First of all, look at the size and location of the tree. The first step to identifying a tree is to examine its size, location and overall appearance. Is the tree short or tall? Does it appear shrubby or vine-like? Is it located in the desert, rainforest, grassland or forest? Is it in a backyard…
Listen to the bark of different species of trees We are going to learn how to identify trees by listening to the bark. Sound like a bunch of hooey? Well, it’s not. Bark can reveal a great deal about a tree, and this is just one more tool in your botanical arsenal that you can…
Beech bark is smooth and gray, but develops shallow horizontal grooves with age. The bark of a beech tree is smooth and gray when young, but with age it develops shallow horizontal grooves. These grooves are very shallow, so they may be hard to notice. You can identify a beech tree by looking for horizontal…
Use samaras to identify maple trees. Maple trees produce fruit known as samaras. These are actually winged seeds and not true fruit. The samara contains the seed of the tree and is produced in pairs by female flowers. The samara is flat, papery, and attached to a long stem that provides it with aerodynamic properties…
Leaves: A defining characteristic of the oak tree is its leaves. Their lobes and sinuses (spaces between the lobes) vary by species. Leaves are a defining characteristic of oak trees. They’re often lobed and toothed, but every species is slightly different. The key is to look at the sinuses (spaces between the lobes) and the…
Aspen trees have a very distinct shape. Tree identification is a skill that takes time and practice, but identifying the aspen tree is quite simple. This is due to their very distinct shape. Aspens have a litter of leaves on the branches, which makes them easy to spot in the wild. They grow tall and…
Fraser fir The Fraser fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees in America. Most people choose this type of tree because it has excellent needle retention, meaning it will keep its needles for a long time without dropping them. It also has sturdy branches that can hold heavier ornaments, and doesn’t drop as…
The common juniper (Juniperus communis) is a hardy, evergreen conifer that grows from the arctic to tropical Africa. The common juniper (Juniperus communis) is a hardy, evergreen conifer that grows from the arctic to tropical Africa. It is the most widely distributed conifer on the planet. Junipers have been utilized by humans for thousands of…
The Red Maple You’ll find the Red Maple growing in a variety of areas ranging from eastern Canada to the midwestern U.S. It’s one of the most common trees in North America, especially throughout its northeastern range. The Red Maple is a deciduous tree, so it sheds its leaves in fall and grows new ones…
White Oak The next most common oak species is the white oak. The white oak is native to the eastern United States, growing in every state that borders the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and as far west as Indiana and Louisiana. The white oak can grow up to 100 feet tall and can…