Dendrology
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Dendrology: Tree and Shrub Identification
INTRODUCTION
Dendrology is the study of woody plants (trees and shrubs). Throughout this semester you will
be visiting forest and woodland sites in urban and rural areas. To better understand the ecology
of this region it is important to know the major tree and shrub species. While some species can
grow in a wide range of habitats and conditions, others have more restrictive requirements.
Thus, trees and shrubs can provide some initial insight about local environmental conditions.
Further, trees and shrubs may provide clues as to land use history; more recently disturbed sites
are typically occupied by early successional species while species common to mature forests are found
in sites less often disturbed. A comprehensive knowledge of the tree and shrub species
found in a region is basic to field ecologists working in academia, governmental agencies, and
the private sector. However, many non-ecologists find that the ability to identify trees, shrubs,
and other plants and the understanding of these plants within the landscape has great practical
and aesthetic value.
OBJECTIVES
• Learn to identify common native tree and shrub species.
• Learn the specific epithet and family names of the trees and shrubs.
SUMMARY REPORT
• Write a summary report and include a table of the species you identified including common name,
scientific name, description, picture or sketch, and key characteristics that helped you id the tree or shrub.
MATERIALS:

Tree and Shrub Field Guide, available at your local library.
SOME USEFUL FIELD GUIDES
Duncan, W.H and M.B. Duncan. 1988. Trees of the Southeastern United States. University of
Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. 322 pp. (Easy key and high quality photographs.)
Petrides, G.A. 1998. Eastern Trees. Houghton Mufflin Company, Boston. (Peterson Filed Guide;
comprehensive but not too technical.)
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, C.R. Bell. 1964. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 1183 pp. (The definitive
taxonomic text for this region, technical.)
Zim, H.S., A.C Martin, and D. Barlowe. 1987, Trees: A guide to Familiar American Trees.
Golden Book Publishing Company, New York. (A limited but simple, inexpensive, and
nontechnical illustrated field guide.)
SOME USEFUL WEBSITES
National Biological Information Infrastructure
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http://www.nbii.gov/index.html
Smithsonian Institution Man and Biosphere, Flora of US; requires download.
http://www.mabnetamericas.org/flora/flora.html
North Carolina Botanical Garden
http://ils.unc.edu/botanical/gardens.html
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program
http://www.heritage.tnc.org/nhp/us/nc/
North Carolina State University College of Forest Resources
http://www.cfr.ncsu.edu/
NCSU Extension Forestry
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/resources.html
NCSU Consumer Horticulture- Plant Fact Sheets
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/
Gaia Forest Conservation Archives
http://forests.org/
Alabama Forestry Links
http://members.aol.com/jostnix/index.htm
US Forest Service
http://www.fs.fed.us/
USGS National Biological Service
http://www.nbs.gov/
FIELD ACTIVITY
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• Go on a 1 hour field excursion. Identify at least 20 native trees or shrubs encountered on a self guided
field trip by their common name, specific epithet, and family. Make notes or sketches or take photographs
and use the id hints below to help. Make sure you thoroughly document your field activity in a table as
described above in the summary report.
IDENTIFYING TREES AND SHRUBS
Field ecologists typically have a working knowledge of the identification, range and habitat
requirements of the trees and shrubs that allows them to make rapid and accurate descriptions
of the species composition of the plant communities they encounter in the field. However,
with over 3,200 species of vascular plants in this region, even the best field botanists oftentimes
need to use taxonomic keys and guides. Using technical taxonomic keys (dichotomous keys)
requires an understanding of lexicon of botanical terminology that is beyond the scope of this
course. Novice ecologists and botanists often use simple keys, botanical illustrations, and photographs.
A variety of field guides are available, such field guides become
standards in the personal libraries of ecologists.
Trees and shrubs can be identified in spring, summer, and early fall based on foliage, flowers,
and bark, and in winter by and leaf scars. When identifying the plants look for the following
characteristics then refer to you field guide. Check the check the species range before confirming
your identification. The species that you will be asked to identify quite distinct and readily
identifiable using the materials provided. Making simple sketches and making field notes are
“tried-and-true” identification aids. To assist in remembering scientific names practice writing
the names and learn the meanings of the Latin terms, prefixes and suffixes.
Leaves
• color
• size
• leaf shape
• lobed or not lobed
• veination pattern
• simple or compound (twice compound) or palmate
• entire or toothed
• hairy or smooth
• leathery or soft
Leaf Branching Pattern
• alternate
• opposite
• whorled
Bark
• color
• texture
• ridges
• spines or knobs
• leaf and bud scars
Flowers and Fruits
• color
• size
• inflorescence (flowers clusters) and flower form
• location on branch
• numbers of floral structures
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• odor
Habitat
• urban and waste areas or “natural” forest
• upland or wetland (riverine)
• shaded or sunlit
Below is a list of Native trees and shrubs commonly found on the ECU campus or
Otter Creek Natural Area. You might key in on some of these trees and shrubs as a starting point.
Loblolly pine
Longleaf pine
Bald cypress
Red cedar
Red maple
Green ash
Black walnut
Mockernut hickory
Black locust
Flowering dogwood
American beech
Yellow-poplar
Southern magnolia
American sycamore
Hackberry
Red mulberry
Sassafras
Sweetgum
Wax-myrtle
Red-bay
American holly
Mountain-laurel
Blueberry
Ironwood
(Hornbeam)
Yellow birch
Black gum
Persimmon
Black willow
Live oak
Willow oak
White oak
Chestnut oak
Water oak
Southern red oak
Hawthorn
Black cherry
Redbud
Horse sugar