1. Tree Has Needles (Coniferous)

1. Tree has needles (Coniferous)

2. Needles in bundles or groups

3. Needles in clusters...Tamarack (Larix laricina)

3. Needles 2-5 per bundle

4. 5 needles per bundle...White pine (Pinus strobus)

4. Needles in pairs

5. Needles 3-4 inches long...Red pine (Pinus resinosa)

5. Needles under 2 inches

6. Bark dark gray...Jack pine (Pinus banksiana)

6. Bark orange-brown, cones 1-2.5 in long ...Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris)

2. Needles single or flattened and scaly

3. Needles square, round or scaly

4. Needles scaly & flattened...Northern white cedar (Thuga occidentalis)

4. Needles square or round

5. Needles 1/3-3/4 in long, twig hairless...White spruce (Picea glauca)

5. Needles 1/4-3/4 in long, new twigs have hair, grows in wet areas...Black spruce

(Picea mariana)

5. Needles 1/4-3/4 in long, droopy branches, cones 4-7 in long...Norwary spruce

(Picea abies)

3. Needles flat

4. Needles 1/2 in long with short stem...Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

4. Needles 3/4-1 1/4 in long, no stem...Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)

1. Tree has broad leaves (Deciduous)

2. Opposite branching (side branches, leaves grow from the stem directly across from each other)

3. Compound leaves (single leaf with numerous leaflets. Leaflets are smaller parts of leaves that join together along leaf stem. Leaf actually begins where the woody twig ends)

4. 9-11 leaflets, leaflets do not have stems...Black ash (Fraxinus nigra)

4. 5-9 leaflets, leaflets have stems, smile-shaped leaf scar...White ash (Fraxinus amreicana)

3. Simple leaves (leaf stem is same as main vein for the leaf)

4. Leaf margins smooth, 5 lobes...Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

4. Leaf margins notched, 3-5 lobes...Red maple (Acer rubrum)

2. Alternate branching (side branches, leaves do not grow directly across from each other)

3. Compound leaves

4. Leaflets over 2 in long, 5-7 hairless leaflets, egg-shaped nut...Shagbark hickory

(Carya ovata)

4. Leaflets over 2 in long, 7-17 slightly hairy leaflets, leaf 12-36 in long...Black walnut (Juglans nigra)

3. Simple leaves

4. Leaves lobed, smooth, or toothed margins (lobes are like fingers on a leaf that make it irregular shaped)

5. Pointed lobes, leaves hairless, sinuses no closer than 1/2 in to mid-vein (Sinus is the space between the lobes on a leaf)...Red oak (Quercus rubra)

5. Rounded lobes, even lobes and sinuses, leaves hairless...White oak (Quercus alba) 4. Leaves not lobed

5. Leaves toothed, papery bark

6. Leaves oval & 2-3 in long, white peeling bark...White (Paper) birch

(Betula papyrifera)

6. Leaves with rounded heart-shaped base & 3-4.5 in long, yellow or bronzed bark...Yellow birch (Betula alleghaneinsis)

5. Leaves toothed, bark not papery

6. Leaf stems flat

7. Leaves have small, fine teeth <1/16 in bark, bark usually white... Trembling (Quaking) aspen (Populus tremuloides)

7. Leaves have large teeth...Big Toothed Aspen

(Populus grandidentata)

7. Leaf is triangular-shaped with coarse teeth...Cottonwood

(Populus deltoides)

6. Leaf stems round

7. Leaves long and narrow

8. 5-6 in long, hairy leaves, fringe along rib on bottom of leaf, bark very dark...Black cherry (Prunus serotina)

8. 3-5 in long leaves, smooth gray bark...American Beech

(Fagus grandifolia)

7. Leaves almost as wide as long...Basswood (Tilia americana)