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.
	Shrubs are low branching, suckering, or have multiple stems and do not reach 20 feet in height.
	Most people recognize brambles, which include roses and blackberries.
	Vines require some extra help for support. They hold on to the support by twining, growing tendrils, or aerial roots.

	Nuts
	Acorns
	Bean-like
	Capsules
	Tiny dry seeds
	Dry winged fruit
	Fleshy berries
	Dry berries
	Cone, including pine cones

	White
	Red/Pink/Orange
	Yellow/Green
	Blue/Violet

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

Slender or Scaly Leaves

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

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.

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.

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.

	A leaf with a single blade is a simple leaf. The leaf stalk is attached directly to a woody twig.
	The simplest type of compound leaf is a bifoliate leaf, which has two leaflets attached to a common stalk.
	Trifoliate leaves have three leaflets attached to a common stalk.
	Palmate leaves have leaflets that radiate from the end of the central stalk.
	Pinnate leaves have leaflets attached laterally to the central stalk.
	Bipinnate leaves have pinnate leaflets attached to pinnate leaflets. The whole structure is shed in the fall.

	This leaf has rounded lobes (the parts that stick out) and sinuses (the parts that stick in).
	This leaf is unlobed.

	Smooth
	Serrated
	Toothed
	Wavy
	Rolled
	Spiny

Broadleaf Shape is generally considered in outline.

	Heart-shaped, or cordate
	Triangular, or deltoid
	Long and Narrow, or Lanceolate
	Oval, widest above the middle (Obovate)
	Oval, widest below the middle (Ovate)
	Round in Outline
	Wedge-shaped

	Thick and leathery, often evergreen
	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.

	Most woody plants are alternately arranged. The leaves and buds alternate along the stem.
	These leaves are oppositely arranged, as are the buds that grow at the base of the leaves.
	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 bundlescar
	Three bundlescars
	Five or more bundlescars

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

	Broad leaf scars
	Narrow leaf scars

Twig End Buds can actually be more distinctive than leaves.

	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 buds are covered by one or two cap-like scales.
	Scaly buds have overlapping scales, resembling shingles on a roof.
	Some buds are so fuzzy that bud scales or pre-formed leaves can't be seen.

Twig Special Features

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