Almond
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The almond tree is a small tree that grows 20-40 feet high. There are several almond trees around the back of the 11th green and a few more are scattered in that area. Many of these trees appear very old so, presumably, they are remnants from ranch that was here before The Villages built.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows to 20-40 feet high with a trunk 1-2 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are 2-4 inches, narrow elliptical shape, finely toothed edge.
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Cedar, Deodar
Bark
Needles
Tree
The deodar (dee-uh-dahr) cedar tree is a large Himalayan cedar tree that grows to 130 feet high. They are frequently used in landscaping because of their graceful, droopy branches. The top branch is thin and often bent over with a crow perched on top.
There are many of these trees lining the back of the tennis courts and the adjacent parking areas.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows to 130 feet high with a trunk 3 feet in diameter.
- Needles are up to 2 inches long. They are clustered 10-20 needles on short shoots.
- Cones are elliptical or barrel shaped and 3-5 inches long. They are stemless and sit upright attached directly to a branch.
- Bark is smooth and gray on young trees, but fissures to create furrows between scaly ridges.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p50.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p257.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p99.
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Cypress, Mediterranean
Bark
Needles
Tree
The Mediterranean cypress, also called the Italian cypress, is a tall, thin tree that grows to 80 feet high. It is only native to the Mediterranean area, but is commonly used in landscaping. You will frequently see them planted in a row to form a visual barrier.
You can find several of these trees planted in a row next to the 18th tee box. This tree is also planted 150 yards from the green on many holes to help the golfers judge their distance to the green.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows to 80 feet high with a trunk 1-2 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are scale-like.
- Bark is gray and smooth with exfoliating scales.
- Cones are small and round and about 1 inch in diameter.
References:
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p142.
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Eucalyptus, Bluegum
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The bluegum eucalyptus is one of the largest trees in The Villages. It grows as high as 180 feet. You find them all around the golf course as they were originally planted to separate the fairways. Because of their tendency to fall over or lose large branches in storms, they are gradually being replaced with other types of trees.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows to 180 feet high with a trunk 2-4 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are long thin and lance-shaped, 4-10 inches long, leathery, dull blue-green above and lighter beneath.
- Bark is blue-gray to gray-brown and flaky, but peels in long thin strips to reveal smooth, pale inner bark.
- Flowers are fuzzy, white, and 1-2 inches around.
- Fruit is .5 to 1 inch, bluish-white, warty capsule.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p206.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p569.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p315.
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Eucalyptus, Red-ironbark
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The red-ironbark eucalyptus tree grows to 100 feet high. You can distinguish this eucalyptus from the bluegum eucalyptus by its red, coarse bark, its red leaf stalk, and when seen together, its leaves are more bluish..
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows to 100 feet high with a trunk 2 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are long thin and lance-shaped, 2-5 inches long, leathery, dull gray-green or blue-green.
- Bark is dark reddish with rugged ridges with deep furrows, thick, hard.
- Flowers are cream, pink, or red, and grow in clusters.
- Fruit is 3/8 inch, redish-brown, elliptical capsule.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p000.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p570.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p314.
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Oak, Coast Live
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The coast live oak, also called the California live oak, tree grows 30-80 feet high. Its trunk is short and thick and it has many large, crooked, spreading branches that give it a crown that may be wider than it is tall.
There is a coast live oak tree at the entrance to Village Hermosa that is estimated to be 275 years old according to the book Panorama of The Villages.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows 30-80 feet high with a trunk 3-4 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are thick, elliptic or ovate, and 1-3 inches long. Convex with edges rolled under. Edges are wavy with bristles. Alternate on twig.
- Acorn is .75 to 1.5 inches, narrow ovoid, 1/3 enclosed in cap.
- Bark is gray-brown, with shallow furrows and flat scaly ridges.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p142.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p391.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p456.
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Oak, Valley
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The valley oak, also called the California white oak, is a large tree that grows 40-100 feet high. It frequently has a short, massive trunk and large, widely spreading branches making its crown as wide as it is high.
Identifying Characteristics
- Deciduous
- Grows 40-100 feet high with a trunk 2-4 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are dark green, 2-4 inches long with 7-11 rounded lobes. Leaves are widest at the tip. Alternate on twig.
- Acorn is 1.25-2 inches, narrow ovoid (bullet shaped), 1/3 enclosed in cap. Usually in pairs on short stock.
- Bark is light gray, with shallow fissures and broad, scaly, loose plates.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p136.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p404.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p458.
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Olive
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The olive tree, also called the common olive, is a small tree that grows 20-40 feet high. They have short, twisted trunks that fork into several main branches.
Olive trees are very common in The Villages. An easy place to see olive trees is the center divider of Villages Parkway. They are the only tree planted in the divider and there is one about every 30 feet for the full length of the street.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows 20-40 feet high with a trunk 1-3 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are 1.5-3 inches long in opposite pairs, narrow elliptic shape, gray-bluish-green on top, light green under, thick or leathery, untoothed edges, edges slightly rolled under.
- Fruit is an olive, .5 to 1 inch long, elliptical, green, maturing to black.
- Bark is silvery-gray, finely fissured and flaky.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p196.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p593.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p199.
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Pine, Monterey
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The Monterey pine tree is a large tree that grows 40-100 feet high and has a thick, fissured trunk, which is often crooked.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows 40-100 feet high with a trunk 1-3 feet in diameter.
- Needles are 4-6 inches long, 3 needles per bundle (sometimes 2).
- Cone is egg shaped and 3-7 inches long
- Bark is gray-brown-black, has deep (1 inch) vertical fissures dividing the bark into plates.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p90.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p288.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p84.
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Plum, Cherry
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The cherry plum tree is a small tree that grows 15-30 feet high. A common variety of this tree, but cultivated to have purple foliage and is frequently called a flowering plum. This is the variety of the cherry plum tree that is found in The Villages.
Identifying Characteristics
- Diciduous
- Grows 15-30 feet high.
References:
- Sibley Guide to Trees (c2009) p261.
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Redwood
Bark
Needles
Tree
The redwood, also known as coast redwood or California redwood, is the world's tallest tree growing as high as 350 feet.
The are many redwoods in The Villages. The most prominent ones are in the grassy area outside the administration buildings. They are the first thing you see on the right as you enter The Villages. Most of the dying conifers that you see on the golf course are also, unfortunately, redwood trees.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows to 300 feet high with a trunk 8-10 feet in diameter.
- Needles .25 to .75 inch long in flat splays (2 lateral rows, one on each side of the branch), longest needles in center of shoot, needles are matte green on top with 2 silvery-gray bands beneath.
- Cones are about .75 to 1 inch long and generally round or oval.
- Bark is very thick, fibrous, and reddish-brown with deep furrows and ridges.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p36.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p299.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p125.
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Sweetgum
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The Sweetgum tree, also called redgum and sapgum, is a tall, narrow tree that grows 50-150 feet high.
You can find this tree all over The Villages. This is the tree that drops those prickly balls that are so annoying to step on. On the positive side, these trees produce beautiful fall colors. In fact, this is one of the few trees in The Villages that does.
Identifying Characteristics
- Deciduous
- Grows to 50-150 feet high with a trunk 1-3 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are 2-6 inches long, alternate on shoot, 5 (sometimes 7) pointed lobes make them almost star shaped, matte green, indented along veins, small teeth on edge.
- Fruit are 1 inch, spiky, brown, ball-like clusters, 1 per stalk.
- Bark is gray or gray-brown and rough with narrow, scaly ridges.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p224.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p436.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p270.
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Willow, Weeping
Bark
Leaves
Tree
The weeping willow tree grows 30-60 feet high. It is a hybrid tree, usually bred from white willow and Chinese weeping willow.
They have a short trunk with a broad, open crown and drooping branches. These trees are frequently planted along the edge of a water feature with the branches hanging over the water.
Identifying Characteristics
- Evergreen
- Grows 30-60 feet high with a trunk 2 feet in diameter.
- Leaves are 2-5 inches, narrow lance shaped, tapering to a thin pointed tip, alternate on branch, small teeth on the edge, matte to shiny green on top and pale beneath.
- Bark is gray-brown, rough with coarse ridges and fissures.
References:
- Easy Tree Guide: Common Native and Cultivated Trees of the United States and Canada (c2004) p134.
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees Western Region (c1998) p350.
- National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (c2008) p389.
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