Trees & Shrubs Identification

Celtis occidentalis/Hackberry

Bark: Trunk bark is gray to brownish-gray, forming warty irregular ridges. With age, the bark becomes increasingly scaly and rough-textured Leaves: Alternate, simple, ovate, 2 to 5 inches long, serrated margin, pinnately veined, with acuminate tip and an inequilateral base, three distinct veins originate from the base, maybe hairy or scruffy, green above; pale below Flower: light green, produced on stalks from new leaf axils. Each flower with a 4 or 5 lobed calyx, appearing in spring. Fruit: light green, produced on stalks from new leaf axils. Each flower with a 4 or 5 lobed calyx, appearing in spring

Gleditsia triacanthos/Honeylocust

Bark: grey, can sometimes have thorns Leaves: pinnately compound, green, smooth margins Flowers: racemes, grow in spring Fruit: long, brown, pods

Syringa vulgaris/Lilac

Leaves: smooth, hairless, dark green, cordate-shaped, opposite, entire margin Flower: Light purple, pink or even white, fragrant, terminal clusters 4 to 7 inches long Fruit: dry, brown capsules Bark: gray - gray-brown, smooth, but become finely shredded when larger

Juniperus virginiana/Eastern red cedar

Leaves: tiny scales, green-blue scaly, younger = more needle-like Bark/Branches: shreddy and papery; Fruit/Seeds: cones look like small blueberries

Juglans cinerea/Butternut

Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, 15 to 25 inches long, with 11 to 17 oblong-lanceolate leaflets with serrate margins; green above and paler below Flower: male flowers are single-stemmed, yellow-green catkins, 2 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches long; females are on a short spike near the end of the twig, green-yellow in color, appear in mid to late summer Fruit: Oblong (lemon shaped), with a yellow-green sticky indehiscent husk; husk contains an irregularly-ribbed nut containing sweet, oily meat; mature in late summer Twig: Stout, may be somewhat pubescent, yellow-brown to gray, with a chambered pith that is very dark brown in color; buds are large and covered with a few light colored pubescent scales Bark: Light, ashy gray, with flat top, shiny ridges, developing diamond shaped patterns.

Carya ovata/Shagbark hickory

Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, 8 to 14 inches long with 5 (sometimes 7) leaflets, lateral leaflets are ovate to lanceolate, terminal leaflets are much larger than the laterals, margins serrate and ciliate, rachis stout and mostly glabrous; green above and paler below. Flower: Species is monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green catkins, hanging in 3's, 2 to 3 inches long; females are very short, in clusters at the end of branches Fruit: Nearly round, 1 1/2 to 2 inches, with a very thick husk; nut is distinctly 4-ribbed, and the seed is sweet Bark: At first smooth and gray, later broken into long, wide plates attached at the middle, curving away from the trunk resulting in a coarsely shaggy appearance

Salix exigua/Narrowleaf Willow

Leaf: Alternate, simple, lanceolate to linear, 2 to 5 inches long and very narrow, entire or with a few scattered teeth, green to gray-green above, paler and may be hairy below. Flower: fuzzy catkins, yellowish-white Fruit: long pointed capsules containing small fuzzy seeds Bark: silvery gray to gray-green, become shallowly fissured with time

Quercus alba/White oak

Leaf: Alternate, simple, oblong to ovate in shape, 4 to 7 inches long; 7 to 10 rounded, finger-like lobes, sinus depth varies from deep to shallow, the apex is rounded and the base is wedge-shaped, green to blue-green above and whitish below. Flower: male flowers are yellow-green, borne in naked, slender catkins, 2 to 4 inches long; female flowers are reddish-green and appear as very small single spikes Fruit: Ovoid to oblong acorn, the cap is warty and bowl-shaped, covers 1/4 of the fruit; cap always detaches at maturity Bark: Whitish or ashy gray, varying from scaly on smaller stems to irregularly platy or blocky on large stems. On older trees, smooth patches are not uncommon.

Populus deltoides/Eastern Cottonwood

Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, triangular (deltoid) in shape with a crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened and glands are present at the top of the petiole Flower: male and female as pendulous catkins, appearing before the leaves Fruit: Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long borne in a dehiscent capsule, maturing over summer Bark: Smooth, gray to yellow-green when young. Later turning gray with thick ridges and deep furrows

Acer Negundo/Box Elder

Leaf: Opposite, pinnately compound, 3 to 5 leaflets; 2-4 inches long, margin coarsely serrate/lobed, light green above and paler below Flower: yellow-green, in drooping racemes; appearing in spring Fruit: Paired V-shaped samaras, 1-1 1/2 inches long, in drooping clusters,light tan when ripe in fall, persist throughout winter Twig: Green to purplish green, moderately stout, leaf scars narrow, meeting in raised points, white and hairy, lateral buds appressed Bark: Thin, gray to light brown, with shallow interlacing ridges; young bark is generally warty.

Acer saccharum/Sugar maple

Leaf: Opposite, simple and palmately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, 5 delicately rounded lobes, entire margin; green above, paler below. Flower: Light yellow-green, small, clustered, hanging from a long, slender (1 to 3 inch) stem, appearing with or slightly before the leaves in early spring. Fruit: Two-winged horseshoe-shaped samaras about 1 inch long, appearing in clusters Bark: Variable, but generally brown, on older trees it becomes darker, develops furrows, with long, thick irregular curling outward, firm ridges.

Populus tremuloides/Quaking aspen

Leaves: Alternate, simple, 1 to 3 inches long, green above and paler below, heart-shaped to nearly round with a fine-toothed margin, the petiole is flattened. Flowers: Male and female catkins Fruit: catkin with light green capsules which contain fuzzy seeds Bark: smooth, creamy yellowish-white to very light green; later developing thick furrows and becoming dark, especially near the base

Quercus rubra/Red oak

Leaves: Alternate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long, oblong in shape with 7 to 11 bristle-tipped lobes, sinuses extend 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to midvein, generally very uniform in shape, dull green to blue-green above and paler below. Flower: males in yellow-green slender, hanging catkins, 2 to 4 inches long; females are borne on short axillary spikes Fruit: Acorns are 3/4 to 1 inch long and nearly round; cap is flat and thick, covering about 1/4 or less of the acorn, resembling a beret Bark: On young stems, smooth; older bark develops wide, flat-topped ridges and shallow furrows. The shallow furrows form a pattern resembling ski tracts.

Tilia americana/American linden

Leaves: Alternate, simple, broad-ovate to cordate, 3-5 main veins, coarsely toothed; 2-8" long and wide. Flower: Pale, yellow, 1/2" wide, fragrant, pendulous cymes of 5-15 flowers Fruit: Thick shelled, no ribs

Betula papyrifera/Paper birch

Leaves: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, ovate in shape, 3 to 5 inches long, with irregularly doubly serrate margins, an acute tip and rounded base (occasionally heart-shaped), green above and paler below. Bark: Reddish brown with light lenticels on very young stems; later turning chalky to creamy white, peeling in horizontal papery strips; brown to black and maybe furrowed at base; orange inner bark. Flowers: preformed male catkins near the end of the twig in groups of 2 to 5, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long; females are upright, 1 to 1 1/4 inches long, appear or elongate (males) in mid-spring. Fruit: Cone like, cylindrical 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, deciduous at maturity, releasing elliptical 2-winged nutlets

Elaeagnus angustifolia/Russian olive

Leaves: Narrow, willow-like leaves (to 2" long) are dark green above and silvery beneath Flower: small, fragrant, yellow, silvery-white on the outside Fruit: olive-like, silver-scaled Bark: brown, scaly

Acer rubrum/Red maple

Leaves: Opposite, simple, 3 to 5 palmate lobes with a serrated margin, sinuses relatively shallow (but highly variable), 2 to 4 inches long; green above, whitened, and sometimes glaucous or hairy beneath Flower: Attractive but small, occur in hanging clusters, usually bright red but occasionally yellow Fruit: Clusters of 1/2 to 3/4 inch long samaras with slightly divergent wings, on long slender stems. Light brown and often reddish, Bark: smooth and light gray, with age becomes darker and breaks up into long, fine scaly plates.

Acer ginnala/Amur maple (Ginnala maple)

Leaves: Opposite, simple, three lobes, serrated edge Flower: white, fragrant, arranged in loose clusters Fruit: red, double-winged samaras Bark: grayish-brown

Carpinus Caroliniana/Ironwood

Leaves: Serrated, elliptic-oval, dark green Bark: smooth, gray Flowers: appear in clusters, light, dusty yellow or light pink

Caragana arborescens/Caragana

Leaves: compound with 8-12 leaflets, no terminal leaf, alternate or whorled, upper bright/dark green, lower light green Fruit: slender, straight, bean-like pod 1 to 2 inches long, green to yellow to brown, contains 3 to 6 reddish-brown seeds Flowers: 1 to 5 long-stalked flowers bundled in leaf axils of the numerous lateral branchlets. Flowers are yellow, about ¾ inch long, pea-shaped, the upper petal (standard) broad

Quercus Macrocarpa/Bur oak

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, simple, no bristle; Bark/Branches: generic; deep furrows Fruit/seeds: big acorns, the cap covers half of the acorn, *burs* at the bottom of the acorn

Ulmus americana/American elm

Leaves: doubly serrated, oblique base; Bark/Branches: banded bark when you cut, long, continuous flaky bands, vase-shaped; Fruit/Seeds: samara

Fraxinus pennsylvanica/Green ash

Leaves: opposite, pinnate, elliptic, green leaf underside Bark: light brown with some green tints when young Flowers: small, they start off green/white, then change to dark red Fruit: Samara, green

Acer saccharinum/Silver maple

Leaves: opposite, simple, 8-15 cm across and 15-17 cm long, deeply lobed (5-7 lobes), coarse, sharp, irregular teeth, bright green above and silvery-white below and pubescent when young; petiole 8-12 cm long. Flower: Flowers short-stalked, red to greenish, without petals Fruit: Samara, wings 2.5-5 cm long and about a right angle between them Bark: smooth, gray, becomes shaggy with age

Juglans nigra/Black walnut

Leaves: pinnate, compound leaves containing 15-25 leaflets; alternate arrangement Fruit: round, hard-shelled nut Bark: furrowed; darker than butternut

Prunus serotina/Black cherry

Leaves: single, alternate, serrate; Bark and branches: horizontal lenticels (raised bumps) Fruit and seeds: cherries

Picea pungens/Blue spruce

Needle: 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, stiff, and very sharp (spine-like), displayed nearly straight out from twig, silvery blue to dark green. Strong acidic taste. Each needle bore on a raised, woody peg (sterigma). Flower: males emerge reddish purple and ripen to yellow-brown, scattered throughout trees; females purple, upright, in tops of the trees. Cones: 2 to 4 inches long, cylindrical, light brown in color, scales are flexible, pointed with jagged erose margins Bark: Gray to red-brown, young trees with small, thin scales; older trees still scaly but with shallow furrows

Pinus sylvestris/Scotch pine

Needles: 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, with two stouts, twisted needles per fascicle, blue-green with distinct stomatal bands. Flower: males cylindrical, yellow, in large clusters along with twigs; females oval, yellow-green to purple Cones: ovoid, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, yellow-brown in color and slightly stalked; umbo is somewhat armed, with a blunt spine; apophysis resembles a pyramid, particularly on basal scales Bark: Orange to orange-brown and scaly or peeling when young; later developing irregular gray or red-brown ridges and furrows. Upper crowns always show orange peeling bark.

Thuja occidentalis/Northern white cedar

Needles: 3 to 5 inches long, with five, slender, flexible needles per fascicle; fascicle sheath deciduous, needles appear blue-green because of 3 or more glaucous lines of stomata. Flower: males cylindrical, yellow, in clusters near branch tips; females light green, tinged in red, at ends of branches. Cones: 4 to 7 inches long, cylindrical, with thick, rounded cone scales, very resinous, borne on a long stalk, and maturing in late summer. Bark: On young trees, thin, smooth, and gray-green with some lighter spotty patches; later becoming thick, reddish-brown to gray-brown with prominent finely scaly, rounded, long ridges and darker furrows

Pinus strobus/Eastern white pine

Needles: 3 to 5 inches long, with five, slender, flexible needles per fascicle; fascicle sheath deciduous, needles appear blue-green because of 3 or more glaucous lines of stomata. whorled Flower: males cylindrical, yellow, in clusters near branch tips; females light green, tinged in red, at ends of branches. Cones: 4 to 7 inches long, cylindrical, with thick, rounded cone scales, very resinous, borne on a long stalk Bark: thin, smooth, and gray-green with some lighter spotty patches; later becoming thick, reddish-brown to gray-brown with prominent finely scaly, rounded, long ridges and darker furrows

Pinus nigra/Austrian pine

Needles: 4 to 6 inches long, flexible with two thick, dark green needles per fascicle. Flower: males cylindrical, yellow, in large clusters along with twigs; females oval, yellow to purple Cones: ovoid, 2 to 3 inches long, yellow-brown; umbo is armed with a very short, minute prickle Bark: Brown to gray, developing gray-brown ridges and dark brown furrows

Pinus ponderosa/Ponderosa pine

Needles: 4-8 inch long evergreen needles, thick and flexible, three to a bundle Bark: for the first 150 years, the bark is black, tall, straight, thick trunks, clad in scaled, rusty-orange bark that has split into big plates; smells like vanilla or butterscotch. Cone: woody cone, 3" to 6" in length, scales having stiff spines

Abies concolor/White fir

Needles: flat, silvery blue-green both above and below, 2 to 3 inches long, blunt at the tip, extending at right angles from the twig, often curving upwards. A citrus smell is present when the needle is broken. White bloom may be distributed evenly or may occur in distinct bands on both surfaces. Flower: males yellow- to red-toned, catkin-like; females inconspicuous, yellow-brown Cones: upright, 3 to 5 1/2 inches long, oblong, yellow-green to purple, with erose shoulders; deciduous at maturity with seed dispersal in fall Bark: Thin, smooth, and gray on young trees, with resin pockets. On old trees, thick, ashy gray with deep, irregular furrows.

Pseudotsuga menziesii/Douglas fir

Needles: needle tips are soft Cones: hang downwards instead of upright, has three-pointed bracts that appear between the scales Bark: gray and smooth, then turns thick, dark, and grooved

Larix laricina/Eastern larch

Needles: pale to light green, grouped in clusters of 15-20 and about 2-5 cm long Cones: young cones are reddish-brown and ripen to brown; small and upright Bark: grayish-reddish brown with thin irregular scales; grayer and more scaly with age

Picea abies/Norway spruce

Needles: stiff, 1/2 to 1 inch long, 4-angled but somewhat flattened, with a sharp-pointed tip, shiny deep green. Each needle bore on a raised, woody peg (sterigma) Flower: males yellow-brown in large groups; females upright, purple Fruit: Cones are very large, cylindrical, 4 to 6 inches long, with stiff, thin scales that are irregularly toothed, chestnut brown, maturing in fall Bark: Red-brown and scaly, later turning gray with flaking scales or plates

Picea glauca/White spruce

Needles: stiff, 1/3 to 3/4 inch long, square in cross-section, needle tips are pointed but not sharp, when crushed a pungent odor is apparent (some say similar to cat urine), green to gray-green. Each needle bore on a raised, woody peg (sterigma). Flower: males emerge reddishly but turn yellow when shedding pollen; females purple. Fruit: Cones are 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, cigar-shaped, light brown in color, scales are rounded with entire margins, mature in late summer Bark: Thin, gray-brown in color, smooth, later flaky or scaly.