By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

DAYTON, Ohio — The daylong class, sponsored by The Ohio State Woodland Stewards Program, was entitled “Name That Tree.”
Many attending this gathering at the Cox Arboretum & Gardens in Dayton last month wanted to know what kind of trees were on their properties. A large percentage of those were wildlife enthusiasts who wanted to identify trees that would serve as a food source for the animals.

“In order to manage your property for anything, you need to know what species are out there so you can make decisions on management,” said David Apsley of Ohio State University extension’s School of Environmental and Natural Resources. “Whether it’s for timber production or wildlife production, it’s good to know what’s on your property.”

Many farmers in the class wanted to know if the trees they had on their property could be harmful to their livestock, and some wondered if they had species that attracted deer.

“If you’re going to manage and take care of your property, you need to know what you have growing on the property,” Apsley said. “Having that variety of plant species is very important to some people.

“In some years trees don’t produce as much fruit in one year as they do in others. In some cases people don’t want certain species on their property.”

The morning session included a PowerPoint presentation and classroom study of tree bark, buds, leaf scar, pith, fruits, flowers, thorns, tree form (or shape) and location of tree. Samples of tree branches and fruit were passed around and observed by each student.

“There is a thought process involved when identifying trees,” Apsley said. “Species of trees have their distinct characteristics and if you know these properties, it’s easier to identify the trees.”

In the afternoon the large gathering took to the 189-acre natural area surrounding Cox Arboretum & Gardens, testing the tree-identifying skills they had learned indoors just hours earlier. No written test was given, nor was this a pass-fail class; the group worked together in identifying the trees.

There are more than 100 hardwood and 25 softwood tree species growing in Ohio. In addition to shrubs, there are more than 300 different woody species in the state. “Name That Tree” didn’t cover all species, but gave attendees an overview of the more popular trees found in Ohio and contiguous states.

Debbie Moorman of Cincinnati and Tim O’Donnell of Brookville worked together in trying to identify trees during the classroom work. Moorman took the class to learn more about plants; O’Donnell is a seasoned horticulturalist who wanted to better his tree identifying skills.

“I just wanted some continuing education,” said Judi Engle, a Master Gardener from the Dayton area. “I have five wooded acres and have no idea what kind of trees I have.”

She shared a table with Ron Harris, who took the class because he’s “always been interested in botany and horticulture.”

Such classes are normally held in the spring and summer, but its popularity led to the first-ever fall class.

“This is the first time we’ve held a winter tree identification class,” said Kathy Smith, program director in forestry at the School of Environmental and Natural Resources at OSU.

“Normally we hold these classes in the summer when the leaves are still attached. Due to the requests, this is our first fall class.”