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MyDNR, Indiana’s Outdoor Newsletter: With around 200 different species of fish in Indiana waters, it’s not uncommon that Hoosier anglers might hook a species they’ve never seen before.

For more information and how to identify fish please visit Fishing Species & Identification.

Send a picture with the location information and date of your catch to fishid@dnr.IN.gov, and a biologist will respond to you with an identification. Not only do you receive an identification, DNR biologists benefit by gaining new information on the distribution of some of our less common species.

Resources:
FNR Extension Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources
FNR Extension Publications
Indiana Pond Fish, Species Identification Card Set, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
American Paddlefish, The Education Store
A Guide to Small-Scale Fish Processing Using Local Kitchen Facilities, The Education Store
Aquaculture Family Coloring Book Development, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Aquatics & Fisheries Videos, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel Playlist

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Department of Fish & Wildlife

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Purdue Landscape Report: Remember the pre-Christmas freeze? What about the extremely long fall? The Midwest experienced above-average temperatures through most of the winter, but those extremely cold temps in late December made for more than a few pipes to freeze in the southern part of the Midwest. The dichotomy in weather patterns over the last several years has been mind-boggling. We’ve gone from flooding to drought in most recent growing seasons, to the extremes in temperatures this winter. Though it’s an inconvenience for us, plants don’t have the option of heated seats or umbrellas, thus stress or death can occur in these extremes.

East of the Mississippi River, the 2022-2023 winter has been significantly milder than average, based on past climate models (Fig. 1).  We don’t typically have cold injury in late December, but drastic changes in temperatures can cause pernicious effects on plant health.  The entire state of Indiana had the drastic changes in temperature December 22-27, 2022 (Table 1).

There’s on-going evidence of damage across the Midwest from the late/long fall and extreme cold that was experienced in mid-late December.  We’ve observed some perennial evergreens, i.e., American holly, Meserve holly (Fig. 2), and skip laurel (Fig. 3), damaged or killed during this winter, especially in the southern parts of the Midwest. In addition, some deciduous trees have significant bark cracking (Fig. 4).  Though these plants are hardy well below the temperatures that were experienced, the maximum dormancy wasn’t yet reached by plants due to the warm temperatures so late into the winter season.

There’s on-going evidence of damage across the Midwest from the late/long fall and extreme cold that was experienced in mid-late December.  We’ve observed some perennial evergreens, i.e., American holly, Meserve holly (Fig. 2), and skip laurel (Fig. 3), damaged or killed during this winter, especially in the southern parts of the Midwest. In addition, some deciduous trees have significant bark cracking (Fig. 4).  Though these plants are hardy well below the temperatures that were experienced, the maximum dormancy wasn’t yet reached by plants due to the warm temperatures so late into the winter season.

Plants survive through the winter by entering a phase of dormancy in which the plant is in a state of suspended animation.  The dormancy process in plants is a complicated series of internal events caused by external events, that allow perennial plants to protect themselves during environmental changes, such as winter.

For more images and full article view: Cold Injury During a Very Mild Winter?

Resources:
The Purdue Landscape Report
Purdue Landscape Report Facebook Page
Fall webworms: Should you manage them, Got Nature? Blog
Purdue Landscape Report Team Begins New Virtual Series, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Tree wounds and healing, Got Nature? Blog
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Tree Risk Management, The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying?, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel

Kyle Daniel, Commercial Landscape and Nursery Crops Extension Specialist
Purdue Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet Eastern red cedar or Juniperus virginiana, one of the most common coniferous trees in Indiana.

This evergreen tree, also known as aromatic cedar, is unique in that it has both scale-like and sharp-pointed leaves. The foliage can be soft to the touch on mature trees or be quite sharp in seedlings and younger trees. The foliage turns from green to blueish green in spring to red or brown in winter.

The red cedar features a shreddy bark on both the trunk and branches, which is gray brown in color. It is slow growing but may live longer than 450 years.

The fruit of red cedar is a small cone, which resembles and is often referred to as a berry, that is blue in color and features a whitish bloom on the surface. The fruit is preferred by birds and wildlife of many varieties and is thus spread to roadsides, old pastures and other locations with plenty of sun and disturbed soil. It can be found in forest understories, but prefers direct sunlight.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Eastern Red Cedar, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Other Resources:
ID That Tree: Eastern Red Cedar
Morton Arboretum: Eastern Red Cedar
Fruit Diseases: Cedar Apple and Related Rusts on Apples in the Home Landscape
Diseases of Landscape Plants: Cedar Apple and Related Rusts on Landscape Plants
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
Eastern Redcedar, Purdue Fort Wayne

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Kara Salazar has been promoted to Assistant Program Leader for Purdue Extension Community Development. She has served in this role part-time but will now be fully dedicated to this program area. Kara will maintain her 25% appointment with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and serve on the Agriculture Natural Resources (ANR) Extension Advisory Committee. She will still be located in the Forestry Building (FORS 308) and affiliated with the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR).

Working with multidisciplinary teams, Kara oversees the development and delivery of programs to support environmental planning, community development, and sustainable development strategies in communities across Indiana and the Great Lakes states. Kara provides leadership to the Purdue Extension Community Development Program and serves as a liaison between Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue Extension.

Kara has a B.S. in public affairs and environmental science and a M.P.A. in natural resources management and nonprofit management from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She also received a M.S. Ed . degree from the IU School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with concentrations in community building and science education. Additionally, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Natural Resources Social Science at Purdue University. Kara is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a Climate Change Professional (CC-P), and a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) with credentials from LEED AP Neighborhood Development, the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP), and the National Charrette institute.

Congratulations to Kara in her new position as she continues to move Purdue Extension and IISG forward with her expertise and team building.

Check out Kara’s lead role in the following programs and learn about the vast resources available:
Purdue Extension Community Development – strengthens the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes. Examples of a few of the programs and resources available include: Leadership and Civic Engagement, Community and Organizational Planning, Economic and Business Development.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) – utilizes research, outreach, and education to bring the latest science to Great Lakes communities and their residents. By connecting decision-makers with science, we help strengthen and preserve ecosystems and communities in southern Lake Michigan and beyond.

Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR), Purdue Extension – ANR Educators serve as research based, unbiased information source for county and state constituents on a variety of topics including: crops, ag business, livestock, natural resource, horticulture, small farms, urban ag, pesticide use, and land conservation.

Purdue Extension – a leader in providing relevant, high-impact educational programs that transform  he lives and livelihoods of individuals and communities in Indiana and the world. Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) is a branch of the Cooperative Extension Service/Purdue Extension. FNR Extension provides resources for aquaculture, fish management, urban and forestry management, natural re source planning, wildlife, and sustainable biomaterials. We encourage you to browse, download free publications, utilize our Ask an Expert, subscribe to Got Nature? newsletter and view upcoming workshops.

More Resources including Kara’s publications and videos:
Implementation Examples of Smart Growth Strategies in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Conservation Through Community Leadership, The Education Store
Climate Change and Sustainable Development, The Education Store
Climate Change: Are you preparing for it?, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities, The Education Store
One Water Approach to Water Resources Management, The Education Store
Rainscaping Education Program, Purdue Extension
Community Development, Purdue Extension
Community Planning Playlist, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Rainscaping and Rain Gardens, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Conservation through Community Leadership, Purdue Extension You Tube Channel
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Indiana Creek Watershed Project – Keys to Success, Partnerships and People, Purdue Extension You Tube Channel
Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet the eastern white pine or Pinus strobus, which historically was one of the tallest trees in the eastern United States.

This conifer is the only five-needled pine native to Indiana, meaning that the bundles of needles coming off the branches in one location, also called fascicles, include five needles per bundle. These needles are typically between two and four inches long and are blue green in color. Needles remain on the tree for two to three years before dropping in the fall.

The bark on younger trees is dark and relatively smooth, and becomes quite furrowed in older trees. The eastern white pine adds a ring of side branches and a terminal shoot yearly with age.

The cones of this species are up to eight inches long, have relatively thin scales and are often covered with quite a bit of white sap or pitch. Cones remain on the tree for two years.

Eastern white pine trees typically grow to between 65 and 100 feet tall, but can exceed 150 feet tall in old growth forests. This species prefers acidic, moist and well-drained soil, but can tolerate alkaline soils. Eastern white pine is native to the central and eastern United States and Canada. Its range extends as far west as Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in the U.S. and Manitoba in Canada. Its distribution reaches south through the Great Lakes states and in the Appalachian Mountains into northern Georgia as well as east along the Atlantic seaboard.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Eastern White Pine, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Other Resources:
ID That Tree: Eastern White Pine
Morton Arboretum: Eastern White Pine
Tree Diseases: White Pine Decline in Indiana
White Pine and Salt Tolerance
U.S. Forest Service Database – Eastern White Pine
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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While earthworms in the spring are a happy sight for gardeners, an invasive worm species is wreaking havoc for landowners and gardeners in southern Indiana.

Robert Bruner, Purdue Extension’s exotic forest pest specialist, describes jumping worms, an invasive species to North America in the genus Amynthas: “Traditionally, when we see earthworms, they are deep in the ground and a little slimy. The jumping worms are a little bit bigger, kind of dry and scaly, and tend to thrash around much like a snake does.”

While worms have a reputation as a helpful species found in the soil ecosystem, invasive jumping worms do not live up to that standard, Bruner explained. Jumping worms will consume all organic material from the top layer of soil, leaving behind a coffee ground-like waste with no nutrients for plants or seeds.

Since jumping worms stay within the first few inches of topsoil, they are not creating channels for water and air the way earthworms do, disrupting water flow to plant roots.

“So basically, they’re just very nasty pests that ruin the quality of our soil, and the only thing that can really grow in soil like that are essentially invasive plants, or species that are meant to survive really harsh conditions,” Bruner said.

Currently, the worms are being found in cities around southern Indiana, he said, particularly in Terre Haute. There is still much to learn about jumping worms, making eradication efforts difficult. One thing that is known, Bruner said, is they aren’t a migrating species.

“This is the kind of invasive pest that is moved almost entirely through human activity. They don’t crawl superfast,” he explained. “So, when they move, that means they’re moving because we’re transferring soil, say, from someone’s plants or someone’s compost and we’re bringing them to a new area.”

Any invasive species sightings should be reported to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources at depp@dnr.in.gov or by calling 1-866-663-9684.

For full article with additional photos view: Gardeners asked to be vigilant this spring for invasive jumping worms, Purdue College of Agriculture News.

Other Resources:
Fall webworms: Should you manage them?, Purdue Landscape Report
Mimosa Webworm, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Sod Webworms, Turf Science at Purdue University
Bagworm caterpillars are out feeding, be ready to spray your trees, Purdue Extension Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) Got Nature? Blog
Purdue Plant Doctor App Suite, Purdue Extension-Entomology
Landscape & Ornamentals: Bagworms, The Education Store
What are invasive species and why should I care? (How to report invasives.), Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Report Invasive Species, Purdue Invasive Species
The GLEDN Phone App – Great Lakes Early Detection Network
EDDMaps – Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Ask An Expert, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources

Jillian Ellison, Agricultural Communication
Purdue College of Agriculture

Bob Bruner, Exotic Forest Pest Educator
Purdue Department of Entomology

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In this webinar hosted by Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association, author Doug Tallamy discusses his book “The Nature of Oaks” and how Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. Doug has also written Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens which was awarded the silver metal in 2008 by the Garden Writers Association, Living Landscape, and Nature’s Best Hope. Tallamy has also founded Homegrown National Parks, a grassroots call-to-action to regenerate biodiversity and ecosystem function by planting native plants and creating new ecological networks.

Join IFWOA for their upcoming webinar that will be recorded and placed on their YouTube Channel:

• April 12, 2023 – Magnificent Trees of Indiana

Check out their Indiana Forestry & Woodland Association YouTube Channel for videos including: What is IFWOA?; A New Carbon Program for Hardwood Landowners Webinar, 202 Charles Deam Forest Stewardship Award and much more.

The Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA) was founded in 1977 and is a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation and sustainable management of woodlands in Indiana. IFWOA advocates for scientific best practices for management to achieve objectives of clean water, wildlife habitat, soil protection, native species diversity, timber production, recreation, carbon sequestration and many others.

IFWOA is an affiliate of the National Woodland Owners Association. IFWOA is a partner, collaborator or is represented on leading National and State organizations. These memberships or collaborations are selected to advance Indiana Woodland owner’s interests. IFWOA monitors and influences legislation and economic trends impacting Indiana woodlands and landowners for our members. Membership in IFWOA provides a valuable network linkage to information and resources at the leading edge of science, industry and politics impacting Indiana woodlands.

Resources:
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Diana Evans, Extension and Web Communication Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Liz Jackson, Engagement Lead
Indiana Forestry & Woodland Association

 

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet Butternut or Juglans cinerea.

Also known as white walnut, this species has slowly disappeared from the landscape due to a fungal disease. Butternut canker can cause large dead spots on the tree and can even girdle the tree and kill it before it can produce fruit.

Butternut has alternately held compound leaves that can be between one and two feet long, resembling a black walnut leaf with pairs of leaflets, but butternut often has a terminal leaflet. The toothed leaflets are green in the summer and yellow in the fall.

The bark is light gray and relatively smooth, but it may become furrowed with age, silver on top and darker between the fissures. Butternut twigs are light tan in color and have an elongated terminal bud. The leaf scar resembles the face of a monkey and it has a “hairy eyebrow” above the leaf scar/below the bud.

The fruit is a lemon-shaped edible nut approximately two inches in diameter with sharp ridges on the nut inside the husk. When they are green, the husk is sticky and clammy to the touch, unlike the smooth, thick skin of its cousin black walnut.

Butternuts, which grow 40 to 60 feet tall, prefer moist, well-drained, loamy soils, found in ravines and coves, but it can also grow on drier, rocky soil, especially that of limestone origin. It is usually scattered in the forest and associated with other species that prefer upland sites.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Butternut, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Other Resources:
ID That Tree: Butternut
Hardwoods of the Central Midwest: Butternut
Hardwood Lumber and Veneer Series: Butternut
Morton Arboretum: Butternut
Identification of Butternuts and Butternut Hybrids, The Education Store
Conservation and Management of Butternut Trees, The Education Store
The Plight of the Butternut
HTIRC Seed Propagation Protocol for Purdue and Hybrid Butternut
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Butternut, Native Tree of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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The Fall/Winter 2022 HEE Update newsletter is now available online. Research highlights and student news include:

• Bat Research in the News
• Thank You Danielle
• We Are Hiring
• A Second HEE Departure
• Welcome New Graduate Students
• HEE Publications

“The HEE Update” is distributed to anyone interested in receiving updates on the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE). The newsletter includes updates of field work, media attention, committee meetings, extension events, job announcements, publications, and presentations. Anyone can receive this newsletter. If you would like to be added to the newsletter list email Dr. Mike Saunders, associate professor of silviculture, Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources, at msaunder@purdue.edu.

What is HEE?
The focus of forest science is increasingly shifting to the management of forests as complex systems rather than as simple agricultural landscapes—with a much greater appreciation for the interactive ecosystem processes. In addition, now for many forest landowners, the ecological value of their land is at least as important as the economic return. It is, therefore, vital to understand how forest management affects not only timber production, but also the overall function of forested ecosystems.

The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) is a long-term, large-scale experimental study of forest management and its impacts. The project was initiated in 2006 with partners including: Ball State University, Drake University, Indiana State University, Purdue Entomology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR), and the Indiana Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society.

For information about study sites, harvesting treatments, sampling design, and more, see our Project Overview and Design page and US Forest Service General Technical Report NRS-P-108, The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: A Framework For Studying Responses to Forest Management.

Resources
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment, Website
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE), YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension–Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Prescribed Fire, Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) YouTube Video
Ask an Expert: Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) Birds and Salamander Research, Video, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment – Wildlife Responses to Timber Harvesting, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: Indiana Forestry and Wildlife, The Education Store

Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment

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The classic and trusted book “Fifty Common Trees of Indiana” by T.E. Shaw was published in 1956 as a user-friendly guide to local species.  Nearly 70 years later, the publication has been updated through a joint effort by the Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Indiana 4-H, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and reintroduced as “An Introduction to Trees of Indiana.”

The full publication is available for download for $7 in the Purdue Extension Education Store. The field guide helps identify common Indiana woodlot trees.

Each week, the Intro to Trees of Indiana web series will offer a sneak peek at one species from the book, paired with an ID That Tree video from Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee to help visualize each species as it stands in the woods. Threats to species health as well as also insight into the wood provided by the species, will be provided through additional resources as well as the Hardwoods of the Central Midwest exhibit of the Purdue Arboretum, if available.

This week, we meet Black willow or Salix nigra. The black willow is one of several species of willow in Indiana, but it is the only tree-sized willow in the state.

This species has long, narrow leaves with short leaf stems, which are held alternately on slender, flexible twigs. Willows have a single scale covering the bud, which helps differentiate them from other species. The finely toothed leaves are medium green in the spring, changing to yellow-green in the fall.

The bark on young trees is smooth, but may be warty or feature some flaking. In old trees, the bark features prominent, light gray vertical flakes.

Black willows, which grow 50 to 70 feet tall, prefer moist or wet soils and often are found growing along streams or in other wetland areas. This species can tolerate alkaline soil, clay soil, occasional flooding and road salt.

For full article with additional photos view: Intro to Trees of Indiana: Black Willow, Forestry and Natural Resources’ News.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Other Resources:
ID That Tree: Black willow
Hardwoods of the Central Midwest: Black willow
Hardwood Lumber and Veneer Series: Black willow
Morton Arboretum: Black willow
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Black Willow, Native Trees of Indiana River Walk, Purdue Fort Wayne
The Woody Plant Seed Manual, U.S. Forest Service
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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