Forestry - Tree and Shrub Identification

Abies lasiocarpa (Pinaceae)

Subalpine fir

- Needle single, flat in cross-section

- Twigs not roughened with sterigmata

- Cones erect, deciduous

- Needle same width where it attaches to stem as in the middle

- Needles attach like suction cups (circular leaf scar)

- Buds blunt, yellowish-green

Alnus incana (Betulaceae)

Alder

- Strobili with persistent woody bracts (looks like mini pine cones)

- Leaves simple, alternate, ovate, strongly doubly serrate

- Smooth stems and bark

- Fruit is woody catkin when mature

- Riparian (usually shrubby)

Betula occidentalis (Betulaceae)

Water birch

- Strobili with deciduous bracts

(fall apart at maturity)

- Leaves irregularly serrate

- Rough twigs and bark

- Riparian (usually shrubby)

Juniperus scopulorum (Cupressaceae)

Rocky Mountain Juniper

- Needles scale-like, appressed, opposite, four ranked

- Small tree

- Female cones are berry-like, blue, smell like "gin"

Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae)

Engelmann spruce

- Needle single, 4 angled in cross section, not sharp to touch.

- Sterigmata present

- Old bark cinnamon-orange, thin and scaly

- Papery scaled cones less than 6 cm long

- Twigs with "peach fuzz" (hairy)

Picea pungens (Pinaceae)

Blue spruce

- Needles 4 angled in cross section, sharp to touch

- Sterigmata present

- Old bark grayish, longitudinal ridges

- Papery scaled cones greater than 6 cm long

- Twigs glabrous (smooth) but scaly

Pinus contorta (Pinaceae)

Lodgepole pine

- Needles 3-7 cm, in fascicles of 2

- Old bark thin and scaly

- Cone is small, serotinous (opens only to heat)

with knobby scales, small prickles

Pinus flexilis (Pinaceae)

Limber pine

- Needles in fascicles of 5

- Stems very limber

- Needles clustered at tip

- Cones resinous with thick scales and NO prickles

Pinus ponderosa (Pinaceae)

Ponderosa pine

- Needles usually longer than 7 cm, in fascicles of 2 or 3

- Old bark thick with deep furrows, smells like cream soda, often orange

- Cones open, falling from tree, armed with a sharp prickle

Populus angustifolia (Salicaceae)

Narrowleaf Cottonwood

- Leaves lanceolate, simple, alternate

- Buds terminal with overlapping scales

- Catkins drooping

- Riparian

- Bark on newer part of tree smooth and off-white,

older part of tree gray and furrowed

Populus tremuloides (Salicaceae)

Quaking aspen

- Petiole flattened perpendicular to the plane of the leaf

- Leaves simple, alternate, nearly circular

- Buds with overlapping scales

- Catkins drooping

Pseudotsuga menziesii (Pinaceae)

Douglas-fir

- Needles with a petiole-like constriction at base (thinner than rest of needle)

- Cones with large, three-pointed, exerted bract

- Buds pointed and a dark reddish brown

Prunus virginiana (Rosaceae)

Chokecherry

- Simple, alternate, ovate (oval w/ pointed apex) leaves, serrate margins with teeth pointing toward the tip of the leaf

- Two glands at base of petiole

- Often shrubby

- white flowers in raceme inflorescence

- red fruit

Acer glabrum (Sapindaceae)

Mountain maple

- palmately lobed/palmately lobed shrub

- Opposite, simple tridentate leaves, palmately lobed and veined

- Fruit is a double sumara (winged dry fruit)

- Twigs red

Amelanchier alnifolia (Rosaceae)

Saskatoon Serviceberry

- low elevation shrub

- Leaves simple, alternate, blunt at tip with few serrations

- Base of leaf rounded with no serrations

- Sweet blue berries

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Ericaceae)

Kinnikinnik

- common shrub

- Simple leaves, glossy, leathery, evergreen

- Shreddy reddish bark

- Low, trailing plant

- Fruit a berry, bright red in autumn

Artemisia frigida (Asteraceae)

Fringed sagebrush

- common shrub

- Fine, soft leaves deeply lobed with each lobe repeatedly dissected.

- Smells like sagebrush

- Grayish-green color

- Half shrub

- Increaser species

Artemisia tridentata (Asteraceae)

Big sagebrush

- low elevation shrub

- Leaves simple, tridentate (3 toothed/lobed) and fuzzy

- Sage odor

- Silvery, hairy, wedged shaped leaves,

- Grows 2-7 feet tall

Betula glandulosa (Betulaceae)

Bog Birch

- high elevation shrub

- Leaves almost round, dime-sized

- Leaves crenate-serrate

- Rough bark

- Found in boggy wet areas

Ceanothus velutinus (Rhamnaceae)

Buckbrush

- common shrub

- Leaves simple, evergreen, waxy above with 3 very prominent veins

Cercocarpus montanus (Rosaceae)

Mountain mahogany

- low elevation shrub

- Simple, alternate leaves, serrate upper half, base wedged shape with no serrations

- Plumose tailed achene type fruit

Chrysothamnus spp. (Asteraceae)

Rabbitbush

- low elevation shrub

- Leaves simple, alternate, narrowly linear (grass like)

- Woody gray-brown bark; often shreddy

- Racemes of small yellow flowers

Clematis spp. (Ranunculaceae)

Old man's beard

- opposite leaves shrub

- Pinnately compound (trifoliate) opposite leaves

- Trailing or climbing vines

Dasiphora fruticosa (Rosaceae)

Shrubby cinquefoil

- common shrub

- Leaves compound, 5-7 leaflets, margin entire

- Flowers yellow

- Shreddy bark

Cornus stolonifera (Cornaceae)

Dogwood

- opposite leaves shrub

- Leaves opposite, simple

- Strong arcuate venation

- Old stems red

- Flowers in terminal clusters

Dryas octopetala (Rosaceae)

Alpine avens

- high elevation shrub

- Prostrate, evergreen subshrub (has woody stems)

- Small simple leaves with blunt marginal teeth/lobes

- Flowers solitary on naked peduncle, petals white, eight- Leaf margins strongly wavy and curled down toward the underside of the leaf

- Alpine plant

Jamesia americana (Hydrangeaceae)

Cliffbush

- opposite leaves shrub

- Opposite, simple leaves, tomentose below (velvety leaves)

- Small shrub with peeling bark

- Terminal flowers clusters

- Grows out of rocks

Juniperus communis (Cupressaceae)

Common juniper

- common shrub

- Needles awl-shaped, in whorls of three, sharp!

- White lines (stomata) on underside of leaves

- Low shrub

- Berry-like cone, smells like gin when crushed

Lonicera involucrata (Caprifoliaceae)

Bush honeysuckle

- opposite leaves shrub

- Opposite, simple leaves with ciliate margins

- Fruits paired

- Flowers yellow

- Weak arcuate venation

- Stems square and hairy

Mahonia repens (Berberidaceae)

Oregon grape

- common shrub

- Pinnately compound leaves, 3-7 leaflets, spiny margins on leaves

- Looks like holly

- Evergreen

Physocarpus monogynus (Rosaceae)

Ninebark

- palmately lobed shrub

- Leaves simple, alternate, palmately lobed and veined, long terminal lobe

- Flowers small, in terminal clusters, white

- Fruit not a berry, is bladder-like

- Bark very shreddy, striated

Purshia tridentata (Rosaceae)

Bitterbush

- low elevation shrub

- Simple leaves, alternate

- Tridentate leaf tips

- Crusted leaves smell like "dirty socks"

Rhus trilobata (Anacardiaceae)

Skunkbush

- low elevation shrub

- Trifoliate leaves, each leaflet 3+ lobed

- Yellow flowers, red fruit

- Low shrub

- Strong odor when crushed

Ribes cereum (Rosaceae)

Wax currant

- palmately lobed shrub

- Leaves simple, alternate, palmately lobed and veined, shallow sinuses (gaps) between lobes

- Small shrub, no prickles

- Leaves with pleasant odor

- Tubular, pink, pendant flowers - Fruit a berry

Ribes inerme (Rosaceae)

Wild gooseberry

- prickles on stems/palmately lobed shrub

- Stems with prickles

- Leaves simple, alternate

- Flowers in clusters of 2-3, pendant

- Leaves palmately lobed and veined

- Fruit a berry

Rosa spp. (Rosaceae)

Rose

- prickles on stems shrub

- Stems with prickles

- Pinnately compound leaves, leaflets 3-7, terminal leaflet same size as laterals

- Serrate margins

- Stipules conspicuous, adnate to petiole

Rubus deliciosus (Rosaceae)

False raspberry

- palmately lobed shrub

- Stems without prickles, bark shreds in a single layer

- Leaves simple, alternate, palmately lobed, "wrinkled"

- Flowers white, single, large

- Leaves soft and "spongy"

Rubus strigosus (Rosaceae)

Wild red raspberry

- prickles on stems shrub

- Stems with prickles

- Pinnately compound leaves, leaflets 3 (5-7), terminal leaflet larger than others, leaflets "wrinkled" in appearance

- Adnate stipules like rabbit ears

Salix spp. (Salicaceae) Willow

- common shrub

- Leaves simple, alternate, lanceolate to oblong shape

- Buds with single cap-like scale

- Catkins erect, fruit is a capsule with cottony seeds

- Usually riparian

- Bright yellow to orange twigs

Shepherdia canadensis (Elaeagnaceae)

Buffalo-berry

- opposite leaves shrub

- Opposite simple leaves

- Rusty scales (brown/silvery dots) on the underside of leaves

- Fruit a red berry

Symphoricarpos albus (Caprifoliaceae)

Snowberry

- opposite leaves shrub

- Opposite, simple leaves

- Small, soft leaves, smooth margin

- Flowers and berries white

Vaccinium spp. (Ericaceae)

Blueberries, whortleberries, etc.

- high elevation shrub

- Low shrub with green leaves and stems

- Simple, alternate, deciduous leaves

- Restricted, for the most part, to Spruce-Fir community