What is in flower or fruit now?
Pick a month. The list shows the common trees at their most recognisable that month: in flower, carrying fruit or seed, or turning colour.
In flower
Catkins and flower clusters count. For conifers, the show is the pollen cones.
Carrying fruit, seed or cones
Look on the tree and on the ground beneath it.
Autumn colour
Colour changes, but leaf shape does not, so you can still identify a tree by its fallen leaves.
Bare branches
With no leaves, use bud arrangement, bark and the shape of the crown. The twigs and bark pages cover this.