Tree Identification

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Tree Identification

• By Emmanuel County Institute

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Longleaf Pine
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Longleaf Pine

• Longleaf pine----Pinaceae Pinus palustris
• Leaf Evergreen, very long and feathery (8 to 18
  inches long), with three dark green needles per
  fascicle.
• Flower Monoecious, males yellow-red, long, in
  clusters females oval, purple.
• Fruit Very large (largest cone in the Eastern U.
  S. --6 to 10 inches long), ovoid to conical in
  shape, sessile. Scales are red-brown in color.
  The umbo is armed with a curved prickle. Maturing
  September to October.
• Twig Very stout, brown, with large obvious,
  asbestos-white buds.
• Bark Quite scaly, orange-brown to gray, will
  eventually develop plates.
• Form A medium-sized tree with a straight trunk,
  coarse branches and tufted needles at ends of
  branches.

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Shortleaf Pine
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Shortleaf Pine

• Shortleaf pine --Pinaceae Pinus echinata
• Leaf Evergreen, 3 to 5 inches long, two or three
  (on the same branch) slender and flexible needles
  per fascicle, dark yellow-green in color. The
  fascicle sheath is persistent.
• Flower Monoecious, males cylindrical, red to
  yellow, in clumps at ends of twigs females light
  green to red, with a large spine.
• Fruit Compact, 2 inches long, ovoid, somewhat
  persistent. Cones are red to brown in color. The
  umbo is armed with a small prickle. Maturing
  October to November.
• Twig Green and purple when young, later turning
  red-brown.
• Bark Scaly and dark on young trees, eventually
  developing plates with scaly surfaces.
  "Volcanoes" or small surface pockets of pitch may
  be apparent.
• Form A medium to large tree with a small, open,
  pyramidal crown.

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Slash Pine
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Slash Pine

• Slash pine---Pinaceae Pinus elliottii
• Leaf Evergreen, 7 to 10 inches long, flexible,
  with three (sometimes two) needles per fascicle,
  dark green in color. The fascicle sheath is quite
  long and persistent.
• Flower Monoecious, males cylindrical, red to
  yellow, in clusters at ends of twigs females red
  to green, stalked oval.
• Twig Quite stout, orange-brown in color.

• Fruit Cones are 3 to 6 inches long, ovoid, borne
  on a stalk. Cones are caramel in color. The umbo
  is armed with a small, out curved spine.
  Maturing--October to November.
• Bark Red-brown and furrowed when young, becoming
  very platy. The surfaces of the plates are
  covered with thin, loose scales.
• Form A medium-sized tree with a narrow-ovoid
  crown. Needles appear to be tufted at the ends of
  the branches.

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Southern Red Oak
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Southern Red Oak

• Southern red oak--Fagaceae Quercus falcata
• Leaf Alternate, simple, 5 to 9 inches long and
  roughly obovate in outline. Two forms are common-
  3 lobes with shallow sinuses or 5 to 7 lobes with
  deeper sinuses. Lobes are bristle-tipped.
  Tomentum is present below and on the petiole.
  Often resembles a turkey foot.
• Flower Staminate flowers borne on catkins.
  Pistillate flowers borne on spikes. Appears with
  the leaves.
• Form A medium-sized tree with a short trunk and
  large branches supporting a rounded crown.

• Fruit Acorns are 1/2 inch long, orange-brown and
  pubescent. The cap covers less than 1/3 of the
  nut and is quite thin and flattened. Matures
  after two years, ripens in September or October.
• Twig Reddish-brown in color, may be
  gray-pubescent or glabrous. Multiple terminal
  buds are dark red, pubescent, pointed and only
  1/8 to 1/4 inch long.
• Bark Dark in color, thick, with broad, scaly
  ridges separated by deep, narrow furrows.
  Resembles Q. velutina, but the inner bark is only
  slightly yellow.

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Blackjack Oak

Fagaceae Quercus marilandica
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Blackjack Oak

• Leaf Alternate, simple, 5 to 8 inches long,
  thickened, with 3 shallow, bristle-tipped lobes
  near the end of the leaf, upper surface lustrous
  green, lower surface paler with orange-brown
  pubescence.
• Flower Monoecious, males 2 to 4 inch long
  hanging catkin, females small, single or paired.
• Fruit Acorn, nut 3/4 inch long often striated,
  light brown, cap covers about half of the nut and
  is covered with loose, hairy scales.
• Twig Stout, dark brown and scruffy-hairy,
  reddish-brown buds are 1/4 inch long, sharp,
  angled and fuzzy.
• Bark Very dark (almost black), rough, with
  blocky plates and splits.
• Form A small sized tree (20 to 30 feet tall)
  generally with poor form. It typically has a
  short trunk with a round crown made up of twisted
  limbs.

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Live Oak
Fagaceae Quercus virginiana
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Live Oak
Leaf Alternate, simple, evergreen, leathery, 2
to 5 inches long, oblong or elliptical in shape
with an entire or spiny and revolute margin. The
upper surface is lustrous, the lower is pale and
pubescent . Generally, not bristle-tipped.
Flower Staminate flowers borne on catkins.
Pistillate flowers borne on spikes. Appearing
March through May. Fruit Acorns are in
clusters of 3 to 5, maturing in one season. The
nut is dark in color, 3/4 inch long and covered
1/3 by the cap. The cap is bowl-shaped and warty,
termed "turbinate" by Harlow et al. Maturing in
September of the first year. Twig Slender,
gray and pubescent, with small, blunt, multiple
terminal buds. Bark Rapidly developing
red-brown furrows with small surface scales.
Later, becoming black and very blocky. Form A
medium-sized tree that can grow to massive
proportions. Open grown trees develop a huge
rounded crown. The largest trees may be 150 feet
across.
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Overcup Oak Fagaceae Quercus lyrata
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Overcup Oak
Leaf Alternate, simple, 6 to 10 inches long,
roughly oblong in shape with a highly variable
margin that has 5 to 9 lobes with irregular
sinuses. The underside is white and pubescent.
Flower Male flowers are green, borne in naked
catkins, 2 to 4 inches long. Female flowers are
reddish and appear as single spikes. Appearing
with the leaves. Fruit Acorns are 1/2 to 1
inch long, round and almost entirely covered by
the cap. The cap is warty and unfringed. Maturing
in 1 year, ripening in September or October.
Twig Slender and gray, glabrous - very closely
resembling white oak. Buds are small, ovoid and
light chestnut brown in color. End buds are
multiple. Bark Gray-brown and scaly, often
with irregular plates, again resembling
white oak. Form A medium-sized tree with
generally poor, twisted form. However, the crown
is pyramidal/oval and later rounded.
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Cottonwood
Taxodiaceae Taxodium ascendens
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Cottonwood
Leaf Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6
inches long, triangular (deltoid) in shape with a
crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened
and glands are present at the top of the petiole.
Flower Dioecious, male and female as pendulous
catkins, appearing before the leaves. Fruit
Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long borne in a dehiscent
capsule. Maturing over summer. Twig Stout,
somewhat angled and yellowish. Buds are 3/4 inch
long, covered with several brown, resinous
scales. Has a bitter aspirin taste. Bark
Smooth, gray to yellow-green when young. Later
turning gray with thick ridges and deep furrows.
Form A large tree with a clear bole and an
open spreading crown resulting in a somewhat
vase-shaped form.
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Pond Cypress
Taxodiaceae Taxodium ascendens
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Pond Cypress
Leaf Short, awl-like needles held close to the
twig, green to yellow green. Flower Males in
long (3 to 5 inches) hanging panicles, female's
small and occur near branch tips. Fruit Nearly
round cone with peltate scales, ¾ to 1 inch in
diameter, initially yellow green but turning
brown when mature, Breaks up into individual
scales. Twig Slender covered with tight scale
like foliage, later brown as needles age and fall
off, typical twigs ascending vertically from
branches. Bark Fibrous and shreddy, red brown
and gray where oxidized, thought to become
thicker than that of bald cypress. Form Medium
sized tree with a pyramidal crown, clear bole and
often buttressed base, generally smaller than
bald cypress.
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Red Cedar
Cupressaceae Juniperus virginiana
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Red Cedar
Leaf Evergreen, with two types of leaves, often
on the same tree. Scale leaves 1/16 inch long,
dark green, with 4 sides. Awl leaves are more
common on young trees, 1/8 to 3/8 inch long, dark
blue-green and sharp-pointed. Flower Males are
dioecious, but occasionally monoecious,
yellow-brown, occurring in large groups. Females
are light blue-green. Fruit Berry-like cones,
light green in spring, turning dark blue and
glaucous at maturity, about 1/4 inch in diameter.
Appearing March to May. Maturing September to
November. Twig Green for several years,
covered in scales, later turning brown. Bark
Red-brown in color, exfoliating in long, fibrous
strips, often ashy gray where exposed. Form A
small tree with a dense pyramidal or columner
crown.
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River Birch
Betulaceae Betula nigra
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River Birch
Leaf Alternate, simple, pinnately-veined,
rhombic to ovate, 1 1/2 to 3 inches
long, obviously doubly serrate, with a
wedge-shaped base. Flower Preformed aments,
male near the end of the twig, 2 to 3 inches
long. Female catkins upright, 1/4 to 1/2 inch
long. Flowering in early spring. Fruit Cone
like, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, with many hairy
scales, containing tiny, 3-winged seeds. Twig
Slender, orangish-brown in color, smooth or
slightly pubescent, with the terminal bud absent.
Lateral buds may be slightly pubescent. No
wintergreen odor when cut. Bark Smooth on
young trees, salmon to rust colored. On older
trees, developing papery scales, exfoliating
horizontally with several colors (creamy
to orangish-brown) visible. Later developing
coarse scales. Form River birch is a
medium-size tree with poor form. The trunk
generally divides low into several arching
branches.
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Sourwood
Ericaceae Oxydendrum arboreum
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Sourwood
Leaf Alternate, simple, elliptical to
lanceolate, very finely serrate, 4 to 7
inches long with very slight pubescence on the
mid-vein below. A sour taste is obvious when the
leaf is chewed. Flower White, 1/4 inch long,
borne on drooping panicles, reminiscent
of lily-of-the-valley flowers. Present late June
to August. Fruit Born on panicles, enclosed in
dehiscent, 5-valved capsules. Capsules are
dry when mature (September to October) and
release the tiny, 2-winged seeds. Twig Olive
green, changing to red, with buds that are small
and oppressed. Leaf scars are elevated with one
bundle scar. Bark Grayish brown, very thick
with deep furrows and scaly ridges. Often
the ridges are broken into recognizable
rectangles. Form A small tree, usually with
poor form and an irregular crown.