Botanist :: William Chasteen

This is all about the awesome plants of the Deciduous forest.

Lady Fern• This plant is primarily used as decorations in houses and

grows around 2-3 feet tall. they usually grow near rivers, open thickets and open areas. many animals such as bears and elks eat these plants while American Indians used to use them as medicine for childbirth and heal wounds.

Pecan Tree

• ENORMOUS up to 160 Feet tall the Pecans we eat come from this tree. Not endangered grows most in environments that have a varying climate it uses flowers to make the nuts which keep animals fertilizing it. over 250 Million pounds of Pecans are produced from all the trees in the world in 1 year. This keep animals from eating the actual tree.

American Birch Tree• 90-100 Feet Tall roots grow up to 60 Feet away from the tree to absorb

nutrients Their buds look like bullets cant live in the city large leaves It is very sturdy and is used for many types of furniture their Nuts are easily edible and they can be eaten without any special procedures. Some of the roots are above ground and prohibit anything else from growing so it can get all the nutrients.

Guelder Rose• It can "stand" up to 10 feet tall which intimidates

herbivores and omnivores. It's berries can be used for Ink while it's flower and bark can be used for other purposes like medicine. In Canada people still use it as a food source instead of cranberries, it lives in a cool climate even in these forests.

Northern ArrowHead• 4 inches long and 3

inches across They used to be used by Native Americans as arrow shafts. many animals eat either it's leaves or berries can grow up to 15 Feet Tall. It grows along waterways such as rivers. It's flowers are a decorators choice. this plant is so large most animals don't try to eat it.

White Oak

• 80-100 feet tall, can live up to 500-600 whole years, some flowers so small invisible to the naked eye, seeds are acorns eaten by multiple animals it can grow almost anywhere and defiantly not endangered it's the 2nd common tree in the world and the most common in Europe and Eastern united states, it has a tap root that can go up to 20 feet deep as it gets older the taproot is not needed so it is replaced with simple surface and underground thin laterals grow. humans value it as our main and most powerful source of wood. The powerful roots give it water and nutrients the flower holds the acorns until it is ready to plant a new tree.

Shagbark Hickory • It looks Ashy like it was lit aflame then extinguished and has different gender flowers and they have to be fertilized by each other to reproduce the tree 100 feet tall. This tree grows best among other Oak trees. It makes animals don't think it is alive so they stay away.

Tawny Milk Cap Mushrooms• Edible, smells like fish, a major decomposed in

the ecosystem, eats wood by using special chemicals, insects most commonly spread the spores of this plant so it can reproduce, the light doesn't help them grow it sucks the nutrients from other things like water. technically not a plant or a animal but a Fungi. 2 to 5 in wide and up to 9 in tall Found primarily in the forests in Canada, Japan, eastern united states and Europe the most common decomposer in these areas it can turn black so animals think it is dead and they don't try to eat it even though it is edible With their small shape they are easy to miss.

Poison Ivy

• Produces a defense mechanism that causes bare skin to become irritated when happens when you run into Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy is quite common in these forests. This plant is very adaptable and needs very little nutrition for it to grow it is quite a simple plant. It has normal roots and everything else. just its leaves covered in a chemical it produces called uruchiol is the only abnormal part. which keeps animals away and humans.

Pine Tree • very common in the forests that

are at a lower climate while other trees are most common in higher climates. Unlike most other trees its leaves don't fall off in the Fall. They are sharp leaves and they fly in the wind and fight against the harsh conditions it's leaves staying alive helps it get enough nutrition in brutal landscapes . this plant lives most commonly in colder areas.