Tree Size and Location: What tree is this?

First of all, look at the size and location of the tree.

The first step to identifying a tree is to examine its size, location and overall appearance. Is the tree short or tall? Does it appear shrubby or vine-like? Is it located in the desert, rainforest, grassland or forest? Is it in a backyard or along a hiking trail?

Evergreen or Deciduous

Because here’s the thing: trees come in many shapes and sizes. To identify a tree, it helps to know whether it is evergreen or deciduous. Evergreen trees retain their green needles all year round, while deciduous trees lose their leaves every autumn.

How many needles in a cluster?

Evergreen trees, also known as conifers, can be identified by their needles. Conifer needles grow in one of two ways: singly (singly attached to the branch) or in clusters (more than one needle attached to a branch). Some examples of conifers with cluster needles include larch, bristlecone pine, Eastern white pine and red cedar. Most conifers have either single or cluster needles. But what if you have a tree that has a combination of both?

This is where counting needles per cluster comes into play. If you can count the number of individual needles attached to the stem, you’ll know whether your tree is single or cluster-needled and will be able to narrow down which species it is.

Are the needles single, or in bundles?

You’re almost there. The most difficult and time-consuming parts are over. You can now narrow your tree choices down to species with similar characteristics. Start by taking one of the needles from each bundle and counting how many needles are attached to it. Needles can be single, or in bundles of 2-5. Now, lay the needles flat on a table in front of you and examine them closely. Do they look round, like this? Or are they more flat? Are they sharp to the touch, or soft? If you have a hard time determining whether the needle is flat or round (remember that some needles are more oval than perfectly round), draw a circle around it using a fine-point pen or pencil; if you see space around any part of it, then it’s not completely round.

Needles are flat, scales are not.

Scales are not flat and are attached to a small stalk. They are also generally hard, like the scales of a reptile or fish, and are often brown in color. The scales on hemlock and fir trees have a papery feel when compared with the softer needles. Several species of pines have shorter needles (1/2 inch to 6 inches long) that can feel rather sharp and stiff when brushed against in the wrong direction. Scale-leaved evergreens can be difficult to identify since they lack the distinct cones characteristic of many coniferous evergreens (yews and junipers being notable exceptions).

However, you can use other physical characteristics to help identify these scale-leaved evergreens if you encounter them on your tree identification journey.

What does the bark look like?

Tree bark can help you identify what kind of tree it is. Some trees have smooth, flaking bark (like birch and sycamore) while others have rough, scaly or peeling bark (like ash, elm and maple). The four most common types of bark textures are corky, fibrous, shaggy and scaly.

A way to remember these is by thinking about how different animals use their skin:

• Corky — think about how a cork (a type of tree) floats in water.
• Fibrous — think about a spider web that has many fibers.
• Shaggy — think about the fur on a dog’s back that looks like it needs combed out.
• Scaly — think about fish scales or snake skin that looks bumpy or pebbly.

Is the bud closed, covered by scales?

• Is the bud covered by scales, or is it closed and protected?

The buds are among the most important features of a tree: they are a great indicator of the species. The bud should be closely inspected to determine what kind of tree this really is.

If the bud scales are arranged in pairs that overlap and protect each other, like shingles on a roof, then you have an evergreen (coniferous) tree. If the buds are not covered by scales (or at least not as many), then you have a deciduous (broad-leafed) tree. However, occasionally there will be broad-leaved trees with scaly buds and conifers with naked buds; this may be good for identifying those rare cases, but for most decisions it’s not completely necessary to know the difference between them all.

What is vestigial may be hard to see.

We know that trees are living things, and we can trust them to take care of themselves. But not all trees are alive, and some are vestigial.

Vestigial structures can be found in the human body too, such as the appendix or tailbone. In those cases the function is obvious—it’s there because it still works even though it’s no longer needed—but in some animals vestigial structures have a more mysterious purpose…

The trunk of this tree is clearly seen in this picture, but what about its roots? The limbs of the tree are also largely vestigial—they’re either gone or mostly gone, with only a stalk remaining behind. But looking at any plant closely reveals that there might be more to a tree than meets first thought. In many cases trunks and limbs are clearly vestigials; they serve no useful function left to their existence except for giving humans something to become upset about when we chop down a hundred year old oak forest…

Is the cone round, or oval?

To classify a tree as to whether it is a softwood or hardwood, you need to know two things: how large the tree is and where it is located. In general, softwoods are trees with needles and cones that grow larger than 30 feet in height. They usually grow in colder climates and have round shaped cones. Softwoods tend to be lighter in color and contain less resin. Hardwoods are all other types of trees including most types of fruit producing trees and those that have leaves. Hardwoods tend to grow in warmer climates and have more resinous wood then softwood trees do.

To distinguish between the two, you need to look at the base of the cone. If the cone is round, then you know it is a softwood; if not, then you know it is a hardwood!

To identify a tree you need to look at its size & location, needles, and cones.

• Look at the bark.
• Take a close look at the trunk.
• Look for cones and needles on the tree’s branches, if there are any