Winter Tree Identification
Need an outdoor winter challenge? During a recent hike across Reflection Riding, my friends and I tried to hone our tree identification skills. Bark, tree structure and perhaps a few clingy seed pods were all we had to work with. The green leafy evidence is long gone. Most of us can manage to identify the most common species of trees during the summer months but this day we struggled to make a definitive match.
Fortunately, several trees have distinguishing characteristics which proved to be helpful. Bark can be smooth, rough, shaggy, snowy white or black. Since you too might be a novice, lets just focus on a few of the most easily identifiable.
Consider the shagbark hickory. The bark is literally pealing away from the trunk like shingles from a rooftop. That’s an easy one. Look in front of the caretaker’s cabin and you’ll see two to three persimmon trees. The bark is black or gray and wraps the trunk with small square blocks. Very distinguishing.
A few trees even retain their leaves. This characteristic is called Marcescent.
As we scan the horizon we notice a variety of oaks that fall within this category. The American Birch along Reflection Lane is holding onto brown leaves as well. We walk on. Next few steps we hesitate. High in the canopy we spot seed pods silhouetted agains the gray sky. Great clue!
If you see a tree trunk with perfect posture and seed pods resembling the petals of a flower you have identified a Tulip Poplar. Next we see round spiky pods scattered across the forest floor. Above us is a sweet gum.
As we walk along Lookout Creek, sycamores line the shoreline. Their bleached white bark offers the only contrast on this overcast day. Soft round seed pods hang from their branches as if decorated for Christmas.
Halfway up a wooded hillside we spot a long wispy seed pod. Someone suggests it’s a sourwood. With a quick check of our tree guide we see an exact match.
By now we have walked to the far end of the property. In an open field we encounter one of the most unusual looking trees thus far. Is it a black locust or a honey locust? Clusters of 3 to 4 inch thorns along the trunk of the tree create a impenetrable armor. Thin brown seed pods shaped like dehydrated bananas dangle from its branches. When we get back we Google both. It’s a honey locust.
Here at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center we have more than 140 species of identified and labeled trees in our collection. Download our arboretum map and tree guide to help you with your next visit. http://reflectionriding.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Arboretum-Map-for-Website.pdf
