Nazareth Campus Tree Walk

1.

American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis

Sycamores are native to Kentucky and are typically found next to streams and rivers. Standing up to 100 feet tall, their broad leaves make them excellent shade trees. They are noted for their smooth gray bark, peeling to reveal white patches. They were often used by Native Americans for dugout canoes. Beavers, squirrels, and songbirds, eat the sycamore’s fruits and seeds.

2.

Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgos are one of the oldest tree species, speculated to pre-date dinosaurs. The name ginkgo is Japanese for “Silver Apricot”. They are distinguished by their fan-shaped leaves, their unpleasant-smelling fruit, and their bright yellow fall leaves. Unfortunately, as is typical of trees not native to Kentucky, ginkgos do not offer much habitat for Kentucky wildlife, supporting fewer than twelve species of caterpillars.

3.

Slippery elm
Ulmus rubra

Slippery elm takes its name from the slimy reddish-brown inner bark that Native Americans chewed when water was scarce. The inner bark was also used to treat fevers and inflammations, and the outer bark was used to make canoes. This hardwood canopy tree can adapt to lowland or upland habitats but prefers moist bottomlands. It is distinguishable from other elms by its downy twigs and hairy red buds. Slippery elm offers a smorgasbord to all types of fauna; it provides habitat to over 100 insect species and tens of birds that include the Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, and Ruffed Grouse. Mammals such as beaver, deer, and rabbit feed on the bark, twigs, and seeds. Since Dutch Elm disease ravished the American Elm, Slipper Elm has become the most common tree in its genus.

4.

Black walnut
Juglans nigra

Black walnuts have distinctly-fissured dark bark and aromatic leaves, smelling of citrus and pine when crushed. They suppress competition by secreting chemicals into the soil, making it inhospitable to other plants. They drop large green fruits that eventually crack to reveal the hard-shelled nut. Squirrels, turkeys, raccoons, and bears are fond of walnuts, but the Walnut Caterpillar is dependent on this and other trees in the Juglandaceae Family, such as pecans and butternuts.

5.

Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana

Chokecherry is a small tree that likes to sucker into a large shrub. Like all members of the Prunus family, Chokecherry seeds, leaves, and twigs contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are toxic to animals if eaten to excess. It produces a small astringent fruit which ripens to dark purple in late summer. The fruit and pit are a mainstay food for many mammals and birds, and the tree is a host to numerous insects. Native Americans have eaten the fruit for thousands of years, drying it to combat the astringency. It has been combined with dried meat and tallow to make pemmican, a nutrient-rich food that provides nutrition in the winter, as well as cooked into jams and jellies. 

6.

Eastern hemlock
Tsuga canadensis

This evergreen is characterized by having the smallest needles and cones in its genus (Tsuga). It is easily identified by its flat needles with two parallel lines along the length of their underside, sometimes called “racing stripes”. Hemlocks are shade-loving trees, found in the darkest, coolest grottos and hollars. Unfortunately, hemlock populations in the Appalachians have been decimated by the non-native Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the last few decades. Many animals rely on the hemlock for food, including the North American porcupine, who feeds on its bark and wood, and the White-footed Mouse and the Deer Mouse, who eat its seeds. Its dense foliage provides excellent nesting habitat for birds such as the Red-shouldered Hawk and White-winged Crossbill. Native Americans made a paste from boiling the bark to put on wounds and help them heal faster. The twigs and needles are high in Vitamin C, and Indians used to boil them to make a tea. Even the thin cambium payer was used as a base for breads and soups.

7.

Community garden

SCNs take great pride in their community garden, used by those who live on campus. Fruits and vegetables are grown organically, fertilized by compost made from our organic waste.

8.

Black gum
Nyssa sylvatica

The black gum tree has many names: sour-gum, pepperidge, and tupelo, which comes from the Creek Indian words for tree (ito) and swamp (opilwa). It has dark bark bearing resemblance to alligator skin and glossy leaves that turn scarlet in the fall. The sour fruits are a food source for many animals, including over 30 species of songbirds, squirrels, foxes, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, and deer.

9.

Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea

This Kentucky native got its name from its bright yellow heartwood. Its rootbark was used by Appalachian settlers as a dye. It is distinguished by its smooth gray bark and display of drooping white spring flowers. While rare in nature, they are growing in popularity as a landscape tree. Bees are attracted to the yellowwood, but its seeds aren’t eaten by any birds or mammals.

10.

Red buckeye
Aesculus pavia

This understory tree has glossy leaves and upright red/pink that are showy and attractive. It is typically found along streams, at bluff bases, and in bottomland forests. All buckeye species contain toxins that cause muscle weakness and paralysis. This is an effective defensive mechanism that discourages most animals from eating them. Native Americans used crushed buckeye seeds and branches in streams to slow down fish so that they were easier to catch. The red flowers attract hummingbirds, which act to cross-pollinate the flowers. Nectar-seeking insects such as the eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly also visit the flowers. 

11.

Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis  

Hackberry trees are sometimes thought of as “weed trees” because they are commonly found along fence rows, deposited by birds who have feasted on their fruit. However, these trees have fascinating knobbly bark that resembles a 3-D relief map. Their wood is dense and hard and, while not valued as lumber, was used to make crates and fence posts. The berry-like fruit is fleshy and attractive to a variety of wildlife. High in fat, protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins, it was one of the first known foods that ancient humans ever ate or stored. 

12.

Eastern hophornbeam
Ostrya virginiana

This medium-sized tree has an attractive, flaky, grey bark and showy catkins (drooping flower clusters) that drape the branches all winter like yellow tinsel. Sometimes called “ironwood” for its hard, dense wood, it is known for its seed pods that resemble hops. Its sap and leaves are a food source for a number of insects, and the nutlets, buds, and catkins provide food for a number of birds and mammals, including Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite quail, and the White-footed Mouse. A number of Native American tribes used the bark and wood as a toothache remedy and medicine for kidney disorders, while the wood was also used to make pothooks and frames for houses.

13.

Sugar maple
Acer saccharum

Of all maple species, sugar maples have the highest concentration of sugar in their sap, making them the top candidate for maple syrup by both Native Americans and settlers. Their leaf is well-known for being on the Canadian flag, with its distinctive three lobes. Sugar maple leaves are good food for earthworms, and their deep roots help transfer water to dry areas, aiding other plants.

14.

River birch
Betula nigra

As its name suggests, river birches typically grow in nature next to water. They are known for their striking salmon-colored exfoliating bark and single or multiple-stemmed trunks. Native Americans use the bark and leaves as medicine for stomach pain and as an antidiarrheal. The seeds are eaten by a wide range of songbirds, and the leaves are eaten by deer and other browsers.

15.

Tulip poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera

The tulip poplar is the Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee state tree. It is named for its tulip-shaped flowers, which are yellow with an orange band near the base. The unique leaf, identifiable by its flat top, has been compared to the shape of a fiddle or violin. Native Americans and settlers carved canoes from tulip poplar’s light, buoyant trunk. Several animal species eat the seeds and saplings, including purple finches, quails, rabbits, and white-footed mice. The Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly relies on this tree for development.

16.

Kentucky coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus

The Kentucky coffee tree does not make real coffee, but its seeds were ground up and brewed by Native Americans and settlers to make a convincing substitute. The seeds cannot be eaten without roasting, due to their toxicity. This toxicity makes the coffee trees unattractive to wildlife, with the exception of nesting birds. Native Americans also used the seeds in a popular dice game, with the seeds acting as the dice.

17.

Northern red oak
Quercus rubra

Oaks provide habitat for 475 caterpillar species. Their acorns are a prime food for squirrels, white tailed deer, turkeys, and black bears. Due to their ability to hybridize, distinguishing between oak species can be difficult. Oaks are divided into red and white groups. The leaves of a white oak typically have rounded tips, while red oaks have pointed tips. Acorns are produced by both red and white oaks, but the acorns from white oaks are more palatable to wildlife.

18.

American ‘Princeton’ elm
Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’

Known as America’s street tree, the American elm once lined streets in cities across the country, its vase-like shape providing shade and clearance for vehicles. However, in the 1950s, Dutch elm disease started killing American elms until now they are rarely planted. The ‘Princeton’ cultivar has proven to be fairly resistant to Dutch elm. In the wild, American elms are typically found in low moist areas. Numerous insects use the tree as a food source including the Native Elm Bark Beetle, which transmits the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease. Mammals eat the bark, wood, and leaves, such as beavers, deer, rabbits, and squirrels, and many birds choose it as protesting nesting habitat. Native Americans sometimes used elm trees as “council trees”, or gathering spots for significant tribal councils. The tree’s tough inner bark was used for making fiber into baskets, rope, and cloth, and the outer bark was used to make canoes, chair seats, wigwams, and storage vessels.

19.

Historical sugar maple

This sugar maple enjoys a special place in the heart of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Some believe that the tree was planted by foundress Mother Catherine, while others maintain that Father Joseph Hazeltine, Ecclesiastical Superior and Chaplain at Nazareth from 1835-1862, planted the tree. Regardless of its provenance, the tree has welcomed worshippers to St. Vincent Church for over 100 years.

20.

Bald cypress
Taxodium distichum

The bald cypress fits into the relatively small group of deciduous conifers. It has cones instead of flowers, but loses its needles annually. It is native to the swamps and riversides of Southeastern United States, however it is very hardy and can survive in most climates. Its feathery needles turn a beautiful russet red in the fall, and it has coin-sized pinecones similar to Hemlock. It is typically found in swampy regions, growing “knees “ (raised roots) that offer shelter for fish, ducks, lizards, and amphibians. Its canopy also hosts eagles, ospreys, and herons.

21.

Hybrid oak
Quercus sp

Chosen to represent their ministries in Nepal for the SCNs’ 200th anniversary at Nazareth, swamp chestnut oak is a majestic canopy tree that grows as broad as it does tall. As its name suggests, swamp white oak is typically found in moist and bottomland areas, such as along streams and lakes. The leaves are two-tone, dark and shiny on top but silvery-white underneath, thus earning it the Latin species name “bicolor.” Like all oaks in this region, swamp white oak provides food for over 400 species of caterpillars. Its acorns are sweet and are an important food for squirrels, mice, deer, beaver, black bear, and a variety of birds. Native Americans and pioneers ate the acorns raw or cooked, grinding them into a powder to use as a thickening agent for stews or for making bread. Some Native Americans used swamp white oak to treat cholera, broken bones, and tuberculosis.

22.

Cherrybark oak
Quercus pagoda

This cherrybark oak represents the SCNs’ ministries in India. One of the tallest oaks in the southeast United States, cherrybark oak prefers well-drained bottomland sites. It is the host plant for the Imperial moth larvae as well as numerous butterflies. The acorns are eaten by a variety of birds such as woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, and wild turkeys. Its strong wood is used for furniture, factory lumber, and railroad ties.

23.

River birch
Betula nigra

Representing the SCNs’ ministries in Botswana for their 200^th anniversary at Nazareth, river birches are known for their striking salmon-colored exfoliating bark and single or multiple-stemmed trunks. As its name suggests, river birches typically grow in nature next to water. Native Americans use the bark and leaves as medicine for stomach pain and as an antidiarrheal. The seeds are eaten by a wide range of songbirds, and the leaves are eaten by deer and other browsers.

24.

Black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia

A leguminous plant, black locusts have beautiful white flowers that are valuable food sources for bees. Many bats and birds roost and nest within its cavities, protected from predators by the tree’s thorny branches. The leaves and bark contain toxins that are poisonous to grazing animals and humans, but squirrels and a variety of birds eat the black seeds. The wood, which is resistant to rot, has commonly been used as fence posts and to build ships. Native Americans used it to make bows and other tools, while early settlers used it to help build settlements such as Jamestown. Here at Nazareth, this tree represents the SCNs’ ministries in Kenya.

25.

Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis

This diminutive understory tree boasts delicate white flowers in spring that fruit into edible dark blue berries in early summer. Birds, chipmunks, and squirrels feast on the berries, while the flowers provide early spring forage for pollinators. The berries, high in vitamins and minerals, were used by the Cherokee to make a tea to aid digestion. Children who had worms were given baths in serviceberry tea, while he straight wood was used to make arrow shafts. This tree represents the SCNs’ ministries in Belize.

26.

Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana ‘Canada Red’

Chokecherry represents the United States at the SCNs’ 200^th anniversary of their ministries at Nazareth. It is a small tree that likes to sucker into a large shrub. Like all members of the Prunus family, Chokecherry seeds, leaves, and twigs contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are toxic to animals if eaten to excess. It produces a small astringent fruit which ripens to dark purple in late summer. The fruit and pit are a mainstay food for many mammals and birds, and the tree is a host to numerous insects. Native Americans have eaten the fruit for thousands of years, drying it to combat the astringency. It has been combined with dried meat and tallow to make pemmican, a nutrient-rich food that provides nutrition in the winter, as well as cooked into jams and jellies.

27.

Redbud

Cercis canadensis

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28.

Willow oak

Quercus phellos

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29.

Dogwood

Cornus florida

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