Specimen Trees on Campus

Saucer Magnolia Magnolia x Soulangiana: Rounded low-branched tree, 20' to 30' tall. Saucer shaped 5" to 10", pink, purple and satiny white flowers appear in April. Smooth gray bark adds to winter appeal. This is the most commonly planted Magnolia. Makes an excellent lawn or specimen tree. (More info)

London Plane Plantanus x Acerifolia: Disease resistant shade tree that got its name from its extensive use in the city of London. A tall, pyramidal tree when young rounding as it ages, 50' to 60' tall. Bark is an appealing patchwork of peeling, creamy white and gray. Fall foliage is yellow brown.

Sweetgum Liquidamda Styraciflua: A narrow pyramidal tree when young rounding as it ages to 60' to 70' tall. It has interesting star-shaped leaves that turn a brilliant yellow, orange, red, and purple late into fall. Has 1½" spiny, round seedpods. There are some varieties that are seedless. A spectacular lawn specimen.

Sourwood Oxydendrum Arboreum: One of the best New England native trees growing to 25' to 30'. A pyramidal tree with finely textured, drooping branches. 10" long, nodding clusters of creamy, white bell-shaped flowers appear in mid summer. Excellent yellow, scarlet, and burgundy fall color.

Red Maple Acer Rubrum: A pyramidal tree when young rounding with age. Growing to 40' to 60'. Has attractive yellow/red fall foliage. It is a popular landscape tree.

Pin Oak Quercus Palustris: Very common planted shade tree/street tree 60' to 70' tall. Pyramidal shape at maturity with yellow or coppery red fall foliage.

American Beech Fagus Grandifloria: 50' to 70' tall tree. Lustrous dark green leaves turning yellow to golden brown in the fall.

American Hop Hornbeam Ostrya Virginiana: Graceful pyramidal tree rounding with age, 25' to 40' tall. Grayish, exfoliating bark adds to winter interest. Fall foliage is golden yellow.

Tri-color Beech Fagus Sylvatica 'Roseomarginata': A pyramidal tree when young becoming more rounded with age. Leaves are purple edged with a pale-pink and creamy border. This common clone is actually 'Purpurea Tricolor'

American Elm Ulmus Americana: An elegant vase shaped tree 60' to 80' tall. The trunk will split into several leaders that grow upward and arching out to created a fountain-like silhouette. Dutch elm disease killed most of the elms within the Northeast. Makes an excellent street tree.

Colorado Blue Spruce Picea Pungens: A dense 60' blue needled evergreen. Plant as a specimen tree. Looks very good against dark green evergreens.

Norway Spruce Picea Abies: Commonly used landscape evergreen 40' to 60' tall. Pyramidal in shape with branches that have a pendulous habit.

Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus Virginiana: A 40' to 50' tough evergreen. Has yellow green brown green winter color and also produces attractive waxy blue fruit. A great naturalizing plant that is common in the wild but seldom found in the landscape.

Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga Menziesii: Magnificent evergreen when seen in the wild. 40' to 80' tall. Loosely pyramidal tree with smooth, grey-brown bark, which becomes deeply grooved as it ages.

White Pine Pinus Strobus: Widely used landscape evergreen. Pyramidal in shape when young, becoming more umbrella-shaped with age. Has a soft bluish green needle.

Austrian Pine Pinus Negra: Most popular evergreen used in the East. Grows to 50' to 60'. Has full dark green needles and adapts well to urban conditions.

Kentucky Coffee Tree Gymnocladus Dioica: Tree not commonly found in the landscape. 60' to 70' tall with rich bluish green leaves. Female trees produce 12" long panicles of fluffy, greenish white, fragrant flowers in followed by 5" to 10" long pods. European colonists roasted the seeds within the pod and made coffee from them.

Norway Maple Acer Platanoides: 40' to 50' tree that has long been a staple for street and urban use. It is now considered invasive in Connecticut for it is taking over some of our forests.

Purple Leaf Plum Prunus Cerasifera: Rounded or vase shaped tree, 15' to 30' tall. Pale to pink ½" flowers appear in the spring followed by bronze-purple leaves.

Honey Locust Gleditsia Tiocantho var Inermis: 30' to 70' tall tree. Have fine textured leaves that cast light shade. Fall foliage is rich golden yellow.

Plum Sawara Cypress Chaemaecyparis Pisifera: Evergreen that is native to Japan. Its Latin name means "pea-bearing"and derives from its wrinkled pea-like cones. Has unusual red stringy bark and fine foliage that is aromatic when crushed.

Flowering Dogwood Cornus Florida: Low branched horizontal tree 30' to 40' tall. Handsome 3" to 4" white flowers appear in the spring. Red fruit appears in September/October along with brilliant red/purplish fall color.

Korean Dogwood Cornus Kousa: Vase shaped tree when young becoming broad and spreading with age, 20' to 30' tall. Spectacular gray, tan, and rich brown mosaic like bark creates winter interest.

Sugar Maple Acer Saccharum: Upright oval-rounded tree 60' to 75' tall. Nobel fall color of yellow, orange, and red palette. Sap is the source for making maple syrup. Makes a stunning shade or background tree.

Katsura Tree Cercidiphyllum Japonicum: Very elegant tree that is pyramidal in youth and rounding in maturity, 40' to 60' tall. Leaves emerge in the spring bronzy purple and change to light green then blue green during the summer. Fall foliage is yellow apricot hues. The fall leaves also give off a spice odor reminiscent of cotton candy. Bark is also attractive through all the seasons. An excellent landscape tree that should be planted more often.

Callery Pear Pyrus Calleryana: Oval or rounded 30' to 50' tree. In the spring white 1" flowers appear. Small tan fruits develop in the summer. Fall foliage is a display of red, purple, orange, and scarlet. It is a popular garden and street tree.

Littleleaf Linden Tilia Cordata: Dense symmetrical pyramidal shaped tree when young rounding as it ages, 60' to 70' tall. Fall foliage is yellow. A favorite tree that is planted as a shade or street tree.

Red Oak Quercus Rubra: Fast growing tree that is native to Eastern North America. Growing to 70' tall. Fall foliage is russet red to bright red. Makes an excellent lawn tree.

Green Ash Fraxinus Pennsylvanica: Pyramidal tree when young becoming more upright and spreading as it matures, 50' to 60' tall. Fall foliage is yellow. It is a fast growing shade tree.

White Ash Fraxinus Americana: 60' to 90' tree. In New England leaves turn a distinctive purple or maroon color in the fall.

White Mulberry Morus Alba: Small 40' tree with low horizontal branches and developing a wide spreading crown. Glossy green leaves turn yellow green to bright yellow in the fall.

Pignut Hickory Carya Glabra: Oblong-round headed tree 50' to 60' tall. Lustrous dark green leaves turning a brilliant yellow color in the fall.

Hinoki Falsecypress Chamaecyparis Obtusa: Broadly conical evergreen with short, flattened sprays of glossy green leaves, 8' to 10' tall. Foliage is pleasantly aromatic when crushed.

Weeping Norway Spruce Picea Abies ' Pendula': Slow growing evergreen with pendulous branches growing to 8' tall. Use as a specimen plant.