Tree Identification: Guide to Identifying Trees

Tree identification is a subpart of 'Dendrology'. All trees are categorized into Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta on the basis of flower type and seed.

The features of Pinophyta are:

• seeds are naked and often borne in a cone
• leaves are needle or scale-like
• wood is made up of tracheids
• generally called evergreens with the exception of some like Bald-cypress, Ginkgo, Larches, Dawn Red-wood etc

The various leaf types under Pinophyta are:

Needles of Spruce, Balsam Fir and Eastern Hemlock are borne individually on the twig. Needles of pines are in groups or clusters. Ginkgo has a broad-leaf. Foliage of Eastern White Cedar has overlapping scales.

The features of Magnoliophyta are:

• fruit requires double-fertilization
• leaves are simple or compound
• woody dicots have both trachea and tracheids in the wood

The different leaf types under Magnoliophyta are:

A simple leaf of White Birch has an apex, margin, base, petiole, mid-rib and lateral vein. The pinnately compound leaf of White Ash has terminal leaflet, rachis, petiolule and petiole. Honey-locust has a bi-pinnately compound leaf. Horse-chestnut has a palmately compound leaf.

Tree identification guide

Green Ash seeds are consumed by birds. They are of scant importance to deer.

Bald Cypress is about 100 to 150 feet tall. The bark is fibrous, scaly and peels in thin and long strips. Leaves are yellowish-green in color. Root systems have knees that extend up across the ground near the base of the tree.

American Beech is a medium sized tree. The bark is thin, smooth and gray. Leaves are 2.5 to 5 inches long and 1 to 2.5 inches wide. They are simple and deciduous. The fruit is a 3 angled nut covered with bur. Trigs are zigzag and terminal buds are 1 inch long.

Blackgum is a medium-sized tree where branches are perpendicular to the trunk. The leaves are simple, pinnately veined, alternate and have a margin 3 to 5 inches long. They are seldom toothed. The flowers are green-white in color and found in clusters. The fruit is dark, ½ inch long and a purplish-blue drupe. There exists a fleshly coating around a ribbed pit.

Eastern Redcedar has evergreen foliage where small birds make their habitat. The seeds are mostly consumed by cedarwax wings. Deers can be spotted rubbing themselves on these trees.

Black Cherry is a small to medium sized tree. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long, oval or oblong, lance-shaped and alternate. The margins are dark green, lustrous and finely serrated above. There is a dense yellowish-brown pubescence near the mid-rib. The tree flowers from May to July. The fruit can be seen from June to October. The flesh is dark purple and black when ripe.

Alleghany Chinkapin has simple leaves 3 to 6 inches long. They are alternate and the bottom has velvety white hair. The nuts of this tree are eaten by deer, squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, racoons and some birds also. Deer consume the foliage. This tree may occur as a small shrub.

Eastern cottonwoods are one of the largest trees in North America. They may grow to more than 100 feet and the trunks may cross 5 feet diameter. They have fluffy white seeds that are very small i.e. 1mm wide and 4 mm long.

Dogwood is a small tree whose veins curve away from the midrib and then curves back. They are in the form of shrubs or small trees. Fruit is consumed by songbirds and the leaves by deer.

Eastern Hophornbeam has simple, alternate, oval-shaped leaves having doubly serrated margins. Near the base of the petiole, the leaves have a hairy underside. The fruit is a tiny nutlet, ¼ inch in length. It grows to a full size in August and stays through the winter. The bark has a shreddy look. This can be broken into small plates long scales that are thin are easily removable.

American Elm is about 80 to 120 feet in height. The base is fluted. The leaves are simple, alternate, 4-6 inches in length and 2-3 inches in width. The fruit is green or sometimes red seed. This is surrounded by a wing, which is ½ inch long and has a deep notch.

Tupelo gum has a bark that is dark brown or dark gray, thin and scaly. The leaves are simple, alternate, slightly ovate, tapering to a point at the tip. These are rounded near the base and 8 inches in length. Many have smooth edges along with some coarse teeth. The color is dark green and pale. Fine hairs are located beneath. The fruits are oblong and fleshly. These ripen in September. They are eaten by squirrels, wood ducks, deer and raccoon.

Hackberry is a small to medium-sized tree. The bark is gray or light brown, smooth along with corky ridges. The leaves are simple, alternate, 2 to 5 inches long and ovate. The twigs are zigzag and do not have a terminal bud. The drupe is fleshly, ¼ to 3/8 inch in diameter and looks reddish to dark purple when ripe and edible.

Shagbark Hickory has a hard, strong, tough and elastic wood. The nuts are eaten by turkey, deer and squirrels. It grows best on well-drained soils.

Pecan Hickory can grow to more than 100 feet. The bark is smooth when young. The leaves are alternate, pinnately compound with 9 to 15 finely serrate leaflets and 12 to 18 inches in length. The nuts are large oblong, brown and in clusters on trees. The tree matures in September and October.

Pignut Hickory may reach a height of 50 to 60 feet. The bark is gray to dark gray and may look shallowly fissured in older trees. The buds are ¼ to ½ inch long. The leaflets are compound, alternate and 8 to 12 inches long. The nuts are consumed by squirrels and chipmunks.

Water Hickory are similar to pecan. The difference is that their nuts are flat, while those of a pecan are rounded. These nuts are ingested by wood ducks, wild hogs and squirrels.

American Holly is a small to medium sized tree. The bark is gray and thin. The leaves are alternate, simple, persistant, 2-4 inches in length and 1-2 inches in width. The fruit is spherical, red and 0.25 inches in diameter. Songbirds and thrashers thrive on them.

Black Locust may reach upto 100 feet. The bark appears gray or dark brown, ridged and furrowed. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound along with 7 to 19 leaflets and 8 to 14 inches long. The leaflets are oval and 1 inch long. Flowers can be seen from May to June. The fruit is brown, pea pods 2 to 4 inches long. These have 4 to 8 smooth and reddish-brown seeds. The twigs are zigzag, stout, angular and red-brown in color.

Honey Locust have many thorns, compound leaves and are deciduous. Deer ingest the seed pods.

Bigleaf Magnolia is a small tree with a straight trunk. Leaves are simple, alternate and 20 to 30 inches long. The flowers are 10 to 14 inches long, showy and have many long creamy white petals, which are fragrant.

Red Maple as well as Sugar Maple have buds, flowers and leaves that are devoured by birds and mammals. The seeds are eaten by chipmunks and squirrels. Deer consume the new leaves.

Red Mulberry has leaves that are simple, alternate and 3 to 5 inches in length along with serrate margins. The fruit is cylindrical, 1 to 1.25 inches long and matures in June to August. This is consumed by wild turkeys, deer, foxes and birds.

Bur Oak is a medium-sized tree. The bark is scaly and gray to brown in color. This has vertical ridges. The leaves are simple, alternate and 6 to 12 inches long along with many lobes. The Acorns are large and enclosed in a warty cap. These drop from August to November.

Cherrybark Oak has a fruit that ripens the second year. The small rounded acorns are ½ inch long.

Cow Oaks may grow upto 80 feet and have a narrow crown. The bark is ash gray and scaly. The leaves are simple, alternate, 4 to 8 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide. These are dark green and shiny on the upper surface and pale and downy on the bottom surface. The acorn is 1 to 1.5 inches in length and yellow to chestnut brown in color. These are a favorite of the deer.

Live Oak is an evergreen tree where there is a large crown. The acorns are long, tapered and dark brown to black. These ripen in September and fall before December. These are consumed by birds and animals. Flowers can be seen from March to May.

Overcup Oak is large and has simple, alternate leaves 6 to 10 inches long. The underside of the leaf is white and hairy. The fruit is an acorn ½ to 1 inch long and is round. The bark is gray-brown, scaly and with irregular plates.

Pin Oak is a medium sized tree in a distinctive pyramid form. The bark is gray-brown, tight and thin. The leaves are simple, alternate and 3 to 6 inches long. The tree has 5 to 9 bristle-tipped lobes along with deep sinuses upto the midrib. The fruit is a small acorn ½ inch in length, rounded and flat at the cap. This is consumed by deer or turkeys.

Post Oak is a drought resistant tree. The leaves are used to create nests by birds, squirrels and raccoons. The bark is similar to a white oak.

Red Oak has alternate and moderately shiny leaves. Young trees have a smooth and grey bark that darkens and develops grooves. The acorns are eaten by deer, squirrels, turkeys and raccoons.

Shingle Oak has leaves 3 to 6 inches long, oval shaped and lacking any lobes. Shumard Oak has leaves like red oak and bark like water oak.

Swamp White Oak has leaves 3 to 7 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide. The fruit is an acorn of length 1 inch. A cap covers 1/3 of the acorn.

Sugarberry is a small to medium-sized tree. It has simple, alternate leaves, 2 to 5 inches in length. These are ovate along with acuminate tips and have a cordate, inequilateral base. The leaf margins are serrate and hairy at the bottom. The bark is less corky and the fruits are more juicy and sweet than Hackberry.