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Latitude: 37.223878, Longitude: -80.422514, Elevation: 2086.

 

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tree

A tree generally has a single upright stem and reaches a height of 20 feet.

Some species are shrubs in harsh climates and trees in moderate climates.

shrub Shrubs are low branching, suckering, or have multiple stems and do not reach 20 feet in height.
bramble Most people recognize brambles, which include roses and blackberries.
vine Vines require some extra help for support. They hold on to the support by twining, growing tendrils, or aerial roots.
     
nuts Nuts
acorns Acorns
bean-like Bean-like
capsule Capsules
tiny dry seed Tiny dry seeds
dry winged seed Dry winged fruit
fleshy fruit Fleshy berries
dry berry Dry berries
cones Cone, including pine cones
     
white

White
pink Red/Pink/Orange
yellow Yellow/Green
blue Blue/Violet
     
cactus

Cacti do have leaves - they are reduced to spines.
palm Palms are common in warm regions.
yucca Yuccas can be found in many loacations but are more common is deserts.
slender or scaly vine Slender or Scaly leaves can be found on pines, junipers, and other genera.
broadleaf Broadleaf includes genera with narrow leaves, such as the willows.
     
CONIFERS ONLY
     

Slender or Scaly Leaves

Scale leaves are often displayed in flattened splays or in a more boxy 4-sided pattern.

flattened splays 4-sided splays
Trees with single needles can be distinguished by how the needles are attached to the twig. Yew and Douglas-fir have tiny petioles (leaf stalks). Spruce needles grow on woody pegs. Firs have a swollen "suction cup" at the base of the needle.
petioles sterigmata suction cups
Pines have needles in clusters or bundles called fascicles. A quick and easy way to distinguish between the pines is to count the needles in the fascicle.
fascicles of 2 fascicles of 3 fascicles of 2 and 3 fascicles of 5
          
BROADLEAVES ONLY
     

Broadleaves can be simple or compound. Simple leaves have a single blade, compound leaves have several leaflets attached to a common stalk. It can be difficult to distinguish between these two leaf types. It may help to determine what, exactly, is the deciduous unit. Leaves are attached directly to twigs; leaflets are attached to a common stalk that is attached to the twig. Another clue... in late summer, buds can be found on the twig at the base of the leaf. There are never buds on leaf stalks.

simple leaf

A leaf with a single blade is a simple leaf. The leaf stalk is attached directly to a woody twig.

bifoliate leaf The simplest type of compound leaf is a bifoliate leaf, which has two leaflets attached to a common stalk.
trifoliate leaf Trifoliate leaves have three leaflets attached to a common stalk.
palmate leaf Palmate leaves have leaflets that radiate from the end of the central stalk.
pinnate leaf Pinnate leaves have leaflets attached laterally to the central stalk.
bipinnate leaf Bipinnate leaves have pinnate leaflets attached to pinnate leaflets. The whole structure is shed in the fall.
          
     
lobes

This leaf has rounded lobes (the parts that stick out) and sinuses (the parts that stick in).
no lobes This leaf is unlobed.
          
     
smooth

Smooth
serrate Serrated
toothed Toothed
wavy Wavy
rolled Rolled
spiny Spiny
          
     

Broadleaf Shape is generally considered in outline.

cordate

Heart-shaped, or cordate
deltoid Triangular, or deltoid
lanceolate Long and Narrow, or Lanceolate
obovate Oval, widest above the middle (Obovate)
ovate Oval, widest below the middle (Ovate)
orbicular Round in Outline
wedge-shaped Wedge-shaped
          
     
thick leaves

Thick and leathery, often evergreen
thin leaves Thin and easy to tear
          
     

Broadleaf Arrangement, or phyllotaxy, is a very important id clue. To determine phyllotaxy, look to see how many leaves are attached to the twig at each node. If there are no leaves, look for the arrangement of the buds that can be found at the base of each leaf. If you can not reach the twigs, remember that twigs grow from buds... and they will have the same arrangement as the leaves.

alternate

Most woody plants are alternately arranged. The leaves and buds alternate along the stem.
opposite These leaves are oppositely arranged, as are the buds that grow at the base of the leaves.
whorled A few species have whorled leaves, with (usually) 3 leaves and buds at each node.
          
     

Twig bundle scars are very small. You will have to look at the leaf scar, which is the scar remaining after the leaf falls off. In the leafscar are bundle scars. These dots mark the places where the vascular bundles extended from the twig to the leaf.

one bundle scar

One bundlescar
three bundle scars Three bundlescars
five or more bundle scars Five or more bundlescars
          
     

Twig leaf scars mark where the leaf was attached to the twig.

broad leaf scars

Broad leaf scars
narrow leaf scars Narrow leaf scars
          
     

Twig End Buds can actually be more distinctive than leaves.

naked bud

Naked buds are not covered by any kind of bud scales. If you closely examine naked buds you can see the tiny pre-formed leaves
valvate bud Valvate buds are covered by one or two cap-like scales.
scaly bud Scaly buds have overlapping scales, resembling shingles on a roof.
fuzzy bud Some buds are so fuzzy that bud scales or pre-formed leaves can't be seen.
          
     

Twig Special Features

spines

Thorns are modified twigs, spines are modified leaves.
corky growth Corky outgrowths
catkins Catkins are pre-formed flowers that (usually) appear at the ends of the twigs.
          

= nonnative, planted and a wildland component, commonly "escapes" cultivation
= a North American native, may naturalize outside its native range

There are 267 ID Fact Sheet matches.