How are trees identified?

How are Trees Identified?

The idea behind this task is to get outside and go for a walk, examining the features of trees through careful observation. Maybe you can go with your whole family to a forest like Mt. Doug park or Mystic Vale? That would be great. But you can also find trees outside your home and around the school and city. We have trees everywhere! And this is a beautiful time to observe them as the new deciduous growth is a startling bright green and the cherry blossom flowers are in full bloom!

Warning* Do not eat anything you find on any tree including fruit, berries, or mushrooms near the trees. You also need to stay away from certain plants, such as hogweed, as these can be very dangerous! You can find more information about toxic plants on the Worksafe BC site.

There are a number of key questions that you need to answer to identify a tree:

Is the tree coniferous or deciduous?

These are the two main groupings of trees. Conifers, also known as Evergreens, keep their needle-like leaves year-round. Deciduous trees have broad leaves that they usually drop in the winter. Deciduous trees include most fruit and nut trees.

Type of leaf arrangement

2. A. If your tree is deciduous, does it have simple (photo 1 above) or compound leaves (photo 2 above)?

Simple leaves have one blade attached to the leaf stock. Compound leaves have many blades. You can also look to see if the leaves branch off the stem at the same place (opposite), or if they alternate with one branching off one direction and further up the stem branching another direction. If the leaves leave the stem in a haphazard manner, they may be irregular, or if lots of leaves leave the stem at the same place, they may be whorled.

2. B. If your tree is a conifer, are the leaves scale-like (photo 3 above) or needle-like (photo 4 above)?

You can also examine if the needles are clustered, bundled, linear, or awl-shaped.

Decidous leaf shape

3. What do the leaves look like?

Broad leaves can be shaped in many different ways. Some look like an upside-down heart, others like a maple leaf, while others are shaped in various widths (narrow to wide) of what we think of as a traditional leaf shape.

As you look at the leaves, pay attention to the edges (called margins), as they come in more than 12 patterns. Serrated (jagged leaf edges), entire (smooth edges), lobated (indented), and round-toothed are just four examples of how leaf edges can be shaped.

You can also examine the veins in the leaves to gather more information about what kind of tree you may be examining.

Did you realize there could be so many different leaf types and shapes?!

There are many parts of the tree to observe closely in order to identify it. The bark may contain helpful information for you, or the size of the tree may indicate what type it is. Does the tree bear fruit? Nuts? Flowers? Where are the seeds contained? What are the buds or twigs like? Identifying trees takes time and practice, as there are over 23,000 different types of trees in the world!

Tree Fungi

There are also other interesting features about trees that you can look for. These won’t help you identify the tree, but are neat to spot.

Burl

These include burls (which is an abnormal swelling on the trunk of the tree, especially prized for its unique wood grain and therefore very popular with woodworkers), galls caused by bacterial disease, tree fungus, the crotch, etc.

Nests

You can also look for birds’ nests, insect nests, and other fun things like kites.

The Tree Book is worth checking out. It is made specifically for British Columbia trees, and is a free PDF you can download to your device and take with you on your outing.

Go see some big trees!

If you want something more specific to our context, you can check out the Vancouver Island Big Trees webpage. While it only features information on 8 trees, these trees are common around Victoria and easy to spot. It also guides you to some cool locations to see some really large trees under the ‘See Big Trees’ tab. If you can get there, Francis/King Regional Park has some of the largest trees in the Victoria area, and is really worth checking out. Go for a hike, but remember to keep your distance from others, bring a snack and a water bottle, and enjoy the great outdoors!

Use an app

Did you know there are some great apps out there that can help you identify trees? The Canadian Wildlife Federation has partnered to make a free App for Mac products called Leaf Snap. There may be others you can find for Android. With there being so many trees in the world, using an app makes sense to help narrow down the search.

Finally...

Have fun outside, and enjoy learning about trees through your powers of observation (with the help of a little technology, if you have it). Again, don't eat any part of any tree or anything you find in the woods (those aren't Easter eggs), and inform yourself about poisonous plants before you go, so you know what to stay away from. If you need some motivation, you can do an image search of hogweed burns, but I'm warning you, there are some nasty images out there!

Email me at mdeleeuw@sd61.bc.ca and let me know how it goes! Tell me what trees you saw and where.

Thanks!

Mark deLeeuw

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How are trees identified?