Aceraceae (the maple family) 2 genera worldwide Acer is the only North American genus Opposite leaves and branching Fruits are winged samaras in pairs, joined at the base Some species are commercially important Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) is a common ornamental in DE The Hard Maples U-shaped leaf sinuses Very hard wood The Soft Maples V-shaped leaf sinuses Softer wood

box-elder Acer negundo (Aceraceae) Our only native maple with compound leaves Native throughout Delaware Lives alongside streams and in floodplains Not much commercial or wildlife value Shade tolerant

Norway maple Acer platanoides (Aceraceae) Bleeds a milky sap when leaves are pulled off U-shaped sinuses, 5-7 lobes Widely divergent samaras in the fall INVASIVE EXOTIC

Acer platanoides

V-shaped sinuses, 3-5 lobes, simple leaves, palmate veins In fall, petioles, samaras, and leaves turn red Twigs reddish Bark light gray, gets platy when older with big vertical plates Samaras narrowly divergent like a U, in spring All habitats Intermediate shade tolerance Used for pulp, furniture. Planted a lot in towns and yards. Delaware’s most abundant tree red maple Acer rubrum (Aceraceae)

Acer rubrum has variable bark.

Acer rubrum bark

silver maple Acer saccharinum (Aceraceae) V-shaped sinuses, 5 lobes, long terminal lobe, pale below Twigs smell bad when broken Shaggy light gray or tan bark Samaras in spring, biggest of all maples Native in DE only in the Piedmont Streams and swamps Shade-intolerant Minimal commercial value OK food value for wildlife but good for nesting Frequently planted as an ornamental

Acer saccharinum bark

sugar maple Acer saccharum (Aceraceae) Leaves look a lot like Norway maple Does not bleed a white sap Samaras are less divergent Shaggy bark A northern tree native to the DE Piedmont Prefers moist sites Very shade tolerant and late-successional Very valuable commercially Maple syrup

Acer saccharum

Ebenaceae (the ebony family) 5 genera worldwide Mainly tropical We have 1 genus in the U.S. -- Diospyros -- with one species native to Delaware True ebony wood comes from a tropical Diospyros species Ebony wood Persimmon wood

persimmon Diospyros virginiana (Ebenaceae) Leaves ovate, entire, nondescript Buds dark brown & triangular Bark blocky like alligator skin Fruit a berry, bitter when green but then sweet Native throughout Delaware A small tree with some shade tolerance but usually found in hedgerows and edges Berries are favored by wildlife Golf club heads, pool cues, tool handles

Hamamelidaceae (the witch-hazel family) About 25 genera with 100 species around the world Two species native to Delaware, including a tree and a shrub Leaves alternate, simple Fruit is a capsule

witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana (Hamamelidaceae)

sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua (Hamamelidaceae)

Platanaceae (the sycamore family) Monotypic family with a single genus, Platanus One species native to Delaware The hybrid known as London planetree is planted ornamentally Leaves alternate, simple, deciduous. Petiole base completely encircles the bud. Fruit is a multiple of achenes Twigs zig-zag. Stipular scars encircle the twig as in Magnoliaceae.

sycamore Platanus occidentalis (Platanaceae)

Cornaceae (the dogwood family) 120 species worldwide Leaves have entire margins Opposite or alternate Fruit = drupe or berry

flowering dogwood Cornus florida (Cornaceae) Opposite elliptical leaves with entire margins Arcuate venation Blocky alligator skin bark White “ flowers ” in spring (4 bracts) Common throughout Delaware Forest understory Very shade tolerant Wildlife eat drupes Not much commercial value Dogwood anthracnose

silky dogwood Cornus amomum (Cornaceae) Like flowering dogwood, except:  Smaller leaves that are fuzzy when young  Drupes are blue  Twigs are reddish  Just a shrub  Native throughout Delaware  Grows next to streams and ponds, where C. florida is never found  Leaning form