Chippewa National Forest

TREES OF THE CHIPPEWA

Though primarily a coniferous forest, the Chippewa contains both pines and hardwoods. A few of the more important trees are described here for the convenience of forest visitors.

RED PINE (Pinus resinosa).—This tree, also commonly known as Norway pine, is one of the most important trees on the Chippewa, originally comprising the bulk of timber on the forest. It is a large, stately tree with a rounded crown. The needles are in clusters of two, 4 to 6 inches long, and lustrous dark green in color. The cones are about 2 inches long, and the thick reddish-brown bark is shallowly fissured into broad, flat ridges. It is used for lumber, piling, mine timbers, and cabin logs.

EASTERN WHITE PINE (Pinus strobus).—Once very abundant on the Chippewa, the valuable white pine was one of the first trees to be cut out. It is now found mainly in mixture with other species, a large tree often reaching 150 feet in height, with a trunk diameter of 2 to 4 feet. Its pale, blue-green needles in clusters of five are 3 to 5 inches long and give the effect of plumes. Cones are from 4 to 7 inches in length, and the smooth, dark gray bark of the young trees becomes deeply fissured as the trees grow older. It is used for lumber,=.

JACK PINE (Pinus banksiana).—After the original forest was cut over, jack pine became one of the most important tree species on the area. Its ability to reproduce itself on cut-over land has increased its abundance, and since it is fast growing and matures at an early age, it is commercially valuable. On good sites it may reach a height of 80 feet. The needles, in clusters of two, are about an inch long, the cones from 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Its chief use is for pulpwood, but it is also used for rough lumber and mine timbers.

WHITE SPRUCE (Picea glauca).—From 50 to 60 feet high, with an open, pyramidal crown, the white spruce is usually found on the edges of swamps. Its dark blue-green needles are about 3/4 of an inch long and are arranged spirally. The cones are slender and 1 to 2 inches in length. It is used for pulpwood and lumber.

BLACK SPRUCE (Picea mariana).—Smaller than the white spruce, the black spruce is normally found in swamps. Its needles are also arranged spirally, but are shorter than those of white spruce, ranging from one-eighth to three-eighths of an inch. Its cones are nearly round and about an inch long.

BALSAM FIR (Abies balsamea).—This is a slender tree 40 to 60 feet high with a symmetrical, open crown wide at the base and tapering regularly upward. The needles are from 1/2 to 1-1/4 inches long; fragrant; lustrous dark green above, and pale beneath. It is used for pulpwood, and, like the spruces, is familiar to many forest visitors because of its popularity as a Christmas tree,

TAMARACK (Larix laricina).—Tamarack, or eastern larch, was originally an important swamp species, but infestations of the larch sawfly killed off large tracts of it until but a small percentage of the original type remains. Its 1-inch needles are clustered on short lateral branchlets, and its cones are from one-half to three-fourths of an inch long. Tamarack is the only conifer native to this region that sheds its needles in the fall. It is used for mine props and fuelwood,

NORTHERN WHITE-CEDAR—EASTERN ARBORVITAE (Thuja occidentalis).— A swamp species chiefly valuable for telephone poles and fence posts. Its needles are one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch long, yellow-green, and very aromatic. Its cones are about one-half inch long, pale brown, and composed of 8 to 12 loose scales.

QUAKING ASPEN (Populus tremuloides).—One of the most widely distributed trees in the forest. Its leaves are long, broad, finely toothed, and arranged alternately. Its thin, smooth bark is yellowish or greenish and is often roughened with darker horizontal bands. When growing on good soil, aspen is commercially important for pulpwood, box bolts, match stock, clothes pins, and lumber, It does not reach merchantable size on poor soil except for fuelwood. Large areas of low quality aspen are, however, a potential source of cellulose.

MIXED HARDWOODS.—These stands, found on the heavier soils, are usually made up of basswood, sugar maple, aspen, paper birch, bur oak, elm, black ash, northern red oak, and yellow birch. They are of value as a source of veneer lumber, oak and birch flooring, lumber for houses and boats, railroad ties, and fuelwood,

Avenue of Pines, one of maay beautiful drives through the Chippewa Forest. F—388272

FLOWERS AND SMALL PLANTS

Blueberry, sweetfern, wintergreen, and hazel form the ground cover in pine-timbered areas, while leatherwood, gooseberry, strawberry, and hazel brush are found in the hardwood stands. The blossoms of wild cherry and plum trees give color to the Chippewa in the spring, and the pale green ef the birches is often outlined against the darker green of the pines.

Trailing arbutus is abundant in the pine areas during May. Trilliums; anemones; yellow, white, and purple violets; columbine; yellow bells; and dutchmans-breeches are among the other flowers which carpet the forest floor of the Chippewa.