Tree identification guides
Step-by-step methods for naming a tree from what you can see: leaves, bark, twigs, cones, fruit and overall shape. Each guide cites the field manuals and extension services it draws on.
Field guideConifer identification: three questions about the needles, then the coneTell pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, Douglas-fir, larch, yew, cedar and cypress apart with three needle questions, a cone table and a Christmas tree box.
Field guideFruit tree identification by leaf, bark and blossomTell apple, pear, plum, cherry and peach trees apart by leaf, bark, blossom and shape, and why the variety needs fruit or DNA.
Evidence reviewHow accurate tree identification apps really areWhat published tests found on plant and tree ID app accuracy: genus vs species, leaves vs bark, which apps led, and a checklist for judging any app.
Photo guideHow to identify a tree from a photoSeven photos that make a tree identifiable: whole tree, both leaf sides, twig and buds, bark, fruit, scale. And what to do when a result looks wrong.
Yard guideHow to identify the trees in your yardYard trees are often planted cultivars. Where to find their names (tags, landscape plans, old listings), how to check them, and when to call an arborist.
Field guideHow to identify trees by their leavesRead a leaf in five checks: type, arrangement, simple or compound, margin and lobes, veins. A leaf chart and 10 worked examples of common US trees.
Field guideHow to identify trees for firewoodIdentify firewood trees by bark, buds and split wood, compare heat per cord from Utah State's table, and learn why dead trees and widowmakers need a pro.
iPhone how-toHow to identify trees with your iPhoneExact steps to identify a tree on iPhone with Apple's Visual Look Up, Google Lens in the Google app, or a tree app, with the iOS versions Apple lists.
Field guideHow to identify trees, step by stepIdentify trees in the field: needles or leaves, opposite or alternate, simple or compound, then lobes, bark, buds, fruit and range, and a key to confirm.
Field guideHow to identify young trees and saplingsIdentify young trees and saplings by leaf arrangement, leaflets, buds, pith and smell, with field marks for walnut, tree of heaven, ash, boxelder and oak.
Field guideTree bark identification: seven bark types and the trees that have themIdentify trees by bark: smooth, peeling, plated, furrowed, shaggy, lenticels and corky ridges, with US examples for each and why bark changes with age.
Family and classroomTree identification for kids, step by stepTree identification for kids in seven steps: tree shape, leaf type and edges, bark rubbings, a pressed-leaf book and an adopt-a-tree visit each season.
Canada field guideTree identification in Canada, region by regionIdentify Canadian trees region by region, from balsam fir and black spruce to sugar maple and western redcedar, plus every provincial tree.
Field guideTree identification in the UK: British trees by leaf, bark and pictureIdentify British trees by leaf, bark, buds and fruit: about 25 common UK trees grouped by the clue that names them, plus red berries and free ID guides.
Field guideTree seed identification: from acorn, pod or samara to the treeName a tree from what falls under it: acorns, samaras, nuts in husks, pods, cones, berries, spiky balls and capsules, in one table from seed to genus.
Clue guideTrees with heart-shaped leaves, and how to tell them apartRedbud, catalpa, linden, katsura or princess tree: tell heart-shaped leaves apart by size, edge and arrangement, plus the tree with 3 leaf shapes.
Clue guideWhich tree has red berries? Sort it by leaf and seasonHolly, hawthorn, dogwood, mountain-ash, crabapple, possumhaw, yew or Cornelian cherry: name a tree with red berries from its leaves, season and region.
Clue guideWhich tree has spiky balls? Six candidates and how to tell themSweetgum, horse chestnut, buckeye, chestnut, sycamore or Osage orange: ball size, season, leaves and range for each tree that drops spiky balls.
Clue guideWhich tree has white flowers? Start with the monthCallery pear, serviceberry, dogwood, cherry, magnolia, black locust or catalpa: a bloom-month table and the field checks for each white-flowering tree.
Winter field guideWinter tree identification, from buds to barkIdentify trees in winter from buds, twigs, leaf scars, bark and leftover fruit, with the opposite-branching shortcut and a twig key for 12 eastern trees.