AY Honors/Trees/Answer Key

1. Describe the ways in which trees and shrubs differ.

Trees are generally taller than shrubs and have a main trunk from which all the secondary branches grow. Shrubs are generally shorter and may have multiple stems rather than a single trunk. Some plants can be considered either shrubs or trees depending on their growing conditions, so the division should not be considered exact.

3. Name two examples each of trees that have been named for:

a. What they are used for

• Sweet Gum: the gummy sap of this tree has been used as chewing gum.
• Cork Oak forms a thick, rugged and corky bark. Over time this bark can develop considerable thickness, and this is harvested every 10-12 years as cork.
• Balsam Fir: produces a resin which is known as Canadian Balsam. A balsam is the same thing as a balm, a soothing liquid - anything that soothes, heals, or restores.

b. The surroundings or environment in which they grow

• Mountain Ash grow in the mountainous areas of the northern US and Canada.
• Swamp Ash live in the swamps of the southern US.

c. Some distinctive feature

• Hornbeam: The common English name of "hornbeam" derives from the hardness of the wood (likened to horn) and the Old English beam, meaning a tree (like the German word "baum" which we know as "tannenbaum").
• Tulip Tree: is so named because its flowers resemble tulip flowers.

d. The geographic region in which they live

• Brazilwood: is not named after Brazil - Brazil is actually named for the tree!
• Cedar of Lebanon, is a coniferous tree native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region, in Lebanon, western Syria and south central Turkey
• Mexican Buckeye is a shrub or small tree native to northeastern Mexico and adjacent western Texas and southern New Mexico.

e. Persons who first found and described them:

• Douglas Fir: The common name honors David Douglas, the Scottish botanist who first introduced the tree into cultivation in 1826.

• Fraser Fir: named after John Fraser, a Scottish botanist. Fraser Firs are farmed and sold as Christmas trees.

6. Name several examples of the kinds of wood used in each of the following:

a. Flooring for houses

Oak, maple, pine.

b. Common plywood

Pine, fir, spruce

c. Furniture

Walnut, oak, cherry, maple, pine, mahogany

d. Ax handles

Hickory, ash

e. Fence posts

Locust, cedar, redwood, fir (treated)

f. Railroad ties

Hardwoods and softwoods.

g. Support beams for construction work

Oak, hickory, ash

h. Bows and arrows

Osage orange and elm for bows. Cedar, spruce, and fir for arrows

i. Ideal for use as kindling

Softwoods such as pine and cedar.

j. Burns slowly and leaves a bed of hot coals

Hardwoods, especially hickory and mesquite.

7. Name two examples each of trees which:

a. Grow best in wet lands

Bald Cypress, Sycamore, Willow, Swamp White Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Overcup Oak, Tupelo Gum and Cottonwood.

b. Grow best at high levels in mountains

Larch, Bristlecone Pine (and may other pines), Birch, and Beech.