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Trees

Trees can be identified based on their physical characteristics: leaves, fruit, and bark. For example: Hardwood trees are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves every year.
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Little Pee Dee River (S.C.) Stop 1 - Ferns, Bull Nettles, And Pocosins
   - Episode 2 Little Pee Dee River (S.C.) Stop 3 6

Video

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Little Pee Dee River (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 6
Still in an area close to the coast, we see different plant life due to the significantly lower levels of salinity. Willow trees grow here, and a Yellow Crowned Night Heron bird has built a nest in a...
Tulip Poplar | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Tulip Poplar | The Cove Forest
This large tree which can be found in forests, roadsides and fields has a straight trunk and large leaves with four sharp-tipped lobes. The greenish-yellow, cup-shaped flowers provide an important...
Red Oak | The Cove Forest

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Red Oak | The Cove Forest
(Quercus rubra) Several species of oak can be found growing in the cove forest, and Red Oak is perhaps most frequently encountered. This tree has leaves with sharp lobes and bristles at the tips and...
Fraser's Magnolia  | The Cove Forest

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Fraser's Magnolia | The Cove Forest
(Magnolia fraseri) This fast-growing tree with multiple stems, large deciduous leaves, and sweet-scented flowers, occurs in moist slopes and along streams. It is only found in the southern Appalachian...
Ironwood | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Ironwood | The Cove Forest
(Carpinus caroliniana) This slow-growing understory tree occurs along streams and in moist bottomland forests. Its wood is extremely hard and was used in the past for golf club heads, mallets and tool...
Canada Hemlock | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Canada Hemlock | The Cove Forest
Almost all trees in cove forests are deciduous - that is, they drop their leaves in the fall and produce new ones in spring. The Canada hemlock, in contrast, is an evergreen - it retains its needle...
Basswood | The Cove Forest

Photo

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Basswood | The Cove Forest
(Tilia americana) A medium to large tree that frequently occurs in the understory but may also reach the canopy. The large heart-shaped leaves are finely toothed and have an asymmetrical base. The...
Carolina Silverbell | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Carolina Silverbell | The Cove Forest
(Halesia tetraptera) This small to medium-sized understory tree has distinctive white-yellow vertical streaks on its young stems. In early spring it produces white bell-shaped flowers that develop...
Beech | The Cove Forest

Photo

Grades

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Beech | The Cove Forest
(Fagus grandifolia) The smooth gray bark, sharp-pointed buds, and papery toothed leaves make beech one of the easiest trees to identify. Because it can tolerate deep shade, individuals occur both in...