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The second stop includes Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) & Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa). These are two very different types of species as Sugar maple tend to be large, and alder tend to be smaller. We are starting to move towards the backside of the house. Sugar maples are a personal favorite as I am a big fan of mapke syrup that is produced by tapping sugar maple tree's for their sap. I also included the common alder because altough some people may know, not everyone knows they are an "alder" bush not just a "bush".
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In this stop we are now behind the house, along the treeline you can observe Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) & Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). Quaking aspen are very cool as their sound is unmistakable. When the wind blows, their flexible leaves produce a sound, that once familiar with, you will always be able to pick out and say, thats a "quaking aspen". Common buckthorn was included as thats another one people may overlook and not even wonder about what it may actually be called as it is quite common.
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Tamarack (Larix laricina) Gray Birch (Betula populifolia) Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
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As we have been around the house we are now starting to come back towards the front. We start to see trees such as Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) & American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). Here we start to see differing soil types, within only a matter of feet. The red oak as well as many trees showcased here are tollerant to many different soil types. . American beech favors a well-watered, but also well-drained spot and is intolerant of urban pollution, salt, and soil compaction. It also casts heavy shade and is an extremely thirsty tree with high moisture requirements compared to oaks, so it has a dense, shallow root system. Balsam fir are actually a great product of seasonal work during this time as its almost the holidays. The leaf "tips" are cut off and used for wreaths and other holiday ornaments. "tipping" is hard work, but personally I find it handy to make a few extra bucks. The red oak, as I previously mentioned I tend to like the red colors, produce beautiful vibrant shades of red during the fall, which is why I included it.
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Now that we are to the front of the house, at this stop we see trees such as Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) & Apple Trees (Malus domestica). The eastern white pine has the distinction of being the tallest tree in eastern North America. Depending on when you take the tour, if it is during the fall, you are welcome to pick and eat the apples off the apple tree.
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Almost back to the begining, on the second to final stop, we can see White Spruce (Picea glauca) White Birch (Betula papyrifer) & Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana) I included white birch because the bark is hard to mistake. It is also known as paper birch because of the way the bark peels off resembling paper. I personally like rose bushes, but be careful of the thorns. The Virginia rose flaunts beautiful red fruits.
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The final stop... here we come up to the house to wrap up the tour. This is where things really start to differ in terms of soil conditions. In the garden section, we see things such as Common Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) Great Laurel (Rhododendron maximum) Old fashioned weigela (Weigela florida). These are not commonly found in the wild around here, as we planted these. I included these because they are not typical trees such as your oaks or pines or maples. These are smaller in structure and require better soil. They are planted in nutrient rich soil, otherwise these plants may not grow in the natural soil.
