Treasuring our trees

It’s easy to take the trees at Smith Mountain Lake for granted. After all, there are so many of them. For years, the native hardwood forests were merely a green backdrop to my SML experience. That is until last year when a friend from northern Virginia, who is an expert on tree identification, came to visit. As Carrie Blair and I walked the road through Bourassa State Forest in Bedford County, she “introduced” me to the trees, teaching me their names and telling me a little about each.
    My view of the forests was transformed. I came to realize what incredible sylvan diversity we have here at the lake, and decided then to write about the topic.
    The subject became even more timely this spring when I learned of the Virginia Department of Forestry’s plans to raise money for its operating budget by clear cutting 26 acres (almost 10 percent) along the road of Bourassa State Forest, removing more than 20 genera and species of hardwoods as well as understory plants such as staghorn sumac, mountain laurel and huckleberry. According to state forester Carl Garrison, the agency plans to eventually replant with a monoculture of shortleaf pine.
    Seeing this mixed hardwood forest threatened has made me treasure it all the more, so I’d like to introduce you to a few of the trees you’ll find in and around the lake region. Once you’ve learned which name goes with which “face,” looking at the forests will be like entering a roomful of close friends at a large party instead of going to an event where you don’t know a soul.   

Sassafras - Sassafras albidum
    Recognizable by the three different leaf shapes on every tree (oval, mitten and three-lobed), my friend Carrie helped me remember by saying, “There’s the papa-fras, the mama-fras and the little Sassy-fras.” Native Americans used sassafras infusions to kill parasitic worms, treat colds and fever, to relieve both diarrhea and constipation and to treat measles and syphilis. Choctaw, Chippewa and Cherokee tribes made tea from the bark and root, and spice from the dried, ground leaves. Early settlers were quick to catch on, and oil of sassafras extracted from the root bark was one of the first major products exported from North America. The roots are the basis of root beer flavoring, and the Creole filè powder is made from the ground dried leaves. Important as well to wildlife, songbirds feast on sassafras berries, and deer and small mammals dine on the foliage.   
Scarlet oak - Quercus coccinea
    A stunning landscape tree in gardens that are large enough for its mature 60-80-foot height and open canopy that spreads as far as 50 feet, scarlet oak is recognizable by the five to nine pointed lobes on each leaf and the deeply indented, C-shaped sinuses. Think of Scarlet O’Hara with her tiny waist. Humans love scarlet oak as a shade tree with spectacular red autumn foliage. A wide variety of wild animals appreciate the ovoid acorns.   

Red Maple - Acer rubrum
    Another popular landscape tree that grows wild at Smith Mountain Lake is the red maple. When it has room, it grows to 90 feet tall at maturity with a 40-foot rounded canopy.  A red maple leaf has three to five lobes with v-shaped sinuses. They are green above and whitish below. In autumn, red maples put on a brilliant scarlet show. Both the fruit and buds are important food sources for squirrels in late winter and early spring. Deer also nibble on the young sprouts; butterfly and moth species feed on the leaves; and birds and mice eat the seeds.

Sourwood - Oxydendrum arboreum
    Dramatic claret-colored foliage in autumn coupled with lily-of-the-valley-like flowers in July make sourwood a valuable plant in native gardens as well as in its natural woodland habitat.  Honey made from the blossoms is prized for its distinctive flavor. When it’s not in flower, recognize it by the elliptical, 4-to-7-inch-long shiny leaves with serrated edges that are green above and paler below.

Serviceberry or Shadbush - Amelanchier arborea
    If you’re out in a boat in April, you’ll find patches of the white-flowering serviceberry along the shoreline, adding a delicate snowflake effect against the dark green of the rest of the forest. It prefers moist areas and the protected understory of hardwood forests. If you’re really observant, a month or so later you’ll see the quarter-inch red to purple, edible berries that are similar to but sweeter than blueberries. The yellow to bronze autumn foliage adds to the tree’s ornamental value, making it popular for native gardens. It’s great for wildlife as well, sustaining many different birds and mammals with its berries. The common name shadbush was given by early settlers who observed that Amelanchier flowered at the same time as the spring shad migration. Since shad was an important fish in their diet, the link stuck.

Catriona Tudor Erler is a freelance garden writer, photographer and speaker who divides her time between SML and Charlottesville. She is the author of nine garden books, including “Design Ideas for Home Landscaping,” “Poolscaping: Gardening and Landscaping Around Your Pool and Spa,” and “Complete Home Landscaping.”

Understory Plants
Smaller trees and shrubs that grow under the protection of large hardwood trees at the lake include:

• Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
• Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
• American cranberry bush viburnum (Viburnum trilobum)
• Pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule)
• Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)
• Winged sumac (Rhus copallium, aka R. copallina)
• Dogwod (Cornus florida)