Illinois    T R E E S
black walnut Juglans nigra one compound leaf	shingle oak Quercus imbricaria three simple leaves	pecan Carya illinoinensis one compound leaf
shagbark hickory Carya ovata one compound leaf	bur oak Quercus macrocarpa three simple leaves	northern red oak Quercus rubra three simple leaves
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa one compound leaf	swamp chestnut oak Quercus michauxii three simple leaves	black oak Quercus velutina three simple leaves
pin oak Quercus palustris three simple leaves	wild black cherry Prunus serotina ten simple leaves	white oak Quercus alba three simple leaves
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor three simple leaves	chinkapin or yellow chestnut oak Quercus muhlenbergii three simple leaves	hackberry Celtis occidentalis three simple leaves

Forests are vital renewable and productive resources for Illinois. More than half of Illinois' native flora and
half of the threatened or endangered flora are found in Illinois' forests. More than 75 percent of the wildlife habitat in the state is in the forests. Forest-related industries employ nearly 65,000 people in Illinois and contribute over $4.5 billion annually to the state's economy through value added by manufacturing.

There are four distinctive forest types found in the state: bottomland forest; upland deciduous forest; coniferous forest; and southern Illinois lowland forest. Bottomland forests are large timbered areas bordering swamps or rivers. In Illinois, they cover about 809,000 acres. Upland deciduous forests have canopied trees that lose their leaves in the fall and are areas that are not subject to flooding. Of the state's 4.3 million forest acres, 3.6 million are deciduous forest. Coniferous forests contain cone-bearing evergreen trees. Illinois has about 72,000 acres of coniferous forest, most of it in the southern third of the state. Southern Illinois lowlands cover about 11,700 acres. This area is the northernmost extension of North America's Gulf Coastal Plain.

Species List		Order Fagales
		Family Fagaceae
		white oak	Quercus alba
		swamp white oak	Quercus bicolor
		shingle oak	Quercus imbricaria
		bur oak	Quercus macrocarpa
		swamp chestnut oak	Quercus michauxii
		pin oak	Quercus palustris
		chinkapin or yellow chestnut oak	Quercus muhlenbergii
Kingdom Plantae		northern red oak	Quercus rubra
Division Magnoliophyta		black oak	Quercus velutina
Class Magnoliopsida
		Order Juglandales
		Family Juglandaceae
		pecan	Carya illinoinensis
		shagbark hickory	Carya ovata
		mockernut hickory	Carya tomentosa
		black walnut	Juglans nigra
		Order Rosales
Leaves and seeds are not shown in equal proportion to actual size. All images © IDNR. Chas J. Dees, Photographer.		Family Rosaceae
		wild black cherry	Prunus serotina
		Order Urticales
		Family Ulmaceae
		hackberry	Celtis occidentalis

This poster was made possible by:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources
     Division of Education
     Division of Habitat Resources
     Illinois State Museum

Illinois Department of Transportation

Design: Illinois State Museum

Link to: | Species Descriptions | Forest Facts | Tree Clues | Agency Resources |