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Let’s All Speak for the Trees

April 2, 2025

By: Taylor Haugen, Park Interpreter

When ecologists, naturalists, and gardeners consider indigenous species, also called native species, they are considering a plant or animal that has evolved over a long period time within a certain area. That region might be large, like the Great Lakes, or smaller, like southeast Michigan. Regardless of the region, these organisms are adapted perfectly to fit into the complex web of interactions that takes place between the living (animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms) and the nonliving (geology, weather patterns, and water) elements of their environment. This is in juxtaposition with non-indigenous or introduced, which can range in impact from a plant that stays exactly where it’s planted without causing issues (like garden marigolds), to a plant that escapes the backyard and completely fills a forest’s understory (such as autumn olive).

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is shrub native to eastern Asia and was originally introduced in the states as erosion control and wildlife habitat before it spread rapidly with the aid of its prolific red berries, which many birds will eat, to any open space available.

What are the benefits of trees?

Trees do amazing work for both humans and the other animals living here with us. Trees help to give us clean air and to store carbon, they provide shade, create a more beautiful landscape, and some even provide food or medicine for us. Eastern black walnuts (Juglans nigra) provide a delicious source of local protein. Trees are also critical for helping control flooding and bank erosion. Riverbank adapted trees soak up large amounts of water every day and their roots help to hold the soil in place. Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) can uptake anywhere from 200-500 gallons of water a day.

The eastern black walnut’s nut is valuable not only for the protein source it can provide to us and wildlife, but also for the outer husk which can be used to make a beautiful natural dye.
The eastern cottonwood tree is often blamed for seasonal allergies when its seeds with their fluffy cottonlike transport method start to float, but the true culprit is the pollen being produced by plants still in bloom.

For wildlife they are even more critical. Native trees provide a place to take shelter, make a home, and raise young for a wide variety of animals. Birds like the barred owl nest in tree cavities, while gray tree frogs spend the winter tucked into the cracks in tree bark. They’re also critical food sources for many. If you are a fan of butterflies or moths, you should thank our oak trees. White Oaks (Quercus alba) support more than 500 species of butterflies and moths! The serviceberry or saskatoon tree provides delicious fruit to a wide variety of birds (and people!).

The cedar waxwing is one of many beautiful birds who enjoy feasting on the bounty of berries the serviceberry provides.

The white oak’s acorns are an important fall and winter food source for squirrels, turkey, deer, blue jays, and many other species.

How can you get to know your local trees?

The first step is just to stop and take notice of the trees in your area. If you live in a more urban space some of the trees you find may not be native, but they can still help teach you how to get to know a tree. The features you want to look for in the warmer months are the kind of leaves your tree has and the kind of fruits or flowers this tree produces. In the winter it gets a little harder but is still doable! You’ll want to take note of the growth pattern of the branches, look at the bark color and pattern, and look at the leaf and flower buds that form in preparation for spring.

Below are a couple of my favorite easy to identify native trees:

Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina). This tree’s bark forms moderately sized dark chips, most memorable to me as “burnt potato chips,” and has leaves that are tear drop shaped with a finely serrated edge. The berries are edible to both humans and a variety of wildlife.

Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera). This tree’s bark is a bright white color broken by black scars, that peels in horizontal strips. Its leaves are an almost triangular shape with a serrated edge and turn a brilliant yellow color in the fall.

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). This tree is one of our evergreens. It is most easily identified by it’s long flexible needles, which come in bundles of five. These needles are high in vitamin C and can be used to make a tea.

If learning about trees on your own seems intimidating, try checking out a local workshop on trees like Stony Creek Nature Center’s “Botany Basics: Trees” program or taking an online course like the Morton Arboretum’s “Basic Tree ID” course.

How can you help trees?

If you have the space for it, a great way to help out indigenous trees is to plant them! Many of them make beautiful landscape trees and will bring in your local wildlife. A variety of local nurseries and plant sales abound to provide trees and shrubs adapted to our region. Many trees do best when planted in late fall, giving them time to establish root systems before the hard conditions of winter set in. Planting in the spring may require a lot of supplemental watering due to the heat, sun, and lack of rainfall during the hottest parts of the summer.

If you’re short on planting space, try volunteering with a local environmental organization, like the Michigan Nature Association or the Friends of the Rogue. They often host litter clean ups, and nonindigenous species removal workdays, and tree planting events that help keep our wild spaces clean and healthy.

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