Introduction
Whether you’re out on a walk with your dog or peeking at the neighbor’s landscape, it’s nice to be able to identify different tree species on a whim. It’s a cool trick and if you buy a new property, you can even identify trees on your own property. If you need those trees to be serviced, you can search for “tree service near me” and hire professionals for the job. Let’s check out how you can tell what type of tree you have.
The Details
- Leaf type – Trees are the most prominent clues that give away the identity of trees. Just identifying the type of trees on a tree can help you walk most of the distance for identifying a tree. There are three basic leaf types including scales, needles, and broadleaf. Most evergreen trees have scales or needles while deciduous trees have broad eaves that are dropped at the end of the fall season when the tree goes dormant.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For instance, Larch is a deciduous tree that has needles and turns color in the fall, and even drops leaves during the fall season. On the other hand, live oaks are evergreens that have broad and elliptical leaves all year round.
- Leaf shape – Once you’ve identified if a tree is deciduous or evergreen from the leaf type, it’s time to dig deeper by inspecting the shape of the leaf. Common leaf shapes among broadleaf varieties include:
- Ovate or egg-shaped.
- Cordate or heart-shaped.
- Deltoid or triangular.
- Lanceolate or long and narrow shape.
There’s also the lobed oak leaf and palm-shaped maple leaf. You can look up trees that match the shape along with other clues to identify the tree in your yard.
- Bark color – When you think about bark color, “brown” and “gray” are probably the only colors that pop into your head. While those are dominant bark colors, many trees also have other bark colors that give away their identity. For instance, there’s the birch tree with pure white color, mulberry trees with a cinnamon-colored bark, paperbark maple with the hue of copper, and aspen with greenish-white tones.
- Bark texture – Apart from the color, the texture of the bark also gives away clues. Throughout different species, there are many differences in the texture of trees. Let’s check out some of them:
- Beech has a smooth bark.
- Cottonwood has furrowed bark.
- Cherry trees have a distinct sheen to their bark.
- Birch bark looks almost like paper.
- Hackberry bark looks warty.
- Sycamore trees have scaly bark.
- Hickory trees have peeling bark.
- Bark variations with age – While the color and texture of barks give away the identity of trees, sometimes it can be confusing as both those characteristics may change with age. This becomes more noticeable as trees mature and the trunk looks very different from what it used to. For instance, the silver maple tree’s bark will change color from a smooth silver to a gray and furrowed texture. As it grows older, the trunk may even go black.
- Size and location – Another way of figuring out the identity of a tree is to study the site. Nature is an expert at distributing trees and knows what belongs where. For instance, you’ll find willow trees near bodies of water while species like black locusts are more likely to be found on higher grounds. You can also reach a conclusion from the size of a mature tree.
For instance, if a tree is 40 feet wide and 60 feet tall, there’s a very slim chance that it’s dogwood. It’s more likely to be an oak tree. When humans plant trees, they usually research if their property has suitable conditions for the tree to thrive. So, if you come across a mature tree in your new property and it’s still alive and thriving, you’ve probably made the correct guess from its size and location.
- Tree shape – The shape of a tree is also a great identifying factor. Some trees have very distinct shapes. For instance, sweet gum has a pyramid silhouette that is hardly confused with other trees. In some cases, the shape of the tree may change as it matures. For instance, a protruding growth may become more rounded and irregular. However, that’s usually the case in forests and other such constricted spaces where the tree has to compete with other trees for grabbing sunlight. If trees are grown in open spaces like your yard, they usually grow with a distinct shape.
- Flowers – Flowers are another key identification mark for trees. While there are trees like magnolia that belong to the classification of flowering trees, there are other species with inconspicuous flowers. You can easily look at the shape and color of the flower of a tree to match something. There are also advanced image search apps that can help you identify the tree with just a picture of the flower.
- Fruits – Fruits give away the identity of the tree since so many of them are named after the fruits they bore. There’s no way you can confuse an apple tree with a cherry tree when they have those fruits hanging from the branches. Apart from fleshy fruits like apples and pears, there are also papery winged fruits of the maple tree, acorns of an oak tree, cones of an Adler, and more. So, if you’re having trouble identifying a tree in your backyard, it’s best to simply wait for the blooming season so that you can identify a tree from its flowers and fruits.
Conclusion
While a lot of trees may look the same from a distance, they are quite different. From the leaves to the bark, the shape of the tree, and the type of soil they grow on, everything is a clue that helps you identify those trees. If any of the trees in your property looks sick, you can search for “tree service near me” and hire professionals for help.