Key for 20 Common Trees in Winter

Key for 20 Common Trees in Winter

Note:  If twigs were gathered in late summer or early fall rather than late fall or winter, buds and other features may not be full-grown and mature enough to completely match the descriptions below. In such a case I had to strip off leaves, which means the leaf scars may not be clearly visible or well-defined.  When the twigs were too delicate to pull off the leaves, I snipped off the leaves, leaving little pieces of their stems.

A Tree has full green foliage, consisting of needles or scales ~ Go to B

A Tree has no foliage, or scattered dead foliage of broad leaves ~ Go to H

(Note:  Needles and scales are types of leaves.)

B Needles in bundles of two to five needles ~ Go to C

B Single needles, scales, or bristly needles (or a combination of the two) ~ Go to D

C Five long, slender needles per bundle ~ Eastern White Pine

C Two twisted needles per bundle ~ Virginia Pine  

D Needles 1/2” or longer, single, flattened or 4-angled ~ Go to E

D Small scales, small needle-like bristles, or a combination of the two~ Go to F

E Single needles, flattened, with two broad white lines running lengthwise on the underside of the needles ~ Eastern     Hemlock

E Single needles, borne on a woody peg; 4-angled in cross-section; stiff and sharp-pointed;  ~ Go to G

F Scale-like leaves, in pairs, organized in a flat, fern-like spray ~ Leyland Cypress

F Two types of leaves possible: tiny dark-green scale-like leaves 1/16” long, packed closely together and tight on the   twig; and longer (1/4”) bristly needles on young trees or as new growth at the end of twigs ~ Eastern Red Cedar

G Needles 1/2” - 15/16” long; shiny deep green; quadrangular ~ Norway Spruce

G Needles 3/4” - 1 1/4” long; 4 angles more pronounced than in above tree; dull gray-green to bluish-green, with glaucous white or very pale blue lines running the length of the needles (visible through a hand lens) ~ Blue Spruce

H Buds alternate ~ Go to I

H Buds whorled or opposite ~ Go to M

I Buds off-center above leaf scar ~ Go to J

I Buds centered above leaf scar ~ Go to K

J Buds rounded and slightly pointed, may have short, thin white pubescence at edges; bud scales brown, usually with a very dark reddish-brown band along the top of the scales ~ White Mulberry

J Buds small (1/8”), dark, and globular; through a hand lens resemble tiny soccer balls partially split open, with orangish fuzz spilling out; bud sits off-center over leaf scar and angles off to side; leaf scar has 3 vascular bundle scars; twig slender, grayish tinged ~ Siberian Elm

K Twig thick but lightweight, smooth, light brown, often with a yellowish or reddish cast; small buds sit above very large heart-shaped leaf scars; pith large, buff- or cinnamon-colored, and continuous ~ Ailanthus

K Twig not as above ~ Go to L

L Buds reddish or reddish-green, conical with a rounded point, and covered by a single cap-like scale; leaf scar completely encircles bud; stipule scars circle entire twig ~ Sycamore 

L Terminal buds fairly large (3/8”) and covered with orangish fuzz in early fall; fuzz thins and grays over winter.  Bud pointed with several imbricate scales; twigs have sharply pointed spur shoots which bear small buds ~ Callery Pear (wild form)

M Buds whorled (sometimes opposite on portions of twig); leaf scars distinctive—sunken, whitish and smooth, like a bowl or cup ~ Catalpa 

M Buds opposite ~ Go to N

N Terminal buds triangular or absent ~ Go to O

N Terminal buds pointed or globular ~ Go to P

O Terminal bud triangular and flanked by two side buds; brown with no scales visible; vascular bundles form a “U”; pith of twig white  ~ White As

O Terminal bud absent; lateral buds small, sitting above very large circular leaf scars; twig sizable in diameter; pith of twig is white, but hollow in prior year’s growth ~ Paulownia

P Buds onion-shaped or “cat-claws”;  twigs arced, often resembling a hand with fingers curled up; leaf scars have 3 vascular bundles ~ Flowering Dogwood

P Buds pointed or globular, with imbricate scales; twig straight or only slightly arced; leaf scars have 3 vascular bundles ~ Go to Q

Q Twig brown, slender; buds sharply pointed, brown, with many tight scales (4 to 8 pairs) ~  Sugar Maple

Q Twig chestnut brown to red, stouter than others in this group; rank odor if bark is scratched; buds reddish brown with 2 to 4 pairs of large scales; scales hairy on edges; flower buds often in dense clusters ~ Silver Maple

Q Twig glossy green or purplish-green; buds globular, pinkish to white and hairy ~   Box Elder

Q Twig red or reddish, w/ small lenticels; lateral buds slightly stalked; buds smooth with rounded points, green or red, usually with some loose scales ~ Red Maple