Tree ID By Travis Tuten

American Sycamore Scientific name: Platanus occidentalis Leaf shape: more or less round in outline with many irregular lobes and teeth. Arrangement: alternate Key characteristics: bark creamy or greenish white Bark: scaling off in thin, scattered, brown plates Geographic area: grows in all Sates east of the Great Plains except Minnesota. Leaf size: 4 to 8 in. long and wide

American Sycamore

Ash Scientific name: Fraxinus spp. Leaf shape: Compound with 5 to 9 oval pointed leaflets. Arrangement: opposite on the twig Key characteristics: leaf scars nearly encircling the bud Bark: ashy gray Geographic area: northern Florida in the east, and to eastern Minnesota south to eastern Texas Leaf size: 8 to 12 in. long

Ash

Baldcypress Scientific name: Taxodium distichum Leaf shape: leaves or needles, flat and spreading, feather-like Arrangement: alternate Key characteristics: cone shape knees around the base of the trunk Bark: cinnamon-red Geographic area: lower Atlantic Coastal Plain Leaf size: ½ to ¾ in. long

Baldcypress

Basswood Scientific name: Tilia spp. Leaf shape: heart-shaped, margins finely toothed Arrangement: alternate Key characteristics: fruit in clusters and on stalks Bark: Geographic area: Leaf size: 3 to 5 in. long 2 to 4 in. wide

Basswood

Black Birch Scientific name: Betula lenta Leaf shape: leaf long, oval Arrangement: alternate Key characteristics: Papery bark Bark: soft grey with green underlayer Geographic area: eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. Leaf size: 5 to 10 cm long and 4 to 8 cm broad

Black Birch

Silver Maple Scientific name: Acer saccharinum Leaf shape: deep angular notches between the five lobes Arrangement: Opposite Key characteristics: found along waterways and in wetlands Bark: On mature trunks, the bark is gray and shaggy. On branches and young trunks, the bark is smooth and silvery gray. Geographic area: North America, eastern US Leaf size: 8–16 cm long and 6–12 cm broad

Silver Maple

Southern Magnolia Scientific name: Magnolia grandiflora Leaf shape: large glossy dark green leaves Arrangement: alternate Key characteristics: Large white flowers Bark: smooth, except for the warty lenticels Geographic area: southeastern United States Leaf size: dark green leaves up to 20 cm long and 12 cm wide, and large, white, fragrant flowers up to 30 cm in diameter

Southern Magnolia

Southern Red Oak Scientific name: Quercus falcata Leaf shape: sharply pointed, often curved, bristle-tipped lobes Arrangement: Alternate, simple Key characteristics: Evergreen broadleaf Bark: dark brownish gray with narrow, shallow ridges Geographic area: Southern United States Leaf size: 10–30 cm long and 6–16 cm wide

Southern Red Oak

Yaupon Scientific name: Ilex vomitoria Leaf shape: serrulate, crenate, ovate Arrangement: alternate Key characteristics: also called Holly Bark: light gray bark Geographic area: southeastern United States Leaf size: 1-4.5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad

Yaupon

Yellow-Poplar Scientific name: Liriodendron tulipifera Leaf shape: Alternate Arrangement: scales that grow into a shoot Key characteristics: known as tulip tree Bark: brown and furrowed Geographic area: eastern North America Leaf size: 8–22 cm long and 6–25 cm wide

Yellow-Poplar