Forestry CDE Tree ID

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

compound, opposite, 5-9 leaflets, U shaped leaf scar, whitish underside on leaves

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Compound, opposite, 5-9 leaflets, D shaped leaf scar, fully green leaves

Bigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata)

Large teeth, light buds

Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Flattened leaf stalk, small teeth

American Basswood (Tilia americana)

large leaves, alternate, uneven leaf base (offset heart)

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

smooth, gray bark
relatively short trunk; low branching
cigar buds

Black Birch (Betula lenta)

double tooth fine leaves, strong wintergreen smell

Gray Birch (Betula populifolia)

Thin pointed, and triangular leaves;
Bark does not easily separate into peeling layers- outer part grayish/white;
Tough twigs either brown or gray

White Birch (Betula papyrifera)

Thin, papery, peeling white bark

Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

Amber, silvery-yellow bark that peels off in thin curls

Boxelder (Acer negundo)

Pinnately compound deeply toothed leaves, Samara

Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)

Very large heart-shaped leaves, long legumes

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Rusty hairs on the base of the midrib, distinctive black fruit

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Large triangle-shaped leaves, deeply furrowed bark, gummy large buds

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Singular, sharp pointy bud at end
dark green needles are bottlebrush coming up and out, all similar lengths
soft needles
thick bark with deep furrows

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Coarsely double-toothed margin, sandpapery leaves

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)

Upright cone, white stripe on needle

Canadian Hemlock
(Tsuga Canadensis)

Flat sprays of needles, small spherical pendant cones, two white stripes on underside of needle

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)

Alternate compound leaves, mustard yellow buds

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)

Alternate, compound leaves
8-15 inches long
Usually 7 leaflets
Orange Rusty Hairs on leaves

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra)

Alternate compound leaves
8-12 inches long
5 leaflets
Pear shaped fruit

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Alternate, compound
3-5 leaflets
Serrated margins
Shaggy bark

American Hornbeam/Ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana)

Unique muscly trunk

Eastern Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

Densely toothed margin, cone-like clusters of fruit

Eastern Larch (Larix laricina)

Single cone per shoot of needle clusters, deciduous needles yellow in fall

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Compound with up to 19 small leaflets
Throned twigs and young bark

Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)

Milky sap when leaves broken, football-shaped fat buds

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Red samara, scaled buds, 3 lobes

Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)

Under-surface silvery white, deeply lobed

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

5 or more lobes, thin pointed buds

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)

3 needles per fascicle, spiky cones and needles

Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Soft needles, 5 needles per fascicle

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Alternate, simple
Very aromatic when crushed
Highly variable leaves, up to 3 lobes

Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

Droopy

White Spruce (Picea glauca)

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Alternate, simple
Very large leaves
3-5 shallow lobes
Coarse teeth around margins
Camo bark

Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)

Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)