Tree Identification Key

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Trees, like all named biological organisms, have both common and scientific (Latin bi-nomial) names. Both names are listed for each tree species covered in this handbook. Detailed descriptions for species included in this publication appear alphabetically by scientific name.

Contents below are listed by leaf shape/configuration, and sorted first by region, then alphabetically by scientific name


						Common Name	Region

Trees with needle-like, scale-like or awl-shaped leaves
	Needles: held in bundles
		2 needles per bundle
					Pinus glabra	Spruce Pine	N
					Pinus clausa	Sand Pine	N, C, S
		2 or 3 needles per bundle
					Pinus echinata	Shortleaf Pine	N
					Pinus elliotti	Slash Pine	N, C, S
		3 needles per bundle
					Pinus palustris	Longleaf Pine	N, C
					Pinus taeda	Loblolly Pine	N, C
					Pinus serotina (rarely 4/bundle)	Pond Pine	N
	Needles: single, flat, soft
					Taxodium distichum	Bald Cypress	N, C, S
					Taxus floridana	Florida Yew	N (rare)
	Needles: single, flat, stiff
					Torreya taxifolia	Florida Torreya	N (rare)
	Scales: tiny, overlapping
					Chamaecyparis thyoides	Atlantic White Cedar	N
					Juniperus virginiana	Eastern Red Cedar	N, C, S
					Taxodium ascendens	Pond Cypress	N, C, S


Palms
	Costapalmate leaves
					Sabal palmetto	Cabbage Palm	N, C, S
	Palmate leaves
					Thrinax radiata	Florida Thatch Palm	S
	Pinnate leaves
					Roystonea regia	Florida Royal Palm	S


Trees with opposite or whorled leaves
	Heart-shaped (cordate) leaf blade
					Catalpa bignonioides	Southern Catalpa	N, C


Trees with opposite leaves
	Simple leaves with lobes
					Acer saccharum	Florida Maple	N, C
					Acer rubrum	Red Maple	N, C, S
	Simple leaves without lobes
		Serrate leaf margins
					Viburnum rufidulum	Rusty Black Haw	N, C
		Entire leaf margins
					Chionanthus virginicus	Fringetree	N, C
					Cornus florida	Flowering Dogwood	N, C
					Guapira discolor	Blolly	C, S
		Entire and found near coast in tidal or brackish soils
					Avicennia germinans	Black Mangrove	C, S
					Laguncularia racemosa	White Mangrove	C, S
					Rhizophora mangle	Red Mangrove	C, S
	Pinnately compound leaves
		Serrate margins
					Acer negundo	Boxelder	N, C
		Entire or partly serrate margins
					Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash	N, C
					Fraxious caroliniana	Carolina Ash	N, C, S
		Palmately compound leaves
					Aesculus pavia	Red Buckeye	N, C


Trees with Alternate Leaves
	Heart-shaped (cordate) leaves
					Populus heterophylla	Swamp Cottonwood	N
					Tilia americana	Basswood	N
					Cercis canadensis	Eastern Redbud	N, C
	Rounded, almost circular leaves
					Coccoloba uvifera	Sea Grape	C, S
	Simple leaves with lobes
		Variable leaf lobing on one tree
					Sassafras albidum	Sassafras	N, C
					Moros rubra	Red Mulberry	N, C, S
		Sharp-pointed lobes
					Liriodendron tulipifera	Tulip Tree	N
					Platanus occidentalis	Sycamore	N
					Quercus falcata	Southern Red Oak	N
					Quercus shumardii	Shumard Oak	N
					Quercus velutina	Black Oak	N
					Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweetgum	N, C
					Quercus laevis	Turkey Oak	N, C, S
		Rounded lobes
					Quercus alba	White Oak	N
					Quercus lyrata	Overcup Oak	N
					Quercus stellata	Post Oak	N
					Quercus nigra	Water Oak	N, C, S
	Simple leaves without lobes
		Smooth (entire) leaf margins
			Lower leaf surface or veins rusty brown
					Magnolia grandiflora	Southern Magnolia	N, C
					Sideroxylon lanuginosum	Gum Bumelia	N,C
					Persea borbonia	Redbay	N, C, S
			Lower surface silver gray
					Quercus incana	Bluejack Oak	N, C
					Magnolia virginiana	Sweetbay	N, C, S
					Quercus virginiana	Live Oak	N, C, S
			Lower surface chalky white
					Magnolia macrophylla	Bigleaf Magnolia	N
			Upper & lower surfaces similar
					Cliftonia monophylla	Black Titi	N
					Nyssa aquatica	Water Tupelo	N
					Quercus phellos	Willow Oak	N
					Nyssa sylvatica	Black Tupelo	N, C
					Celtis laevigata (may have teeth)	Sugarberry; Hackberry	N, C, S
					Diospyros virginiana	Persimmon	N, C, S
					Quercus laurifolia	Swamp Laurel Oak	N, C, S
					Annona glabra	Pond Apple	C, S
					Coccoloba diversifolia	Pigeon Plum	C, S
					Ficus aurea	Strangler Fig	C, S
					Guapira discolor	Blolly	C, S
					Sideroxylon foetidissimum	Mastic	C, S
	Simple leaves without lobes
		Sharp (serrata) teeth on leaf margins
			Most leaves less than 1 inch broad
					Planera aquatica	Planer Tree	N
					Salix nigra	Black Willow	N
					Myrica cerifera	Wax Myrtle	N, C, S
			Most leaves more than 1 inch broad
				Prominent, straight, parallel secondary veins
					Fagus grandifolia	American Beech	N
					Quercus muehlenbergii	Chinquapin Oak	N
					Castanea pumila	Chinquapin	N, C
				Doubly serrate margins and parallel secondary veins
					Ulmus rubra	Slippery Elm	N
					Carpinus caroliniana	American Hornbeam	N, C
					Ostrya virginiana	Eastern Hophornbeam	N, C
					Ulmus alata	Winged Elm	N, C
					Ulmus americana	Florida Elm	N, C, S
				Curved or inconspicuous secondary veins
					Amelanchier arborea	Downy Serviceberry	N
					Populus heterophylla	Swamp Cottonwood	N
					Crataegus spp.	Hawthorn	N, C
					Gordonia lasianthus	Loblolly Bay	N, C
					Prunus americana	American Plum	N, C
					Prunus serotina	Black Cherry	N, C
					Prunus caroliniana (may lack teeth)	Carolina Laurelcherry	N, C, S
			Rounded teeth on margins (crenate)
					Quercus michauxii	Swamp Chestnut Oak	N, C
					Hamamelis virginiana	Witch-Hazel	N, C
			Spines on margins
					llex opaca	American Holly	N, C


Compound Leaves
			Odd pinnately compound
				Entire margins
					Exothea paniculata	Inkwood	C, S
					Bursera simaruba	Gumbo Limbo	S
					Metopium toxiferum	Poisonwood	S
					Piscidia piscipula	Jamaica Dogwood	S
				Serrate margins
					Carya cordiformis	Bitternut Hickory	N
					Carya alba	Mockernut Hickory	N, C
					Carya aquatica	Water Hickory	N, C
			Odd or even pinnataly compound
					Juglans nigra	Black Walnut	N
			Even pinnately compound
					Gleditsia aquatica(may be bi-pinnate)	Water Locust	N, C
					Swietenia mahagoni	Mahogany	S
			Twice-pinnately compound
					Lysiloma latisiliquum	Wild Tamarind	S
					Gleditsia aquatica	Water Locust	N, C