Tree Identification Guide

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Wilbur R. Mattoon

The following guide has been included in the Eighth edition to assist school children and interested adults in the identification of Texas trees.

The guide is non-technical and should be treated as such. More detailed keys are available in most public libraries.

In the guide, trees are grouped according to their outstanding characteristics which include leaves, leaf arrangement, flowers, fruit and site.

THE SOFTWOODS

Needles Cones
Shortleaf[1] (page 21) 2 to 3 in a bundle (usually 2); 3-5 long 1½-2½ long
Loblolly (page 20) 3 in a bundle; 6-9 long 3-5 long
Longleaf (page 22) 3 in a bundle; 10-15 long 6-10 long
Slash (page 23) 2 to 3 in a bundle (usually 2); 8-12 long 4-6 long

Note: Not included above but commonly found in the longleaf pine range is a cross between loblolly and longleaf pine. This hybrid tree has characteristics of both parents.

Leaf Margins—Smooth
(Leaves opposite on twig)

Fruits: Page
Drupe (or berry)
Dogwood 107
Fringetree 117
Pod
Catalpa 118
Desertwillow 119
Multiple Fruit
Buttonbush 120

Leaf Margins—Smooth
(Leaves alternate on twig)

Fruits: Page
Pod
Corkwood 35
Pawpaw 72
Redbud 88
Acorn
White oaks 48-50, 52-59
Drupe (or berry)
Hackberry 66
Redbay 73
Sassafras 74
Blackgum 105
Farkleberry 108
Gum Elastic 109
Southern Buckthorn 109, 127
Persimmon 110, 127
Privet Swamp 116
Multiple Fruit
Bios-d’arc 69
Magnolia 70
Sweetbay 71
Witch-hazel 77
Sycamore 77
Winged
Silverbell 112

Leaf Margins—Toothed
(Leaves opposite on twig)

Fruits: Page
Winged
Silver Maple 98
Red Maple 99
Southern Sugar Maple 126
Sugar Maple 126
Big Tooth Maple 126
Mountain Maple 126
Pod
Desertwillow 119
Wahoo 125
Drupe (or berry)
Blackhaw 121

Leaf Margins—Toothed
(Leaves alternate on twig)

Fruits: Page
Drupe (or berry)
Hawthorn 78
Mayhaw 79
Mexican Plum 80
Black Sloe 81
Black Cherry 82
Laurelcherry 83
Holly 96
Yaupon 97
Basswood 103, 126
Tupelo Gum 106
Sweetleaf 111
Sweet Myrtle 123
Anaqua 128
Winged
The Elms 61-64
Multiple Fruit
Cottonwood 36, 123
Black Willow 37
Red Mulberry 68
Sweetgum 76
Alder (cone-like) 123
Nut
Blue Beech (nut-like) 38
Ironwood (cone-like) 39
River Birch (cone-like) 40
American Beech 41
Chinkapin 42
Planer Tree 65
Acorns
Red Oaks 43-47
White Oaks 51, 60

TREES WITH COMPOUND LEAVES

Leaf Margins—Smooth
(Leaves opposite on twig)

Fruits: Page
Winged
Baretta 124

Leaf Margins—Smooth
(Leaves alternate on twig)

Fruits: Page
Pod
Mesquite 87
Black Locust 91
Coral Bean 124
Guajillo 123
Multiple Fruit
Flameleaf Sumac (large headed) 94
Guayacan (capsule) 124
Drupe (or berry)
Poison-Sumac 95
Wild China-tree 102
Tree of Heaven 125
Chinaberry 125
Smoke Tree 125
Pistache 125

Leaf Margins—Toothed
(Leaves opposite on twig)

Fruits: Page
Winged
Boxelder 100
Water Ash 113
White Ash 114
Green Ash 115
Mexican Ash 128

Leaf Margins—Toothed
(Leaves alternate on twig)

Fruits: Page
Nut
The Walnuts 28
The Hickories 29-34
Ohio Buckeye 101
Drupe (or berry)
Devils-Walkingstick (capsule-like) 92
Pod
Waterlocust 90
Winged
Hoptree 93

TREES WITH DOUBLY-COMPOUND LEAVES

Leaf Margins—Smooth
(Leaves alternate on twig)

Fruits: Page
Pod
Texas Ebony 84
Catclaw Acacia 85
Leadtree (Mimosa) 86, 124
Honeylocust 89
Huisache (Sweet Acacia) 123

Leaf Margins—Toothed
(Leaves alternate on twig)

Fruits: Page
Drupe (or berry)
Devils-Walkingstick 92
Hercules-Club 104

TREES THAT PREFER WET SITES

Page
Baldcypress 25
Water Hickory 31
Corkwood 35
Cottonwood 36
Black Willow 37
Blue Beech (Hornbeam) 38
Ironwood (Hophornbeam) 39
Red Birch (River Birch) 40
Water Oak 48
Willow Oak 49
Bur Oak 57
Overcup Oak 58
Swamp Chestnut Oak 59
Sweetbay 71
Sweetgum 76
The Hawthorns 78, 79
Waterlocust 90
Poison-Sumac 95
Yaupon 97
Blackgum (Black Tupelo) 105
Tupelo-Gum (Water Tupelo) 106
Water Ash 113
Swamp Privet 116
Alder 123

HARDWOOD TREES WITH EVERGREEN LEAVES

Page
Live Oak 52
Southern Magnolia 70
Redbay 73
American Holly 96
Yaupon 97
Tree Sparkleberry (Tree Huckleberry) 108
Baretta 124

TREES WHOSE LEAVES TURN RED IN AUTUMN

Page
Red Oak 46
Sweetgum 76
The Hawthorns 78
The Sumacs 94
Red Maple 99
Blackgum 105
Flowering Dogwood 107
Sugar Maple (yellow as well) 126

TREES WHOSE LEAVES TURN YELLOW IN AUTUMN

Page
The Hickories 29-34
The Cottonwoods 36, 123
Black Willow 37
Hophornbeam (Blue Beech) 38
River Birch 40
Most of the Oaks (except Red Oak) 43-60
Bios-d’arc (Osage Orange) 69
Southern Magnolia 70
Pawpaw 72
Mesquite 87
Redbud 88
Hercules-Club 92
Red Maple 99
Ohio Buckeye 101
Devils-Walkingstick 104
The Ashes 113-115, 128
Fringetree 117
Catalpa 118
Sugar Maple (red as well) 126

TREES WITH SEEDS WINGED OR WITH PARACHUTE-LIKE ATTACHMENTS

Page
The Cottonwoods 36, 123
Black Willow 37
American Hornbeam (Blue Beech) 38
Ironwood 39
River Birch 40
The Elms 61-64
Planer Tree 65
Sweetgum 76
American Sycamore 77
Hoptree 93
The Maples 98-99, 126
The Basswoods 103, 126
Silverbell 112
The Ashes 113-115, 128
Catalpa 118
Desertwillow 119
Buttonbush 120
Alder 123
Tree of Heaven 125

TREES WITH SOFT BERRY-LIKE FRUIT

Page
The Hackberries 66, 67
The Mulberries 68
Osage Orange (Bois-d’arc) 69
Redbay 73
Sassafras 74
The Hawthorns 78-79
The Cherries and Plums 80-83
American Holly 96
Yaupon 97
Black and Tupelo Gum 105, 106
Dogwood 107
Tree Sparkleberry (Tree Huckleberry) 108
Gum Bumelia (Gum Elastic) 109
Persimmon 110, 127
Fringetree 117
Rusty Blackhaw 121

TREES WHICH PRODUCE NUTS

Page
The Walnuts 28
The Hickories 29-34
American Beech 41
Chinkapin 42
The Oaks 43-60
Ohio Buckeye 101

TREES WITH PODS AS FRUIT

Page
Corkwood 35
Texas Ebony 84
Catclaw Acacia 85
Leadtree (Mimosa) 86, 124
Mesquite 87
Redbud 88
Honeylocust 89
Waterlocust 90
Black Locust 91
Catalpa 118
Desertwillow 119
Huisache (Sweet Acacia) 123
Guajillo 123
Coral Bean 124
Mexican Leadtree 124

TREES WITH BRIGHT RED FRUIT

Page
Red Mulberry 68
The Magnolias 70, 71
The Hawthorns 78, 79
Shining Sumac 94
American Holly 96

TREES WITH SPINES OR THORNS

Page
Osage-Orange (Bois-d’arc) 69
The Hawthorns 78, 79
Texas Ebony 84
Catclaw Acacia 85
Leadtree (Mimosa) 86, 124
Mesquite 87
Honeylocust 89
Waterlocust 90
Black Locust 91
Prickly Ash 92
Devils-Walkingstick 104
Huisache (Sweet Acacia) 123

TREES WITH CORKY PROJECTIONS ON TWIGS

Page
Bur Oak (Mossy-Cup Oak) 57
Winged Elm 62
Cedar Elm 63
Sweetgum 76

TREES WHOSE TWIGS HAVE A CHAMBERED PITH

Page
Walnut 28
Hackberry 66
Sugarberry 67

TREES KNOWN BY THE COLOR AND SHAPE OF THE TWIG PITH

Page
Star-shaped in Cross-section
The Cottonwoods 36, 123
The Oaks 43-60
Triangular in Cross-section
Alder 123
Brown in Color
The Walnuts 28
The Sumacs 94

TREES WITH SINGLE LARGE FLOWERS

Page
Magnolia 70
Pawpaw 72

TREES WITH FLOWERS IN CLUSTERS

Page
Redbay 73
The Hawthorns 78-79
The Plums and Cherries 80-83
Redbud 88
Black Locust 91
Devils-Walkingstick 92
Hercules-Club 92
Hoptree 93
The Sumacs 94
Poison-Sumac 95
Yaupon 97
Ohio Buckeye 101
Western Soapberry 102
The Basswoods 103, 126
Flowering Dogwood 107
Silverbell 112
Fringetree 117
Catalpa 118
Rusty Blackhaw 121

TREES WHOSE BLOSSOMS APPEAR BEFORE OR WITH THE LEAVES

Page
The Walnuts 28
The Hickories 29-34
The Cottonwoods 36, 123
Black Willow 37
Ironwood 38
Eastern Hophornbeam 39
River Birch 40
The Oaks 43-60
The Elms 61-64
Sassafras 74
Redbud 88
The Maples 98, 99, 126
The Ashes 113-115, 128
Alder 123

TREES WHOSE BLOSSOMS APPEAR AFTER THE LEAVES

Page
Chinkapin 42
Magnolia 70
Honeylocust 89
Black Locust 91
The Sumacs 94
Ohio Buckeye 101
Basswood 103, 126
Flowering Dogwood 107
Persimmon 110, 127
Silverbell 112
Fringetree 117
Catalpa 118
Mountain Maple 126
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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