A small tree, 40 to 50 feet high, with smooth brown bark. Slender twigs. The buds are brown and covered with slightly downy, silky scales, and the leaf-scars are alternate.
The shad bush is strongly associated with the rich upland woods of New England, and in the early spring its white flowers are among the first to appear among the budding trees and shrubs, when the streams are full and the shad begin to rise. In winter there are no marked characteristics by which it may be known, apart from its general resemblance to other genera in the family, and its delicate twigs, small pointed buds with overlapping scales, and inconspicuous leaf-scars.
The wood is close-grained, heavy, and exceedingly hard, and is used for the handles of tools and other small implements.
The generic name, Amelanchier, is the Savoy name for the medlar. The shad bush is found from Newfoundland to Northern Florida and westward.
Chapter XIV
THE WILLOWS AND POPLARS
WHITE WILLOWS
Salix alba
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