Common tree's that benefit the Outdoorsman/women

There are over 73,000 tree species in the world, and over 1,000 in North America. It would be impossible to know them all, but there are steps to help identify them. A tree’s leaves, structure, bark, branch type, crown, and fruit/cone/seed will help determine the genus and species. Let’s look at some of the more common tree’s and tree families that offer benefits to the outdoorsman/woman.

          Oak trees

There are about 90 species of Oaks in the United States, but they can be categorized into two major groups Red oaks, and the White oaks.

                Benefits/uses: The abundance of acorns and the ease of cracking their shells makes oak trees a favored place for wildlife to feed and a great place for the hunter to find their quarry. (Wildlife often feed on white oak acorns, acorns of the red oaks contain much higher tannin levels adding a bitter taste) The wood of oak is strong making it good for building shelters and burns hot for a warm campfire.

                Edible/Medicinal: Acorns can be gathered and eaten, but only after removing all the tannins. (This is done by shelling the acorns and boiling the meat inside multiple times until the water no longer turns brown) The water from the first tannin leaching boil is anti-septic and anti-viral, it can be used for external skin irritations including cuts, abrasions, and poison ivy rashes.

                How to Identify: To differentiate the white and red oak groups the acorns are a great place to start. The red oak acorns are shorter in length, but wider in girth while the white oak acorns are longer and narrower. The leaves of white oaks will often have a bulbous appearance at the tips, in contrast the red oaks leaves will have pointed tips. The red oaks are often smoother than the white oaks deep grooved and rough texture bark.

                Location: Red and White oaks can be found across the United States but the majority of White oaks will be from Missouri eastwards.  

          Hickory trees

About 12 species of hickory are native to North America and are prized for their hard dense wood, syrupy sap, and delicious nuts.

                Benefits/uses: Deer, squirrels, black bears, fox, and rabbits enjoy hickory nuts and can offer the hunter a good area to scout. The wood is often used for many building applications including longbows and arrows. Morel mushrooms are often found near hickory trees in the early spring too.

                Edible/Medicinal: The nuts are used to make flour or eaten raw. (Shagbark and Shell bark species will have the sweetest taste, while others tend to be more bitter) Hickory trees inner bark is one of the highest plant sources for magnesium and was often used by indigenous people for various ailments or as a dressing for cuts and lacerations.

                How to Identify: Hickory bark forms ridges in a vertical pattern. The leaves are compound with larger leaflets towards the end of the leaf. The nuts have a round woody outer shell that varies in thickness, but the nut inside is roughly quarter sized.

                Location: Most hickory trees will be found in central to eastern United States

          Persimmon

There are two different persimmon types commonly found in the United States. The “common” American persimmon grows wild in the southeastern part of the country. The Asian persimmon has multiple varieties that are cultivated for their fruit and usually found in yards or landscapes.

                Benefits/uses: The American persimmon tree offers the white tail deer or turkey hunter an excellent location to spot his game. It also offers many edible options for us.

                Edible/Medicinal: Persimmons are made into jams, jellies, wine, and other sweet treats. American persimmons must be fully ripe to eat or may cause digestive issues. A fully ripe fruit will be squishy to the touch and have a wrinkled almost translucent skin. Some persimmon fruits may not ripen at all if they are too far north, freezing temperatures and snow will hinder them from ripening. The fruit and leaves are both high in Vitamin A, C, and manganese they are often used in teas for multiple health benefits.

                How to Identify: The fruits will be the easiest way to identify the tree. Leaves of the American persimmon are toothless oval shaped and are positioned alternately on the twigs. The bark is dark brown to blackish in color and very rigid, forming square-like blocks on the trunk.    

Location: Most often found in the southeastern United States.

          Pawpaws

The only member of a mainly tropical plant family that grows in the United States and bears the largest native fruits.

                Benefits/Uses: The plants extract can be used as a pesticide, or bug spray. The inner bark of pawpaw is excellent source of fibers to make a strong cordage for survival needs or bushcraft.

                Edible/Medicinal: The leaves, twigs, and seeds of pawpaw contain annonacin toxin and should not be used in high does although cancer medications are being made and studied from the extracts. The ripe fruit of pawpaw is an excellent food source high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and many other nutrients. Like the American persimmon, pawpaws should be fully ripe before consumption and only the inside of the fruit eaten. The fruit will be mushy and start gaining brown on the skin when fully ripe usually September-October timeframe.

                How to Identify: They will usually grow in colonies and have large alternate simple leaves usually 6-12” long. In early spring they will have maroon-colored flowers that hang down. During fall the fruits will be the easiest identifier.

                Location: Pawpaws can grow in most of the United States but are generally found in the central to eastern states.

          Catalpa

The fisherman’s favorite tree

          Benefits/uses: Catalpa trees are the only place to find catalpa worms (sphinx moth caterpillar) which are an excellent bait especially for catfish. Catalpa worms usually appear on the trees in late June to July for about two to three weeks.

          Edible/Medicinal: There are mixed claims on catalpa being medicinal. I’ve never used it personally but have read claims it is a mild narcotic used for whooping cough or as a laxative.

          How to Identify: Scaly grayish-brown bark with longitudinal ridges. The leaves are opposite each other and resemble large heart shapes. From fall to early spring catalpa trees are easiest to identify by their long slender seed pods.

           Location: Catalpa trees can be found in most US growing regions four through eight.

          Willow trees

There are over 100 species of willow in North America, most of which are shrub sized. There are roughly 10 species that will grow large enough to be categorized as trees. Specific willow species can also be hard to identify due to commonly hybridizing with other willows.

                Benefits/uses: Willow trees are used to make a plant hormone that stimulates root growth of other plants. Willows are also used to make “natural aspirin”

                Edible/Medicinal – Willow tree’s bark and sap contain salicin which chemically resembles aspirin but can be toxic in large quantities. The salicin can be harvested from the inner bark and made into a tea for pain or fever reducing effects.  Willow bark extract can also be used externally for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties to help clean pores, acne, and skin irritations.  

                How to identify: Willows generally have long thin leaves (excluding goat willow that has oval shaped leaves) and are normally found near water. In early spring the willows catkins can help identify the species.

                Location: Different species of willows can be found across the United States

          Black Walnut

A species of the walnut tree family that has multiple uses for the outdoorsman/woman

          Benefits/uses: Black walnut shells can be used as a cover scent for hunters, the strong citrus smell can mask human scent. Squirrels can often be found around black walnuts in late fall preparing for winter. The shells are often used to make wood stains, dyes, and ink. The wood is an excellent choice for shelters because of its resistance to rotting.

          Edible/Medicinal: The nuts (not to be confused with English walnuts often found in stores) have a sweet and earthy taste and are eaten raw or used in many dessert recipes or used to make flour for baking. Making an oil infusion from the hulls can be used for topical applications in treating fungal skin irritations including athletes’ foot, eczema, and psoriasis. The inner bark is used in many traditional medicines to reduce pain, swelling, and dry up mucous.

          How to Identify: The trees are often tall and straight with a rounded open crown. The leaves are a feathered-compound leaf meaning the leaflets reduce in size toward the tip of the twig. The nuts while on the tree resemble green balls about 2” in diameter.

          Location: Central to eastern United States.

          Cottonwood

There are three species of cottonwood that grow in the United Sates and are one of the fastest growing trees in North America.

          Benefits/Uses: cottonwood trees attract more bugs than any other tree, and when overhanging a lake can be a great place to locate baitfish or larger fish targeting those baitfish. Cottonwood trees are often where squirrels will find hollowed out areas to call home. Indigenous tribes often used cottonwood to carve their dugout canoes.

          Edible/Medicinal: The resin from cottonwood buds has been used for thousandths of years medicinally due to its salicin content. Many balms and salves today contain this resin to treat arthritis, joint pain, skin irritations, and chapped skin.

          How to Identify: The female trees can easily be identified by the cottonlike substance that houses the seeds in the spring. In general, all three species found in the U.S. will have alternating triangular shaped leaves growing on flattened leaf stalks. Mature trees will be grayish brown in color with bark that is deeply furrowed with scaly ridges.

          Location: Cottonwood trees can be found across all the United States.