Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Categorize the tree
• Part 2 of 3: Using your observations to identify the tree
• Part 3 of 3: Identifying specific tree species
• Tips

There are so many tree species that it can be difficult to tell them apart. Whether you want to learn more about the trees and shrubs that grow near you or know what species it is for a particular tree, it can be difficult to determine where to start. If you know what specific characteristics to look for in the leaves, bark and shape of the tree, you will be able to recognize trees in a short time.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Categorize the tree

1. Pay attention to the shape and type of leaves. One of the easiest ways to exclude certain tree species is to determine whether it is a conifer or a deciduous tree. A coniferous tree has pointed needles, just like a Christmas tree, for example. All other trees are deciduous trees. Deciduous trees have wider and flatter leaves. Here are some other ways you can organize the leaves to exclude even more tree species:
   • Scaly leaves resemble needles, but are much wider. They have a pointed tip and often grow in bundles of overlapping leaves to look like scales.
   • Single leaves can be broad or narrow, but are usually flat and have smooth edges. Serrated or serrated leaves resemble single leaves but have pointed ridges along the sides.
   • Lobed leaves are broader leaves with large indentations or "hills" and "valleys" along the edges.
   • Hand-shaped leaves have several narrow leaves on a single stem, while pinnate leaves have several narrow leaves that are all attached to their own stem.
2. See if the tree bears fruits, berries, nuts and / or flowers. These are all easily recognizable features that indicate certain tree species. As you look at the leaves, notice if the branches have fruits, flowers, or other features that allow you to distinguish the tree from other species. Here are some particular fruits and flowers to watch out for:
   • Flowers can grow in clusters or alone. See if the flowers grow in small groups on the tree or if they are separate on the tree.
   • The easiest fruits to recognize look like the ones you can buy at the supermarket. That doesn't mean they are safe to eat, but it can help you identify a tree. These are soft fruits or berries, and they are soft on the outside, yet somewhat firm.
   • Cone fruits are clusters of woody, scaly parts that together form a cone or cylinder. Pine cones are perhaps the best known, but many other tree species also have cone-shaped fruits.
   • Acorns and nuts are hard, woody tree fruits. They are hard on the outside, sometimes to protect the seeds in the fruits.
   • Capsules contain multiple seeds in a single protective seed pod.
   • Winged fruits have a hard seed in the center of the fruit, with light papery wings protruding from the seed.
3. Look at the color and shape of the bark. The texture and shape of the bark on the tree as well as the color can be useful features in identifying the tree species. Look at and touch the bark to determine its texture, but be careful not to damage the bark. Here are some things to keep in mind when examining the bark:
   • From a distance, it may seem that the bark on a tree is just brown in color. Move a little closer to see other colors and textures that are more difficult to see from a distance. Tree bark can have browns, reds, whites, grays and even greens.
   • The most common type of bark has ridges, grooves or furrows. This type of bark is divided into long, thick strips that appear to cover the tree in a random pattern.
   • If the bark consists of smaller, square parts that overlap on the trunk, then it is scaly bark.
   • Smooth bark feels smooth and you may feel like the tree has no bark at all. The bark usually has a very light or light brown color.
   • If the bark looks or feels like you can easily pull it into larger pieces of the tree, then it is paper-like bark.
4. Look at the shape and height of the tree. Both the shape and the height of the tree can be important in determining the tree species. There is no need to accurately determine the height as long as you make a rough estimate. Here are some terms you can use to distinguish the different tree shapes:
   • Conical or pointed trees are narrow and often have pointed tips, giving them a triangular shape.
   • Wide trees have a broad shape and the branches often extend far from the trunk.
   • Tall trees resemble wide trees, but the branches extend less far, so that the tree appears narrower.
   • Weeping trees have branches and leaves that bend down and hang low to the ground.
5. Consider your location. By taking the location into account when identifying a tree, you can exclude certain tree species. You will not be able to find palm trees in the Netherlands, for example. So take your location into account, because it can play a big role in determining the right tree species when all trees start to look alike.

Part 2 of 3: Using your observations to identify the tree

1. Use a tree encyclopedia to find the tree. A tree encyclopedia contains long lists, descriptions and sometimes even photos to identify the different types of trees. Ask a bookstore near you if they have a book about trees in the area where you live. You can also search the internet.
   • Always use encyclopedias and guides about the trees in our country. It only contains trees that grow near you, instead of thousands of different tree species from abroad. Ask at a bookstore near you or search the internet for tree guides that are specifically aimed at the Netherlands.
2. Use the internet to learn how to recognize trees. There are a lot of tools on the internet that can help you recognize trees based on different characteristics. Search the Internet for tree guides or sites where you can identify trees, or see if you can find a site from a local landscape management organization to only look for trees near you.
   • Use websites that allow you to identify trees based on specific characteristics, rather than sites where you can only search for tree names. The latter type provides a lot of information about a particular tree, while the former is a lot more useful for identifying trees.
   • On this website you can find out which tree species it concerns in three ways: by viewing a list of tree species, by identifying the leaf and by searching by sight.
   • The Bomenbieb website can also be very helpful, as can the Tree Guide.
3. Ask an expert for help. You can learn a lot about tree identification on your own, but if you really want to learn more about trees and how to spot them, see a local expert. He or she can provide you with the information you need more quickly.
   • Search for courses and workshops near you. You can increase your knowledge of the trees in your area if you take courses taught by an expert. The IVN Foundation and landscape management organizations provide courses in recognizing trees.
   • Spend time in the forest with an expert. During a course you will probably learn everything you need to know and gain some experience in the field, but you may be able to learn just as much if you meet with an expert in a forest, park or arboretum.
4. Use an app to identify trees. There are currently a lot of apps for your smartphone that can help you spot trees just by looking at them. Some apps use images of trees or leaves to identify the trees, while others ask you a number of questions to refine the results. Search your phone's app store for apps that can recognize trees and try some to see which ones work best for you.
   • Every app works differently and they may not all work perfectly on your phone. Read and experiment with the apps' instructions to find out how to use them.

Part 3 of 3: Identifying specific tree species

1. Recognize a pine. There are different types of pines, but because they all belong to the same tree genus they usually have similar characteristics. Look out for tall trees with needles and cones if you want to find a pine.
   • Frankincense pines are tall trees and usually grow to a height of 30 to 35 meters. These trees have needles that usually grow in groups of three and produce cone-shaped fruits. The bark is scaly and the branches are grouped mainly at the top of the tree.
   • Turning pines are thin, narrow trees that grow to a height of 40 to 50 meters. The top of the tree is usually flat, but the tree also has needles that grow in pairs, as well as cone-shaped fruits.
2. See if you see a fir. As with pines, there are some subspecies within the tree genus in spruces, although most species have similar characteristics.
   • Douglas firs are one of the tallest trees in the world and can reach a height of 75 meters. The bark is thin and smooth on young trees, but thick and corky on old trees. The trees produce cones with a narrow shape and reddish-brown scales. The needle-like leaves grow in a spiral shape and lie flat along the branches. The top of the tree has a bit of a cylinder shape.
   • Balsam firs are smaller and reach a height of between 14 and 20 meters. The top of the tree is narrow and pointed, giving the whole tree the shape of a cone. The bark is smooth and gray in young trees and rough and scaly in old trees. The leaves resemble needles. The cones have a brown color when ripe, but disintegrate in the fall, after which seeds emerge with wings.
3. Know what an oak looks like. Oaks are usually divided into white oak and red oak, but there are other types of oak as well.
   • White oaks have single lobed leaves without hairy tips. They produce acorns and the bark is usually light gray in color and flaky in appearance.
   • Red oaks also produce acorns, but have lobed leaves with hairy tips. The bark is scaly and has a dark red-gray to red-brown color. The branches are thin and initially have a bright green color before turning dark red and eventually dark brown.
4. Learn about the maple. Maples all look quite similar, but there are also several subspecies within the tree genus.
   • Sugar maples have leaves with five rounded lobes. The leaves are green in the spring and summer, but turn bright yellow, orange, or reddish-orange in the fall. They don't all have the same color in the fall. The bark has ridges and the fruits on the tree have wings.
   • White maples or silver maples have leaves with sharp lobes that are deeply incised. The leaves are bright green in summer and pale yellow in autumn. The bark is generally smooth and silvery in color in young trees and rough in old trees.
   • Red maples have sharply lobed leaves that are shallowly incised. The leaves are green in the summer, but usually turn a bright red color in the fall. The bark is smooth and light gray in young trees, but older trees have darker bark with a plate-like texture. Red maples also bear double-sided fruits with wings.
5. Recognize a birch. Calcium are used quite often as decorative or ornamental trees because of their colorful bark and bare trunk. Look for papery bark that appears wrapped around the tree, lobed leaves with points along the edge, and small, fragile cones on the branches to identify a birch.
   • Paper birches have white-colored bark that looks a lot like paper and can grow up to 20 meters high.
   • Red birch or water birch have bark that is darker, reddish-brown in color, or the color of copper. They are also much smaller; about the size of a shrub up to ten meters high.
6. Recognize a plane tree. Plane trees are gigantic trees that are not only used to decorate sweeping landscapes, but also to provide shade on particularly hot days. To identify a plane tree, look for large, leathery green leaves and small green flowers growing on the branches. The bark is usually a combination of white, light brown and brown, but these colors may be covered by a thin layer of white bark.
   • If you're trying to find a plane tree, look up! Plane trees can reach a height of 30 meters and the foliage can have a diameter of 20 meters.

Tips

• Practice makes perfect. When you start, do not expect to be able to recognize every tree immediately and without errors. Keep going and gradually gain more knowledge until you become an expert in recognizing trees.