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Welcome to our Tree-via Archive!

There are trees over 1,000 years old? Certain bird species impale their prey on the thorns of trees? Some coniferous species drop their needles each year? Neat-o!

Enjoy the trivia questions below. Join the MnSTAC newsletter to get weekly tree-via and more tree loving information. You can also sign up for our Quarterly Newsletter for program and class updates.

Check back soon for the next question!

What is the Honeycrisp apple a hybrid of?

a) Macoun & Honeygold
b) Keepsake & Haralson
c) Riverbelle & unknown
d) Keepsake & unknown

What hormone do trees release from the bud on their highest stem in order to inhibit the growth of lower stems and buds, allowing them to grow taller rather than bushier?

a) salicylic acid
b) ethylene
c) auxin
d) cytokinins

The agroforestry practice of planting windbreaks can help honeybees forage by blocking high winds. At what wind speed can honeybees no longer forage?

a) 7 mph
b) 12 mph
c) 25 mph
d) 38 mph

How many varieties of apples are grown worldwide?

a) 900
b) 2500
c) 5000
d) 7500

Which genus is often called the May-tree?

a) Sorbus
b) Crataegus
c) Malus
d) Salix

How many acorns can a mature white oak produce in its lifetime?

a) 3,000
b) 300,000
c) 1,000,000
d) 3,000,000

How old is the oldest living northern white cedar tree in Minnesota?

a) 580 years old
b) 760 years old
c) 920 years old
d) 1,100 years old

Traces of roots belonging to the oldest trees in the world were found in Cairo, New York. How old are they?

A) 284 million years old
B) 322 million years old
C) 387 million years old
D) 416 million years old

True of False: The type of inflorescence of American basswood (Tilia americana) flowers is determinate.

In which year was the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) founded?

A) 1916
B) 1924
C) 1931
D) 1946

Which of these are types of humus?

A) mor
B) moder
C) mull
D) muck

From whom does the Fraser fir get its name?

A) a Dutch entomologist
B) a Scottish botanist
C) a Canadian arborist
D) an English bulldog

Which of these species was once very important in the making of artificial limbs?

A) Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye)
B) Ulmus americana (American elm)
C) Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
D) Juglans nigra (black walnut)

In Minnesota forests and timberland, which coniferous species is thought to have the greatest volume?

A) Thuja occidentalis (northern white-cedar)
B) Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar)
C) Pinus resinosa (red pine)
D) Abies balsamea (balsam fir)

"Giant puffballs are found in the central and eastern USA and Canada. During late Summer and Fall, look for them in meadows, under small stands of trees, and around forest openings." Their biggest size is like that of a ______________.

A) golf ball
B) baseball
C) cantaloupe
D) watermelon

At approximately what age are bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) trees thought to start producing acorns?

A) 25
B) 28
C) 32
D) 35

About how many different types of arthropod galls are found on oak trees in the US?

A) 200
B) 400
C) 600
D) 800

Cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) can live to be over ____ years old, but only produce beans for ___ years.

A) 50; 10
B) 100; 15
C) 150; 20
D) 200; 25

"Tea tree oil" is an essential oil that comes mainly from which tree species?

A) Cedrus libani
B) Anacardium excelsum
C) Parrotia persica
D) Melaleuca alternifolia

Which of these are native to Minnesota?

A) Prunus serotina (black cherry)
B) Prunus avium (wild cherry)
C) Prunus pumila (sand cherry)
D) Prunus pennsylvanica (pin cherry)

According to the USFS, 100 healthy trees remove __ tons of carbon dioxide and ___ pounds of other air pollutants per year.

A) 18; 250
B) 33; 280
C) 46; 360
D) 53; 430

Approximately how many boulevard trees are in Duluth, MN?

A) 10,000+
B) 12,000+
C ) 14,000+
D) 16,000+

Who invented the resistograph?

A) Gary Johnson
B) Ryan Murphy
C ) Karen Zumach
D) Frank Rinn

Planting season is upon us. Before you dig, who are you going to call?

A) 311
B) 811
C ) 911
D) Ghostbusters

Which US senator created Earth Day?

A) Senator William Proxmire
B) Senator Walter Mondale
C) Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr.
D) Senator Gaylord Nelson

Which of these native woody plant species are an important source of pollen and nectar for insects in the early spring?

A) Gymnocladus dioicus
B) Abies balsamea
C) Prunus americana
D) Cornus sericea

Which of these trees has seeds that do not mature in the spring (May-June)?

A) elms
B) silver maples
C) cottonwoods
D) butternuts

What is another name for the heartwood of a tree?

A) cupidium
B) valentinia
C) loveydovey
D) duramen

What is the term for bud scales that overlap like shingles on a roof?

A) undulate
B) wrapped
C) imbricate
D) superposed

In which countries is the bottle brush tree (Pachypodium lealii) native?

A) Uganda and Kenya
B) Gabon and the Republic of Congo
C) Tanzania and Malawi
D) Angola and Namibia

What is believed to be the rarest living tree species in the world?

A) African Blackwood
B) Saint Helena Gumwood
C) Bois Dentelle
D) Three Kings Kaikomako

Spruce, quaking aspen, and balsam fir can survive cold temperatures of... :

A) -80°F
B) -90°F
C) -100°F
D) -110°F

Which of these is known for roots that appear as skeletal-looking "hands and fingers"?

A) bald cypress
B) sequoia
C) contorted beech
D) dragon's claw willow

Answer

How old can a red pine (Pinus resinosa) live to be?

A) 250 years
B) 300 years
C) 350 years
D) 400 years

Which leaf spot disease is found in the picture above?

A) Tar spot
B) Marssonina leaf spot
C) Septoria leaf spot
D) Mycosphaerella leaf spot

What is the most common pine species in Minnesota?

A) Jack pine
B) White pine
C) Red pine
D) Scotch pine

Which type of native tree in MN attracts 518 species of larval insects?

A) black cherry
B) hackberry
C) white pine
D) white oak

What is the smallest tree in the world?

A) Crape myrtle
B) Chinese dogwood
C) Dwarf willow
D) Tuckeroo

Which of the following types of wood has a "high" heat value (meaning 1 cord = 200 to 250 gallons of fuel oil)?

A) American elm
B) cottonwood
C) white birch
D) sugar maple

Part A) What is the national tree type of the USA?

Part B) What is Minnesota's largest specimen of this type of tree? Where is it?

According to a new study, how many metric tons of carbon can forests absorb per year?

a) 1.2 million
b) 6.5 million
c) 3.5 billion
d) 9.8 billion

Which tree species synchronizes its reproduction with the summer solstice each year in Europe?

a) Beech
b) Birch
c) Alder
d) Sycamore

What species is this? (Hint: it has a different name that corresponds to the month in which its fruit ripens)

Serviceberry fruit and leaves

Photo by UMN Extension

a) serviceberry
b) dogwood
c) arrowwood
d) witch hazel

The International Tree-Ring Data Bank includes ring width data from trees in how many different locations across the world?

a) 460
b) 2,300
c) 4,600
d) 23,000

True or False:
Elm tree flowers are wind-pollinated.

What is the Latin root and meaning of the word "lignin"?

A) ligni-, meaning "strength"
B) ligni-, meaning "wood"
C) ligni-, meaning "tough"
D) ligni-, meaning "rigid"

How much did the world's heaviest recorded apple weigh?

A) 2 pounds, 14 ounces
B) 3 pounds, 3 ounces
C) 3 pounds, 9 ounces
D) 4 pounds, 1 ounce

"Research has shown that if temperatures get down to ____ degrees F for 24 to 48 hours, a significant number of EAB larvae will likely be killed."

A) -10
B) -20
C) -30
D) -40

How many spruce species are indigenous to the United States?

A) 7
B) 11
C) 13
D) 16

What is the botanical term for a cone scale margin that is "[i]rregularly toothed or eroded as though bitten or gnawed"?

A) ericoid
B) erose
C) erubescent
D) eriophorous

Large tree cone bigger than a hand

Which species does this cone belong to?

A) Pinus resinosa
B) Pinus coulteri
C) Pinus monticola
D) Pinus lambertiana

Which of these woody plants blooms in the fall?

A) Salix nigra
B) Tilia americana
C) Hamamelis virginiana
D) Quercus stellata

Which of these Betulaceae species does not develop pre-formed male catkins?

A) Betula allegheniensis (yellow birch)
B) Betula nigra (river birch)
C) Ostrya virginiana (ironwood)
D) Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)

In Minnesota, which trees tend to lose their leaves in the fall before others?

A) walnut and birch
B) maple and elm
C) elm and honeylocust
D) hackberry and birch

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is likely the rarest native species of tree in MN. In which industry has it played a significant part?

A) flour industry
B) synthetic rubber industry
C) steel industry
D) tanning industry

How many designated state forests are there in Minnesota, according to the MNDNR?

A) 55
B) 60
C) 65
D) 70

According to a recent study published in Biological Invasions by University of Minnesota and Friends of the Mississippi researchers, approximately 97% of the buckthorn seeds that were planted germinated by the ____ year after planting. This uproots previous thinking and management strategies.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Which of these are leaf symptoms of fire blight?

A) wilted shoots bend downward forming a hook-like shape
B) infected leaves and shoots turn brown or black
C ) brown leaves cling to the blighted twig during growing season and remain attached into winter
D) young leaves and shoots wilt and turn gray-green

The largest recorded oak leaf measured 42cm long and 39.7 cm wide? In which US state was it collected?

A) Alabama
B) Alaska
C ) Missouri
D) New Hampshire

How many petals are on a typical flower of Prunus americana?

A) 4
B) 5
C ) 6
D) 7

The pineal gland in the human brain gets its name from its pinecone-like shape.

A) True

B) False

Which of these trees have twigs with false terminal buds?
A) box elder
B) river birch
C) northern red oak
D) basswood

The CODIT Model (later developed into the CODIT Principle) was created by Alex Shigo in what year?

A) 1972
B) 1975
C) 1977
D) 1978

What is the largest state forest in Minnesota (in terms of acreage)?

A) Koochiching State Forest
B) Sturgeon River State Forest
C) Cloquet Valley State Forest
D) Pine Island State Forest

Which spruce is one of the most popular woods used in acoustic guitar tops?

A) Sitka spruce
B) White spruce
C) Meyer's spruce
D) Brewer spruce

How many real Christmas trees are sold in the US each year, and how many trees are currently growing on US Christmas tree farms?

A) appx 25-30 million, and 350 million
B) appx 30-35 million, and 365 million
C) appx 35-40 million, and 375 million
D) appx 40-45 million, and 390 million

Bristlecone pines are the oldest non-clonal species in the world. What color are their new pinecones?

A) red
B) black
C) blue
D) purple

Answer

What is the formal term for a husk of a tree nut (such as a bitternut) that cracks open to disperse its seed?

A) Serotinous
B) Cycladic
C) Dihissent
D) Shazaamic

Which of these trees typically drops all of its leaves on the same day?

A) American beech
B) Ginkgo
C) Paper birch
D) Black walnut

Joshua trees are native to the which desert in the American southwest whose name can be translated as "along or beside the water"?

What is the name of the creature above?

A) Achemon Sphinx Moth
B) Crambid Snout
C) Tufted Thyatirin Moth
D) Spongy Moth

How many acres of forest are there in Minnesota?

A) 17.7 million acres
B) 24.3 million acres
C) 28.7 million acres
D) 31.3 million acres

Which type of tree produces the longest seed cones (up to 25 inches!)?

A) Douglas fir
B) Giant sequoia
C) Noble fir
D) Sugar pine

Answer

What types of trees are favorites of Minnesota's boreal owls (Aegolius funereus)?

A) fir, spruce, cedar
B) spruce, pine, aspen
C) pine, aspen, fir
D) cedar, aspen, pine

Part A) What is the volume of a cord of wood?

Part B) How did it get its name?

Can you name the 4 ecological provinces of MN and 3+ of their most common tree species?

How about naming the 26 ecological subsections?

What species does this bark belong to?

Amur maackia bark

a) river birch
b) amur maackia
c) yellowwood
d) snakebark maple

True or false:
It is common for floodplain forests to produce up to a million germinating tree seedlings per acre by late summer.

What type of flower inflorescence is found on Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa)?

a) compound raceme
b) panicle
c) corymb
d) capitulum

Which tree has the largest flowers of any species native to North America?

a) Magnolia macrophylla
b) Chionanthus virginicus
c) Cercis canadensis
d) Liriodendron tulipifera

"Cambium" comes from the Latin word "cambire", which means...

A) to flow
B) to give
C) to party
D) to exchange

Throwing a party? Bring on the trees! Which two of these species would glow a bright, uniform green under a black light?

A) Cryptomeria japonica
B) Pistacia vera
C) Brosimum rubescens
D) Robinia pseudoacacia

What is the term for the waxy-like layer found on leaves of terrestrial plants?

A) cuticle
B) sheath
C) manteau
D) cap

How many national forests are there in the USA?

A) 154
B) 187
C) 213
D) 255

In general, how much of a living tree is water?

A) 65%
B) 70%
C) 75%
D) 80%

What can be found in the center of an white pine needle in cross-section?

A) a hollow space
B) resin ducts
C) vascular bundles
D) snowflakes

"Unlike gray squirrels, red squirrels are larder hoarders. They gather their food—often the cones of coniferous trees—into stashes called _________." (MNDNR)

A) troves
B) funds
C) jumbles
D) middens

Of known gymnosperm species worldwide, what percentage belong to the genus Pinus?

A) almost 8%
B) almost 13%
C) almost 15%
D) almost 20%

Anthocyanin is a pigment which makes trees appear red.
Where is it found in a plant?

A) attached to the cell membrane
B) paired with Golgi vesicles
C) inside the mitochondria
D) dissolved in the cell sap

"Espalier" is a specific way of training trees to grow (especially fruit trees). The term can be traced back to the Latin word for...

A) Spatula
B) Shoulder blade
C) Trellis
D) Rigid trunk

What is the botanical term for a "plant that is mostly dioecious but with some perfect flowers", which may be exampled by a "male" tree that ends up producing some female fruit?

A) Polymorphous
B) Polymonoecious
C) Polyploid
D) Polygamodioecious

What is the term for "flowering out of sequence", a phenomenon like when lilacs bloom in the spring and then again (although usually less prominently) in the fall?

A) doubly senescent flowering
B) remontant flowering
C) duplicate flowering
D) reiterative flowering

In 2019, what was the forestry products annual employment impact in Minnesota?

A) 34,000 jobs
B) 47,000 jobs
C) 64,000 jobs
D) 73,000 jobs

Bigtooth Aspen

Which native tree species is pictured above?

A) Populus tremuloides
B) Populus grandidentata
C) Populus balsamifera
D) Populus alba

Which of these is the most likely victim of feeding damage by the bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius)?

A) Betula nigra (river birch)
B) Betula papyrifera (paper birch)
C) Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
D) Betula pendula (silver birch)

True or False:

Blue beech trees (Carpinus caroliniana) produce catkins.

Flowering serviceberry

Which plant is found in the picture above?

A) Dogwood
B) Serviceberry
C ) Elderberry
D) Chokeberry

Giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) have the thickest bark of any tree on Earth. What is the range of bark thickness for this species?

A) 11 - 98 cm
B) 49 - 86 cm
C ) 17 - 64 cm
D) 25 -121 cm

Tamarack Cones

A springtime twig from which native Minnesota tree species is pictured above?

In general, white rot is structurally less problematic for trees than brown rot. What is the major exception?

A) Inonotus dryadeus
B) Irpex lacteus
C) Hypzizigus ulmarius
D) Piptoporous betulinus

Which island is home to the southernmost tree in the world?

A) Isla Hornos
B) Isla Freycinet
C) Isla Deceit
D) Isla Hermite

Which of these is Minnesota's newest state forest?

A) Solana
B) Welsh Lake
C) Hill River
D) Centennial

In one growing season, how much water can a 100-foot-tall tree absorb and then release again into the atmosphere as oxygen and water vapor?

A) 5,000 gallons
B) 7,000 gallons
C) 9,000 gallons
D) 11,000 gallons

Which tree makes up the highest elevation woodland (between 4,000 - 5,200 meters above sea level)?

A) Betula utilis
B) Pinus albicaulis
C) Abies squamata
D) Polylepsis tomentella

What is the formal term for the year when an oak produces an unusually high amount of acorns (usually every 2-5 years)?

A) mast year
B) drop year
C) bumper year
D) load year

Walking palms are native to which continent?

True of False: The bloodwood tree of southern Africa "bleeds" bright-red sap.

Answer

What is the formal term for when a tree naturally sheds branches?

A) Desquamation
B) Exuviation
C) Molting
D) Cladoptosis

Which tree is associated with a treatment for scurvy (a vitamin C deficiency)?

A) White oak
B) Sweetgum
C) Sassafras
D) Arborvitae

Which type of mulberry tree is native to parts of Minnesota, and which is considered a nuisance (and possibly on its way to being invasive)?

A) Native: red mulberry | Nuisance: white mulberry
B) Native: common mulberry | Nuisance: white mulberry
C) Native: white mulberry | Nuisance: red mulberry
D) Native: white mulberry | Nuisance: common mulberry

What is the southernmost MN State Forest?

A) Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest
B) Centennial State Forest
C) George Washington State Forest
D) Two Inlets State Forest

Which tree type was used as a source of charcoal for gunpowder during colonial settlement?

A) Red oak
B) White spruce
C) Quaking aspen
D) Black willow

Trees could reduce the temperature in cities by up to ______, thereby lowering use of air conditioning and related emissions up to _____.

A) ...2°C (36°F); 15%
B) ...4°C (39°F); 25%
C) ...6°C (43°F); 30%
D) ...8°C (46°F); 40%

What is Minnesota's most populous tree species?

(Hint: Think skiing in Colorado)

Can you name at least 7 tree species in Minnesota that are considered invasive?

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