Lumpkin Woods Arboretum Walk

SUGARBERRY

Celtis laevigata The sugarberry is a common tree throughout the southeastern and south central United States, along with pockets occuring in northeastern Mexico. When trees reach maturity, they produce orange-red to yellow berries. These berries are eaten by a plethora of bird species. The leaf litter of sugarberries contain allelochemicals which prevent competition from other plant species. Sugarberries have distinctive, gray, worty bark at maturity. 

PERSIMMON

Diospyros virginiana The persimmon is native to the southeastern and midwestern United States. Persimmons are known for their peculiar fruits that are beloved by wildlife and humans alike. People collect the fruit once the skin has wrinkled and the flesh has softened. If the fruit is unripe, the fruit has an astringent, bitter taste. The large seeds were used as makeshift buttons during the Civil War and used to predict the weather in southern folklore.

BLUE ATLAS CEDAR

Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' The atlas cedar is endangered species native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria. Atlas cedar forests are vital to the protection to the survival of the endangered Barbary macaque. The cultivar on our campus, ‘Glauca’, is Latin for blue which appropriately describes the beautiful, silver-blue bundles needles. The Atlas cedar on our campus has been living happily in the Lumpkin Woods for over 100 years.

CANADIAN HEMLOCK

Tsuga canadensis The eastern hemlock is an attractive conifer that occurs in the northern midwest and the northern Appalachian Mountains. The litter produced by the tree creates an acidic soil surrounding the base of the tree, reducing competition with other plants. The slow-growing nature of the tree can reach 1,000+ years of age. Many different types of wildlife rely on hemlock. Hemlocks are under attack from an introduced pest, the woolly adelgid, which has decimated populations of hemlock in the eastern United States.

PIGNUT HICKORY

Carya glabra Pignut hickories are a main component of oak-hickory forests in the eastern United States. Pignut hickories are able to live in dry sites because of their deep tap roots. The hickory nuts are a staple in the diet of many woodland animals including squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons. Their common name is derived from early American settlers observing the wild hog’s affinity to the nuts. Like many other species of hickory, the pignut hickory has a stunning yellow fall color.

WHITE ASH

Fraxinus americana The white ash is the most common ash native to the United States. It occurs in the eastern half of the US and southern Canada. White ash produces winged seeds that are a food source for many woodland bird species. The timber from the white ash is the most valuable of any ash species and is used for making baseball bats, notably Louisville Sluggers. The white ash and other species of ash are under attack from the emerald ash borer. The accidental introduction of the emerald ash borer is threatening  7.5 billion ash trees in North America.

CHINESE PARASOL TREE

Firmiana simplex The Chinese parasol tree is a small tree native to China, Korea, Japan, and southwest Asia. After its introduction in 1850, the tree has become naturalized and even invasive in parts of the southeast. The name of parasol tree comes from the large leaf’s ability to provide shade like a parasol. The wood of the Chinese parasol tree has supersonic qualities so it used for several Chinese instruments.

FLOWERING CRABAPPLE

Malus 'Callaway' The Callaway crabapple is a revered ornamental tree in the southeast for its tolerance to pests and its small chilling hour requirements. Their soft, white flowers bloom from pink buds in early spring. Tiny, bright red apples mature in the fall and are a favorite snack of birds. Jellies and jams are also made from the tart fruits.

AMERICAN SWEETGUM

Liquidambar styracifula Native to the southeast and parts of Mexico, the sweetgum is a common forest tree. The tree is valued in the carpentry industry for satiny, close-grained wood that readily takes on finishes. The gum produced by the tree was used during WWI and WWII for manufacturing soaps, drugs, and adhesives. The first historical reference of the tree was by Don Bernal Diaz del Castillo in 1519. He described ceremonies where Cortez and Montezuma both drank the liquid from a sweetgum tree.

JAPANESE BLACK PINE

Pinus thunbergii The Japanese black pine is a historic pine species native to the coasts of Japan and Korea. The specific epithet, thunbergii, pays homage to Swedish botanist and explorer, Peter Thunberg. Japanese black pines are a classic bonsai subject and are a beloved ornamental because of their ability to be pruned into Niwaki forms in the landscape. 

SWEETBAY MAGNOLIA

Magnolia virginiana The sweetbay magnolia is native tree to the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions of the eastern United States. It is a beloved ornamental tree for is semi-evergreen foliage and mid-spring to summer flowers that boast a lemony scent. The sweet bay magnolia was the first magnolia to be cultivated in England after John Banister collected the plant in the South.

CHESTNUT OAK

Quercus prinus The chestnut oak is a native oak species that grows on mountain ridges of the eastern United States. They are slow growing trees that have been known to live up to 400 years. They have sweet acorns that are beloved by wildlife and have a very distinctive ridged bark that is the thickest of any North American oak.

STAR MAGNOLIA

Magnolia stellata The star magnolia is a small tree native to the highlands of Japan’s Honshu island. The star magnolia is a beloved ornamental for its stunning white, early spring blooms that appear on the leafless trees. The gorgeous white flowers give way to a knobby, pink fruit capsule filled with orange seeds.

SAUCER MAGNOLIA

Magnolia x  soulangeana The saucer magnolia is a cross between Magnolia denudata and Magnolia liliiflora. The cross was performed by Étienne Soulange-Bodin, a former military officer for Napoleon, in 1820. The hybrid quickly became popular in Europe and North America and is now one of the most important magnolias in horticulture. It is a beloved ornamental for its pinkish-white blooms streaked with pink and purple on the underside of the tepals. Saucer magnolias bloom in February to March in Athens. 

JAPANESE PAGODA TREE

Styphnolobium japonicum Despite its name, the Japanese pagoda tree is native to China and Korea. In Japan, it was first used in plantings around Buddhist temples. In China, Japanese pagoda are commonly planted around outskirts of villages and in front of temples. The late summer flowers of the tree are one the 50 fundamental herbs of Chinese medicine. The flowers and buds are dried and used to treat bleeding ailments and has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. In Beijing, Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, hanged himself from a Japanese pagoda.

LOBLOLLY PINE

Pinus taeda The loblolly pine is a common species of pine in the southeastern United States. Loblolly pines favor the long, humid, hot summers and mild winters of this region. Because of abundance of loblolly pines, the seeds produced are a valuable food source for a variety of small animals and birds. The loblolly pine is the most important species for commercial forestry in the South.

GEORGIA OAK

Quercus georgiana The Georgia oak is a rare species that is found in small pockets in northern Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. Georgia oaks are much smaller than typical oaks and has more of a shrub-like growth habit. It grows on exclusively on granite outcroppings. It was discovered at Stone Mountain in 1849. The largest known Georgia oak is growing right here in Clarke County.