Tree ID

[Bspring]

The top is missing out or this large tree. About 27” DBH. The pic of the foliage is from a tree close by that had a similar looking bark. Look at the leaves on the left side of the pic. The tree is in NC/SC border. Thanks.

 

[Grizzerbear]

Hickory

 

[mrd1995]

Hickory

What keyed you off to hickory? I only have shagbark that I know of in my area, but I love tree id.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

a type of hickory. Pignut or bitternut, I'd guess. Obviously not shagbark hickory.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

What keyed you off to hickory? I only have shagbark that I know of in my area, but I love tree id.

The bark/trunk is easiest for me. My eyes are used to seeing all the hardwoods in the woods, and I've done forest mapping a little, where I assess a grove from tree trunks, not bothering to look up. My eyes say "hickory -- pignut? bitternut?" when they see that photo, though I'm very capable of getting photo ID wrong.

The leaf arrangement in the other photo also said "type of hickory." As did the shape of each leaf.

While shagbark is one of the real easy trunks to ID, 2/3 of native trees are pretty easy as your eyes get used to them. Nuts at the bottom of the tree could also help verify.

If you have shagbark hickory in the area, there's a real good chance you have other hickories. They just don't stand out as much. Easier to see the leaves when they're young and short, and say, "Oh, that's gotta be a hickory too." In fall, hickories will often go some shade of gold or orange. And you'll realize someone's wood lot has a lot of hickory in it.

The easiest way I know to learn to ID trees is to hike with a botanist (a botanist who knows trees) or a forester. Or someone who really knows them, isn't just confident. They tell you tree #1, let's say red oak, and then you guess the next red oak you see without a hint. That's how I teach my wife. We are now getting into dead tree ID. If someone can ID a fallen tree, down for two years, their eyes have really picked up on the gestalt differences between sassafrass/tulip poplar/white oak/red oak/sugar maple, etc. And your eyes will, in time. But it helps to have someone with you who can verify your guess as right/wrong. Easier and better than a book. Dead tree ID is a great sport.

 

[mrd1995]

The bark/trunk is easiest for me. My eyes are used to seeing all the hardwoods in the woods, and I've done forest mapping a little, where I assess a grove from tree trunks, not bothering to look up. My eyes say "hickory -- pignut? bitternut?" when they see that photo, though I'm very capable of getting photo ID wrong.

The leaf arrangement in the other photo also said "type of hickory." As did the shape of each leaf.

While shagbark is one of the real easy trunks to ID, 2/3 of native trees are pretty easy as your eyes get used to them. Nuts at the bottom of the tree could also help verify.

Thank you!

 

[hickoryhoarder]

Thank you!

This you probably already know, but if you don't, it helps. Basic tree ID has two groups, and I'm just talking native trees up here in the Midwest, which is quite similar to PA.
Group 1: Opposite branching -- has to be MAD -- maple, ash or dogwood (included in the maple family are things like box elder).
Group 2: Alternate branching --everything else. So if my eyes had picked up on opposite branching in that photo, I'd have thought, "Ash or maple? Probably ash. Or some ornamental I don't know (though the bark and leaves don't look like ash to me).

This makes maple, ash and dogwood real easy. Maple is very distinct from ash -- leaves and bark. Dogwood is the only small native tree in my region with opposite branching. Right away you have three genuses you can nail.

Once you know your region, other regions can be pretty easy for the genus. Maples tend to look like maples. The species will be different, so here in the Midwest sugar maple is common (red too), and in the Northwest big-leaf maple is going to be common. But your first time in Washington you'll automatically know it's a maple. Spruces are spruces, but have different species. Pines are maybe toughest for the species, but you can nail the genus all the time. Even little mugo pine, from Japan, is obviously a pine.

Arboretums also help -- labels. Though a lot of the trees will be ornamentals. If you're ever up at Cornell University, maybe their forests next to campus have some kind of labeled trail.

 

[mrd1995]

This you probably already know, but if you don't, it helps. Basic tree ID has two groups, and I'm just talking native trees up here in the Midwest, which is quite similar to PA.
Group 1: Opposite branching -- has to be MAD -- maple, ash or dogwood (included in the maple family are things like box elder).
Group 2: Alternate branching --everything else. So if my eyes had picked up on opposite branching in that photo, I'd have thought, "Ash or maple? Probably ash. Or some ornamental I don't know (though the bark and leaves don't look like ash to me).

This makes maple, ash and dogwood real easy. Maple is very distinct from ash -- leaves and bark. Dogwood is the only small native tree in my region with opposite branching. Right away you have three genuses you can nail.

Once you know your region, other regions can be pretty easy for the genus. Maples tend to look like maples. The species will be different, so here in the Midwest sugar maple is common (red too), and in the Northwest big-leaf maple is going to be common. But your first time in Washington you'll automatically know it's a maple. Spruces are spruces, but have different species. Pines are maybe toughest for the species, but you can nail the genus all the time. Even little mugo pine, from Japan, is obviously a pine.

Arboretums also help -- labels. Though a lot of the trees will be ornamentals. If you're ever up at Cornell University, maybe their forests next to campus have some kind of labeled trail.

I did know that! But it will hopefully help someone else chasing around all the threads! I appreciate the time still.

 

[Grizzerbear]

@mrd1995 , The leaves mostly and the deep furrowed bark. Got a lot of em here and just used to spotting them. Pretty much everything hickoryhoarder said.

 

[Bspring]

This you probably already know, but if you don't, it helps. Basic tree ID has two groups, and I'm just talking native trees up here in the Midwest, which is quite similar to PA.
Group 1: Opposite branching -- has to be MAD -- maple, ash or dogwood (included in the maple family are things like box elder).
Group 2: Alternate branching --everything else. So if my eyes had picked up on opposite branching in that photo, I'd have thought, "Ash or maple? Probably ash. Or some ornamental I don't know (though the bark and leaves don't look like ash to me).

This makes maple, ash and dogwood real easy. Maple is very distinct from ash -- leaves and bark. Dogwood is the only small native tree in my region with opposite branching. Right away you have three genuses you can nail.

Once you know your region, other regions can be pretty easy for the genus. Maples tend to look like maples. The species will be different, so here in the Midwest sugar maple is common (red too), and in the Northwest big-leaf maple is going to be common. But your first time in Washington you'll automatically know it's a maple. Spruces are spruces, but have different species. Pines are maybe toughest for the species, but you can nail the genus all the time. Even little mugo pine, from Japan, is obviously a pine.

Arboretums also help -- labels. Though a lot of the trees will be ornamentals. If you're ever up at Cornell University, maybe their forests next to campus have some kind of labeled trail.

Thanks for sharing this information, also to everyone on the Hickory ID. Will the two basic groups apply for the native trees in the South East?