Trees and Tree-like Shrubs of Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Compiled by William T. Hathaway

1 - Chestnut Oak - Quercus prinus

2 - Swamp Chestnut Oak - Quercus michauxii

3 - Swamp White Oak - Quercus bicolor

4 - Post Oak - Quercus stellata

5 - White Oak - Quercus alba

6 - Blackjack Oak - Quercus marilandica

7 - Black Oak - Quercus velutina

8 - Pin Oak - Quercus palustris

9 - Southern Red Oak; Spanish Oak - Quercus falcata

10 - Scarlet Oak - Quercus coccinea

11 - Red Oak - Quercus rubra

12 - Willow Oak - Quercus phellos

13 - Shingle Oak - Quercus imbricaria

14 - Black Walnut - Juglans nigra

15 - Butternut; White Walnut - Juglans cinerea

16 - White-Heart Hickory; Mockernut - Carya tomentosa

17 - Shagbark Hickory - Carya ovata

18 - Bitternut Hickory - Carya cordiformis

19 - Oval Pignut Hickory - Carya ovalis

20 - Pignut Hickory - Carya glabra

21 - Chinquapin - Castanea pumila

22 - Chestnut - Castanea dentata

23 - Beech - Fagus grandifolia

24 - Cucumber Tree - Magnolia acuminata

25 - Umbrella Tree - Magnolia tripetala

26 - Black Cherry - Prunus serotina

27 - Sourwood - Oxydendrum arboreum

28 - Pecan - Carya illinoensis

29 - Winged Elm - Ulmus alata

30 - American Elm - Ulmus americana

31 - Tulip Tree; Yellow Poplar - Liriodendron tulipifera

32 - Red Elm; Slippery Elm - Ulmus rubra

33 - Sweetgum - Liquidamber styraciflua

34 - Sassafras - Sassafras albidum

35 - Black Gum - Nyssa sylvatica

36 - Silver Maple - Acer saccharinum

37 - Sugar Maple - Acer saccharum

38 - Red Maple - Acer rubrum

39 - Mazzard Cherry - Prunus avium

40 - Sugarberry - Celtis laevigata

41 - Box Elder - Acer negundo

42 - Hackberry - Celtis occidentalis

43 - Dwarf Hackberry - Celtis tenuifolia

44 - Yellow Buckeye - Aesculus octandra

45 - River Birch - Betula nigra

46 - Cherry Birch; Sweet Birch; or Black Birch - Betula lenta

47 - Tree of Heaven - Allanthus altissima

48 - Hornbeam; Blue Beech; or Ironwood - Carpinus caroliniana

49 - Hop-Hornbeam; Ironwood - Oystra virginiana

50 - Honey Locust - Gleditsia triacanthos

51 - Mimosa - Albibzia julibrissin

52 - Black Locust - Robinia pseudo-acacia

53 - Linden; Basswood - Tilia heterophylla

54 - Catalpa - Catalpa speciosa

55 - Princess Tree - Paulownia tomentosa

56 - China-Berry - Helia azerdarach

57 - Persimmon - Diospyros virginaina

58 - Redbud - Cercis canadensis

59 - Osage Orange; Hedge Apple - Maclura pomifera

60 - Flowering Dogwood - Cornus florida

61 - Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis

62 - Pawpaw - Asimina triloba

63 - American Holly - llex opaca

64 - Witch Hazel - Hamamelis virginiana

65 - Hawthorn - Crataegus calpodendron

66 - Serviceberry; Shadbush - Amelanchier arborea

67 - Common Hedge - Ligustrum sinense

68 - Paper Mulberry - Broussometia papyrifera

69 - White Mulberry - Morus alba

70 - Red Mulberry - Morus rubra

71 - Fringe-Tree - Chionanthus virginicus

72 - Black Willow - Salix nigra

73 - White Poplar; "Aspen" - Populus alba

74 - Cottonwood; Carolina Poplar - Populus deltoides

75 - White Ash - Fraxinus americana

76 - Red Ash - Fraxinus pennsylvanica

77 - Bladdernut - Staphylea trifolia

78 - Pitch Pine - Pinus rigida

79 - Table-Mountain Pine - Pinus pungens

80 - Virginia Pine - Pinus virginiana

81 - Yellow Pine - Pinus echinata

82 - White Pine - Pinus strobus

83 - Loblolly Pine - Pinus taeda

84 - Canadian Hemlock - Tsuga canadensis

85 - Red Cedar - Juniperus virginiana

Explanatory Note

This guide is designed primarily for students who are just beginning to identify the commonly-seen trees and shrubs of Pittsylvania County. It is a supplement to more detailed instruction, created for instructors who conduct groups on hikes through the woodlands of the country, and who need a guide which simply associates the names of the trees and shrubs with the shapes of their leaves. The illustrations are easy enough so that learning can be fun and productive, even for those who are not familiar with more advanced vocabulary and with botanical keys.

However, even though the concept of this publication is simple, any ambitious student may find it helpful, especially because it concentrates on trees and shrubs which are locally plentiful. It is based on many years of instruction, field trips, notes, and illustrations compiled by naturalist Bill Hathaway, who is a college/university instructor and and naturalist par excellence.

For further information, the following two publications are also suggested:

Forest Trees of Virginia by the Virginia Department of Forestry; and
Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Trees by George A. Petrides.

May your outdoor walks be fun and educational, and your eye be trained to see the beauty and diversity of our locality!

— Henry H. Mitchell, Editor, Planetarium Specialist, Pittsylvania Co. Public Schools, Chatham, Virginia, Fall 1993.

This web edition transcribed and formatted by Jonathan C. Mitchell and Sarah E. Mitchell, Chatham, VA, February 2001.

Text and illustrations compiled 1993 by William T. Hathaway. Reprinted 1993 by the Pittsylvania County Public Schools in Chatham, VA; and 1999 by the Danville Science Center in Danville, VA. Printing of this document for individual and classroom use is encouraged.

This online guide is hosted by Mitchells Publications and the Sims-Mitchell House, Chatham, Virginia.