TreeIdentification rev

Identifying Pennsylvania Trees: 

Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program Identifying Pennsylvania Trees

Tree Identification: 

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: 

Leaf Types

Scale-like: 

Scale-like

Broad and flat: 

Broad and flat

Needles: 

Needles

Leaf-type Comparison: 

Leaf-type Comparison

Leaf Arrangement: 

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate: 

Alternate

Opposite: 

Opposite

Whorled: 

Whorled

Leaf Arrangement Comparison: 

Leaf Arrangement Comparison

Leaf Structure: 

Leaf Structure

A simple leaf: 

Petiole (leaf stalk) Bud A simple leaf

Pinnately compound: 

Leaflet Petiole (leaf stalk) Bud Pinnately compound A Compound Leaf

Palmately compound: 

A Compound Leaf Leaflet Petiole (leaf stalk) Bud Palmately compound

Leaf Structure Comparison: 

Leaf Structure Comparison

Leaf margins: 

Leaf margins Dentate Entire Double serrate Lobed Serrate

Identification Section: 

Identification Section

Red Maple ID Slide: 

Hint: opposite Red Maple ID Slide

Red MapleAcer rubrum: 

Red Maple Acer rubrum

Red Maple: 

Red Maple

Sugar Maple ID Slide: 

Hint: opposite Sugar Maple ID Slide

Sugar MapleAcer saccharum: 

Sugar Maple Acer saccharum

Sugar Maple: 

Sugar Maple

Flowering Dogwood ID Slide: 

Hint: opposite Flowering Dogwood ID Slide

Flowering DogwoodCornus florida: 

Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida

Flowering Dogwood: 

Flowering Dogwood

Northern Red Oak ID Slide: 

Hint: alternate Northern Red Oak ID Slide

Northern Red OakQuercus rubra: 

Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra

Northern Red Oak: 

Northern Red Oak

White Oak ID Slide: 

Hint: alternate White Oak ID Slide

White OakQuercus alba: 

White Oak Quercus alba

White Oak: 

White Oak

White Oak versus Red Oak Comparison: 

White Oak Red Oak White Oak versus Red Oak Comparison

American Beech ID Slide: 

Hint: alternate American Beech ID Slide

American BeechFagus grandifolia : 

American Beech Fagus grandifolia

American Beech: 

American Beech

Yellow Birch ID Slide: 

Hint: alternate / hairy Yellow Birch ID Slide

Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis: 

Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis

Yellow Birch: 

Yellow Birch

Sweet (Black) Birch ID Slide: 

Hint: alternate/hairy Sweet (Black) Birch ID Slide

Sweet (Black) BirchBetula lenta: 

Sweet (Black) Birch Betula lenta

Sweet (Black) Birch: 

Sweet (Black) Birch

Paper Birch ID Slide: 

Hint: alternate; hairy Paper Birch ID Slide

Paper BirchBetula papyrifera : 

Paper Birch Betula papyrifera

Paper Birch: 

Paper Birch

Eastern Hemlock ID Slide: 

Eastern Hemlock ID Slide

Eastern HemlockTsuga canadensis: 

Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis

Eastern Hemlock: 

Eastern Hemlock

Eastern Redcedar ID Slide: 

Eastern Redcedar ID Slide

Eastern RedcedarJuniperus virginiana : 

Eastern Redcedar Juniperus virginiana

Eastern Redcedar: 

Eastern Redcedar

Balsam Fir ID Slide: 

Hint: leaves do not have stalks Balsam Fir ID Slide

Balsam FirAbies balsamea : 

Balsam Fir Abies balsamea

Balsam Fir: 

Balsam Fir

Norway Spruce ID Slide: 

Norway Spruce ID Slide

Norway SprucePicea abies: 

Norway Spruce Picea abies

Norway Spruce: 

Norway Spruce

Fir versus Spruce: 

Balsam Fir Norway Spruce Fir versus Spruce

Eastern White Pine ID Slide: 

(one bundle) Eastern White Pine ID Slide

Eastern White PinePinus strobus : 

Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus

Eastern White Pine: 

Eastern White Pine

Horse Chestnut ID Slide : 

Hint: opposite Horse Chestnut ID Slide

Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum: 

Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum

Horse Chestnut : 

Horse Chestnut

Red Pine ID Slide: 

Hint: needles more than 3 inches long Red Pine ID Slide

Red PinePinus resinosa: 

Red Pine Pinus resinosa

Red Pine: 

Red Pine

American Elm ID Slide: 

Hint: leaves rough American Elm ID Slide

American ElmUlmus americana: 

American Elm Ulmus americana

American Elm: 

American Elm

Bitternut Hickory ID Slide: 

Clue: alternate, sap not milky Bitternut Hickory ID Slide

Bitternut HickoryCarya cordiformis: 

Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis

Bitternut Hickory: 

Bitternut Hickory

Pitch Pine ID Slide: 

Pitch Pine ID Slide

Pitch PinePinus rigida: 

Pitch Pine Pinus rigida

Pitch Pine: 

Pitch Pine

Black Cherry ID Slide: 

Hint: leaf not compound and not hairy, margins have fine teeth; leaf stalks have glands. Black Cherry ID Slide

Black CherryPrunus serotina: 

Black Cherry Prunus serotina

Black Cherry: 

Black Cherry

Black Walnut ID Slide: 

Hint: sap not milky; leaves hairy Black Walnut ID Slide

Black WalnutJuglans nigra: 

Black Walnut Juglans nigra

Black Walnut: 

Black Walnut

American Larch ID Slide: 

American Larch ID Slide

American LarchLarix laricina: 

American Larch Larix laricina

American Larch: 

American Larch

Wild Grape: 

Not found in the key Wild Grape

Wild GrapeVitis spp.: 

Wild Grape Vitis spp.

Wild Grape: 

Wild Grape

White Ash ID Slide: 

White Ash ID Slide

White Ash Fraxinus americana: 

White Ash Fraxinus americana

White Ash: 

White Ash

Sycamore: 

Not found in the key Sycamore

SycamorePlatanus occidentalis: 

Sycamore Platanus occidentalis

Sycamore: 

Sycamore

Sassafras ID Slide: 

Sassafras ID Slide

SassafrasSassafras albidum: 

Sassafras Sassafras albidum

Sassafras: 

Sassafras

Cucumber-tree Magnolia ID Slide: 

Hint: leaves usually greater than 5 inches long Cucumber-tree Magnolia ID Slide

Cucumber-tree MagnoliaMagnolia acuminata: 

Cucumber-tree Magnolia Magnolia acuminata

Cucumber-tree Magnolia: 

Cucumber-tree Magnolia

Sweetgum ID Slide: 

Sweetgum ID Slide

Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua: 

Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua

Sweetgum: 

Sweetgum

Norway Maple ID Slide: 

Norway Maple ID Slide

Norway MapleAcer platanoides: 

Norway Maple Acer platanoides

Norway Maple: 

Norway Maple

Black Locust ID Slide: 

Hint: sap not milky Black Locust ID Slide

Black LocustRobinia pseudoacacia: 

Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia

Black Locust: 

Black Locust

Striped Maple ID Slide: 

Striped Maple ID Slide

Striped MapleAcer pensylvanicum: 

Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum

Striped Maple: 

Striped Maple

Smooth Sumac ID Slide: 

Hint: milky sap Smooth Sumac ID Slide

Smooth SumacRhus glabra: 

Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra

Smooth Sumac: 

Smooth Sumac

Yellow-poplar ID Slide: 

Yellow-poplar ID Slide

Yellow-poplar Liriodendron tulipifera: 

Yellow-poplar Liriodendron tulipifera

Yellow-poplar: 

Yellow-poplar

Slide121: 

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.

Slide122: 

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 Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. © The Pennsylvania State University, 2002