in the deeply grooved, dark bark at the bottom vs the smoother white bark at the crown.
Sap is made into birch beer. The bark contains botulin, which is being studied for medicinal properties. The tree also produces methyl salicylate, an aspirin like compound.
Because of its waterproof quality, Native Americans used the bark for canoes, wigwams, cups and containers as well as for artwork and writing.
16. American Elm — Ulmus americana
Elm trees can live up to 300 years. The bark is deeply furrowed with a rough, ridged texture forming a diamond pattern. Leaves are oval, serrated, and rough with darker green on top and smoother, paler green underneath. Small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers bloom in early spring and winged seeds are produced shortly after pollination.
Leaves are food for insects and other wildlife. Cavities provide homes for birds, bats and small mammals.
Native Americans used the bark for their longhouses & making utensils and containers. Bark fibers were twisted into cordage.
The Elm is a stately shade tree that lined many streets because of its beautiful, vase-shaped canopy. Dutch Elm Disease has decimated the species. The Forest Service is attempting to grow disease resistant trees to restore natural stands.
17. Red Osier Dogwood — Cornus stolonifera; aka Kinnikinnik, Red Willow
This native is almost identical to the silky dogwood except that it has bright red stems, white pith, hairless stems and leaves, and creamy white clustered berries in late summer.
18. Honey Locust — Gleditsia triacanthos
Native Honey Locusts have thorns. This is a cultivar without thorns. The tree can grow from 80-100 ft and live up to 125 years. Mature trees have dark gray to brown bark with deep, interwoven furrows. Leaves are compound with small, oval leaflets that turn yellow in fall. Small greenish yellow flowers appear in elongated clusters in the spring (inconspicuous), then give way to the long, twisted seed pods of summer. The pods contain a “honey-like” pulp.
Flowers attract pollinators. Insects eat the bark and leaves. Birds and mammals eat the seeds. It is the host tree for the Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly.
Native Americans used the pulp as a sweetening agent, and various parts of the tree were used medicinally. Bows were made from the wood.
Gratitudes
We are grateful to the many people who contributed to this Trail Map, including: Ann Schenck, Barbara David, Becky Caldwell, Betsy Tonkin, BJ Hardersen, Bob Ziegenhagan, Carol Simpson, Catherine Banbury, Charlie Goodwin, Ellen Castaldini, George Jones, Ginny Allen, Ian Clark, Ian Rickard, Julie Peck, Linda Isham, Linda Roberts, Marye Gail Harrison, Mary Procysk, Nancy Wright, Rob Roberts, Russ Tonkin, Seabury Charitable Foundation