2. Pecan Tree
Scientific Name: Carya illinoinensis
Description: Thick, light brown to reddish brown bark, with
narrow, irregular fissures. It has alternating, compound leaves that
are 12-20 inches long. The nut produced is reddish brown with
irregular black or darker brown blotches.
Location: In my back yard (Cleveland, GA).
Interesting Facts:
The U.S. Produces more than 80% of the world’s pecan crop.
There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans
The pecan nut provides zinc, which helps the body produce
testosterone.
3. Leyland Cypress
Scientific Name: Cupressocyparis leylandii
Description: The Leyland Cypress is an evergreen conifer that grows
to 35-50 feet. It grows very quickly but has a short life span (20 years).
Location: In my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
It is largely used in rows as a privacy hedge or singularly as landscaping
features.
They are very drought-tolerant.
They can grow an impressive three to four feet annually.
4. Southern Magnolia
Scientific Name: Magnolia grandiflora
Description: The Southern Magnolia has dark green leathery leaves,
that alternate. In the summer, it has creamy white flowers that are
very fragrant. It is an evergreen and can grow up to 80 feet.
Location: In my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
It is the official State tree of Mississippi.
The Southern Magnolia can live up to 120 years.
They have a unique root system that are rope-like and largely
unbranched.
5. Post Oak Tree
Scientific Name: Quercus stellata
Description: These slow growing oaks can reach a height of 50 feet.
They have alternating, simple leaves with two to three paired lobes
and are capable of growing in poor dry soil, or during a drought.
Location: In my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
The Post Oak is frequently identified by its cross-shaped leaves.
The name post oak comes from the fact that the wood is commonly
used for fence posts.
Native Americans would use the acorns from the post oak medicinally
to treat a number of illnesses, ranging from skin infections and canker
sores, to fevers and dysentery.
6. Sweet Crabapple Tree
Scientific Name: Malus coronaria
Description: This is a relatively small tree with a short trunk. It often has
several stout branches, which generally leave the smaller branches
widely spread and open rather than forming a compact crown. The
bark is rough, cracked, and reddish brown to gray in color.
Location: In my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
Some of the fruit is too sour or bitter to eat but it is still used for making jelly
and preserves.
Crabapples are native to Asia and Russia.
If the fruit is not picked, it will stay on the tree throughout the winter,
providing a colorful contrast to the starkness of other plants during the
season.
7. Broom Moss
Scientific Name: Dicranum scoparium
Description: Broom moss is usually robust and coarse, forming shiny
tufts with woolly stems. The leaf midrib extends to the tip and usually
has four ridges along its back. The leaves are lance-shaped with a
long, slender point.
Location: On a dead tree in my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
It usually forms tufts or mats on soil in dry to moist forested areas.
It can be distinguished by its leaves, which strongly curve to one side.
8. Camel Cricket
Scientific Name: Ceuthophilus maculatus
Description: These crickets have large antennae and legs. They can
be found on all continents and many continental islands. They very
in sizes, and are mostly brown with black spots.
Location: In my basement (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
They feed at night on plants and even on some other insects.
The name “camel” came from the high arching back of the cricket.
These crickets have the traditionally large hind legs for leaping.
9. Yellow Jacket
Scientific Name: Vespula maculifrons
Description: Most of these are black and yellow; however, some are
black and white. They can be identified by their distinctive markings.
They are social hunters living in colonies containing workers, queens,
and drones.
Location: On my porch and house (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
They have a characteristic, rapid, side to side flight pattern prior to
landing.
All females are capable of stinging.
Yellow jackets are important predators of pest insects.
10. American Chestnut
Scientific Name: Castanea dentata
Description: Starting in early June, the American Chestnut has a mass of
white catkins that are visible at great distances. The leaves are long
compared to their width, and have teeth on the edges that curve
inward.
Location: In my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
Many of the trees were devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease.
Before the disease was introduced, it was estimated that there were over
three billion American Chestnut trees in the Appalachian Mountains. After
the disease few than 100 remained.
The nuts were once an important economic resource in the U.S., being sold
on the streets of towns and cities, as they sometimes are now during the
Christmas season.
11. Eastern Red Cedar
Scientific Name: Juniperus virginiana
Description: The Eastern Red Cedar is a species of Juniper native to
Eastern North America. It is a dense slow-growing coniferous
evergreen tree that may never become more than a bush on poor
soil. The bark is reddish-brown, fibrous, and peels off in narrow strips.
Location: In my yard (Cleveland, GA)
Interesting Facts:
The oldest reported Eastern Red Cedar was 795 years old.
Its berries are used to provide gin with its characteristic flavor.
Cedar chests and lined closets prevent moth damage to wool clothing
because the volatile cedar is a natural insecticide.
