How to Identify Trees That Are Native to Kansas

Cottonwoods are native to Kansas.

Identifying trees that are native to Kansas takes more than simply comparing leaves from a tree to the pictures in a book or on a website. The species may have been introduced to Kansas from another country, and may not be native at all. Identifying native trees requires a bit of research--first to identify the tree, and then to find out how it got to Kansas. For example, linden, willow, cottonwood and maple trees are all native to Kansas, while catalpa and Siberian elm trees have been introduced and naturalized, but are not truly native.

Things You'll Need

• Digital camera
• Books on North American trees
• Access to a library or university horticulture department

Instructions

1. 

   Oaks are native to Kansas.

   Collect leaf specimens from any deciduous tree when you're out walking. Pick up a sample of any fruit or nuts you find on the ground under the tree, as these can also help identify it. Avoid evergreens. There is only one type that is native to Kansas (the eastern red cedar); all the rest were introduced by humans.

2. 

   Sugar maple is native to Kansas.

   Take digital pictures of the tree: one picture from a distance, one picture of a leaf and one picture of the bark. Use each picture as a further aid to identifying the tree. In a Kansas winter, pictures of bark are the best way to identify a tree.

3. 

   Linden trees are native to Kansas.

   Go to the library and find a book on North American tree identification. Search through the book until you find a match for your leaf, fruit, nut or bark type. The tree description may tell you where it's from and whether humans introduced it to your region.

4. 

   Willow is native to Kansas.

   Check with your local nursery or the horticulture department at your nearest university if you find a species of tree you are unable to identify. If you find a particularly large example of a native tree in Kansas, contact the Kansas Forest Service and ask for information on its Champion Tree Project; your tree may qualify to be registered.

Tips & Warnings

• Create your own database of native Kansas trees by uploading pictures from your digital camera into the software program of your choice. Type in the name of the tree, a short description and where you found it growing. This can be a fun project to do with a child who is interested in nature.

References

• Kansas Forest Service: Champion Trees of Kansas
• 4-H Forestry Project: Native Kansas Forest Trees
• Great Plains Nature Center: Eastern Red Cedar

Resources

• Arbor Day Foundation: What Tree Is That?