Berea College Campus Tree Tour
Berea College is home to over 1500 magnificent trees on its campus proper. From flowering dogwoods to sweeping oaks, join us as we take you on a tour of some of our favourites.
1) Fragus sylvatica- European Beech
This tree was planted in 2012 and has since grown to become an important part of the campus landscape. As its name suggests the European Beech is not native to North America but is not invasive and is popular ornamental tree. You'll notice unlike many other trees its bark is very smooth.
2) Ginkgo biloba- Ginkgo tree
Ginkgo trees have been referred to as living fossils because they date back to the early Jurassic period and have remain largely unchanged for 200 million years. They are native to China and easily identified by their unique, fan-shaped leaves.
PC: UC Berkeley
3) Quercus falcata- Southern red oak
Native to Kentucky, the southern red oak is a large tree that provides shade, habitat, and food for numerous organisms. It's most easily identified by its leaves, which commonly have a long middle lobe. If you look around on the ground you may find some of this trees' dropped leaves!
Southern red oak leaves. PC: NC State Extension
4) Magnolia grandiflora- Southern magnolia
With its long, shiny green leaves and massive white flowers the southern magnolia is a favorite in the south. It's evergreen, keeping its beautiful large leaves through the winter. This tree is likely 40-50 years old.
5) Cornus florida- Flowering dogwood
Abundant on the Berea College campus, this native tree shines in the spring when its branches are filled with white blooms. They are an excellent native replacement for the invasive bradford pear tree. In the fall they are noted for their shiny red berries and scarlet leaves. Look around and you'll notice many dogwoods in this area and throughout campus.
Dogwood flowers. PC: Green Acres Nursery
Dogwood fruit. PC: bernheim.org
6) Quercus palustris- Pin oak
The pin oak is a very common native oak tree that can grow to significant heights, making it one of the largest oak trees. Pin oak's lower branches bend downwards and you can see on the scars on this tree where lower branches have been removed for safety and care.
7) Metasequoia glyptostroboides- Dawn redwood
The dawn redwood was once considered extinct until small populations were found in China in the 1940s. It may look like an evergreen, but it's actually deciduous, dropping its needles every fall. Dawn redwoods belong to the same family as the giant sequoias of the west and can grow over 150 feet tall. There are 2 other dawn redwoods on campus sitting behind Kentucky-Talcott residence hall.
Produced by the Berea College GIS Department with special thanks to the Urban Forest Initiative, Berea College forester Glen Dandeneau, and senior student/tree ID extraordinaire Maddie Richmond (who inventoried most of the trees on campus!).
