Broad, heart-shaped leaves Stem of leaf is flat; leaf shakes easily Smooth gray or yellow-green bark
The Aspen thrives in sunlight and dry soil. It grows and dies quickly. It is called a “Quaking” Aspen because its flattened leaf stems allow its leaves to shake even in the gentlest breeze. It is often called a Poplar tree, or just “Popple.”
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
Evergreen; with needles Needles grouped in bunches of three Pine cones under 3″ in length
This picturesque pine grows well in sterile soil. It is small, gnarled, contorted, and of little commercial value. It serves a twofold purpose here—anchoring the soil and supplying seeds for a great variety of birds and animals.
AIDS FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION
These are the most common plants of the dunes and beach. Any careful search will disclose many others not described. You will have to consult one of the reference books listed below for their identification.
Ethel Hinckley Hausman, Beginner’s Guide to Wild Flowers. New York: Putnam’s, 1955. $3.50 F. Schuyler Mathews, Field Book of American Wild Flowers. Completely revised and enlarged by Norman Taylor. New York: Putnam’s, 1955. $5.00 George A. Petrides, A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958. $3.95 Herbert S. Zim and A. C. Martin, Trees: A Guide to Familiar American Trees. Rev. ed. New York: Golden Press, 1956. Cloth $2.50, paper $1.00