Identifying
Pennsylvania
Trees
Pennsylvania Forest
Stewardship
Program
Tree Identification
• In this presentation you will learn to
identify trees using the Summer Key to
Pennsylvania Trees.
• Trees can be identified using many factors
including leaves, bark, twigs, buds, flowers,
and fruits.
Leaf Types
Scale-like
Broad and flat
Needles
Leaf-type Comparison
Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Whorled
Leaf Arrangement Comparison
Leaf Structure
A simple leaf
Petiole (leaf stalk)
Bud
A Compound Leaf
Leaflet
Petiole (leaf stalk)
Bud
Pinnately compound
A Compound Leaf
Leaflet
Petiole
(leaf stalk)
Bud
Palmately compound
Leaf Structure Comparison
Leaf margins
Serrate
Dentate
Double
serrate
Lobed
Entire
Identification
Section
Red Maple ID Slide
Hint: opposite
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Red Maple
Sugar Maple ID
Slide
Hint: opposite
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple
Flowering Dogwood ID
Slide
Hint: opposite
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Flowering Dogwood
Northern Red Oak ID Slide
Hint: alternate
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Northern Red Oak
White Oak ID Slide
Hint: alternate
White Oak
Quercus alba
White Oak
White Oak versus Red Oak Comparison
White Oak
Red Oak
American Beech ID Slide
Hint: alternate
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
American Beech
Yellow Birch ID Slide
Hint: alternate / hairy
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch
Hint: alternate/hairy
Sweet (Black) Birch ID Slide
Sweet (Black) Birch
Betula lenta
Sweet (Black) Birch
Paper Birch ID Slide
Hint: alternate; hairy
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera
Paper Birch
Eastern Hemlock ID Slide
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Redcedar ID Slide
Eastern Redcedar
Juniperus virginiana
Eastern Redcedar
Balsam Fir ID Slide
Hint: leaves do not have stalks
Balsam Fir
Abies balsamea
Balsam Fir
Norway Spruce ID Slide
Norway Spruce
Picea abies
Norway Spruce
Fir versus Spruce
Balsam Fir
Norway Spruce
Eastern White Pine ID Slide
(one bundle)
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
Eastern White Pine
Horse Chestnut ID Slide
Hint: opposite
Horse Chestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse Chestnut
Hint: needles more
than 3 inches long
Red Pine ID Slide
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa
Red Pine
American Elm ID Slide
Hint: leaves rough
American Elm
Ulmus americana
American Elm
Bitternut Hickory ID Slide
Clue: alternate, sap not milky
Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis
Bitternut Hickory
Pitch Pine ID Slide
Pitch Pine
Pinus rigida
Pitch Pine
Black Cherry ID Slide
Hint: leaf not compound and not hairy,
margins have fine teeth; leaf stalks have
glands.
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Black Cherry
Black Walnut ID Slide
Hint: sap not milky; leaves hairy
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
Black Walnut
American Larch ID Slide
American Larch
Larix laricina
American Larch
Wild Grape
Not found in the key
Wild Grape
Vitis spp.
Wild Grape
White Ash ID Slide
White Ash
Fraxinus americana
White Ash
Sycamore
Not found in the key
Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Sycamore
Sassafras ID Slide
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Sassafras
Cucumber-tree Magnolia ID Slide
Hint: leaves usually
greater than 5 inches
long
Cucumber-tree Magnolia
Magnolia acuminata
Cucumber-tree Magnolia
Sweetgum ID Slide
Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
Sweetgum
Norway Maple ID Slide
Norway Maple
Acer platanoides
Norway Maple
Black Locust ID Slide
Hint: sap not milky
Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
Black Locust
Striped Maple ID Slide
Striped Maple
Acer pensylvanicum
Striped Maple
Smooth Sumac ID Slide
Hint: milky sap
Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
Smooth Sumac
Yellow-poplar ID Slide
Yellow-poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera
Yellow-poplar
The Summer Key To Pennsylvania Trees is
a small part of the Pennsylvania 4-H
forestry curriculum. Contact your Penn
State Cooperative Extension Office to
request additional information about 4-H
and other educational programs.
•Prepared by Paul Roth, Research Assistant, and Rance Harmon, Extension Associate,
The Pennsylvania State University, School of Forest Resources & Cooperative Extension
Acknowledgements
•Idea development and review: Jason Hall, Sandra Insalaco, and Cecile Stelter – Service Foresters –
Pennslyvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry
•Review: James Finley & Sanford Smith, The Pennsylvania State University School of Forest
Resources & Cooperative Extension
•Images provided courtesy of Virginia Tech & The University of Wisconsin.
•Line art courtesy of The Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences and the
Pennsylvania 4-H Program
References
•Common Trees of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of
Forestry
•The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees Eastern Region, Knolph, Alfred A. Inc.
1980
•Virginia Tech Dendrological Web Page, www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.html
•University of Wisconsin, botanical images, www.wisc.edu/botit/dendrology/names.html
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© The Pennsylvania State University, 2002