From Steve Nix,
Your Guide to Forestry.
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Quick Starts to Tree Identification

Start with my Tree Finder and Leaf Key if you are not sure what kind of tree you have and the tree has leaves. If you have a dormant tree with no leaves in winter, review my Winter Tree Finder and my Dormant Tree Photo Gallery for extra help.

The Most Common Trees

Identification of the Hardwoods

• Identify trees variously known as Angiosperms, broadleafs, deciduous and hardwoods.

• Identify those trees with leaves that are broad, flat and thin and generally shed annually.

• Identify those trees with fruit described as nuts, berries, pomes, drupes, samaras, capsules.

Identification of the Conifers

• Identify trees variously known as gymnosperms, conifers, evergreens and softwoods.

• Identify trees with needles or scalelike leaves and cones which normally (but not always) keep foliage or needles through the entire year.

• Identify those trees with fruit described as woody, leathery or fleshy cones.

Helpful Extra Resources

Tree Identification Glossary: Definitions of terms used in tree identification.

How to Identify a Tree: A quick review of tree anatomy and the identification process.

Making a Tree Leaf Collection: Build a field guide from your leaf collection.

North American Timber Types: Maps of common tree ranges.

Quizzes to Test You Identification Skills

Leaf Quiz 1 | Leaf Quiz 2 | Leaf Quiz 3 | Leaf Quiz 4 | Leaf Quiz 5 | Leaf Quiz 6: Tree leaf identification quiz based on 30 common native North American trees