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But aren’t pine trees evergreen?

But aren’t pine trees evergreen?

Fall comes with the expectation, and often hopeful anticipation, that the leaves on deciduous trees, such as sassafras, white oak, and American beech, will transition to a beautiful array of yellows, oranges and reds before being shed for the season. But pine trees, including our local pitch pines (Pinus rigida) and white pines (Pinus strobus), retain their needles throughout the year. This quality led to the use of the term “evergreen” to describe these trees.  But if pine trees are…

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White poplar (Populus alba)

White poplar (Populus alba)

The genus Populus includes poplars, as well as aspens and cottonwoods. While there are a number of native poplars in Massachusetts, others, such as the white poplar (Populus alba), have been introduced from elsewhere in the world. Although it has not spread to nuisance levels in Massachusetts, some states, including Connecticut, have placed white poplar on their invasive species list.  Superficially, many poplars resemble each other. But white populars can be easily distinguished from other related species. The most obvious…

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Sassafras Flowers

Sassafras Flowers

With their dominance in our Cape Cod forests, it’s hard to miss the oaks unfurling their leaves and sending forth their flowers. Interestingly, what we see are the male flowers, which appear as obvious hanging catkins; the female flowers, on the other hand are much more difficult to observe with the naked eye, particularly from where we stand on the ground. However, it is much easier to overlook the spring emergence of some of our common understory trees, like sassafras…

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