By: Patrick Troyer, Education Specialist
So you are taking a stroll through the woods and you come across a tree but just cannot seem to identify it. All you see is a dormant tree with only the branches showing. The question now becomes, how can it be identified with no leaves or any other distinguishable features? Fear not, identifying those dormant trees is not as tricky as most might think and can be quite simple with a little practice and knowing what to look for.
Let’s start with the most basic identifying characteristics of trees. The first thing to know when identifying trees is whether the tree is a deciduous tree or a conifer tree. The deciduous tree will develop and lose leaves with the annual arrival of spring and winter. Conifer trees (pines/spruce trees etc.) will have leaves all year round no matter the season. Once that much has been narrowed down, the identifying process gets a bit easier to work through. When we use leaves to make identification, we need to consider how they are placed on the stem such as simple (single leaf), or compound (several leaves attached to a midrib) as well as what shape the leaf appears. In addition, characteristics of shape such as the margins (smooth, toothed, lobed), and stem length will come in handy. These tips are great to know, but how do you ID in the winter?
The Nature Conservancy provides several tips on how dormant trees can be identified in the winter months. They write that even though leaves are no longer on the trees, if you know how the buds are arranged on the tree, bark texture, as well as shape and size of the twigs, you have a good start at winter tree identification. Nonetheless, some detective work will most likely be involved with identification.
Shape, size, color, and texture or the buds on a tree will be different with each species per the Nature Conservancy. Buds that flower will form in different places and in different sizes among species. The Nature Conservancy further writes that it is important to look at the number and arrangement of the buds on twigs as they will help to know which tree you are looking at.
Branches are another key thing to look at with winter tree identification. Every tree has a specific arrangement of branches whether it be alternate or opposite. Alternate branching means that any twigs and buds will grow from the main branch one at a time. Opposite branching means that twigs and buds will grow off the main branch in pairs. The Nature Conservancy writes that ashes, dogwoods, and maples would be an example of opposite branching while alternate branching trees would be birches, sycamores, and tulip trees.
Bark is another characteristic that is helpful to identify trees in the winter. Each tree has a specific color, thickness, texture, and pattern to its bark and learning the feel of the bark on your hands is helpful to know per the Nature Conservancy. Some things to feel for would be hardness and scaliness. There are some species such as the Shagbark Hickory that will peel their bark. Nature Conservancy writes that the Shagbark Hickory will peel its bark vertically in large, thick, and curving strips compared to the Paper Birch that will peel horizontally in large strips.
The smell of bark comes in handy as well. According to the Nature Conservancy, if you scratch off a small piece of the outer layer of bark and smell it you will receive a scent that is unique to a specific species. For example, the Yellow Birch will have an evergreen scent which then comes in handy to narrow down the specific species of birch you might be looking at. Other trees like the wild cherry will give off an almond scent.
Conifer trees are much easier to spot in the winter as they still appear green year-round. Some things to note about conifers is to look at the foliage (needles) noting whether they are thin/soft or thick/sharp as well as how they are bundled will help greatly with ID per the Nature Conservancy. Cones will be another big clue with conifers as size and shape will be different from one species to another. Some conifer trees that you might identify in the area include Bald Cypress, Cedar, Hemlock, Pine, and Spruce.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and start identifying the trees around you! There are several guides available to you from groups such as the Arbor Day Foundation or the Nature Conservancy that will help with the ID process and provide more specific identification keys. Go enjoy the world outdoors, no matter the season!
