Needle-like leaf Needle-like leaves are found on three types of trees: pines, firs and spruces. Needle-like leaves are long and very narrow with a sharp point at the tip. These needles grow in bundles, often arranged in rows along the twig. The needles are flexible, often dark green and may be waxy or have a…
Check the needle shape. If you find a tree with needles that are 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) long, flat, soft, and flexible, chances are it is a Douglas fir. The needles should be dark green or bluish green in color with a blunt or pointed tip. The needle tips may even…
Sugar Maple The Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is a deciduous tree that can grow more than 100 feet tall. It is the most common maple tree in the United States and is found mostly in the eastern half of the country, where it is prized for its ornamental value and tapped to produce maple syrup….
American hickory American Hickory (Carya ovata) You’ll recognize this species by its large, oval-shaped leaves that grow in groups of five to nine. Look for trees with compound leaves to identify this hickory. The bark is dark and shaggy, and it grows in a wide range of soils from the foothills of the Ozark Mountains…
Beech tree Beech trees are deciduous, so their buds are visible in the winter. The buds are small and clustered at the ends of the twigs. They have a single pointed tip, which is reddish-brown. Beech tree bud scales are narrow and long, but not hairy. Magnolia tree Magnolia trees have leaf buds that are…
Trees With Needles If a tree has needles instead of leaves, it is a conifer. The word “conifer” comes from the Latin words for “cone” and “bearing.” Conifers produce their seeds in cones. Conifer needles are soft, flexible, and have a leathery texture when you touch them. Needles grow in bundles on the branches. If…
Type The boxelder is a very common tree in Utah. It is a deciduous (meaning it sheds its leaves every year) maple that reaches heights of 50 feet and spreads 40 feet wide. The leaves are not divided, but rather have three to five pointed lobes with edges that are doubly toothed. Boxelders grow fast,…
Simple Leaf Identification A simple leaf is simply a single blade attached directly to the stem of the plant. Simple leaves are either broad or needle-like: Broad simple leaves can be lobed or unlobed, rounded, pointed, oblong or some combination of these characteristics. Broad simple leaves can also be smooth or toothed along the edges….
Identifying conifers Take a look at the needles, or leaves, of the tree. Conifers have needle-like leaves or scales. Evergreens are plants that keep their green foliage all year long as opposed to deciduous trees which lose their leaves in the colder months of the year. Most evergreen conifers are wind pollinated and monoecious, which…
The first step is understanding. The first step in any learning process is understanding. Understanding a tree involves having an appreciation of how it grows, how to identify it and also how it interacts with its environment. A good way to start would be to learn about the local climate and geology – both of…