#state trees

Connecticut: White Oak

The White Oak (Quercus alba) is a long lived tree native to North America; some of the oldest specimens have been found to be 450 years old. 

White Oak trees typically do not grow incredibly tall (around 19.5 - 25.5 m high), but has large branches that extend out parallel to the ground. It is not uncommon for the trees to be as wide as they are tall. White Oaks growing in the forest, however, grow much taller than those growing in open areas, 

The average White Oak lives between 200 and 300 years, and doesn't reach sexual maturity until 20 years of age. However, large amounts of acorns are not produced until a tree's 50th year. 

Quercus alba is tolerant of a variety of habitats, as can be seen in the range map. Generally a lowland tree, it can reach altitudes of over 5,000 feet in the Appalachian Mountains. 

White oak has tyloses (outgrowths of cells in the xylem) that give the wood a closed cellular structure, making it water and rot resistant. Thus, the wood from the white oak is used in making barrels for the maturing of wine and whiskey. The wood is also used in construction, ship-building, agricultural implements, and in the interior finishing of houses. 

Colorado: Blue Spruce

The Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) is a species of spruce tree native to the Rocky Mountains of the United States, and introduced as a popular ornamental tree far beyond its range. 

Growing to 15 m (49 ft) tall and 5 m (16 ft) wide, it is a conical evergreen conifer with scaly gray bark. Waxy, gray-green leaves about 1 inch long are arranged radially on the shoots, curving upwards. 

The Blue Spruce and its cultivars are grown ornamentally for gardens and parks, and also for the Christmas tree industry. 

California #1: Coast Redwood

 The Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is the only living species in the genus Sequoia in the Cypress family. It is an evergreen tree that lives for 1200 - 1800 years or more. This species now included the tallest trees in the world, reaching 379 feet. Before commercial logging began, this tree occurred naturally in 2,100,00 acres. An estimated 95%  of the original forest has been cut down, due to its excellent uses for wood. 

Coast redwoods occupy a narrow strip of land along the Pacific coast of North America. They tend to grow most in the mountains where rainfall from the ocean is greater. The tallest trees are found in valleys, near larger sources of water, under the fog layer; it would be difficult to get logging equipment into these valleys, making these trees more likely to live longer and be taller. 

 The Coast redwood is one of the most valuable pieces of timber in the lumber industry. Close to a million acres are in production for lumber in California. The wood does not decay much, and so was used heavily as railroad ties. 

The Coast redwood has been naturalized to New Zealand. These trees have been growing there for 100 years, and often do better because of rainfall distribution throughout the year. 

There are about 50 albino redwoods (mutants that are unable to manufacture chlorophyll). These trees exist as parasites, grafting their root systems with those of normal trees, an ability unique to redwoods. 

The Coast Redwood is considered endangered on the IUCN Red List

Arkansas: Loblolly Pine

 The Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) is found to be the second most common tree in the United States, after the red maple. 

These trees reach a heaight of 98 - 115 feet. The tallest Loblolly pine known is in Congaree National Park is 169 feet tall. 

The name "Loblolly" means "low, wet place," though the trees are not limited to that habitat. These pines do well in acidic clay soil, which is common throughout the American south. 

Because of wildfire suppression, the Loblolly pine has taken over land in parts of the south that were once dominated by longleaf pine and slash pine, especially in parts of northern Florida. 

The Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida) is native to the Sonoran Deserts in southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The name "palo verde" is Spanish meaning green pole, in reference to the photosynthetic trunk and branches of the tree.

The Blue Palo Verde grows to a height of 10-12 meters. It is a shrub tree that grows rapidly, and rarely lives 100 years.

The branches and trunk are a blue-green color, giving it its common name.  Photosynthesis is always performed by the tree, regardless of leaves, due to chlorophyll in the branches. 

The flowers are bright yellow, and cover the tree in late spring. They are pollinated by bees, beetles, and flies, then replaced with seed pods that are a food source for rodents and birds. 

Okay everyone, I'm going to do a series on state trees because I live in the United States and it's an easier project to get going with for the time being. It's going to be in alphabetical order starting with Alabama, probably happening later today.