New England hardwoods – opposite simple leaves: two leaves grow from each stem node and each leaf has a single blade.
The largest family of woody plants in New England with opposite, simple leaves is Caprifoliaceae, the Honeysuckles; the largest genus being Lonicera, consisting of both native and non-native species. Most of the non-natives have an invasive habit.
Viburnaceae is a family of shrubs and small, understory trees with small white flowers held in attractive flattened clusters (cymes). Fruits are one-seeded, edible drupes that are white or blue (red in one species).
Sapindaceae contains the Maples (Acer), the familiar maple leaf making them one of the most recognizable groups of woody plants in North America.
Cornaceae comprises the Dogwoods (Cornus), common thicket-forming shrubs, with one species of understory tree. A simple method to identify Dogwoods in the field is to gently pull apart a leaf lengthwise, the broken veins will be joined by a wispy, thread-like connection, a characteristic common to all Dogwoods.
A total of 23 species in 10 plant families are covered in this leaf form category:
Northern Catalpa (Catawba) (Catalpa speciosa)
Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)
Morrow’s Honeysuckle Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)
Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
Tatarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)
Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericia)
Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Princess-tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Striped Maple (Moose Maple) (Acer pensylvanicum)
Norway Maple (Acer platinoides)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Eastern Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum)
Maple-leaved Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)
Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides)
Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)
Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus ssp. trilobum)
