This week, we add our third and final pine species. The needles are very short and twisted on Virginia pine, unlike the other two. Boxelder is in the maple family, but has a compound leaf. It can be confused with poison-ivy when it has leaves, but the opposite, green twig is a simple clue. While black locust has a compound leaf, the thorns on the twig and the very "ropy" bark distinguish it from anything else we've learned. An interesting note, this week we have our two slipperiest species. If you chew on the twig of slippery elm or the buds of basswood, they are very slimy. This can be an easy way to distinguish slippery elm from some of the elms not being taught. The bark of large basswood trees can be hard to distinguish from other species like white ash or sweetgum. If you knock on the trunk or hit it with a stick, though, it will sound hollow.
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Pinus virginiana | |
| Eastern Redcedar | Juniperus virginiana |
| Black Locust | Robinia pseudoacacia |
| Basswood | Tilia americana |
| Slippery Elm | Ulmus rubra |
| Boxelder | Acer negundo |
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