Identifying Pennsylvania Trees Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program
Tree Identification In this presentation you will learn to identify trees using the Summer Key to Pennsylvania Trees. Trees can be identified using many factors including leaves, bark, twigs, buds, flowers, and fruits.
Leaf Types
Scale-like
Broad and flat
Needles
Leaf-type Comparison
Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Whorled
Leaf Arrangement Comparison
Leaf Structure
A simple leaf Petiole (leaf stalk) Bud
A Compound Leaf Leaflet Pinnately compound Petiole (leaf stalk) Bud
A Compound Leaf Leaflet Petiole (leaf stalk) Palmately compound Bud
Leaf Structure Comparison
Leaf margins Serrate Dentate Double serrate Lobed Entire
Identification Section
Red Maple ID Slide Hint: opposite
Red Maple Acer rubrum
Red Maple
Sugar Maple ID Slide Hint: opposite
Sugar Maple Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple
Flowering Dogwood ID Slide Hint: opposite
Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida
Flowering Dogwood
Northern Red Oak ID Slide Hint: alternate
Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra
Northern Red Oak
White Oak ID Slide Hint: alternate
White Oak Quercus alba
White Oak
White Oak versus Red Oak Comparison White Oak Red Oak
American Beech ID Slide Hint: alternate
American Beech Fagus grandifolia
American Beech
Yellow Birch ID Slide Hint: alternate / hairy
Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch
Sweet (Black) Birch ID Slide Hint: alternate/hairy
Sweet (Black) Birch Betula lenta
Sweet (Black) Birch
Paper Birch ID Slide Hint: alternate; hairy
Paper Birch Betula papyrifera
Paper Birch
Eastern Hemlock ID Slide
Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis
Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Redcedar ID Slide
Eastern Redcedar Juniperus virginiana
Eastern Redcedar
Balsam Fir ID Slide Hint: leaves do not have stalks
Balsam Fir Abies balsamea
Balsam Fir
Norway Spruce ID Slide
Norway Spruce Picea abies
Norway Spruce
Fir versus Spruce Balsam Fir Norway Spruce
(one bundle) Eastern White Pine ID Slide
Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus
Eastern White Pine
Horse Chestnut ID Slide Hint: opposite
Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse Chestnut
Hint: needles more than 3 inches long Red Pine ID Slide
Red Pine Pinus resinosa
Red Pine
Hint: leaves rough American Elm ID Slide
American Elm Ulmus americana
American Elm
Bitternut Hickory ID Slide Clue: alternate, sap not milky
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis
Bitternut Hickory
Pitch Pine ID Slide
Pitch Pine Pinus rigida
Pitch Pine
Black Cherry ID Slide Hint: leaf not compound and not hairy, margins have fine teeth; leaf stalks have glands.
Black Cherry Prunus serotina
Black Cherry
Black Walnut ID Slide Hint: sap not milky; leaves hairy
Black Walnut Juglans nigra
Black Walnut
American Larch ID Slide
American Larch Larix laricina
American Larch
Wild Grape Not found in the key
Wild Grape Vitis spp.
Wild Grape
White Ash ID Slide
White Ash Fraxinus americana
White Ash
Sycamore Not found in the key
Sycamore Platanus occidentalis
Sycamore
Sassafras ID Slide
Sassafras Sassafras albidum
Sassafras
Cucumber-tree Magnolia ID Slide Hint: leaves usually greater than 5 inches long
Cucumber-tree Magnolia Magnolia acuminata
Cucumber-tree Magnolia
Sweetgum ID Slide
Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua
Sweetgum
Norway Maple ID Slide
Norway Maple Acer platanoides
Norway Maple
Black Locust ID Slide Hint: sap not milky
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia
Black Locust
Striped Maple ID Slide
Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum
Striped Maple
Hint: milky sap Smooth Sumac ID Slide
Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra
Smooth Sumac
Yellow-poplar ID Slide
Yellow-poplar Liriodendron tulipifera
Yellow-poplar
The Summer Key To Pennsylvania Trees is a small part of the Pennsylvania 4-H forestry curriculum. Contact your Penn State Cooperative Extension Office to request additional information about 4-H and other educational programs.
Prepared by Paul Roth, Research Assistant, and Rance Harmon, Extension Associate, The Pennsylvania State University, School of Forest Resources & Cooperative Extension Acknowledgements Idea development and review: Jason Hall, Sandra Insalaco, and Cecile Stelter Service Foresters Pennslyvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry Review: James Finley & Sanford Smith, The Pennsylvania State University School of Forest Resources & Cooperative Extension Images provided courtesy of Virginia Tech & The University of Wisconsin. Line art courtesy of The Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania 4-H Program References Common Trees of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees Eastern Region, Knolph, Alfred A. Inc. 1980 Virginia Tech Dendrological Web Page, www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.html University of Wisconsin, botanical images, www.wisc.edu/botit/dendrology/names.html Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. The Pennsylvania State University, 2002