American Beech

• The American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is one of the most familiar smooth-barked trees. This tree’s thin bark varies in color from steel gray to nearly white and is often covered with various types of lichens, giving the trunk a mottled appearance. Common to forests throughout the eastern United States, the American beech is often cultivated as a landscape tree for its attractive bark, its wide, spreading crown and golden-bronze fall foliage. Beechnuts are a significant food source for many types of wildlife, including raccoons, squirrels and bear. This tree grows best in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 9. The American beech is a slow-growing tree, typically reaching 50 to 80 feet in height. This tree grows well in partially shady or sunny locations with rich, moist, well-drained soil.
  
  

American Hornbeam

• The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a small understory tree, commonly found near streams and rivers in bottomland forests from Canada to Central America. The hornbeam typically grows about 20 feet tall but can reach heights of 50 feet. The trunk is often crooked with low, spreading branches. This tree may have multiple trunks, and the bark is thin, smooth and gray. The hornbeam is sometimes called “musclewood,” because the trunk typically forms a rippled, sinewy, muscular appearance. The oval, saw-toothed leaves range from light green to bluish-green in the summer, turning to shades of yellow, orange or red in autumn.
  
  

American Yellowwood

• Native to North America, the American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) grows well throughout most of the United States from USDA Zones 4 through 8. The yellowwood is a medium-sized tree, typically reaching 30 to 50 feet tall, with a moderately dense, rounded crown. The smooth bark is gray or brownish-gray. The yellowwood’s fragrant white flowers in summer and long light-gray seed pods in winter add interest to the landscape. This hardy tree is typically resistant to diseases and pests, and grows best in sun to part shade.
  
  

Pawpaw

• The pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba) is native to the eastern United States and commonly found from Georgia to the Great Lakes. This tree prefers rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soil and moderate climate conditions. Pawpaw seedlings must be shaded for the first year or two until they become established. Once mature, the tree needs full or part sun to produce fruit. The tree’s smooth gray bark develops small bumps or warts as the tree ages. The pawpaw typically grows about 15 to 20 feet tall, with large, shiny green leaves. It bears purplish-red flowers in spring, followed by clusters of large, green fruits that resemble mangoes. The sweet fruit, which may weigh up to a pound, is edible for both humans and wildlife.