Tree Identification By: Courtney Barber

Baldcypress Taxodium distichum  Leaf: linear and small, ¼ to ¾ inch long, leaves look feathery and are yellow-green  Fruit: Cones that are green at first but brown as they mature  Twig: Small, thin, and rough with round buds near the end.  Bark: Red- brown, slightly scaly.  Location: Native to North America but are mostly found in the south eastern region of the United States in swamps

Baldcypress

Catalpa Catalpa bignoniodies  Leaf:may be opposite or whorled, and up to 5 to 12 inches long.  Flower: white flower with purple streaks that bloom in the spring  Fruit: flattened seeds in a cigar or bean like shell.  Twig: is a green and later reddish color, terminal bud  Bark: Reddish, brown scales  Location: Mississippi, Ohio, Virginia, and east of the Rocky Mountains

Catalpa

Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida  Leaf: grows up to five inches long and 2 ½ inches wide. The leaves are green with a pale green underneath. They turn bright red in the fall.  Flower: Very showy, large white flower  Fruit: Shiny, red oval dupe  Twig: Slender, green and purple and later turns gray  Bark: brown, rough, and scaly  Location: Is native to eastern North America.

Flowering Dogwood

Overcup Oak  Leaf: alternate and simple ranging from 6 to 10 inches long. It has 5 to 9 lobes.  Flowers: The male flowers are green and the female flowers are reddish.  Fruit: produces acorns.  Twig: slender with small buds on it.  Bark: brown and scaly.  Location: Usually found in the south eastern part of the United States, and often found near the coast

Overcup Oak

Pondcypress Taxodium ascendens  Leaf: is linear and small, only about 3/8 inch long and is a greenish yellow color.  Flower: The male flowers are 3 to 5 inches long hanging panicles, and the females are small and are near the branch tips.  Fruit: Produces a cone  Bark: shreddy and are red – brown.  Location: Often found near bodies of water, and near swamps

Pondcypress

Post Oak Quercus stellata  The leaf is simple, alternate and usually 4 to 6 inches long and very broad; typically 5-lobed  The flower is born in the spring.  Produces an acorn.  The bark is thick and gray-brown.

Post Oak

Red Maple Acer Rubrum  The leaves are simple, opposite and range from 3 to 4 inches long and are usually 3-lobed.  The fruit is called samaras which are in clusters on long stalks that ripen in may or june.  Small attractive flower that is reddish yellow and blooms in the spring.  The twig is a reddish color.

Red Maple

River Birch Betula nigra  The leaf is alternate, simple, and pinnately-veined. It ranges from 1 ½ to 3 inches long.  The leaf is green on the top and a fuzzy bottom.  It produces a cone-like, aggregate that’s 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, it’s reddish brown, and has many tiny, 3-winged seeds that ripen and break apart in the fall.  Has a slender twig  The bark is smooth on the young trees but older trees have a flaky paper like bark.  Location: Often found near bodies of water.

River Birch

Sassafras Sassafras albidum  Leaf: alternate, simple, 3 to 6 inches long, pinnately veined, and lobed. May be unlobed, two- lobed, or three- lobed.  Flower: Small but showy, bright green,  Fruit: dark shiny blue drupes that are attached to red stalks.  Twig is slender and green  Bark: Coarsely rigid and when cut has a spicy aroma.  Location: Native to eastern North America

Sassafras

Southern Red Oak Quercus falcata  Leaf: alternate, simple, 5-9 inches long, bristle tipped lobes, resembles a turkey foot, has various amount of lobes  Flower: males yellow-green (tinged with red) borne on long thread like catkins; females reddish both appear in spring with the leaves.  Fruit: Acorns  Twig: Reddish brown  Bark: Dark in color, has broad ridged scales  Location: New York to Florida, Texas

Southern Red Oak