Trees

Many trees! A very wooded area. The four most common large native trees on the property are:

• Quercus rubra (Northern red oak) (There are some white oak leaves that show up on the property; these are from across the street!)
• Pinus strobus (Eastern white pine) – A really large one at the street; another at the northwest corner of the house; several others, smaller, around the property.
• Tsuga canadensis (Eastern hemlock) – Around 17. Treated annually for woolly adelgid & scale.
• Acer saccharinum (Sugar maple) – All over!
• Acer rubrum (Red maple) – A large and glorious specimen off the northeast corner of the house (in Fern Triangle); lots of smaller saplings here & there.
• Betula lenta (Sweet birch) – A large one by the firepit. Lots of sproutlings here & there.
• Ulmus americana (American elm) – One by the firepit, and one by the street in the north front woods. Need to watch for Dutch elm disease! Another younger one just east of the firepit orchard.

Smaller native trees, also common:

• Fraxinus americana (White ash) – Sprouts ubiquitously!
• Prunus serotina (Black cherry) – Sprouts ubiquitously!
• Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam) – A nice one in the backyard behind the rhododendrons; another nice one next to the large red maple. Multiple others here and there.

Smaller native trees, here and there:

• Rhus typhina (Staghorn sumac) – Two near the firepit.
• Hickory (Carya):
  • Carya glabra (Pignut hickory)
  • Carya ovata (Shagbark hickory)
• Juglans cinerea (Butternut, or white walnut) – One on the slope behind the house. We keep it trimmed.
• Cornus florida (Flowering dogwood) – A few individuals
• Betula papyrifera (paper birch) – one, planted in honor of my mom, north front woods near the large stone
• Cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood) – A small patch, somewhat struggling; plus a couple of others here and there
• Corylus americana (American hazelnut) – trying to establish. At least two in firepit orchard.
• Asimina triloba (Pawpaw) – trying to establish. One in firepit orchard.
• Prunus americana (American plum) – trying to establish. One in the laundry garden; one in the firepit orchard.
• Prunus maritima (Beach plum) – trying to establish. Three in laundry garden.
• Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) – Have planted numerous witch hazels around the property — one in the front yard, one in the north front woods; a couple in the back yard.
• Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud) – One in the south front yard with the daffodils.
• Sassafras albidum (Eastern American sassafras) – trying to establish. One in firepit orchard.
• Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) – trying to establish. One in firepit orchard; others have not mdae it.
• Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood) – One by the mountain laurel / blueberry bed in the front, planted 2023; as of 2025, it seems very happy!
• Spruces – Two spruces that are sadly not very happy, because it’s too shady. Will likely remove. One is in the back; one is on the side.

Cultivated non-native trees:

• Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese umbrella pine) – One beautiful specimen in the middle of the front yard ornamental bed, street side. Slow-growing!
• Prunus persica (Peach trees) – Two that we have planted near the raspberries and the corner of the house.
• Acer palmatum (Japanese red maple) – A really large & glorious one on the south side of the driveway. A small and special cultivar at the front street, next to the Japanese umbrella pine. Lots and lots of baby Japanese red maples, because there are many of these in the neighborhood.
• Cornus kousa (Kousa dogwood) – in the backyard, one.

Invasive or exotic trees I’m trying to eradicate:

• Acer platanoides (Norway maple) – Seedlings pop up here and there because Norway maple is all over the area.
• Phellodendron amurense (Amur cork tree) – One large Amur cork tree was likely planted intentionally, before it was realized how invasive these are.
• Malus spectabilis (Chinese crabapple) – One large crabapple in the laundry garden, to be removed; other smaller crabapples elsewhere.
• Frangula alnus (Alder buckthorn) – Eradicated, but new seedlings pop up all the time because of the ubiquity of these trees in the area.
• Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn olive) – Eradicated, but new seedlings pop up all the time because of the ubiquity of these trees in the area.
• Prunus serrulata (Japanese cherry)- Eradicated, but new seedlings pop up all the time because of the ubiquity of these trees in the area. I try to take them down to leave room for the black cherry. The Japanese cherries do not make the beautiful spring blooms on this property, likely because it is too shady.