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missmolly
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01/09/2017 03:01PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
So, what's your favorite tree and why? It could be a north country tree or not.

Mine is the paperbark maple. It's got a peeling cinnamon and salmon colored bark that gives year-round color and has great fall color too. I also like the dainty, lingering seeds. If you have space in your yard for a small tree, it's a cutie.
 
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schweady
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01/09/2017 03:11PM  
White cedar. Often attached to a shoreline rock in impossible fashion, it appears in many of my BWCAW photos. Its wood also makes for the best cooking fire.
 
Basspro69
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01/09/2017 03:41PM  
Birch is number 1 for me, has always reminded me of being (Up North) I also love the color of the leaves in fall.
 
Whatsit
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01/09/2017 04:06PM  
Birch is my favorite as well. It's just so different then any other tree and it gives you a good feeling of being up north. My second is the silver maple. Love how it looks with the wind blowing it
 
01/09/2017 06:21PM  
I think I got asked this question in grade school and my answer remains the same. The mighty oak.
 
01/09/2017 06:39PM  
My favorite is the White Pine, "Pinus Strobus". Five needles to the Fasicle.
Take a branch of the White Pine and look at its needles. Each needle comes in a clump of five needles. Fasicle.
But there is nothing wrong with the Linden Tree, " Tilia Americans"
However, I have never hugged a Linden Tree.
Since I am named after the Linden, I simply hug myself ;-)

Woodsman spare that tree, touch not a single bow. In youth it sheltered me, and I'll protect it now. George Pope Morris.

White Pine
 
01/09/2017 06:57PM  
Trees
By Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
 
GraniteCliffs
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01/09/2017 07:13PM  
White Pine, without a doubt. Majestic and beautiful to look at.
 
Alan Gage
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01/09/2017 07:24PM  
I'm a prairie boy so for me it's a Bur Oak growing in the open with a stout trunk and full crown. Not many of those left. As other trees have invaded the prairie the Bur Oak is often forced into a vertical race for the sun and loses its stately look. But once in a while walking along the edge of the woods I'll come across an old timer that got a good start at life in the open before the young upstarts (ash and maples) came along. Its crown had already been established and the shade it produces keeps the competition at bay, creating it's own little clearing in the forest.

Alan
 
01/09/2017 07:27PM  





Sucker Lake

My favorite tree is the Red Pine (pinus resinosa). I like its rugged shape and the way it grows in clusters within the canoe country. I also like the way its fallen needles smell on a warm day. I like the color of the fallen needles too. I like the sound the wind makes as it blows through the tree. Its a coarser sound than that of a white pine. It seems like a tree that prefers to grow in difficult and drier places. I like to watch the sunlight shine on its bark early and late in the day giving it a rose colored glow.
 
01/09/2017 07:29PM  
quote schweady: "White cedar. Often attached to a shoreline rock in impossible fashion, it appears in many of my BWCAW photos. Its wood also makes for the best cooking fire.
"


Schweady,
Thought you might like this.

Cedar, Sage, Sweetgrass and Tobacco.
The four spiritual substances used by natives represent the four directions and seasons.
I grew up on the White Earth Nation just north of you and have one of the few Cedar trees in the area on my property.
I regularly find this Cedar tree pruned on the lower branches, I am glad the natives use this tree for spiritual healing. As I do also. I have Cedar boughs hanging in my place now.

Quote, " Cedar is one of the most important Native American ceremonial plants, used by many tribes as an incense and purifying herb. Cedar is especially associated with prayer, healing, dreams, and protection against disease. Many tribes consider the cedar tree a symbol of generosity and providence, and had special rituals regarding the felling of cedar trees. Cedar is commonly used as part of sweat lodge ceremonies, and is also one of the herbs frequently included in medicine bundles and amulets. Cedar leaves and bark are used as medicine plants in many tribes as well."
 
h20
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01/09/2017 07:57PM  
Theres a big white pine that I visit from time to time..like an old friend
 
missmolly
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01/09/2017 08:20PM  
That was well written, Alan. Have you ever seen a live oak, like you find in Dixie?

Southern Live Oak
 
missmolly
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01/09/2017 08:24PM  
I also LOVE Japanese Maples and have eight in yard, but I want more. Here are two of my faves:

Orange Dream Japanese Maple



Fireglow Japanese Maple

The fireglow gives you fall color all summer long.
 
missmolly
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01/09/2017 08:28PM  
Lovely, Zulu.
 
01/09/2017 08:44PM  
White Pine, Bur Oak, Sugar Maple. I can't pick a favorite, because it depends on my mood and mindset...
 
Dances with Sheep
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01/09/2017 08:46PM  
Family


was that too corny?
 
01/09/2017 08:55PM  
quote Alan Gage: "I'm a prairie boy so for me it's a Bur Oak growing in the open with a stout trunk and full crown.

Alan"


Yes Allan,
Bur Oaks are a beautiful and dwindling trees as far as habitat is concerned.
They are fire dependent and fire resistant.
My last job before transferring to AK was in North Western MN as the prescribed fire specialist for 5 National Wildlife Refuge's.
We prescribed burned our Oak Savanna's to keep the invading species at bay to promote the Bur Oak.

The theory goes that before European man came to the plains, the Buffalo kept invading species in check. (Aspen, Willow and others) Due to grazing. (Im saying this in a nutshell because there are many other factors)

We had to lightly do a low intensity understory burn under the Bur Oaks, so we would not damage the tree boles/trunks while setting back the Aspen trees.

It was a very surgical prescribed fire, since many of the But Oak groves had been stressed previously due to human manipulation.

I agree the Bur Oak is a stately tree.
Bur Oak and Fire
 
carmike
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01/09/2017 10:34PM  
I like cedar trees. Can't really explain why, but they're my favorite.
 
01/09/2017 10:35PM  
Big white pines followed closely by white cedar which are slowly disappearing in much of Minnesota.
 
dicecupmaker
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01/10/2017 04:05AM  
Anything green and leafy!
 
Elydog
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01/10/2017 06:40AM  
White Pine. My favorite sound is when wind blows through them.
 
mjmkjun
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01/10/2017 07:33AM  
I love 'em all but a cluster of Bald Cypress set in a swamp with Spanish moss hanging gracefully from branches is nearer to my heart.
 
missmolly
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01/10/2017 08:12AM  
I also love white pines. We have lots of them in Maine. You white pine lovers might not know that they were the first spark in the American Revolution. King George branded the biggest white pines of Maine, claiming them for the masts of his fleet. The Mainiacs of the Pine Tree State stood up to mighty King George and counter-claimed the white pines.

I have quite a few white pines close to my house. I thought mine were fine specimens, but I recently discovered a stand that's been standing much, much longer, white pines so tall you have to bend back uncomfortably far to see their tops. Now my white pines seem merely fair to middlin'. If only I could live long enough to see my trees so tall!
 
ozarkpaddler
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01/10/2017 08:13AM  
quote Zulu: "





Sucker Lake
My favorite tree is the Red Pine (pinus resinosa). I like its rugged shape and the way it grows in clusters within the canoe country. I also like the way its fallen needles smell on a warm day. I like the color of the fallen needles too. I like the sound the wind makes as it blows through the tree. Its a coarser sound than that of a white pine. It seems like a tree that prefers to grow in difficult and drier places. I like to watch the sunlight shine on its bark early and late in the day giving it a rose colored glow."



I too love the big old red pines. There was a campsite on the north shore of Seagull that was a favorite due to the huge, old pines. And when we moved to Wausau, WI in the early '90's, it seemed every schoolyard and park was sheltered with them? Love those old red pines up north!

Down here, my favorite is the Catalpa. The soft, twisted wood isn't good for much. But the flowers around Memorial day through the first few weeks of June are the prettiest and most fragrant of any tree out there. The large, heart shaped leaves make nice shade in the summer. And they are pretty hardy. Even when Catawba or "Catalpa worms" invade them, they rarely die. I have dozens of them around the front of the farm and love them.
 
Grizzlyman
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01/10/2017 08:26AM  
Twisty white cedars hanging off the shoreline growing up and out. Big White pine with their lopsided crowns and "shelf" branches.
 
Minnesotian
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01/10/2017 08:50AM  

This is a tough question for me, because I associate so many great places with particular trees.

-Fall backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail under a large stand of Sugar Maple, with the full sunlight coming through the lime green colors of the changing leaves.

-Again the Superior Hiking Trail when walking though a tunnel of Black Spruce, the stand so thick and dark.

-Camping under a stand of Aspen, and having their leaves constantly clapping together, a gently rustling chorus.

-Pulling up to a site and setting up the tent under a large stand of Red Pine, with football fields of open space to stretch out the legs, and a soft blanket of needles for the shelter.

The contrast of a stand of Paper Birch trees in the thick of winter, the horizontal black lines blending together to cause tricks on your eyes, movement where there is none.

But my favorite has to be a White Pine, especially at a campsite where all of the tree roots are exposed and the maze can be seen. In the light of my headlamp, the pine cone's sap bounce back like glittering diamonds of dew. It is the wind, though, through the needles that brings me the most enjoyment; it can be soothing and melodious, or violent and searing, but the wind through the needles resonate with me the same way a mournful loon call in the dusk of the evening causes goosebumps.
 
missmolly
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01/10/2017 09:36AM  
Minnesotian, you are channeling Thoreau!
 
01/10/2017 10:11AM  
I love the mulberry tree (I have 51 of them).. their berries are so yummy, easy to pick and you can grow them in sand

My 2nd favorite is the white cedar (red cedar causes apple rust in apple trees and we own an orchard). The white cedar reminds me of the bwca

3rd favorite is the white paper birch. I love their colors and for bush crafting they have so many things you can do with them.. and the bark starts a good fire
 
01/10/2017 11:08AM  
I also have to go with the mighty oak tree.
 
01/10/2017 01:21PM  



My fav is the King of them all, the white pine.
 
01/10/2017 01:36PM  
General Sherman
Visited it 20 years ago with my wife and father-in-law. A cone fell and almost hit us. It was smashed flat on one side from the impact. I would show that cone to my kids periodically and talk about the tree. We all visited General Sherman last year together as a family.
Still there.
Still amazing!
 
01/10/2017 05:35PM  
No favorite, love 'em all in their own ways, from the savanna burr oak to the majestic white pine. Gotta put in a vote for jack pine, though, as nobody has put that species forward... not so tall or (usually) straight as red or white pine, but coursing much farther north; ready and set for the fires with serotinous cones. My canoe buddy, Tom, called them the bonsai trees of the boundary waters: growing out of impossible crevices.
(ps, I think burr oak may qualify as the farthest north oak, also, getting to pretty high latitudes in the prairie provinces)
 
goatroti
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01/10/2017 06:40PM  
I love the catalpa and horse chestnuts for their blooms, but nothing beats the scent of a row of lindens in full bloom.

 
01/10/2017 06:51PM  
Years ago I was assigned to work on a USFS fire. They were running out of hand crews so several were air lifted from the east coast. Two crews were assigned to my division. i met them and was about to start their briefing when the strike team leader said to me "Larry could I have 1 minute with the crews before you start briefing"? I said, sure go ahead. He walked the crews over to a very large Douglas Fir tree and pointed to it and said "now THAT"S a tree!!!" They walked back, we started briefing and they went to work. We all got a good laugh over that. I guess they don't have trees that big back there.
 
01/10/2017 07:05PM  
Surprised we have not heard from some of the other people who have usernames after trees.
Banksiana
Pinus Strobus
Must be a few others with trees as usernames.
 
missmolly
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01/10/2017 10:20PM  
quote goatroti: "I love the catalpa and horse chestnuts for their blooms, but nothing beats the scent of a row of lindens in full bloom.


"


I also love their scent. Do you think LindenTree3 smells as sweet after fighting a fire for three days?
 
ozarkpaddler
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01/11/2017 12:56AM  
quote goatroti: "I love the catalpa and horse chestnuts for their blooms, but nothing beats the scent of a row of lindens in full bloom.
"


You know, I don't believe I've ever seen a Linden tree? And I definitely haven't had the opportunity to see one in bloom.
 
Frenchy
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01/11/2017 06:33AM  
I too am a fan of the Oak. I have a yard full of Burr Oaks that are very old. I spend hours in the summer sitting on my front porch watching dozens of different wildlife communities busily doing their thing in each tree.
 
yellowcanoe
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01/11/2017 08:28AM  
Jackpine. Needs fire to pass its genes on..
 
01/11/2017 08:56AM  
quote yellowcanoe: "Jackpine. Needs fire to pass its genes on.."

Seratonous cones, trees adaptions to fire.
Fire is the mechanism by which the forest is continually regenerated," states Hall. Fires consume dead, decaying vegetation accumulating on the forest floor, thereby clearing the way for new growth. Some species, such as the jack pine, even rely on fire to spread their seeds. The jack pine produces "seratonous" (resin-filled) cones that are very durable. The cones remain dormant until a fire occurs and melts the resin. Then the cones pop open and the seeds fall or blow out.
 
01/11/2017 09:45AM  
missmolly, Do you think LindenTree3 smells as sweet after fighting a fire for three days?

I will share a bit of inside information that I have NEVER shared with anyone before because I always thought it was a little corny.
My wife loves the way I smell, maybe not after 3 days of firefighting, but definitely after 2-3 days without a shower. She always borrows her nose in my neck and inhales deeply.
When I leave for an assignment or Alaska I often wear a shirt for a couple days and not shower, she sleeps with the shirt.

I don't remember any other girls telling me this, so it must be specific to my wife.
 
goatroti
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01/11/2017 10:43AM  
Linden blooms...
 
01/11/2017 11:24AM  
quote ozarkpaddler: "
quote goatroti: "I love the catalpa and horse chestnuts for their blooms, but nothing beats the scent of a row of lindens in full bloom.
"



You know, I don't believe I've ever seen a Linden tree? And I definitely haven't had the opportunity to see one in bloom."

I bet you have seen them, Oz, only they are called basswood (or even bastwood) trees in much of the U.S. Often growing in fairly rich woodland soils with sugar maple, etc. They map to Missouri as well as much of eastern N.A.
 
Hub
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01/11/2017 11:32AM  
White Pine when I am lost (I love all Sentinel trees for that)
Aspen when I am grouse hunting
White oak when I am deer hunting
Sugar Maples during the Fall and Spring (best looking and best tasting)
Giant Cottonwoods over a river (can you say rope swing)
 
missmolly
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01/11/2017 03:02PM  
LT3, I love that she loves you so!
 
missmolly
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01/11/2017 03:04PM  
Hub, I love those riverside cottonwoods too, with bark so furrowed they look like Tolkien's walking talking trees, the ents.
 
ozarkpaddler
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01/11/2017 03:14PM  
quote rtallent: "
quote ozarkpaddler: "
quote goatroti: "I love the catalpa and horse chestnuts for their blooms, but nothing beats the scent of a row of lindens in full bloom.
"

You know, I don't believe I've ever seen a Linden tree? And I definitely haven't had the opportunity to see one in bloom."

I bet you have seen them, Oz, only they are called basswood (or even bastwood) trees in much of the U.S. Often growing in fairly rich woodland soils with sugar maple, etc. They map to Missouri as well as much of eastern N.A."


I'm VERY ashamed that I didn't remember Basswood and Linden were the same. You see, I had 2 years horticulture in HS and have a certificate on the wall showing that at one time I was #1 in the State in FFA for it. As I tell my students in my Cardiac Arrhythmia class, though, "If you don't USE it, you LOSE it."
 
ZaraSp00k
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01/11/2017 05:38PM  
I live in a typical suburban lot with 8 clumps of paper birch that I planted, so it's hard to argue it isn't my favorite, but ...

sugar maple, the blazing orange in fall

norway maple, ( I have 3) the vibrant yellow in fall, plus the leaves stay on much longer than red maple, it is not native to NA

burr oak stand so sturdy and with knarled arms against the wind

white pine, queen of the northern forest

white cedar, I can usually find one perfect for a lean to while hiking or portaging




 
ZaraSp00k
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01/11/2017 06:10PM  
I'm posting a book here and in the Book forum you tree huggerz might like to take a look at

A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America (1950)
Donald Culross Peattie
 
01/11/2017 06:18PM  
quote ZaraSp00k: "I'm posting a book here and in the Book forum you tree huggerz might like to take a look at


A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America (1950)
Donald Culross Peattie"


You tree huggerz?
To me you sound like one, am I confused?
I don't think one has to physically hug a tree to appreciate them, and therefore those could be considered a tree hugger.
FWIW, I physically hug trees and probably have kissed a few.
I talk to them also, thanking them for their beauity, and air purification.
 
01/11/2017 06:33PM  
Not really 'up north' trees,, but I love the White Oak,, both for home heating and wood working. It's also the only wood that stands up to the ice/snow-- used on the runners for heavy sleeper fish houses. A big branch I cut off one down here in IA-- the trunk was so large,, 2 adults couldn't wrap arms around it.



Red Elm--- a woodburners delights. A grain straighter then an arrow easy to produce quality firewood.

White Ash-- the smell of tools and fire going through brings back so many memories..

but for Up north- it would be White Cedar-- something magical about a grove of them.
 
01/11/2017 07:43PM  
quote ozarkpaddler: "
quote rtallent: "
quote ozarkpaddler: "
quote goatroti: "I love the catalpa and horse chestnuts for their blooms, but nothing beats the scent of a row of lindens in full bloom.
"

You know, I don't believe I've ever seen a Linden tree? And I definitely haven't had the opportunity to see one in bloom."

I bet you have seen them, Oz, only they are called basswood (or even bastwood) trees in much of the U.S. Often growing in fairly rich woodland soils with sugar maple, etc. They map to Missouri as well as much of eastern N.A."



I'm VERY ashamed that I didn't remember Basswood and Linden were the same. You see, I had 2 years horticulture in HS and have a certificate on the wall showing that at one time I was #1 in the State in FFA for it. As I tell my students in my Cardiac Arrhythmia class, though, "If you don't USE it, you LOSE it.""

No reason to be ashamed. Us pinheads use the scientific names because common names will vary from place to place... Just like you medics have clear jargon.
 
01/11/2017 07:55PM  
quote WhiteWolf: "Not really 'up north' trees,, but I love the White Oak,, both for home heating and wood working. It's also the only wood that stands up to the ice/snow-- used on the runners for heavy sleeper fish houses. A big branch I cut off one down here in IA-- the trunk was so large,, 2 adults couldn't wrap arms around it.



Red Elm--- a woodburners delights. A grain straighter then an arrow easy to produce quality firewood.

White Ash-- the smell of tools and fire going through brings back so many memories..

but for Up north- it would be White Cedar-- something magical about a grove of them.
"


White Oak is a good one and its big acorns supply great food for deer and many other species.
 
AdamXChicago
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01/11/2017 08:00PM  
Gotta go with the white pine. The look, feel and scent take me back to summer vacation during my school years.
 
clearh2o
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01/11/2017 10:35PM  
Ponderosa Pine and Prairie Cottonwood (a subspecies of the Eastern Cottonwood). Cottonwood trees get a bad rap but growing up on the eastern Montana prairies gives one a deep appreciation for a tree that can persevere in a harsh climate, provide a bit of shade on a hot summer day and offer a glimpse of green in a landscape otherwise colored brown, tan, and various shades of gray. "Pondos" are just plain magnificent trees. I've planted four of them in my yard here in Minnesota and they are thriving.
 
01/12/2017 12:02AM  
the pin oak in my richfield backyard. the city forester says it is probably three hundred years old. it was here when buffaloes roamed these oak prairies.
 
FlambeauForest
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01/12/2017 10:31AM  
Silver Maple- I have one in my backyard with a DBH of 21' feet.
For any cheeseheads below is a good read with pictures that document some fine specimens that make up WI's history. A fantastic read and free download.

Wisconsin's Historic Trees
 
Thwarted
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01/12/2017 11:12AM  
Northern tree... Balsam Fir by far. Love the shape and smell.

Overall tree... Any mature oak. Strength, majesty, endurance, beauty.
 
Bdubguy
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01/12/2017 12:34PM  
I live in the north woods surrounded by trees...blessed. My vote is going to the White Pine. We have a big 'ol White Pine at the end of it's life, starting to tip over. We call it grandma white pine. But mainly for the whispering of the wind through it's needles. I can just sit an listen to that....
 
HowardSprague
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01/12/2017 12:48PM  
Deciduous: love all oaks in general, but especially the Burr Oak
Coniferous: White Pine
 
01/12/2017 02:30PM  
Birch
Larch
Just perfect in its charm.
 
mc2mens
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01/12/2017 10:46PM  
My favorite thread in years. I'm kind of a tree guy. It's so great to read all of your thoughts and stories. Like Arctic, I have a hard time picking between the white pine (prolly favorite), bur oak and the sugar maple.

 
shawhh
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01/13/2017 08:15AM  
The Beech. White bark. Golden fall leaves. Truly an elegant sight on a dry hillside.
 
01/13/2017 08:45AM  
quote Dances with Sheep: "Family



was that too corny?"


I liked it! And I love the idea of family trees, and the symbolism of roots and branches and leaves... you can graft trees and my family is made of adoption, so even more symbolism there.


That aside, I love birches and maples. Love the birch bark and tall flexible stands of them against a blue sky. Love the brilliant maple colors in the fall.

Always thought trees were mysterious - you can look at them and see a "solid" shape, or you can look at them as almost "gaseous" or something not solid, but still "there" and with a shape. They can be solidly rooted and bend with the wind.

When my oldest was little, a developer bought three lots near us with existing homes and huge trees, then tore houses and trees down. My child cried for those lost trees! We all mourned them.

Funny how even though I hate to see any tree die, I also love wood things. My home has cedar, pine, alder, red oak, white oak, cherry, and maple in it... and I have a basement full of wood pieces to do something with some day - when I learn how, lol. Cribbage boards maybe? The possibilities are endless.
 
inspector13
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01/13/2017 12:28PM  

Black Walnut for its nuts and wood. Just don’t plan growing tomatoes and peppers anywhere nearby. We had one in the back yard of both of my childhood homes. When my parents replaced their garage at their current residence, the tree had to go. My dad had the wood milled and now I have a walnut short case clock, a large LP record cabinet (it must hold around 300 vinyl LPs), and a 35-gallon hexagonal fish tank stand.

White Pine for NE Minnesota. I've planted hundreds.

 
01/13/2017 12:35PM  
Sadly due to my job I have killed thousands of trees, some with the stroke of a paint can thinning trees on the Superior NF for a timber sale.

I have top killed tens of thousands of invasive hardwood trees applying prescribed fire on the native prairies in NW MN for the USFWS.

I have probably planted about 1,000 trees.
 
ozarkpaddler
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01/13/2017 02:59PM  
quote inspector13: "
Black Walnut for its nuts and wood. Just don’t plan growing tomatoes and peppers anywhere nearby. We had one in the back yard of both of my childhood homes. When my parents replaced their garage at their current residence, the tree had to go. My dad had the wood milled and now I have a walnut short case clock, a large LP record cabinet (it must hold around 300 vinyl LPs), and a 35-gallon hexagonal fish tank stand.
White Pine for NE Minnesota. I've planted hundreds.
"


Watch out in the fall, especially on windy days! I've been knocked silly several times and our vehicles have "Battle scars" from walnut hits!
 
ozarkpaddler
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01/13/2017 02:59PM  
quote inspector13: "
Black Walnut for its nuts and wood. Just don’t plan growing tomatoes and peppers anywhere nearby. We had one in the back yard of both of my childhood homes. When my parents replaced their garage at their current residence, the tree had to go. My dad had the wood milled and now I have a walnut short case clock, a large LP record cabinet (it must hold around 300 vinyl LPs), and a 35-gallon hexagonal fish tank stand.
White Pine for NE Minnesota. I've planted hundreds.
"


Watch out in the fall, especially on windy days! I've been knocked silly several times and our vehicles have "Battle scars" from walnut hits! We have one out the front door and the back:
 
TuscaroraBorealis
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01/15/2017 12:34PM  
 
Dances with Sheep
distinguished member (260)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/15/2017 02:09PM  
quote BWPaddler: "
quote Dances with Sheep: "Family



was that too corny?"



I liked it! And I love the idea of family trees, and the symbolism of roots and branches and leaves... you can graft trees and my family is made of adoption, so even more symbolism there.
."


I have also been blessed through adoption (one sister 20 years ago and in 2015 a daughter)
 
inspector13
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01/16/2017 07:29AM  
quote ozarkpaddler: "Watch out in the fall, especially on windy days! I've been knocked silly several times and our vehicles have "Battle scars" from walnut hits!"

Fortunately for the tree, it was located in back of the old garage. It was a pain to pick up the area before bring out the lawn mower though.
 
01/15/2020 10:54AM  
I've got to go with the Tamarack or Larix Laricina I believe is it's scientific name. Minnesota's only deciduous conifer. The first time I saw a cluster of them, it was in the fall and I thought, "what killed all of those evergreens over there." Then someone said, those are tamaracks, they turn yellow and shed their needles. Since then it's been my fave. I want to plant some at my cabin this season.



Tony
 
jillpine
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01/15/2020 11:53AM  
Minnesotian: "
This is a tough question for me, because I associate so many great places with particular trees.


-Fall backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail under a large stand of Sugar Maple, with the full sunlight coming through the lime green colors of the changing leaves.


-Again the Superior Hiking Trail when walking though a tunnel of Black Spruce, the stand so thick and dark.


-Camping under a stand of Aspen, and having their leaves constantly clapping together, a gently rustling chorus.


-Pulling up to a site and setting up the tent under a large stand of Red Pine, with football fields of open space to stretch out the legs, and a soft blanket of needles for the shelter.


The contrast of a stand of Paper Birch trees in the thick of winter, the horizontal black lines blending together to cause tricks on your eyes, movement where there is none.


But my favorite has to be a White Pine, especially at a campsite where all of the tree roots are exposed and the maze can be seen. In the light of my headlamp, the pine cone's sap bounce back like glittering diamonds of dew. It is the wind, though, through the needles that brings me the most enjoyment; it can be soothing and melodious, or violent and searing, but the wind through the needles resonate with me the same way a mournful loon call in the dusk of the evening causes goosebumps. "


All of this (lovely, Minnesotian!); how could one pick a favorite?

Scrappy, straggly Pinus banksiana, especially in its early spring green, in a burn area about 4 years on.
Partial to Tilia americana as well. Its blossoms produce pollen for bees, who then produce flavorful honey that tastes good on the bread I bake. It is sad to their crowns being chewed apart by Japanese beetles, as with the birches.
Trying to become a fan of the populous Juglans nigra on my little acre, but change is hard.




 
01/15/2020 04:27PM  
Birch, love the shimmering leaves on a breezy day, especially in late September....
 
Savage Voyageur
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01/15/2020 04:33PM  
TuscaroraBorealis: " "


Thanks for telling me about the tree. It’s an awesome old Cedar tree by Johnson Falls.

My favorite tree has always been the cedar tree. I really like the twisted grain in the wood and bark. Cedar trees grow very slowly and accounts for the longest living trees in Minnesota.
 
missmolly
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01/15/2020 07:31PM  
jillpine: "
Minnesotian: "
This is a tough question for me, because I associate so many great places with particular trees.



-Fall backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail under a large stand of Sugar Maple, with the full sunlight coming through the lime green colors of the changing leaves.



-Again the Superior Hiking Trail when walking though a tunnel of Black Spruce, the stand so thick and dark.



-Camping under a stand of Aspen, and having their leaves constantly clapping together, a gently rustling chorus.



-Pulling up to a site and setting up the tent under a large stand of Red Pine, with football fields of open space to stretch out the legs, and a soft blanket of needles for the shelter.



The contrast of a stand of Paper Birch trees in the thick of winter, the horizontal black lines blending together to cause tricks on your eyes, movement where there is none.



But my favorite has to be a White Pine, especially at a campsite where all of the tree roots are exposed and the maze can be seen. In the light of my headlamp, the pine cone's sap bounce back like glittering diamonds of dew. It is the wind, though, through the needles that brings me the most enjoyment; it can be soothing and melodious, or violent and searing, but the wind through the needles resonate with me the same way a mournful loon call in the dusk of the evening causes goosebumps. "



All of this (lovely, Minnesotian!); how could one pick a favorite?


Scrappy, straggly Pinus banksiana, especially in its early spring green, in a burn area about 4 years on.
Partial to Tilia americana as well. Its blossoms produce pollen for bees, who then produce flavorful honey that tastes good on the bread I bake. It is sad to their crowns being chewed apart by Japanese beetles, as with the birches.
Trying to become a fan of the populous Juglans nigra on my little acre, but change is hard.





"


Lindens smell so sweet. Great choice.

I do hope you come to love your black walnuts. So many have been cut for furniture so love your survivors.
 
01/15/2020 08:35PM  
missmolly:
Lindens smell so sweet.
"


Thanks missmolly, maybe thats why the wifey chose me, she always loves my scent.
Mostly :-)
 
01/16/2020 01:50PM  
GopherAdventure: "I've got to go with the Tamarack or Larix Laricina I believe is it's scientific name. Minnesota's only deciduous conifer. The first time I saw a cluster of them, it was in the fall and I thought, "what killed all of those evergreens over there." Then someone said, those are tamaracks, they turn yellow and shed their needles. Since then it's been my fave. I want to plant some at my cabin this season.





Tony"

Those are also some of the farthest north conifers (along with black spruce) in the eastern Canadian territories. You will do best with them if you plant into fairly moist soils, even boggy.
 
missmolly
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01/16/2020 08:39PM  
Ha, Lindy!

Yep, larches love wet feet. I've got one right in front of my house. It's the last plant to turn.
 
01/16/2020 08:51PM  
schweady: "White cedar. Often attached to a shoreline rock in impossible fashion, it appears in many of my BWCAW photos. Its wood also makes for the best cooking fire.
"


Cedar is right up there. They also are usually found in a wild area,making you feel like your in a real neat place. I believe they might be the oldest trees in the BWCA-some like 500 years old.

Hard to beat those 250-300 year old White Pine also.
 
carmike
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01/16/2020 09:03PM  
Definitely big old white cedar trees. If I were to die crushed beneath one that fell upon me during a storm, it would be as a happy man.

Well, maybe not. But it'd be better than suffocating in the saggy, lumpy arms of a Christmas tree.
 
01/16/2020 11:12PM  
Hands down my favorite tree is the Tamarack tree.

It is a tree that appears as an ordinary evergreen, but in the fall, when it displays a dazzling yellow hue... its enough to take your breath away, and leave you with contentment and a smile.

<--- its almost as if the little trees next to our names are Tamaracks! ;-)

 
tobywan
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01/19/2020 09:50AM  
Being a Southern boy I am really fond of Bald Cypress. Something about gliding through a Bald Cypress dominated swamp and viewing the uniqueness of the trees and their knees.
 
missmolly
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01/19/2020 12:42PM  
I drove down this road about two months ago and was dazzled.

Behold the banyan!
 
woodsandwater
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01/19/2020 02:00PM  
American Chestnut. This tree was a vital food source for wildlife and people. Virtually wiped out by the invasive Chestnut blight. There are pure strain blight resistant trees and efforts are underway to develop a strain of blight resistant trees. It would be wonderful to restore this magnificent tree to America's landscape again.
 
missmolly
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01/19/2020 03:30PM  
woodsandwater: "American Chestnut. This tree was a vital food source for wildlife and people. Virtually wiped out by the invasive Chestnut blight. There are pure strain blight resistant trees and efforts are underway to develop a strain of blight resistant trees. It would be wonderful to restore this magnificent tree to America's landscape again."


I've got three in my yard. I'd plant more if I had room.
 
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