How to Identify Trees and Shrubs

Check out the flowers on the tree or shrub. Many varieties have blooms in the spring. Using the color and shape of the blooms can help you identify the plant.

Examine the leaves. Evergreens keep their leaves in every season, and they stay green while leaves on deciduous shrubs and trees may turn colors in the fall before they fall to the ground. Note the shape of the leaves as well as the color. They may be long and skinny, round, fat, oval or pointy.

Smell the plant. Some, like eucalyptus and cedar, have a distinctive scent. Feel the leaves, as well, so you can figure out the texture. They may be fuzzy, rough or smooth to the touch.

Take photos of the tree or shrub in question. Take a wide shot to show its growing habitat. Zoom in on the leaves, flowers and stems to show its distinctive characteristics.

Cut a small piece of the plant to use as a sample. Press it dry between newspaper sheets. Weigh it down with something heavy like a book.

Write down all the details in a log book. For a more advanced way to identifying plants, you can also create a software database on your computer. Include information on the leaves, buds, blooms and stems. Don't forget to add the picture to your files.

Look up the tree or shrub in a horticultural guidebook or tree/shrub identification book. Compare its features with the pictures and descriptions listed in the book.

Talk to an expert. See someone at the local county extension office or university. If you have a forest ranger with the Department of Environmental Conservation or Department of Natural Resources, try him, too. He should be able to help ID the tree or shrub if you haven't had luck.