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

Possible Matches:

Family	Genus	Species	common name
Anacardiaceae	Rhus	aromatica	fragrant sumac
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
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
Magnoliaceae	Liriodendron	tulipifera	yellow-poplar
Moraceae	Morus	rubra	red mulberry
Rosaceae	Sorbus	americana	American mountain-ash
Rosaceae	Sorbus	aucuparia	European mountain-ash
Rosaceae	Sorbus	sitchensis	Sitka mountain-ash
Tiliaceae	Tilia	americana	American basswood
Tiliaceae	Tilia	cordata	littleleaf linden
Tiliaceae	Tilia	tomentosa	silver linden
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

 

to the top