Best Trees to get for FIW Advice and Ideas Sought

[Lowtardog]

We have "club" trees but I am looking at getting some of my own to create copses etc for use in FIW. Now I have always thought that fir trees or the like would be prominent, not usre why but any ideas or supplies advice would be great

[Malamute]

Larch!, The Redwood! Scots Pine... I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok.

Sorry couldn't help myself.

 I expect they are probably not the correct trees to use, but fir trees look right.

I am sure our American cousins will no doubt be able to advise us as to whats corect for the area.

[Aaron]

Naturally it varies by region. Fir are not out of place (I think it is more common in upstate NY), but most of the remaining woods in my area (southwestern Pennsylvania) are oak and maple. The odd thing noticed recently driving on the turnpike is that the fir trees usually grow in clumps. In the summer months they don't stand out too much, but in the winter that clump of green on a hillside of bare trees and dead leaves is very striking!

I have started to buy trees on ebay from "everydaygoodz" in Hong Kong. The prices can't be beat and they don't look bad at all. The foliage is a uniform mid to bright green, but I toned that down by hitting them with spray adhesive and sprinkling some darker flock over for variety.

Aaron

[bulldogger2000]

Greetings!

I live in Michigan in the USA (home to Fort Detroit, Fort Michilimackinac and assorted other FIW and 1812 points of interest).  

Trees in this area consist of alot of Maples, Oaks and pines.  The falls here are brilliant mainly due to the Maples and Oaks, so if you want a fall setting...make sure to use a lot of color!   Do not be afraid to intersperse the trees amongst each other.  The wild life is one way in which seeds are transported from one area to another.  A seed can be carried from one stand of trees to another stand of a completely differing type and begin it's growth.

I hope this is of assistance.

[Aaron]

OK, I realized I was a bit lazy in my post. Here are a couple of good google image searches I have used in the past for reference pictures:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=pennsylvania+forest&gbv=2
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&ei=xJHDSauSH4aGtgeP4IzOCg&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=allegheny+national+forest&spell=1

[archangel1]

The territories involved in the FIW are covered by three main forestry biomes - Boreal (spruce, balsam fir, paper birch), Northern Mixed (beech, maple, Eastern hemlock, yellow birch, white pine, Northern whitecedar) and Eastern Deciduous (beech, maple, yellow poplar, oak, hickory, mixed pine).

I eventually hope to make a small vignette using  some of Conquest's canoes in a birch forest, which, unfortunately, is not necessarily the easiest tree to pull off well.

[Lowtardog]

Many thanks for all the help gents

[itchy]

which ever ones you decide on these will probably have them

 http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/index.html

[Lowtardog]

which ever ones you decide on these will probably have them

 http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/index.html

Excellent link there and some lovely wares too

[Hitman]

Lowtardog;
I live in Southwestern Ontario so close to Michigan and also have in-laws up in Ottawa near the Quebec border. You will want a mixture of evergreen, deciduous, shrubs, birch, etc.

I just finished basing over 100 trees myself this past week as I have been on holidays. I purchased all of these trees a year ago during boxing day sales. Canadian Tire, Michaels, Home Depot, Rona and Dollarama stores. The evergreen trees were something like 50 cents a piece during boxing day sales, but needed to be re-painted greens, light browns and a touch of ocre and bluish greens depending on the type of trees they were and to hide the snow. I based them on 2" washers which you can buy in bulk at Home Depot, used real sand and some flock. The washers give them some weight to keep them standing on terrain and if they get bumped by your buddies on the table. The added benefit of individual basing allows you to move a tree or two during movement phase, and for easier storage. LeMax birch trees come out at Michaels during the fall / winter season and are nice to mix in, although they don't have leaves on them, Woodland Scenics has clump foilage that will rectify that problem for you, as well they have a nice assortment of deciduous trees to mix in. Finally, I purchased some hemlocks during the christmas season from both Michaels and Rona which are great, and only require basing and flocking...no need to re-paint.  All in all, my oldest son helped me spray the trees, glue the washers on and base the trees and they really took no time at all. I would post pictures, but I still haven't been able to get connected with photobucket yet

Just remember, the cheapest time to buy trees is during boxing week sales. Good luck!!

[Lowtardog]

Cheers Hitman a good tip. 100 trees we will have to call you Woody now

[marianas_gamer]

Lowtardog,
I lived and worked (outside about ten months a year) for 12 years in upstate New York through the heart of the Iroquois Nations.  The forests have regrown since the 19th century and are composed of some different species since then. For example American Chestnuts are gone because of the blight and many of the white pines have been replaced with mixed pines and I  believe that maples have really thrived (Fall is spectacular with the bright reds and yellows of the maples).  I think that if you are gaming in New York or Pennsylvania you should go with the mixed eastern deciduous forest composition. Hemlocks will mostly be found clumped in drainages and tucked into folds in the mountain (Just a hint, don't hunt whitetails in these areas, their meat tastes like pinesol). I'm pretty sure that the white pine forests were found in higher elevations.  Another thing  to keep in mind is that the Native Americans managed the landscape with controlled burning  in the spring so that most of your trees will be large with little underbrush.  Early European accounts talk about the park like quality of the woods and how easy they were to walk in.  The burning also increased edge environment and supported larger numbers of deer.  One last hint do not base your ideas of forests based on the recent "Last of the Mahicans" .  Much of that was filmed in the Carolinas.  I remember seeing the movie with a bunch of other archaeologists who worked in NY and all of the rhododendrons just ruined those particular scenes for us.
LB 

[Hitman]

Lowtardog
Woody!!...WOODY!!!!...are you kidding me!!!!!
 

[Lowtardog]

Lowtardog
Woody!!...WOODY!!!!...are you kidding me!!!!!
 

I didnt want to call you Forest

[Sinewgrab]

Lowtardog
Woody!!...WOODY!!!!...are you kidding me!!!!!
 

I didnt want to call you Forest

Momma always told me life was like a box of wargaming trees...

Okay, I'll admit, I don't know where I was going with that.