Winter Tree ID (Twigs)
What is a twig?
The book
• Species organized into simple,
meaningful categories*.
• High-resolution photos of twigs, bark,
fruits, etc.
• “Similar species” list for each species.
• *Some categories condensed/combined
for this presentation.
Learning twigs in 2 (or sometimes 3) easy
steps!
1. What is the leaf scar
arrangement?
• Whorled
• Opposite
• Alternate
2. What type of bud scales does it
have?
• Imbricate
• Valvate
• Caplike
• Naked
3. Other unique characteristics
• Hair on twig or bud
• Stout vs. thin
• Zig-zag vs. straight
• Buds clustered at the end of the
twig
Leaf scar arrangements
Whorled (3 scars per node)
Opposite (2 scars per node)
Alternate (1 scar per node)
Lay out your twigs in order,
from 1 to 57
Leaf scars opposite or whorled (species 1-9)
1. Acer rubrum
2. Acer negundo
3. Acer saccharum
4. Cornus florida
5. Viburnum rufidulum
6. Fraxinus americana
7. Fraxinus pennsylvanica
9. Catalpa bignonioides
#1 Acer rubrum (p. 14)
• Usually reddish
• V-shaped leaf scars that touch
• Terminals a bit larger than
laterals
#2 Acer negundo (p. 10)
• Green and lustrous
• V-shaped leaf scars that touch
• Deeply imbedded laterals
• White pubescence on
terminal (especially) and
laterals
#3 Acer saccharum (p. 18)
• Brownish with distinct lightcolored lenticels
• V-shaped leaf scars that touch
• Sharply pointed terminals,
variegated brown and white
#4 Cornus florida (p. 26)
• Dull and greenish
• Large terminal, pointed and
emerging from split twig
• Round flower bud may be
present
#5 Viburnum rufidulum (p. 24)
• Light brown to ashy-grey
colored
• Rusty red pubescence on buds
• Terminals substantially larger
than laterals
#6 Fraxinus americana (p. 30)
• Light grey to olive green
colored
• Occasional lenticels on recent
growth
• Buds deeply imbedded in “U”
shaped leaf scar.
#7 Fraxinus pennsylvanica (p. 32)
• Light grey to olive green
colored
• Occasional lenticels on recent
growth
• Brownish bud sits on top of
leaf scar
#9 Catalpa bignonioides (p. 22)
• Grayish green in color
• Concave leaf scars are
(usually) whorled
• Skunky smell when freshly cut
Leaf scars alternate, bud scales naked
11. Asimina triloba
13. Carya cordiformis
14. Rhamnus caroliniana
#11 Asimina triloba (p. 94)
• Brown in color
• Dark brown naked bud, with
velvety pubescence
• Terminals much larger than
laterals
• Green pepper smell
#13 Carya cordiformis (p. 102)
• Yellowish brown in color
• Terminal bud is larger than
laterals and is covered in
velvety pubescence
• Looks naked but technically is
not
#14 Rhamnus (Frangula) caroliniana (p. 104)
• Brownish twig
• Naked bud with grey/tan
pubescence
• Terminals a bit larger than
laterals
• Musty odor when scratched
Leaf scars alternate, single cap-like budscale
15. Platanus occidentalis
16. Salix nigra
#15 Platanus occidentalis (p. 88)
• Green to grey zig-zag twig
• Single cap-like bud scale starts
out green but turns red
• Leaf scar surrounds bud.
Bundle scars visible
#16 Salix nigra (p. 90)
• Slender, yellowish-brown in
color
• Single caplike budscale,
beaked and appressed to the
twig
Leaf scars alternate, valvate (2 scaled) buds
17. Liriodendron tulipifera
18. Alnus serrulata
#17 Liriodendron tulipifera (p. 108)
• Shiny brown twig
• Valvate buds, look like praying
hands or a duck’s bill
• Round leaf scar with stipular
scar completely surrounding
the twig
#18 Alnus serrulata (p. 106)
• Dark brown twig, possibly with
some pubescence
• Valvate bud scales, stalked laterals.
• Triangular/semi-circular scar.
• Male and female catkins often
present
Leaf scars alternate, twigs armed and/or buds
submerged
20. Robinia pseudoacacia
21. Albizia julibrissin
#20 Robinia pseudoacacia (p. 114)
• Brownish angular twig
• Submerged laterals
• Stipular spines may be long,
short or absent.
#21 Albizia julibrissin (p. 126)
• Zig-zag, greenish black with
corky lenticels
• Smells like green peas
• Tri-lobed leaf scar, with tiny,
partially submerged bud
Leaf scars alternate, stout with large leaf scar
24. Carya illinoinensis
25. Carya tomentosa
26. Carya glabra
27. Rhus glabra
28. Rhus copallina
29. Melia azederach
#24 Carya illinoinensis (p. 132)
• Slight pubescence on brown
twig
• Buds dark brown, pointed,
and somewhat beaked
• Heart-shaped leaf scar
#25 Carya tomentosa (p. 136)
• Stout brown twig
• Large terminal bud with
blonde scales
• Tomentum on recent growth
• Elongated or tri-shaped scar
#26 Carya glabra (p. 130)
• Dark brown, almost black twig
• Glabrous and thinner than C.
tomentosa
• Dark brown to black scales on
terminal bud
#27 Rhus glabra (p. 124)
• Scattered corky red lenticels,
twig generally glabrous
• Leaf scar wraps almost
completely around the bud.
#28 Rhus copallina (p. 122)
• Corky red lenticels and soft
pubescence all over twig
• Bud sits on top of a U-shaped
leaf scar
#29 Melia azedarach (p. 150)
• Dark green or almost black
twig with small lenticels
• 3 lobed leaf scar with small
brownish bud on top
Leaf scars alternate, buds with numerous scales
(imbricate), buds clustered at the end of twig
30. Quercus alba
31. Quercus stellata
32. Quercus nigra
33. Quercus coccinea
34. Quercus velutina
36. Quercus phellos
37. Quercus falcata
38. Quercus rubra
#30 Quercus alba (p. 38)
• Grayish or grayish-red twig,
hairless, lustrous.
• Reddish brown glabrous bud
scales, usually with a rounded
point.
#31 Quercus stellata (p. 62)
• Yellowish grey twig with
pubescence. Usually stout.
• Orangeish-red buds, with
pubescence
#32 Quercus nigra (p. 54)
• Slender, with very divergent
buds
• Reddish brown buds with a
whitish, pubescent tip (a little
frosty)
#33 Quercus coccinea (p. 40)
• Reddish brown twig, a little
darker and stouter than Q.
nigra
• Buds reddish brown, with
frosted pubsescent tips
#34 Quercus velutina (p. 64)
• Very angular twig, generally
hairless
• Bud scales very hairy and tan
in color.
• Buds very pointed
#36 Quercus phellos (p. 58)
• Slender hairless twig
• Small, slender brownish
divergent buds. Also hairless
#37 Quercus falcata (p. 42)
• Hairy twig, otherwise similar
to Q. velutina
• Reddish brown buds with
some hair
#38 Quercus rubra (p. 60)
• Very angular, bronzed to
greenish twig. No hair
• Glabrous, shiny reddish brown
buds
Those pesky oaks…
Hair on the twig
YES
NO
NO
Quercus rubra
YES
Hair on the bud
Quercus alba
Quercus phellos
Quercus falcata
Quercus velutina
Quercus stellata
Quercus coccinea
Quercus nigra
Leaf scars alternate, buds with numerous scales
(imbricate), twigs generally small w/small leaf scar
39. Oxydendrum arboreum
40. Prunus serotina
41. Carpinus caroliniana
42. Diospyros virginiana
43. Cercis canadensis
44. Betula nigra
45. Celtis laevigata
46. Amelanchier arborea
48. Nyssa sylvatica
49. Liquidambar styraciflua
50. Ostrya virginiana
51. Ulmus alata
53. Sassafras albidum
54. Tilia americana
55. Morus rubra
57. Fagus grandifolia
#39 Oxydendrum arboreum (p. 162)
• Two-toned twig, usually
greener on one side, redder
on the other
• Small leaf scars, and small
submerged buds.
#40 Prunus serotina (p. 178)
• Glaucous on one side,
glabrous on the other
• Variegated reddishbrown/green appressed buds
• Bad smell when scratched
#41 Carpinus caroliniana (p. 154)
• Slender twig
• Lateral buds appressed to the
twig
• Buds variegated white/brown,
look like snakeskin
#42 Diospyros virginiana (p. 160)
• Light brown twig, shieldshaped leaf scar
• Dark brown/black triangular
buds
• Crescent-shaped bundle scar
sometimes present in the leaf
scar
#43 Cercis canadensis (p. 166)
• Reddish to purplish zig-zag
twig with white lenticels
• Tiny lateral buds submerged
in the leaf scar
• Large globose flower buds
sometimes present
#44 Betula nigra (p. 70)
• Slender twigs, usually with
obvious white lenticels that
feel like sandpaper
• Sometimes pubescence on
the twig
• Greenish-brown buds
w/white pubescence.
#45 Celtis laevigata (p. 182)
• Usually dark colored, zig-zag,
with small white lenticels
• Triangular brown bud sitting
on a little “porch”
• “terminal” bud is at a 90degree angle
#46 Amelanchier arborea (p. 78)
• Reddish brown twig
• Pointed, elongated buds,
ranging from green to pink to
(sometimes) red
#48 Nyssa sylvatica (p. 72)
• Light brown to grey twig
• Large terminal bud with small
(or missing) laterals.
• Purplish bud scales, usually
with white pubescence
• “sloth face” in the leaf scar
#49 Liquidambar styraciflua (p. 120)
• Light brown to grey twig
• Large shiny terminal, with
smaller laterals
• Buds may range in color from
green to brown
• Sometimes has a corky wing
#50 Ostrya virginiana (p. 158)
• Slender, reddish-brown, slightly
zig-zag
• Sometimes fine pubescence on
the twig and bud scale
• Buds variegated green and
reddish-brown
#51 Ulmus alata (p. 184)
• Slender and brown, may or
may not have wings
• Small, divergent brown buds
• Crescent or half-circle shaped
leaf scar
#53 Sassafras albidum (p. 172)
• Light green twig
• Small appressed laterals
• Club-like terminal bud
• Spicy smell
#54 Tilia americana (p. 86)
• Reddish to green zig-zag twigs
• Well-pronounced buds with 23 bud scales
• Similar to M. rubra (55) but
fewer scales
#55 Morus rubra (p .76)
• Grey twig
• 5 to 6 greenish-brown bud
scales
#57 Fagus grandifolia (p. 74)
• Yellowish-brown zig-zag twig
• Elongated, very divergent
buds