Trees of Reed, Maps 9-11

Map 9 identifies 18 trees in the cross canyon and physical plant area of the Reed College. It is interesting to me that I taught at Reed for six years, but I don't ever remember walking the "land bridge" between the cross canyon dorms and the physical plant. Well, this makes sense from one perspective--I didn't "hang around" at either place. But from the sense of knowing one's physical surroundings, my actions are less defensible. The canyon at this point is filled with various species of trees, wildlife and plants. Someday, when I feel I have gotten my bearings with trees, I will probably devote considerable attention to the wildflowers and plants in areas like this. The world "changes" when you know the names of everything around you.

Map 9 is good, and I only want to comment on two trees. First, the tree-guide ought to tell me how to distinguish between a Crategus laevigata (Tree 7) and a Crategus monogyna (map 26, Tree 51). I am really good at spotting the Crategus lavallei with it shinier and nicely lanceolate leaves, but the leaves of the monogyna and laevigata seem almost identical. Then, there is an exemplar of the Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). I am surprised that Reed only has one example of this popular tree; the U of O, for example, has it on five of its campus maps (108 maps), and the Hoyt Arboretum lists an astonishing 91 exemplars of this sturdy tree.

Map 10

Map 10 consists of 57 trees, 54 of which surround the old cross-canyon dorms (McKinley, Woodbridge, Chittick). The three "Ciscanyon" trees (Reed is a very classical place; why not start referring to the two sides of campus as the Cis and Trans-canyon locations?) are Big Leaf maples, and I didn't need to hoof it to the other side of the canyon to confirm what such a tree is. In any case, these 57 trees are all standing, even though I think they made a mistake in counting trees behind Chittick. The map gives us three trees (52-54) and identifies them all as Douglas-fir. I think 52 is a Doug-fir, but then there appear to be three other trees, all three of which seem to be Western Red Cedars. So, someone should check on that.

While I am on this point, I think that someone (perhaps this guide) ought to try to illustrate precisely the difference between the Port Orford Cedar and the Western Red Cedar. I have read countless accounts of "white 'x's" on the back of the Port Orford, but for the life of me I cannot distinguish these two trees. The "rule of thumb" test I used for several months was whether the tree had bluish little balls/seeds hanging from the leaves. If so, it was a Port Orford Cedar. But I don't think this "rule" really works. So, help me out here. For example, this map has a great "laboratory" to help solve this question in trees 23-30. They are all bunched closely together around a garbage area, as if they are trying to hide the shame and dirt of garbage from the "purity" of the Reed community. Three of the eight are Western Red Cedars and the other five are Port Orfords. So, I plunged into the grove, trying to identify as I went. But, no luck. It almost drove me to depression on a beautiful 83 degree afternoon.

This map/section of campus has the largest number of Sweet Gums (Liquidamber syraciflua) on campus--11 of them in close proximity. This map also has two species of birch next to each other, the European White and Whitebarked Himalayan. By studying them closely you easily recognize the difference, both in bark and leaf size. Nine Coast Pines, Pinus contorta, stand together in the NE corner of this map. If you ever wanted to make sure you understand how the contorta differs from the sylvestris (Scotch) or thunbergii (Japanese Black) or jeffreyii (Jeffrey) or nigra (Austrian) or ponderosa (Ponderosa), just look at the "contorted" branches of this pine. The contorta is actually called the "Shore" Pine on the OSU web site and other places. I suppose the coast is usually close to the shore, but you never know. Unless we are clear and precise with our terminology, someone may start calling it the "beech" pine, and then we will be in all sorts of trouble. I think that a variety of the contorta, when inland, is called the "Lodgepole" Pine. I look forward to a trip to the Cascade Mountains in a couple of weeks, where I will be able to feast on these to my heart's content.

The only other tree that caught my attention in Map 10 was the Cornus nuttallii, or Pacific Dogwood. There is a "Ciscanyon" exemplar of this in a grove of trees near the Cerf Amphitheater, but I am always amazed when I see this tree. When I "learned" dogwoods, I thought they were all "understory" trees. Most of them are, such as the florida or the kousa. But this one isn't. It can grow up to 40' tall. I think this one at Reed is at least this height. Apparently it grows almost as high as the "Giant Dogwood." It would, I suppose, be ironic if the Giant was not as tall as another variety or dogwood. Sort of like calling the former (and late) wrestler Andre the Giant (7'4") a Giant while referring to Yao Ming, of the Houston Rockets (7'6") only as a tall guy. In any case, it has a fourfold leaf pattern (picture is here), and it flowers in the Spring with pleasant white buds. This is the time of the year when the fruit is evident on the dogwoods, and this fruit on the Pacific easily distinguishes it from the others (like the Kousa).

Map 11

Map 11, consisting of 26 trees, concludes this essay. Ten of the trees are Coast/Shore pines and several others are either Western Red Cedars (5) or Bigleaf Maples (3). Though the Pine isn't identified specifically (24), it has a family resemblance, so to speak, with the Austrian Pine. I note that Trees 25 and 26, Sugar Maples, were planted five years ago to honor the memory of a former Reed Student, Ben Eder. I did some research on Ben, because I thought I might have known his family, and it turns out that I didn't--but I became introduced to a remarkable young man who attended Reed for two years (1998-2000) and who died in a boat mishap on the open sea in 2001 at age 21. There should be a link from this map to the web page created to preserve and celebrate Ben's memory.

Conclusion

We have 18 + 57 (plus perhaps one more) + 26 = 101. Total number of trees so far, and this is an estimate within two or three, is 356. We are just about 1/3 of the way through campus.

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