American Beech
This large-sized, slow-growing tree reaches 25 m (82 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun but is shade tolerant. The leaves are large green ovals with jagged edges. It produces small fruits that are orange and triangular with short bristles helping them stick to objects and inner edible brown nuts. The flowers are small yellowish-green flowers that emerge in mid to late spring. It prefers rich moist soil.
Wildlife Value
It is host to many insects, including; ants, aphids, wasps, and several species of moths and butterflies. Thus, it is popular for insect-eating birds. American beech nuts contain fats and nutrients and are a food source for wildlife, such as; game birds, bears, chipmunks and squirrels, raccoons and opossums and deer.
Basswood
This large-sized, slow-growing tree reaches 35 m (115 ft) in height. It can grow in full sun or full shade. The leaves are large and heart-shaped with jagged edges. The flowers are fragrant yellow that hang from the centre of a leaf-like structure. They produce a round greyish brown fruit. It prefers rich, well-drained soil.
Wildlife Value
It provides food and habitat to many wildlife species; white-tailed deer browse basswood stems, several small mammal and bird species eat basswood berries. Bees are very attracted to basswood flowers because they bloom in midsummer when few other trees are in bloom. Basswood trees are prone to developing hollows that provide nesting habitat and shelter for birds and small mammals.
Black Gum
This large-sized, slow-growing tree reaches 20 m (65 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun to part sun. The leaves are shiny green ovals with smooth margins. It produces small fleshy blue-black fruit with inner stones. The flowers are greenish-white flowers that grow in bunches and bloom in late Spring. It prefers loamy, slightly acidic soils, but is tolerant of clay, gravel and sand.
Wildlife Value
Black gum fruits are a good food source for many species, including; fox, pileated woodpecker, ducks and wild turkey. White-tailed deer and beavers eat black gum twigs and leaves. The flowers attract bees and insects. Larger trees can have cavities that wildlife use for shelter.
Common Hackberry
This medium-sized, fast-growing tree reaches 9-15 m (30-50 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun. It is easily distinguished by its cork-like bark with wart-like protuberances. The leaves are distinctly asymmetrical and coarse-textured. It produces small fruits that turn orange-red to dark purple in the autumn, often staying on the trees for several months. It prefers rich moist soil and can easily withstand strong winds, pollution, heat, salt, and tough soils.
Wildlife Value
It is one of the best trees for providing food and shelter to birds and small animals. It is host to at least five different species of butterfly, including the Tawny Emperor, the Snout Butterfly, the Morning Cloak, the Question Mark, and the rare Hackberry Emperor. Its fruits are attractive to many birds (especially in the winter), including Cedar Waxwings, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, and robins. The leaves also provide food for many caterpillars.
Common Maples
This large, slow growing tree can reach 38 m (125 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun and provides ample shade. In the Fall, the leaves turn vibrant shades of crimson, gold, and yellow, and some varieties are well known for their ability to produce delicious Maple syrup. Most maple trees are adaptable to many soil types, including clay but they prefer a well-drained and moist soil.
Wildlife Value
Maple trees provide important habitat and food sources for wildlife. Birds, squirrels, and other animals feed on the seeds, while deer and other herbivores browse on the foliage. The tree's dense canopy also offers shelter for various bird species.
Elm
This large-sized, slow-growing tree reaches 30 m (98 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun but tolerates partial shade. The leaves are green oval shaped and grow in an alternate, simple arrangement. It produces winged seeds that mature in spring. The flowers are greenish-yellow that grow in small clusters of 3 to 15. It prefers rich, well-drained soil.
Wildlife Value
It provides a food source and nesting habitat for several birds and small mammals. It is also host to butterflies, moths and other insects.
Kentucky Coffee Tree
This medium-sized, moderately fast-growing tree reaches 25 m (82 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun. It is a unique tree with large, woody pods and very large leaves made up of smaller leaflets. It is an exceptional Winter ornamental with its bold form, contorted branching, unique bark and decorative clusters of large pods rattling in the wind. In late Spring, leaves emerge as a striking pink-bronze color. These large airy leaves mature and become a dark bluish-green. This tree's yellow fall color contrasts nicely with the clusters of dark, maturing pods. It grows best in well-drained soils, including acidic, alkaline, loamy, sandy and clay soils.
Wildlife Value
This tree provides nesting sites for birds. The seeds are toxic so do not benefit wildlife.
Northern Catalpa
This large-sized, fast-growing tree reaches 30 m (100 ft) in height with a narrow, open, irregularly rounded crown and spreading branches. It has large, heart-shaped leaves and large clusters of fragrant, white flowers. The long, interesting seed pods persist through the winter. Northern catalpa is very adaptable to adverse conditions, but has weak wood and branch structure. It grows best in part shade. It grows best in moist, well-drained soil, but is tolerant of alkaline soil, dry sites, road salt, and wet sites.
Wildlife Value
It attracts insect pollinators; butterflies and bees.
Oaks
Bur Oak
This large, slow growing tree reaches 30 m (98 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun because it is intolerant of shade. Once Bur Oak is established it is difficult to transplant. This tree can grow in a variety of soils, including sandy or silty loams and heavy clay.
Wildlife Value
This tree produces yellowish-green flowers which attract songbirds, upland ground birds, and water-birds. Small mammals such as chipmunks, red and gray squirrels enjoy the acorns in the Fall.
Red Oak
This large-sized moderately fast-growing tree reaches 30 m (98 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun and it is intolerant of shade. Leaves have 7 to 9 pointed lobes separated by deep, rounded notches. In the fall, the leaves of this tree are a brilliant red colour. It prefers well-drained loams and slightly acidic soil.
Wildlife Value
It produces yellowish-green flowers and acorns which attract songbirds, upland ground birds, and water-birds. Small mammals such as chipmunks, red squirrels and gray squirrels enjoy the acorns in the Fall.
White Oak
This large-sized, slow-growing tree reaches 35 m (115 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun. It grows bright green leaves with paler green undersides. The leaves turn red-purple in the fall before falling off. Leaves have 7 to 9 rounded lobes separated by deep, rounded notches. Acorns take one year to fully grow and drop off in the fall once they are ripe. It prefers well-drained loams and slightly acidic soil.
Wildlife Value
The acorns are one of the best sources of food for wildlife and are gathered, hoarded and eaten by birds, hoofed browsers and rodents. Leaf buds also are eaten by several bird species, and all parts of the tree are a favorite food for deer.
Shademaster Honey Locust
This medium-sized, fast-growing tree reaches 13 m (43 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun. Thorns can cover bark which becomes furrowed and ridged with age. It forms a graceful vase to oval-shaped outline of its canopy. These pinnately compound, green leaflets are very light and airy which provide great dappled shade. Greenish white flowers emerge in the spring with the leaves. Long seedpods form in the late summer. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow and the seedpods turn brown, falling to the ground. This tree grows best in moist, well-drained soils, loam or clay but also tolerates a range of soils.
Wildlife Value
White-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, opossums, crows, starlings, Bobwhite Quail, and raccoons will eat the bean pods and is a good source of nutrition for them in early fall to winter. Thickets of this tree can also provide excellent wildlife cover since the thorns will help keep predators out. The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees and other pollinators. It is a host plant for several moth and butterfly caterpillars.
Sycamore
This large-sized, moderately fast-growing tree reaches 30 m (98 ft) in height. It grows best in full sun to partial shade. The Sycamore is noted for its exfoliating bark and large trunks. The outer layer of bark is a standard brown color that peels away in strips to reveal a creamy-white, smooth bark. The lobed leaves are a medium green color that turn yellow/brown in fall. In Fall, inconspicuous flowers produce fuzzy fruit balls that remain until winter. The fruit balls disperse into white tufts that carry seeds. This tree grows best in moist, well-drained soil, and wet soil. It tolerates alkaline soil, clay soil, dry sites, occasional drought, occasional flooding, and wet sites.
Wildlife Value
The dense foliage offers excellent nesting and roosting opportunities for birds. Additionally, the seed balls, while not a primary food source, are eaten by some birds during the winter months.
Tulip Tree
This large, fast-growing tree reaches 30 m (98 ft) in height. It prefers deep, moist fertile soils and and sun or partial shade. It is intolerant to flooding and also sensitive to drought or heat. It is tolerant of Junglonase, the chemical emitted by the Black Walnut tree. It blooms unique tulip-shaped flowers that have 6 yellow and orange petals, borne upright at the ends of twigs.
Wildlife Value
It attracts songbirds and small mammals. It is also the larval host for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.
Yellowwood
This medium to large, fast-growing tree reaches 15 m (50 ft) in height. It has a Vase-shaped crown with broad, almost horizontal, spreading branches. It blooms long pendulous wisteria-like clusters of fragrant white flowers. The fruit is a pod 5–8 cm long, containing 2-6 seeds. It prefers moist well-drained fertile soils and full sun. It is tolerant to alkaline soil, clay soil, dry sites, road salt, and wet sites.
Wildlife Value
The yellowwood tree provides significant wildlife value by attracting pollinators, offering food sources, and creating valuable nesting and shelter habitats. Though it is a relatively rare species in the wild, its ecological benefits make it a valuable native tree for wildlife gardens and landscapes.
