What makes a tree a tree? Heights at least 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) Single dominant woody stem (trunk or bole) Capable of diameter growth Perennial plant (present at all seasons of the year)

What makes a shrub a shrub? Heights under 4.5 meters (less than 15 feet) Multi-stemmed Capable of diameter growth Perennial plant

Conifers vs. Deciduous

Which is Which?

Characteristics of Conifers Needle shaped leaves Seeds that develop inside cones Evergreen – green year round Gymnosperm, conifer, softwood Examples: pine, spruce, hemlock, fir

Examples of conifers Balsam fir Douglas fir Fraser fir Scotch pine Red pine White pine

Conifer leaves Needle like Scale like

Deciduous Tree Characteristics Broad flat leaves Lose all leaves each year in the fall Angiosperm (flowering plants), broadleaf, hardwood Examples: oak, maple, beech, aspen, ash

Deciduous examples Red oak Red maple Black locust White birch Crimson king Honey locust beech Elm

Leaf Arrangement alternate opposite whorl

Leaf Type Simple vs. Compound

Leaf Edge Lobed, smooth, toothed?

Fruits & Seeds

Overall shape

SUGAR MAPLE Sugar Maple leafs have 5 major points (or lobes); Leaves do NOT have teeth, and have a more U-shaped pattern between lobes Leaves are as wide as they are tall, unlike Oak leaves; Opposite leaves

RED MAPLE Red Maple leafs have only 3 major points (or lobes), compared to 5 with sugar maples. Leaves have fine teetch, and are V-shaped between lobes ‘Helicopter’ fruit in maple trees is called a samara

American Beech Oval leaf with parallel, straight veins and big ‘teeth’ Unlike Ash, Beech leaves are NOT ‘opposite.” Bark of beech trees is gray and smooth (look like an elephant’s leg)

RED OAK Distinctive leave shape with 8 or more ‘lobes’ or leaf points Leaves are taller than they are wide, unlike maple leaves Oaks produce acorn fruits Common tree in Vermont valleys, but less common in mountains.

WHITE ASH Compound leaves are Opposite, oval-shaped and pointy, with no distinctive ‘teeth’ on the leaves Tree structure is like a big stick-man (simple) Grooved bark of mature trees is unique

WHITE BIRCH (PAPER BIRCH) Leaves mostly triangular and pointy Catkin fruit is long (like a worm) White bark is a dead giveaway

Needles are much longer than spruce, and have an almost soft, fuzzy feel. Each individual cluster of needles comes in bundles of 5 needles. Whorls of branches that are spaced apart. WHITE PINE

Needles completely circle the branch Pointy needles are sharp and painful if you grab them. Diamond-shaped needles “roll” between your fingers. Tree has a more rounded crown than balsam firs. RED SPRUCE

The common X-mas tree Needles are flat, of fairly uniform length and NOT sharply pointed. Crown of the tree tapers to a point BALSAM FIR

Short and flat needles compared to fir and spruce. Needles dark green above with two dark lines on underside Lacy silhouette of tree with no clear cone shape HEMLOCK

YELLOW BIRCH Oval leave with ‘double toothed’ edge. Broken stems (near leaves) smell like spearmint Bark is yellow in color and more prone to ‘peeling’ than white birch

Oval leaves with parallel, curvy veins & fine teeth Underside of leaf often has orange hairs along stem. Dark brown ‘potato chip’ bark BLACK CHERRY

PIN CHERRY Bark is smooth with lots of ‘lenticel’ orange ovals Small trees…rarely have diameters more than 4-6” Leaves are finely toothed, but longer and more pointy than black cherry

STRIPED MAPLE Trunk has vertical green & gray stripes Small trees (2-4” diameter) Big dinner-plate sized leaves with 3 points and fine teeth

EASTERN HOPHORNBEAM Oval leaf with, medium sharp teeth and parallel veins Distinctive bark with ‘vertical peeling’ Generally range from 4-10” in diamter (not huge)

Quaking Aspen (Trembling Aspen) Grayish White smooth bark Leaves are small, ‘heart-shaped, with dull teeth; underside is lighter than the top Leaves quake in the breeze,

Big-toothed Aspen medium-sized tree with smooth white/gray bark It has rounded leaves with large teeth.

NORTHERN WHITE CEDAR Only Conifer tree that has needles like this Medium sized tree Thin bark sheds in long, narrow strips.

NORTHERN TAMARACK (LARCH) Only Conifer tree around that completely sheds its needles in the Fall (after they turn yellow) Needles spirally arranged and longer than spruce/fir/hemlock