Wood Barns and More! - Identify that Tree
Learning to identify trees can help in understanding and appreciating the various characteristics
of wood from that in your barn door to your beautiful hardwood floors. Tree identification done
in the field where you can take note of the habitat and surrounding vegetation as well as the tree
bark, leaf, and fruit is easier than relying on memory. You may want to consider investing in a
pocketsize field guide in either traditional book format or the electronic versions available as an
app for your mobile phone, or iPad. Once you become familiar with certain characteristics, you
can identify trees by their bark coloration and texture as well as by leaf and fruit types.
Identifying a tree by either the common or the scientific name is possible once the name is
known. However, unless they are part of a botanical garden, it is unlikely you will find a
nametag on a tree you wish to identify.
Identify by Leaf
Learning to identify trees by leaf characteristics is perhaps the easiest. Though there is a wide
range of leaf types, once you learn to pay attention to the basic characteristics, it is easy to begin
identifying the various classes of trees found throughout this country and around the world.
When you begin examining leaves on a tree in an effort to identify the tree you are investigating,
pay close attention to these features. Is the leaf needle-shaped or broad? What is the leaf
arrangement on the stem? Are the edges of the leaves smooth, rippled, or saw-toothed? Are the
leaves large or small? Would you describe the leaves as shaped like a lance, elliptic, heartshaped, round, or oval? What is the pattern of the leaves on the stem? Most leaves follow three
common patterns. They are opposite each other on the stem, alternate along each side of the
stem, or are whorled with two or more leaves opposite another two or more leaves. Needleshaped leaves are usually found on conifers or softwood trees such as pines and cedars while
broad leaf types are on hardwood or fruit trees.
Identify by Fruit
While knowing the type of fruit each tree produces is helpful in tree identification, fruit, seeds,
pods, or cones are not always present. Still, when there is fruit present on a tree, it is easier to
identify. While the term fruit may bring to mind images of apples, oranges, or pears, there are
other types of seed-bearing fruit on trees that may be either edible or non-edible. All seed
bearing types are useful in tree identification. Pods, nuts, cones, or some types of fruit you may
not have immediately considered. Other fruit include fleshy drup (cherries), samara, or winged
seed such as elm or ash, bur-covered nuts such as is found in beech trees, and other multi-fruit
arrangements in berry-like clusters. Learning to identify the various types of fruit and the
reproductive characteristics of trees can help identify the tree species. The species will be part of
the scientific name of the tree and when you have access to the name of a tree, you can begin to
identify the best purpose, use, or application for the wood or fruit from a particular tree.
Identify by Name
Attempting to identify a tree simply by its name is not as easy as it may seem. All trees have
both common and scientific names. Scientific names are the Latin names scientists give any
living thing including trees. The scientific names consist of the genus and the species. These
two-part Latin names never change and foresters, scientists, and botanists worldwide can identify
a tree from its scientific name in any language. A tree may have a common name in one region
of the country and another common name is other regions of the country. For example, the
scientific name for a sweetgum tree is Liquidambar styraciflua. The common sweetgum tree may
also be called a star-leaf gum, bilsted, alligator-wood, gum maple, sapgum, or redgum. With over
12-thousand species of trees in the United States, the list of common names for these trees can
seem endless! Still, learning to identify trees is a pastime many enjoy. There are many resources
available in traditional print and online to help you get started. Your local forest extension
service is a valuable resource and they may recommend literature or even conduct field trips to
identify trees in your area.
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Tree Identification in Virginia
Tree Resource Guide
Tree Identification Tool
Identify Trees By Leaf
Tree Leaf Identification
Bronx River Forest Tree Identification Guide (PDF)
A Guide to Hardwood Trees in the Northeast
Identification of Butternuts and Butternut Hybrids (PDF)
Identifying Oregon’s Common Trees (PDF)
Tree Names Both Common & Scientific
Know Your Trees (PDF)
Identifying Trees and Shrubs (PDF)
Identifying Loblolly Pine and Four Competing Hardwoods (PDF)
Identifying Timber (PDF)
Tree Encyclopedia
Leafsnap-Electronic Tree Field Guide
Natural History Museum: Tree Identification Guides
Identifying Oak Trees in Tennessee (PDF)
White Oak Tree Identification
Urban Tree Identification Tool