Woods are just so diverse. It is amazing how many different species of trees there are in Virginia and across the United States. I can't imagine how many species of trees are in the above photo. My ability to identify trees is limited. However, there are many tree identification resources. Read more to find out about these resources.

There are four common ways to identify a tree. First, most tree identification resources use leaves as the primary way to identify a tree. There are all kinds of leaf structures and terminology to go with it. Second, some resources also use bark to help identify trees. Telling the difference between types of bark is fairly tricky. Smooth vs. rough is easy, but there are very subtle nuances to textured bark. Third, some resources use bud growth patterns. This is helpful if the tree is budding when you are trying to identify it. Finally, some resources include a photo of the tree’s growth patterns. This is helpful for me. If you look, different species have different growth patterns, and they are not hard to identify.

Books

Currently, books are not trendy. Everyone wants a quick electronic fix. However, tree identification books are comprehensive resources for tree identification. Some of my favorite ones are A Field Guide to Eastern Trees: Easter United States and Canada, Including the Midwest and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Trees of North America: The Essential Identification Guide for Novice and Expert.

Common Native Trees of Virginia

The Virginia Department of Forestry authored Common Native Trees of Virginia. It is available electronically or for purchase from their website. This is an excellent resource for trees in Virginia. There are detailed drawings of leaf characteristics and a detailed key. It is very user friendly.  This resource does not require much prior tree knowledge for the user to be successful.

Apps

There are several apps for phones. I have not had much luck with these. The only one that seems remotely accurate is the Virginia Tech Tree Identification App. The others that I tried were difficult to use. I am also not convinced that they were entirely accurate.