National Wildlife Federation field guide to trees of North America

Introduction

The scope of this guide

Names and classification

Tree divisions

How trees function

Photosynthesis and transpiration

Wood and bark

Roots

Flowers and fruits

Twigs and buds

Autumn color

Ecology

Trees and wildlife

Habitat succession

Disturbed habitats

North American forests

Map of North American forests

Boreal forests

Pacific Northwest forests

Rocky Mountain forests

Columbian forests

California coniferous forests

Subalpine forests and parklands

California mixed evergreen forests

Great Basin/Southwest forests

Laurentian mixed forests

Eastern deciduous forests

Southern oak-hickory-pine forests

Southern floodplain forests

Southeastern coastal plains forests

Savannas

Threats to trees and forests

Invasive species

Air pollution

Climate change

How to identify a tree

Visual glossary

Leaf structure

Leaf arrangement

Simple leaves

Compound leaves

Leaf shapes

Leaf tips and bases

Leaf margins

Leaf undersides

Features of twigs

Buds

Flowers

Fruit

Bark

Nonbroadleaf trees

Trees with needlelike leaves

Key to trees with needlelike leaves

Pines, Larches, Tamarack, Spruces, Firs, Douglas-firs, Hemlocks, Yews, Torreyas, Bald-cypress, Redwoods, Araucarias

Trees with scalelike leaves

Key to keys with scalelike leaves

Giant Sequoia, New World Cedars, Cypresses, Junipers, Tamarisks, Casuarinas

Trees and fire

Cypresses

Junipers

Broadleaf trees

Broadleaf trees

Ginkgo

Trees with opposite leaves

Key to trees with opposite leaves

Opposite, compound leaves

Horse-chestnut, Buckeyes, Bladdernut, Lignum-vitae, Catalina Ironwood, Elderberrries, Ashes

Ashes

Opposite, simple leaves

Maples, Catalpas, Desert-willow, Mangroves, Swampprivets, Devilwood, Fringetree, Buttonbush, Fevertree, Silktassel, Dogwoods, Viburnums

Maples

Trees with alternate, compound leaves

Key to trees with alternate, compound leaves

Thorny or prickly trees

Hardy Orange, Pricklyashes, Devil's Walkingstick, Honeylocusts, Locusts, Desert Ironwood, Jerusalem-thorn, Paloverdes, Acacias, Mesquites

Trees without thorns

Walnuts, Hickories, Hoptrees, Mountain-ashes, Sumacs, Poisontree, Gumbo Limbo, Soapberries, Mahogany, Yellowwood, Coffeetree

Walnuts and hickories

Trees with alternate, simple leaves

Key to trees with alternate, simple leaves

Lobed leaves

Sycamores and Planetrees, Sweetgum, Mulberries, Sassafras, Flannelbush, Tuliptree

Unlobed, mostly untoothed leaves

Magnolias, Pawpaw, Osage-orange, Figs, Seagrape, Bays, Dogwoods, Tupelos, Titis, Sweetleaf, Sumacs, Smoketrees, Bullies, Persimmons, Farkleberry, Madrones, Manzanitas, Mountain-laurel, Rhododendrons, Silverbells, Snowbells, Redbuds

Magnolias and tuliptree

Unlobed, mostly toothed leaves

Bayberries, Buckthorns, Witch-hazel, Mountain-mahoganies, Cherries, Plums, Crabapples, Serviceberries, Hawthorns, Hollies, Hackberries, Elms, Basswoods, Willows, Populars, Cottonwoods, Aspens, Hornbeams, Birches, Alders, Beeches, Chestnuts, Chinkapins, Tanoak

What's in a tree name?

Rose family

Hollies

Elms, Hackberries, and Kin

Willows

Poplars, Cottonwoods, and Aspens

Birches, Alders, and Kin

Beech family

Oaks

Key to oaks

Other trees

Palms, Yuccas, and Cacti

Palms

Yuccas

Cacti

Appendices

Tree families

Tree silhouettes

Arboreta and botanical gardens

Resources and references

Photo credits

Acknowledgments

Contributors

Species index.