Much of Kentucky ’s hilly terrain is populated by dense forests of hardwood Tree . The Appalachian tableland area is an area with an especially diverse admixture of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree specie . Identify Kentucky ’s trees by determining if the tree is deciduous or evergreen . Then look at leaf shape and color and any other unequaled characteristic – such as bark , fruit or flowers .

Conifers

Conifer species are generally evergreen and have needle - comparable or scale leaves . The easterly bloodless pine ( Pinus strobus ) and Virginia true pine ( Pinus virginiana ) grow throughout Kentucky , except in the Mississippi Embayment region and the Bluegrass area . The easterly poison hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ) has soft , feathery evergreen plant leaves that form a flavorless , horizontal nebulizer on the sprig . denudate cypress tree ( Taxodium distichum ) is classified as a conifer , but send packing its bright - green , feathery leave in the twilight .

Toothless Simple Leaves

Toothless unproblematic - leaved trees growing in Kentucky are identify by their round or stretch leaves that uprise one leafage to a stem . The leaf edges are placid . easterly redbuds ( Cercis canadensis ) are key by their marrow - shaped leaves . Flowering dogwood ( genus Cornus floridus ) are bronze - gullible to yellowish - green in the summer , with brilliant purpleness or ruby-red evenfall foliage . Two magnolias are aboriginal to Kentucky , the bigleaf magnolia ( Magnolia macrophylla ) , which get leave 24 inches long , and umbrella magnolia ( Magnollia tripetala ) .

Toothed Simple Leaves

Kentucky tree with toothed , elementary leaves are identified by oval or round leaves with a textured edge . The pitch-dark cerise ( Prunus serotina ) grows wild throughout Kentucky and bring forth black fruits . The American beech ( Fagus grandifolia ) also rise throughout the state . It is recognized by the well - defined venous blood vessel that run through the leaves . American beech leave-taking call on bright yellow in the fall . American holly ( Ilex opaca ) only grows in the Mississippi and Appalachian Plateaus regions and is characterized by its flushed winter berries .

Lobed Simple Leaves

lobate , uncomplicated leave are intricately shaped leave . In Kentucky , trees with lob , elementary leave include several oak specie , such as the bowling pin oak tree ( Quercus palustris ) , the white oak ( Quercus alba ) , the scarlet oak ( Quercus coccinea ) and the northern red oak ( Quercus velutina ) . The red maple ( Acer rubrum ) and sugar maple ( Acer genus Saccharum ) have a typical maven - shape leaf and brilliant fall foliage .

Compound Leaves

chemical compound leaves are identified by cluster of leaves growing from one stem . In Kentucky , many trees with chemical compound leaves also produce nuts , such as the Ohio horse chestnut ( Aesculus glabra ) , the yellow buckeye ( Aesculus flava ) , the shagbark hickory ( Carya laciniosa ) and the black walnut tree ( Juglands nigra ) . Note : The ball of buckeye tree are toxic to humans .

References

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