Trees of the Natural Lands and Broader St. Olaf Campus
The St. Olaf Natural Lands and broader St. Olaf campus are a veritable paradise for tree huggers. During the summer people take refuge from the heat in the shade of The Quad. Every October you will find people marveling at the many hues of fall on the hill. During January you can find people observing snow lined tree branches and the frost covered needles of conifers. Finally, once May rolls around, students often stop on their journey from class-to-class and appreciate the spectacular tree buds of spring. The number of spectacular trees can be overwhelming! This story-map will point you in the right direction, and give you a little information on a few noteworthy trees.
More information about most of these trees can be found on Minnesota Wildflowers' website .
St. Olaf Campus Trees
1: Northern Red Oak
A northern red oak (Quercus rubra) welcomes people to the hill from its position on the right side of St. Olaf Ave as you approach campus from the south. Although this tree is missing a chunk of its canopy, this is likely one of the largest trees in trunk diameter at St. Olaf outside of the Natural Lands.
2: American Sycamore
On the north side of Porter Hall is an American sycamore (Platanaus occidentalus) that is native to both Iowa and Wisconsin but not Minnesota. Sycamores are easily identified by their patchy bark and large leaves. This is perhaps my favorite St. Olaf tree outside of the Natural Lands.
3: Northern Catalpa
This is one of two northern catalpa trees (Catalpa speciosa) in the quad. Catalpas are easily identifiable by their massive heart-shaped leaves and seed pods that resemble large green beans. These trees are native to North America, but not to this area of Minnesota. Catalpas are a popular ornamental tree, and are slowly starting to appear in the Natural Lands.
4: American Basswood
(Tilia americana) or American linden is near the southwest corner of Boe Chapel. It’s an atypical example of its species as seen at St. Olaf and in the Natural Lands because it only has one trunk. Basswoods often have an arrangement of multiple trunks growing outwards in a cluster. Natural Lands tree number 16 is a more typical basswood.
5: Sugar Maple
This sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is located along the west side of a sidewalk at the south end of the quad. It’s likely one of the largest trees at St. Olaf outside of the Natural Lands. Its fall colors are stunning yellows and reds.
6. Gingko
The gingko (Gingko biloba) on the east side of Holland Hall is many students' favorite tree on campus. Gingkos are not native to North America, but are a beloved ornamental species. Many are repulsed by the scent of the fruit-like seed dropped by female gingko trees like this one. For that reason many cities have banned the sale of female gingkos!
St. Olaf Natural Lands Trees
1: Northern Red Oak
Points one and two: Two northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) stand right across the trail from each other behind Ellingson, and are two of the largest trees in the Natural Lands. These are likely second-growth trees from the mid 1800s.
2: Northern Red Oak
3: Northern Red Oak
This northern red oak is on the north side of the trail and has four trunks of similar size. You can stand in the middle of them and pretend to be a nesting bird!
4: Silver Maple
Easily identifiable by its mess of trunks and branches, this silver maple (Acer saccharinum) sits along the east edge of Baseball Pond.. Silver maples prefer wetter lowland habitats like the wetland edge of this pond.
5: River Birch
Located on the east side of the trail, this river birch (Betula nigra) can be easily identified by its papery bark (don’t peel it off). Although river birches were planted in the Natural Lands, they would naturally be found in the floodplains of major rivers like the Mississippi.
6: Apple
This apple tree (Malus spp.) lives between the trail and Falk Ave. Although apple trees are not native to Minnesota, they are not invasive and can be found in a few disparate corners of the Natural Lands.
7: Black Cherry
Another fruit tree, this black cherry (Prunus serotina) is on the north side of the trail along the edge of the prairie. There are 6 members of the Prunus genus that are native to Minnesota, and of those 6 Prunus serotina is the largest.
8: Wedin Woods
Named after a former student, Dave Wedin, Wedin Woods is the northernmost patch of woods on the east edge of Campus Drive. Although not an individual tree, Wedin woods is noteworthy for being the 1st forest restoration in the Natural Lands (planted in 1981).
9: Bur Oak (as seen from the south edge of Big Pond)
Easily visible on the north edge of Big Pond across the water, this bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is not easily accessed at the edge of a trail like other trees included in this guide. It is, however, easily observable from any of the various viewpoints and benches along the east, south, and west of Big Pond.
10: Bur Oak
This bur oak is easily visible as the largest tree in the surrounding woods. Bur oaks are a type of white oak tree. White oaks are easily differentiated from red oaks by having rounded rather than pointed leaves.
11: Bur Oak
This bur oak is a wonderful example of a tree that grew to maturity in a more densely forested area. Although the trees around it were cut down to open up the area and allow these large oaks to thrive, the conical shape of the canopy provides us with the clues we need to determine that this tree grew surrounded by other trees.
12: Bur Oak
Likely the second biggest tree in the natural Lands after tree number 14, this bur oak straddles the boundary between the Natural Lands and the neighbor’s property. It likely escaped being cut down by existing on this property boundary. This is a favorite tree of many students more deeply acquainted with the Natural Lands.
13: Northern Red Oak
This northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is on the downhill side of the trail. It’s in many ways opposite to tree number 11, a bur oak. This tree is a red oak rather than a bur oak, and it’s an open grown tree with forest restored around it. The surrounding woods were restored in 1990, but a few trees in this area (this tree included) clearly predate this forest restoration.
14: Sugar Maple
Likely the largest tree in the Natural Lands, this sugar maple (Acer saccharum) on the west side of the trail is also quite possibly one of the largest in the state. It’s trunk is over 5 feet in diameter! Sugar maple leaves resemble the flag of our neighbor to the north, Canada.
15: Hackberry
Right next to an abandoned satellite dish, This hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is on the east side of the trail. There are actually several hackberries here! Hackberries are easily identified by their distinctively textured bark. The satellite dish next to these hackberries was historically used for the St. Olaf College radio station!
16: American Basswood
On the east of the trail is a large American basswood (Tilia americana). This basswood is typical of basswoods in the Natural Lands, and has a multitude of trunks growing in a cluster. The Natural Lands are full of basswood trees, so keep your eyes out for more of them. They are all around!
1: Northern Red Oak
Points one and two: Two northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) stand right across the trail from each other behind Ellingson, and are two of the largest trees in the Natural Lands. These are likely second-growth trees from the mid 1800s.
2: Northern Red Oak
3: Northern Red Oak
This northern red oak is on the north side of the trail and has four trunks of similar size. You can stand in the middle of them and pretend to be a nesting bird!
4: Silver Maple
Easily identifiable by its mess of trunks and branches, this silver maple (Acer saccharinum) sits along the east edge of Baseball Pond.. Silver maples prefer wetter lowland habitats like the wetland edge of this pond.
5: River Birch
Located on the east side of the trail, this river birch (Betula nigra) can be easily identified by its papery bark (don’t peel it off). Although river birches were planted in the Natural Lands, they would naturally be found in the floodplains of major rivers like the Mississippi.
6: Apple
This apple tree (Malus spp.) lives between the trail and Falk Ave. Although apple trees are not native to Minnesota, they are not invasive and can be found in a few disparate corners of the Natural Lands.
7: Black Cherry
Another fruit tree, this black cherry (Prunus serotina) is on the north side of the trail along the edge of the prairie. There are 6 members of the Prunus genus that are native to Minnesota, and of those 6 Prunus serotina is the largest.
8: Wedin Woods
Named after a former student, Dave Wedin, Wedin Woods is the northernmost patch of woods on the east edge of Campus Drive. Although not an individual tree, Wedin woods is noteworthy for being the 1st forest restoration in the Natural Lands (planted in 1981).
9: Bur Oak (as seen from the south edge of Big Pond)
Easily visible on the north edge of Big Pond across the water, this bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is not easily accessed at the edge of a trail like other trees included in this guide. It is, however, easily observable from any of the various viewpoints and benches along the east, south, and west of Big Pond.
10: Bur Oak
This bur oak is easily visible as the largest tree in the surrounding woods. Bur oaks are a type of white oak tree. White oaks are easily differentiated from red oaks by having rounded rather than pointed leaves.
11: Bur Oak
This bur oak is a wonderful example of a tree that grew to maturity in a more densely forested area. Although the trees around it were cut down to open up the area and allow these large oaks to thrive, the conical shape of the canopy provides us with the clues we need to determine that this tree grew surrounded by other trees.
12: Bur Oak
Likely the second biggest tree in the natural Lands after tree number 14, this bur oak straddles the boundary between the Natural Lands and the neighbor’s property. It likely escaped being cut down by existing on this property boundary. This is a favorite tree of many students more deeply acquainted with the Natural Lands.
13: Northern Red Oak
This northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is on the downhill side of the trail. It’s in many ways opposite to tree number 11, a bur oak. This tree is a red oak rather than a bur oak, and it’s an open grown tree with forest restored around it. The surrounding woods were restored in 1990, but a few trees in this area (this tree included) clearly predate this forest restoration.
14: Sugar Maple
Likely the largest tree in the Natural Lands, this sugar maple (Acer saccharum) on the west side of the trail is also quite possibly one of the largest in the state. It’s trunk is over 5 feet in diameter! Sugar maple leaves resemble the flag of our neighbor to the north, Canada.
15: Hackberry
Right next to an abandoned satellite dish, This hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is on the east side of the trail. There are actually several hackberries here! Hackberries are easily identified by their distinctively textured bark. The satellite dish next to these hackberries was historically used for the St. Olaf College radio station!
16: American Basswood
On the east of the trail is a large American basswood (Tilia americana). This basswood is typical of basswoods in the Natural Lands, and has a multitude of trunks growing in a cluster. The Natural Lands are full of basswood trees, so keep your eyes out for more of them. They are all around!
St. Olaf Natural Lands Forest Background
Forests make up over half of the St. Olaf Natural Lands, totaling approximately 250 acres (101 ha). While Norway Valley and portions of Heath Creek are considered secondary-growth forests, most of the forests of the Natural Lands have been actively restored from agricultural land over the last 40 years. The deciduous forests of the Natural Lands are representative of the Big Woods (maple-basswood) biome, where the predominant canopy trees include maples, basswood, oaks, cherries, hackberries, and more. The mid and understory of these forests are composed of smaller tree species along with forbs, spring ephemerals, and sedges. To restore a portion of the Big Woods habitat, St. Olaf has planted over 40,000 tree seedlings in addition to plenty of direct seeding. St. Olaf’s restored forest encompasses over 150 acres (60 ha) of land.
Forest Restoration Methods
Two primary methods have been used for forest restoration in the Natural Lands; planting seedlings or direct seeding (planting seeds instead of seedlings). The first few forest restorations in the Natural Lands used the seedling method. This method, however, is time-consuming and expensive. Forest restoration methodology in the Natural Lands shifted to direct seeding in the early 2000s. All of our forest restorations since then have employed this method.
This image shows people adding mulch around seedlings in a forest restoration from 1990. This restoration was planted with seedlings.
This image shows student workers in the Natural Lands spreading seeds for a forest restoration. This restoration employed the direct seeding method.
Growth of Forest Restorations
The left photo shows the Natural Lands as seen from the roof of Larson Hall just after a forest restoration of planted seedlings in 1990. The right photo is the same view of the Natural Lands from 2017 showing the growth of forest restorations from 1990, 2002, 2003, and 2005.
Natural Lands Forest Restoration Dates
Although it is not listed on the map, the first forest restoration in the Natural Lands occurred in 1981. The most recent forest restoration was planted in November of 2024.
Changing Forest Composition
The composition of our forests is rapidly changing. The invasive emerald ash borer beetle has prompted the removal of ash trees along trails that will become hazardous as they die. Photos 1 and 2 show ash tree removal in the Natural Lands. In addition to the loss of ash trees, many invasive and non-native plants are popping up in the Natural Lands. Photo 3 shows the leaf of a Northern Catalpa tree from a sapling in the Natural Lands. Catalpas are native to North America, but they aren't native to this area of Minnesota. Despite this, they are slowly becoming more common in the Natural Lands. These are only two of the many ways that our forests are changing. The long-term consequences of these multitude of changes are yet unknown.
