Tree ID Chart
From Fifty Trees of Indiana, by T.E. Shaw;
prepared and printed thru the cooperative efforts of the Division
of Forestry, Indiana State Dept. Of Conservation and the Dept. Of
Forestry and Conservation, Purdue University, 1st revision, 5th
Terms appearing in bold print may be found in
the Glossary of Tree Terms.
Identification of trees is basically a process of
elimination. When confronted with a tree you are not familiar
with, first ask the following questions:
- Is the trunk straight?
- Is the trunk single-stemmed?
- How do the leaves, flowers, and fruit look?
- For example, the tulip tree has a straight, single stemmed
trunk; the leaves look as if someone had taken a pair of
scissors and trimmed the tops into widespread notches; the
flowers look like tulips and the fruit looks like a
little, dry pineapple.
- Look for leaves of different shapes - unlobed, two lobes, three
- Examine the twigs and inner bark - notice any odor?
- Does the tree bear thorns and are they large and branched, or
small and borne singly or in pairs?
- Broadleaved trees - are the leaves borne
oppositely on the twigs or
- Which ones have simple leaves (a single leaf
on a leaf stem) and which have compound
leaves (a number of leaflets on a leaf stem) or
doubly-compound leaves ( a number of leaflets on a leaf stem
- Parts of a
Tree - diagrams and descriptions of leaves and
- Does the tree bear needle or scale-like leaves?
By knowing a few simple facts, we can place trees in small
groups and then make a positive identification by knowing one or
two additional facts about each individual tree.
Suppose you find a tree with compound leaves, alternately
arranged on the twigs. To use the chart , take the top, or
ALTERNATE path. Then take the path marked COMPOUND. The first tree
on this path, black locust, has 7 to 17 leaflets and small thorns,
arranged in pairs. Your tree has seven to nine leaflets, but it has
no thorns, so you go along the path. Finally, you come to a tree,
bitternut hickory, which has seven to nine leaflets and yellow
buds. You examine your tree again, and find it has yellow buds. So
you turn to the complete description of bitternut hickory in a tree
identification book and compare your tree with it. The description
fits, so the identification is complete.
The next tree has compound leaves arranged oppositely on the
twigs. This time, you take the bottom, or OPPOSITE path, then the
path marked COMPOUND. The first tree on this path has three to five
leaflets on green twigs. Your tree has these characteristics, so
you turn to the page containing the complete description of
boxelder and compare your tree with it. The description fits, so
you are sure that your tree is a boxelder. Since 29 of the 43 trees
on the chart have simple leaves, alternately arranged on the twigs,
the top path is the most difficult to follow. Long leaf stems are
1½ to 2 inches in length or longer. Those of redbud and basswood
are usually 1½-2 inches long, and those of aspen and cottonwood are
usually somewhat longer; while those of the other three are
considerably longer (sycamore 2½-5 inches, tulip tree and sweet gum
Of the 13 trees indicated as having short leaf stems, 12 have
stems considerably less than one inch long (most ½ inch or less),
and one, black gum, occasionally attains one inch.
If you should happen to get lost in this path, try the "shotgun
method". Scan this part of the chart for a set of characteristics
which fit the tree you are trying to identify.
Many trees show preferences for certain kinds of growing
conditions such as wet situations.
The most common tree community in Indiana is the oak-hickory
association which occupies more than half of the forest land in the
state. Next most frequent is the beech-maple association -
Third is the pin oak-sweet gum (10%) - occupies the overflow
bottomlands and the more poorly drained soils of southern
There is no abrupt dividing line between communities, they often
blend into one another, and it is not uncommon to find two or three
different communities within one farm woods.
Trees can be related to each other just as people are. For
example, all the oaks are very closely related, and the beech is
related to the oaks. Hickories are closely related, and are
"cousins" to the walnuts. Therefore, because of the
relationships between trees, they can be studied in family groups
i.e. the Ashes, the Elms, the Hickories, the Maples, the Oaks,
trees with needles or scale- like leaves.
Tree Identification in Summer
Broadleaved trees in winter may be identified by their bark,
form, and certain features of the twigs (buds, leaf scars, pith,
etc.); also by the fruit which a few trees retain far into the
winter. But in summer broadleaved trees may be identified
primarily by their leaves.
The fruit of some trees is very helpful to identification in
summer. Basswood, sweet gum, osage-orange and persimmon
fruits are good examples. Other trees, such as beech blue
beech, and sycamore, can be identified by their bark.