How to Identify Trees During Winter Without Leaves
Identifying tree breeds demands experience and proper research. There are approximately 100,000 known species of trees existing throughout the world, according to the writings of Eric McLamb, and only experts can identify all of them. However, with a little practice, anyone can analyze breeds and common species of trees.
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Instructions
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Determine the type of tree you are dealing with. Is it a conifer or a deciduous tree? Conifer trees yield leaves or needles on their branches year-round, and are also called evergreens. Deciduous trees grow leaves in the springtime but lose them and maintain naked branches throughout winter. If the tree is a conifer, you can usually identify it at this point using the needles as a guide. To narrow your classification of the tree species, discover which of the two you are dealing with.
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Locate and identify markings on twigs and the location of buds. Healthy twigs usually grow a terminal bud at the tip and lateral buds along the stem. The arrangement, size and appearance of these markings feature differences between species. The buds will later bloom into leaves and flowers. Practice labeling a species based on its buds and twigs.
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Study the arrangement of branching on the tree. Is the arrangement of buds, twigs and branches opposite or alternate? Opposite branching develops bud, twig, and branch growths in pairs, and is a characteristic of trees such as ash, dogwood and maple. Alternate branching does not grow in pairs but, rather, develops single buds along the twigs and branches. Examples of alternate branching include birch, sycamore and tulip trees. Fine-tune your identification by determining this branching system.
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Learn to use bark to identify a tree when no leaves are present. Bark changes slightly with age, and a younger tree of the same species will often possess smoother bark. Differences in bark may also exist depending on geography and climate. However, texture, color, and shape of the bark are fairly consistent within a species. Since so many species of trees exist, you can learn to recognize trees in your area by their bark.
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Employ your other senses to achieve the most accurate classification of a tree. Begin by touching the bark. Is it smooth or rough, thick or thin, peeling or firmly attached? Some traits may stand out while other traits will closely resemble those of other species. Figure out if the tree has a distinct scent. Smell is easier to detect if you scratch and sniff the inner bark. For example, Sassafras has a strong and memorably sweet smell that any tree expert will recognize. Train yourself to look at each trait of a tree to determine its species.
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