If you are currently stewarding any of the migration potential species for your ecoregion and are willing to tell us about your efforts in this open format Google Doc journal sign-up above register above and sign-up for the Tree Journal project. Then Angie Gupta, agupta@umn.edu, will send you a Google Doc that you can fill-out throughout the year as you care, tend and observe these trees. 

To learn more about the trees in each Ecoregion visit this webpage.

Migration potential CRW tree list: 9

This small understory has conspicuous large white flowers in the early spring and opposite leaf arrangement, unlike our native alternate-leaf dogwood. Flowering dogwood is considered hardy from plant zones 5a - 9b. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page. In 1978, dogwood anthracnose was first reported in the US and has killed flowering dogwood trees since. This tree is not considered native in Minnesota and we're unaware of it being planted in the state possibly because of disease risk. 

Photo by Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org 

Migration potential CRW tree lists: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11

This small understory tree that has conspicuous small purple flowers along the stem in early spring. It's considered hardy from plant zones 4a-9b. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page or the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension website. This tree is not considered native to Minnesota and is planted in some communities including Rochester and the Twin Cities.

Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org 

Migration potential CRW list: 2

This small to medium-size tree has scaly gray bark with reddish-brown stems and simple, alternate leaves with margins that are double serrate. It has been recommended for planting in Minnesota and is considered hardy from plant zone 4-7. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page or the UMN website. Below it is paired with yellow birch to help differentiate between the two birch species. 

Photo from iNat by newenglandtrees.

Migration potential CRW: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11

Osage-orange is a medium sized tree with large baseball size yellow-green, inedible, fruit on female trees. The name is derived from this orange-like fruit. The leaves are simple, elongated egg-shaped with smooth edges. Thorns form below the leaves on new shoots. The bark is furrowed, orange-brown to gray-brown with an irregular criss-crossed pattern. It is considered hardy from plant zone 4-9. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page or the UMN website.

Photo from iNat by mariposa21157

Migration potential CRW list: 6 & 9

This medium-sized oak tree or shrub  has unique shiny, leathery leaves with W-shaped lobes at the top. As with all oak leaves they arranged oppositely on the twig. The bark is black to dark brown with rectangular plates or blocks. It will have acorns and brown to deep red leaves in the fall.  It has been mentioned for planting in Minnesota and is considered hardy from plant zone 6a-9b. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page.

Photo from iNat by dillon_freiburger.

Migration potential CRW: 6 & 9

Yellow-poplar or tulip tree, is a tall, slender tree with unique alternate leaves with 4-lobes that resemble the silhouette of a cat face. It also has large pale yellow tulip-shaped flowers in early summer after the leaves emerge. It is considered hardy from plant zone 4-9. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page or the UMN website.

Photo from iNat by conorflynn.

Migration potential CRW:  2

Bigleaf magnolia has the largest simple leaf and largest flower of any tree native to North America. This tree is rare in the wild, but cultivars are sold. Green leaves above and silver below can be up to 3 feet long and 1 foot wide. Fragrant, showy white flowers are 8-14 inches across. It is considered hardy from plant zone 5a-8b. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page. Information about cultivars can be found at the UMN website.

Photo from iNat by zanegreen.

Migration potential CRW: 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 

Sassafras is an aromatic, medium-sized tree. The leaves are alternately arranged and variable with smooth edges shaped as ovals, mittens or three lobbed. It is considered hardy from plant zone 4a-9b. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page.

Photo from iNat by vis5121.

Migration potential CRW tree lists: 6, 9 & 11

Sugarberry is a large tree with light green, simple, alternate leaves that have a rough leaf surface but smooth leaf edges. Sugarberry bark is warty. Hackberry, a cousin native to Minnesota, has rough leaves with toothed edges and bark that is warty and ridged. Both trees have small edible fruit. Sugarberry is considered hardy from plant zones 5a-10b. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page.

Photo from iNat by sambiology

Migration potential CRW: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11

Osage-orange is a medium sized tree with large baseball size yellow-green, inedible, fruit on female trees. The name is derived from this orange-like fruit. The leaves are simple, elongated egg-shaped with smooth edges. Thorns form below the leaves on new shoots. The bark is furrowed, orange-brown to gray-brown with an irregular criss-crossed pattern. It is considered hardy from plant zone 4-9. To learn more about this species and how to identify it visit the NC State Extension Horticulture page or the UMN website.

Photo from iNat by mariposa21157

Migration potential CRW lists: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9

Eastern hemlock is a large, dominant canopy conifer tree native to small pockets of Minnesota. It's listed by MN DNR as endangered so cannot be taken, imported, transported or sold. It has small cones and small flat needles and dark brown-gray, fissured or ridge bark. It's considered hard from plant zones 3a-7b. Hemlock wood adelgid has killed many hemlock trees southeast of MN. To learn more about identification visit the UMN website and the NC State Extension Horticulture page.

Photo by Bill Cook, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org 

Migration potential CRW tree lists: 1 & 2

American hornbeam is medium sized understory tree, native to much of eastern MN but considered migration potential to ecoregions 1 and 2. This tree is sometimes called musclewood because the smooth-barked trunk looks like the ripped muscles of an elite runner. It's considered hardy from plant zones 3a - 9b. It produces noticeable catkins in early summer and very small nuts in late summer. To learn more about this tree visit the NC State Extension Horticultural page.

Photo from iNat viola2020

Migration potential CRW: 1, 3, 4, 6 & 10

Red mulberry is very rare in Minnesota and should be reported anywhere in the state. It's a small, understory, shade tolerant tree that is often confused, and can hybridize with, non-native white mulberry, Morus alba.  Red mulberry leaves are dull, rough on the top and slightly haired on the underside and have small pointed serrations on the leaf edge. White mulberry leaves are shiny, smooth on the top and the serrated edges are larger and less pointed. Berries are likely present around the 4th of July. Red mulberry is considered hard from plant zones 5-10.  For more about mulberry identification visit this Purdue University publication.  In 2021, Extension ran another participatory science project looking specifically for rare red mulberry, project results and details can be found here.

Photos: leaves by Sally Weeks, Purdue University, fruit by David Stephens, Bugwood.org 

Migration potential CRW lists: 1, 2 & 10

Bitternut hickory, tall broadleaf tree , native to southeastern quarter of Minnesota and small packets of northern Minnesota but considered migration potential for ecoregions 1, 2 and 10.  Its name was inspired by the inedible nuts and it has alternate, pinnately compound leaves with 7 -9 leaflets. The  bright yellow buds are a distinguishing characteristic. It's considered hard from plant zones 4-9.  To learn more about identification visit the UMN website and the NC State Extension Horticulture page.

Photo leaf and bud by Paul Wray & Chris Evans, Bugwood.org

Hackberry is a medium sized tree with light green, alternate, simple leaves with rough surfaces and serrate leaf edges and an asymmetrical leaf base. Hackberry has a corky ridge-like or warty bark. It looks similar to sugarberry, a migration potential list for regions 6, 9 and 11.  Hackberry is considered hard from plant zones 2-9. To learn more about identification visit the UMN website and the NC State Extension Horticulture page.

Photo hackberry iNat by sejohnson

Migration potential CRW: 1, 3, 4, 6 & 10

Red mulberry is very rare in Minnesota and should be reported anywhere in the state. It's a small, understory, shade tolerant tree that is often confused, and can hybridize with, non-native white mulberry, Morus alba.  Red mulberry leaves are dull, rough on the top and slightly haired on the underside and have small pointed serrations on the leaf edge. White mulberry leaves are shiny, smooth on the top and the serrated edges are larger and less pointed. Berries are likely present around the 4th of July. Red mulberry is considered hard from plant zones 5-10.  For more about mulberry identification visit this Purdue University publication.  In 2021, Extension ran another participatory science project looking specifically for rare red mulberry, project results and details can be found here.

Photos: leaves by Sally Weeks, Purdue University, fruit by David Stephens, Bugwood.org