Twig Key

So far you have made the following choices...

• deciduous leaves
• alternate arrangement
• tree
• lacking spines
• three or fewer end buds
• scaly end buds
• three bundle scars per leaf scar

It could be one of the species in the table below. Let's narrow our choices by looking at the end bud.

My twig has tall, pointed or large end buds	My twig has short, rounded or small end buds

Possible Matches:

Family	Genus	Species	common name
Betulaceae	Alnus	glutinosa	European black alder
Betulaceae	Alnus	rhombifolia	white alder
Betulaceae	Alnus	rubra	red alder
Betulaceae	Alnus	rugosa	speckled alder
Betulaceae	Alnus	serrulata	hazel alder
Betulaceae	Alnus	sinuata	Sitka alder
Betulaceae	Betula	alleghaniensis	yellow birch
Betulaceae	Betula	lenta	sweet birch
Betulaceae	Betula	nigra	river birch
Betulaceae	Betula	papyrifera	paper birch
Betulaceae	Betula	pendula	European weeping birch
Betulaceae	Betula	populifolia	gray birch
Betulaceae	Betula	uber	roundleaf birch
Betulaceae	Carpinus	caroliniana	hornbeam
Betulaceae	Corylus	americana	American hazel
Betulaceae	Corylus	cornuta	beaked hazel
Betulaceae	Ostrya	virginiana	hophornbeam
Burseraceae	Bursera	simarouba	gumbo-limbo
Caesalpiniaceae	Cercis	canadensis	redbud
Caesalpiniaceae	Cercis	occidentalis	western redbud
Fagaceae	Castanea	dentata	American chestnut
Fagaceae	Castanea	mollissima	Chinese chestnut
Fagaceae	Castanea	pumila	Alleghany chinkapin
Fagaceae	Fagus	grandifolia	American beech
Fagaceae	Fagus	sylvatica	European beech
Fagaceae	Quercus	acutissima	sawtooth oak
Grossulariaceae	Itea	virginica	sweetspire
Grossulariaceae	Ribes	sanguineum	red-flowering currant
Hamamelidaceae	Liquidambar	styraciflua	sweetgum
Hippocastanaceae	Aesculus	californica	California buckeye
Juglandaceae	Carya	aquatica	water hickory
Juglandaceae	Carya	glabra	pignut hickory
Juglandaceae	Carya	laciniosa	shellbark hickory
Juglandaceae	Carya	ovata	shagbark hickory
Juglandaceae	Carya	pallida	sand hickory
Juglandaceae	Carya	tomentosa	mockernut hickory
Lauraceae	Lindera	benzoin	spicebush
Lauraceae	Sassafras	albidum	sassafras
Lauraceae	Sassafras	albidum	sassafras
Moraceae	Morus	rubra	red mulberry
Myricaceae	Myrica	gale	sweetgale
Nyssaceae	Nyssa	aquatica	water tupelo
Nyssaceae	Nyssa	biflora	swamp tupelo
Nyssaceae	Nyssa	sylvatica	blackgum
Rosaceae	Amelanchier	arborea	serviceberry
Rosaceae	Aronia	arbutifolia	chokeberry
Rosaceae	Holodiscus	discolor	ocean spray
Rosaceae	Malus	spp.	apple
Rosaceae	Oemleria	cerasiformis	Indian-plum
Rosaceae	Physocarpus	capitatus	ninebark
Rosaceae	Prunus	angustifolia	Chickasaw plum
Rosaceae	Prunus	avium	sweet cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	cerasifera	purple leaf plum
Rosaceae	Prunus	emarginata	bitter cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	pennsylvanica	fire cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	persica	peach
Rosaceae	Prunus	serotina	black cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	serrulata	Kwanzan cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	subcordata	Klamath plum
Rosaceae	Prunus	subhirtella	Higan cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	virginiana	choke cherry
Rosaceae	Prunus	x yedoensis	Yoshino cherry
Rosaceae	Purshia	tridentata	bitterbrush
Rosaceae	Pyrus	calleryana	callery pear
Rosaceae	Pyrus	communis	common pear
Rosaceae	Sorbus	americana	American mountain-ash
Rosaceae	Sorbus	aucuparia	European mountain-ash
Rosaceae	Sorbus	sitchensis	Sitka mountain-ash
Salicaceae	Populus	alba	European white poplar
Salicaceae	Populus	balsamifera	balsam poplar
Salicaceae	Populus	deltoides	cottonwood
Salicaceae	Populus	grandidentata	bigtooth aspen
Salicaceae	Populus	heterophylla	swamp cottonwood
Salicaceae	Populus	tremuloides	quaking aspen
Salicaceae	Populus	trichocarpa	black cottonwood
Tiliaceae	Tilia	americana	American basswood
Tiliaceae	Tilia	cordata	littleleaf linden
Tiliaceae	Tilia	tomentosa	silver linden
Ulmaceae	Celtis	laevigata	sugarberry
Ulmaceae	Celtis	occidentalis	hackberry
Ulmaceae	Planera	aquatica	water elm
Ulmaceae	Ulmus	alata	winged elm
Ulmaceae	Ulmus	americana	American elm
Ulmaceae	Ulmus	parvifolia	Chinese elm
Ulmaceae	Ulmus	pumila	Siberian elm
Ulmaceae	Ulmus	rubra	slippery elm
Ulmaceae	Ulmus	thomasii	rock elm
Ulmaceae	Zelkova	serrata	Japanese zelkova

 

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