Trail Guide
The twelve trees marked along the Burns Park trail. Tap a name below to jump straight to it, or scroll through the whole list.
Trail Map & Sign Key
Every tree below is marked with a lettered sign along the White Oak Trail at the Burns Park Soccer Complex. Spot a letter on the trail, then match it here — a few species, like Cottonwood and Osage Orange, have more than one sign along the route.
- A Cottonwood
- B Black Walnut
- C Green Ash
- D Osage Orange
- E Osage Orange
- F Pecan
- G Hackberry
- H Sweet Gum
- I Sycamore
- J American Elm
- K Paw Paw Grove
- L Green Ash
- M Black Willow
- N Cottonwood
- O Chinese Tallow
Trail map: Thomas Hester, Troop 12, Natural State Council
Cottonwood
Populus deltoidesCottonwood trees can grow over one hundred feet tall and are famous for producing seeds attached to cotton that float in the breeze, allowing for reproduction. Cottonwood is native to North America, Europe, and Western Asia. They grow best in parks, close to rivers.
- Mature size
- Up to 100 ft. tall
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; medium-to-wet, well-drained soil; thrives along streams and floodplains
- Edible?
- No
- Fun fact
- A pioneer species — it's often the first tree to take root on bare sandbars and flooded ground, growing up to 13 ft. in its first year. Cuttings are still planted today to stabilize eroding riverbanks.
Black Walnut
Juglans nigraThe Black Walnut tree can grow up to one hundred fifty feet in a lesser competitive environment, and is known for its valuable hardwood and edible nuts. The Black Walnut tree is native to North America.
- Mature size
- 75–95 ft. tall
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; moist, rich, well-drained soil
- Edible?
- Yes — the nut is edible, though notoriously hard to crack and extract
- Fun fact
- Its roots release a chemical called juglone that can stunt many nearby plants. Its rich, dark wood is prized for furniture, gun stocks, and even piano cases.
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanicaGreen Ash is most known for its strong, hard, and bendable wood, used to make bats and tools. Typically, the Green Ash is forty to eighty-two feet tall, in some rare cases growing up to one hundred forty feet. It is native to North America.
- Mature size
- 40–60 ft. tall (occasionally to 75 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; moist, well-drained, adaptable soil
- Edible?
- No
- Fun fact
- Once one of the most popular shade and street trees in America — but it's no longer recommended for new planting because of the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has killed ash trees by the millions.
Osage Orange
Maclura pomiferaThe Osage Orange tree is most well known for its bumpy fruit that resembles an immature orange. It typically grows thirty to fifty feet in a competitive environment. The Osage Orange is native to Central South America.
- Mature size
- 20–40 ft. tall (occasionally to 60 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; moist, well-drained, adaptable soil
- Edible?
- No — despite the citrus-like look, this is the one fruit on the trail you shouldn't eat
- Fun fact
- Its old nickname “bois d'arc” is French for “bow-wood,” from Native Americans using its wood to make hunting bows. It has sharp thorns and milky sap, and was once planted as living fencerows before barbed wire existed.
Pecan
Carya illinoinensisThe Pecan tree is most well known for its seed, which is cultivated for snacks and recipes. It typically grows from sixty-six to one hundred thirty-one feet, with rare cases of one hundred forty feet plus. The Pecan tree is native to South America.
- Mature size
- 65 ft. tall, 75 ft. wide (occasionally to 130 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Edible?
- Yes — America's most valuable native nut tree
- Fun fact
- Its name comes from “pekani,” an Illinois Native American word. Pecans have been cultivated since 1766, and a young tree can take 8 to 12 years before producing its first nuts.
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalisHackberries are known for their small fruits, which are vital sources of food for wildlife. Hackberries typically grow from thirty-three to eighty-two feet. The Hackberry is native to North America.
- Mature size
- 40–60 ft. tall (occasionally to 90 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun to partial sun; highly adaptable, even in poor soil
- Edible?
- Yes — the small purple berries are sweet and edible, and popular with birds and wildlife
- Fun fact
- The name traces back to the Scottish word “hagberry.” Native Americans once pounded the berries into a paste to sweeten meat and corn cakes.
Sweet Gum
Liquidambar styracifluaThe Sweet Gum tree is most known for its star-shaped leaves and its hard, spiked fruits. The Sweet Gum tree grows from twenty to seventy feet. The Sweet Gum is native to the eastern and south-central United States.
- Mature size
- 75 ft. tall, 50 ft. wide (occasionally to 130 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; moderate moisture, adaptable
- Edible?
- Not for humans, though the seeds are an important food source for birds and small mammals
- Fun fact
- Its fragrant sap was chewed as an early, informal type of gum by pioneers — hence the name. It's also the host plant for two of Arkansas's largest moths, the luna moth and the regal moth.
Sycamore
Platanus occidentalisThe Sycamore tree is most well known for its distinctive camouflage bark, which peels away to leave white bark beneath. The Sycamore tree grows from ninety-eight to one hundred thirty-one feet tall. The Sycamore is native to Central North America.
- Mature size
- 75 ft. tall (occasionally to 150 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; rich, deep, moist soil
- Edible?
- No
- Fun fact
- It grows a larger trunk diameter than any other native hardwood in North America. Hollow, mature trunks provide shelter for owls, chimney swifts, and other wildlife.
American Elm
Ulmus americanaThe American Elm tree is most known for its distinctive silhouette and strong bark. The American Elm grows from seventy feet to one hundred fifteen feet tall. The American Elm tree is native to eastern North America.
- Mature size
- Up to 100 ft. tall, 100 ft. wide
- Climate & soil
- Full sun to partial sun; rich, moist, adaptable soil
- Edible?
- No — it produces small winged seeds (samaras), not nuts
- Fun fact
- Once America's classic street tree for its graceful, arching shape — until Dutch elm disease, a fungus introduced around 1930, wiped out most of the population. Disease-resistant varieties are helping bring it back today.
Paw Paw Grove
Asimina trilobaThe pawpaw is most known for its unique, tropical-flavored fruit; however, it is not recommended that humans eat the fruit safely and regularly. Pawpaw trees grow from thirty-five to forty-five feet tall. The pawpaw is native to North America.
- Mature size
- 15–40 ft. tall
- Climate & soil
- Full sun to full shade; moist, fertile, acidic soil
- Edible?
- Yes — a sweet, custardy fruit, the largest edible fruit native to North America (only the ripe fruit is eaten; skin and seeds are not)
- Fun fact
- Its inner bark was once woven into cloth and fishing line by Native Americans. It's also the only host plant for zebra swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.
Black Willow
Salix nigraThe Black Willow is most known for its erosion control, due to its extensive roots. The Black Willow grows from thirty-five to one hundred feet tall. Native Americans also used many parts of the tree for its medicinal value. The Black Willow tree is native to North America.
- Mature size
- 50–65 ft. tall (occasionally to 100 ft.)
- Climate & soil
- Full sun; moist to wet soil; fast-growing
- Edible?
- No
- Fun fact
- Its bark contains salicin, the natural compound behind aspirin, and was used for centuries as a folk pain reliever. Its wood doesn't split when nailed, making it a favorite for baskets and wickerwork.
Chinese Tallow
Triadica sebiferaThe Chinese Tallow tree is most known for its use in products like soap and candles. The Chinese Tallow grows from thirty to forty feet tall. The Chinese Tallow is native to eastern Asia.
- Mature size
- Up to 60 ft. tall
- Climate & soil
- Highly adaptable; native to eastern Asia, not North America
- Edible?
- No — and this species is considered invasive in Arkansas; planting new ones isn't recommended
- Fun fact
- Named for the white, waxy coating on its seeds, once rendered into candles, soap, and cloth dressing in China for centuries. Benjamin Franklin introduced the tree to America in 1776.