There are so many varieties of trees that being able to tell them apart can be quite a difficult task. You will need to pay attention to some specific characteristics, such as the structure of the leaves and the bark. To increase your skills it is essential to continue studying and practicing.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part 1 of 3: The Basics
Step 1. Familiarize yourself with local trees
Before focusing on identifying the species, you should start by learning about the type of trees that grow in your area. Acquiring this information will allow you to narrow down your options, so coming to the right conclusion will be easier.
- There are many different species only in the Italian territory. You will get better results if, rather than trying to memorize them all, you focus on local varieties.
- When choosing study material, first look for the one inherent to your region; if you don't find it, at least narrow it down to a specific area of the country.
Step 2. Look carefully at the leaves
Examine the needles or leaves of the tree you want to identify. Observe its shape, color, size and grain. This information will also help you narrow down your selection in the future.
- The needles are a type of thin leaves, with sharp points, usually united in groups.
- The scales are thicker than the needles but they too have a sharp point and come together in groups. The scales overlap each other.
- The large, smooth leaves have a large surface area and are typically flat.
- Simple leaves can be both wide and narrow, but are typically flat and smooth-edged. Instead, those with jagged or serrated edges have the same characteristics as the others with the exception of the sides, which have pointed endings.
- The lobed leaves are broad with large protuberances, like "hollows" along the perimeter.
- The palmate leaves present compositions of fabrics, all originating from the same point, while the pinnate leaves have internal segments arranged on the main rib.
Step 3. Study the cortex
Observe and touch the bark to understand its structure. Match this data to the information you will collect.
- The most common barks generally have furrows or protrusions. The surface is crossed by evident indentations arranged without a precise order.
- The hard flake bark can also have deep cracks, in which there are knots formed by the overlapping of the various layers.
- The smooth bark has few protuberances. The bumps - or indentations - of the smooth bark have a reduced thickness.
Step 4. Look at the ramifications
In particular, try to understand the structural differences of the branches and observe their terminations.
- The pointed ascending branches deviate from the trunk and then rejoin forming an acute angle. Other ascending branches deviate from the trunk in a similar way but create a less pronounced angle.
- The open branches open into space. They rise upwards but at some point diverge, so much so that they appear to be horizontal lines when viewed from below.
- The curved branches begin to rise upwards, then curve and tend downwards or inwards.
- The very dense branches rise forming acute angles but the branches are intricate and grouped.
Step 5. Pay attention to whether there are any fruit or flowers
Observe the type of fruit the tree produces. If the fruit hasn't sprouted yet, you can look at the flowers. Look carefully at the composition of the buds.
- Cone or catkin buds. Formed by a composition of woody elements, such as flakes, with conical or cylindrical mass.
- Tender or pulpy fruits, including berries or edible fruits, such as apples and pears. The pulp is soft and tends to bruise if pressed.
- Hard or woody fruits that have a hard coating. Acorns and nuts are included in this category.
- Pod fruits containing seeds or solid masses within a protective coating.
- Winged fruits. Composed of a hard seed in the center and a light, paper-like coating on the outside.
Step 6. Examine the overall shape and height
The size of a tree and its overall appearance are the final data you need to identify it.
- Conical or spiral shaped trees are narrow and point upward. When viewed from the side, their shape appears triangular.
- Trees that spread horizontally occupy large surfaces, are large in size, and their branches tend to diverge considerably from the trunk.
- In vertical trees, on the other hand, the branches do not move too far from the trunk and their appearance is narrower.
- The "weeping" trees, on the other hand, have branches and leaves that are curved and drooping downwards.
Method 2 of 3: Part 2 of 3: Increase your Knowledge through the Guides
Step 1. Seek expert help
You can learn a lot by studying how to identify trees on your own, but if you are seriously interested, guidance from an expert will help you grow your knowledge quickly and thoroughly.
- Look for local courses or workshops. By attending courses, you will improve your knowledge of the trees in your geographic area. Look for lectures and workshops sponsored by universities or government agencies, or by environmental organizations, hikers, agricultural businesses, and local or national parks.
- Share outings with an expert guide. Lessons are useful for learning the fundamentals and having on-site experiences, but you can learn the same by organizing outings with an expert in a park or arboretum.
Step 2. Engage in study
Whether you have a specific professional education or are self-taught, in both cases the key factor in improving your skills is to try to study as many species as possible, especially those that are most frequently encountered in your area. The only way to acquire this knowledge is to constantly apply in studies.
- Studies must also include many external exercises. You can focus on reading books or other resources, but only direct experience can enhance and speed up your ability to identify species.
- Initially you will need to bring the materials (such as books, cards, mobile applications) with you during the external exercises. As you practice, you will be able to do without it and there will come a time when you can identify local trees without outside help.
Step 3. Get some text
Purchase an illustrated encyclopedia. The most recommended books are those that adopt a language that is easy to understand and that classify species based on their characteristics, rather than alphabetically.
- Look carefully at the illustrations in the books. They must be detailed and easy to interpret.
- At first, don't look for books that go too far into technicalities. You will be able to read those texts later, when you have deepened your knowledge and refined your skills.
Step 4. Print a table
As a general rule, it would be advisable to print a basic table on the trees in your area. It will be more manageable than thick and heavy books, and you can always carry it with you improvising an exercise at any time you want.
- You can create your own card based on the knowledge you have, or you can search for one in books, manuals or on the internet.
- Butler University has tables available that you could use as a reference. You can take inspiration from this example to create your own table:
Step 5. Find mobile applications
Today there are smartphone applications that can help you identify the trees you encounter. Find the one that best suits your needs before downloading it.
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Some applications dedicated to tree identification are:
- "What Tree is That?" An app that will ask you to answer questions to narrow down the possible options
- Leafsnap ", which, through a photo taken of the leaves or bark, identifies the plant from its database.
- Each app works differently, so read the instructions carefully or familiarize yourself with the different features to figure out which one you prefer to use.
Step 6. Go online
If you don't have a smartphone or don't have the right application for you, you may find what you are looking for on the net. Search the internet for "identify trees" and go through all the results until you find a site that can help you select the right options based on the characteristics collected.
- Websites that help you fine-tune identification options based on specific characteristics are more effective than long indexes or alphabetically sorted lists.
- You can also have access to the "What Tree is That?" Application from your computer. by clicking here:
- The University of Winsconsin also has a useful identification tool accessible online:
- Another app to locate trees is provided by Kew Garden at this address:
Method 3 of 3: Part 3 of 3: Specific Examples
Step 1. Identify a pine tree
There are various species of pine, but belonging to the same family they have characteristics in common.
- The Rigid Pine is a tall tree, usually reaching 30-35 meters. This species is equipped with needles, which are usually found in groups of three, and produces conical-shaped fruits. The bark is scaly and the branches gather at the top of the tree.
- The Lodgepole Pine is thin and tapered and can reach 40-50 meters. The top of the tree tends to be flattened, but this species also features needles (in clusters of two units) and conical-shaped fruits.
Step 2. Recognize a fir tree
As in the case of pine, there are different types of fir, although many have similar characteristics.
- Douglas Fir is one of the tallest trees in the world, it can reach a height of 60-75 meters. The bark is thin and smooth in young trees, but thick and wrinkled in older ones. This species produces conical fruits with a thin shape and a reddish-brown color, and its leaves are reminiscent of needles but are organized in a spiral, flat and attached to the shoots. The top of the tree is slightly cylindrical.
- Balsamic Fir is a smaller variety, reaching 14-16 meters. The top is narrow and pointed, which gives the tree a conical appearance. The bark is gray and smooth in young trees, but rough and scaly in older ones. The ripe pine cones take on a brown color and in autumn they open to release the seeds.
Step 3. Know what an oak looks like
Oaks are usually divided into two groups, white and red oaks, but there are other variations as well.
- White oaks have simple, lobed leaves without raised tips, producing acorns, while the bark is usually light gray with a scaly appearance.
- Red oak also produces acorns but has lobed leaves with raised tips. The bark is scaly and its color ranges from reddish-gray to reddish-brown. The branches are thin and initially appear bright green, then become dark red and, finally, dark brown.
Step 4. Recognize the maple tree
Maples are all quite similar, but within the same species we can find more types.
- Acer Saccharum has five-lobed leaves. The colors tend to vary: in spring and summer the leaves are green, then they turn bright yellow, orange, and red-orange during autumn. The bark is wrinkled and the fruit is winged.
- The Silver Maple has sharp, deeply engraved lobed leaves that appear bright green during the summer and then turn pale yellow in the fall. The bark tends to be smooth and silvery in young trees and gray and rough in older ones.
- The Red Maple has sharp lobed leaves that are only superficially incised. The foliage is green during the summer but in autumn it has different shades of bright red. The bark is smooth and dull-gray in young trees, while it darkens considerably in older ones, taking on a glossy consistency. It produces a two-winged fruit.
