Winter tree identification

When I started tree identification last summer, I feared that in winter, when the leaves I relied on for identification would be gone, it would be like being blind -- I would not be able to recognize trees. However, it was not so bad as I expected. Today I visited a spot where I went for tree identification last summer and found I could recognize 8 tree genuses.

The cedar, spruce, and pine were recognizable because they still had their greenery.

The oak was recognizable because it holds its brown leaves.

The birch was recognizable by the bark.

I knew the hickory because it was the one I had spent so much time trying to identify. Last summer, I identified it as a hickory, and spent a long time trying to figure out the species. I don't remember what species I finally decided on, but I know which tree it was that I spent so much time on.

I knew the Norway maples because they are so common around here. I am so used to seeing them that I can sometimes recognize them without their leaves. And after identifying them in the summer, I recall to a certain extent which trees are Norway maples.

There was one tree that had a familiar look to it, but I didn't know right away what it was. I studied the leaves on the ground below it. Most were clearly oak leaves, but I did not think this was an oak tree. I sought a leaf that was not an oak leave and studied it. Ahh, cottonwood, that is where this type of trunk is familiar from.

I did not take photos of trees in that spot today, but here is a photo of how oak trees hold their leaves in winter: