Download know your kentucky trees

Using a Dichotomous Key to identify coniferous trees in
our region
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How to Use this Dichotomous Key to
Identify Evergreen Trees
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Your teacher will give you a small tree sample to
observe.
As you work through this Powerpoint you will need to
observe and make specific decisions about the needles
and cones or seeds of your sample.
The Powerpoint will ask you to make choices about the
sample. Having a small ruler may be helpful unless you
are a good judge of size or length.
If you think you have reached a slide in error, right click
and choose Previous slide to return to where you started.
Look closely at your leaf sample
and decide between the two
choices given below
1a. If your leaves are
needle-like,
Click here 
1b. If your leaves are
scale-like,
Click here 
2a. Are these evergreen needles arranged
in clusters of 2-5? These are pine trees.
Choose one from below.
For clusters of 2
For clusters of 3
For clusters of 5
or
2b. Are these evergreen
needles arranged singly 
around the twig?
SCALE-LIKE NEEDLES


Are the leaves yellow-green, overlapping
scales that circle the twigs, and are
arranged in fan-like sprays?
It is a northern white cedar
or
Are the leaves dark green, blue-green,
or purple-green, and scales circle the
twig but are not arranged in flattened
sprays?
It is an eastern red cedar.
Northern White Cedar
Thuja occidentalis
This tree is easy to identify. Look for small, flat branches with close-knit,
scale-like leaves. It also grows as a compact tree with lots of branches like a
thicket (thick bush). The leaves of this tree give off a pleasant aromatic scent
when you crush them between your fingers. Many people like to have ornamental
varieties of the "arbor vitae" (French word meaning tree of life) in their yard.
A row of these trees acts as a natural fence because the branches grow so thick.
Deer love to browse on this evergreen in the winter when food is
scarce.Porcupines eat the thin cedar stems as a tasty snack and red squirrels
nibble on the buds. Pileated woodpeckers will excavate large, oval holes in
the sides of the white cedar in search of carpenter ants.
The cone, or fruit, is small (1/3-1/2 inches long) and oval.
It is yellowish-brown with 6-12 scales and grows alone or in
clusters on the end of the branch. The seeds are about 1/8 of
an inch long and have two narrow wings almost circling the
seed. The bark is thin with a gray or reddish-brown color that
grows in long, vertical, narrow shreddy strips. People use the
light, soft and brittle wood for making fence posts, building
poles, rot-resistant lumber, and shingles for buildings.
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
This evergreen has a rounded shape with two different kinds of leaves.
Most likely you’ll find dark green, miniature leaves that look like scales.
They are in groups of four finger-like leaves. The other leaf type is found
on young trees or new shoots. They have sharply pointed ends with white
coloring on the underside. The bark on this tree is just like the northern
white cedar, with reddish-brown strips that look shredded vertically. The
red cedar grows as high as 30 feet tall. It likes to grow in dry, gravelly soil
and rocky ledges in the southern half of the state. You’ll also see the red
cedar growing in abandoned fields.
The red cedar’s fruit is easy to spot.
It has a dark blue berry-like cone, about
1/4 of an inch in diameter. There are four
seeds inside the sweet flesh. These fruits
make a winter’s meal for some birds. Song
sparrows sometimes nest on the ground
under the cedar. The wood is fragrant and
durable. People use it for woodwork in their
homes, hope chests, closets, for lead pencils,
posts and poles.
Clusters of 2
Are the needles mostly 3/4"-1 1/2" long,
yellow-green, and widely spread in
bunches?
It is a jack pine.
OR
Are the needles 1 1/2"-4" long, bluegreen to yellow-green, and twisted?
It is a scotch pine.
Jack Pine
(Pinus banksiana)
This tree can be found on sandy soils. The jack pine is unique because its
resinous cones open and release seeds during a fire or from an intense, hot sun.
They are the first tree to grow in the burned over area. They grow 50-70 feet
tall. The trunks stay small at under 2 feet in diameter. The tree shape is
conical (like a cone). It keeps dead branches on the trunk all the way to the
ground. Look for dark brown bark with small scales divided by deep furrows
(indented lines).
Jack pine needles are dark to yellow-green, sharply pointed and measure 1
inch long. They grow in bundles of two needles that are slightly twisted. Their
cones are uniquely shaped with a wide base curving to a rounded narrow end.
They are about 1 1/2 inches long, resinous, and brown when they are ripe.
Sometimes they stay on the branches and don’t open for many years. The seeds
inside are small-winged triangular seeds that can be carried far by strong
winds.
Their wood is light and soft. They are used mostly for
pulpwood for papermaking, but they are also used for box
material and lumber. The Kirtland’s warbler depends on
young jack pines to provide nesting habitat. Animals that
urrow live in the barren jack pine understory; mammals,
snakes, salamanders and insects.. Black bears like to feed in
small openings in a pine forest or rest their weary bones in
the cool shade. In the winter, snowshoe hares, deer, spruce
grouse, and porcupines come in search of plants to browse on.
Scotch Pine
Pinus sylvestris
A beautiful evergreen which is hardy and adaptable to nearly all
climates. Can be used as either a windbreak or a single specimen. Grows to
60‘ in height and 40' spread. This tree’s pair of spiral needles are 2 to 4
inches long. The Scotch pine does well in full sun and will tolerate
moderate drought conditions. It grows in acidic, drought tolerant, loamy,
moist, sandy, well drained, wide range, and clay soils.
Scotch Pine trees are widely used for Christmas trees because of their
excellent form and their ability to hold their needles for a long period of
time. There are many color variations within the species and some trees
are sprayed with green color to make them more attractive as some
naturally have brown needles during the winter months. It is also a good
tree for reclamation sites because of its re-seeding capabilities.
The Scotch Pine provides nesting sites and winter cover for many kinds
of mammals and birds. It was widely planted on old farm fields at the turn
of the century. Early farmers were familiar with this species from its
growth throughout Europe and knew it could tolerate poor, dry soil.
Eventually they found that the trees did not mature into the fine timber
stands they envisioned, but often stagnated or had twisted trunks. It was
the beginning of the realization that seed sources vary widely and must
be matched to the planting site. Today, seed sources are selected with
care and varieties of Scotch Pine are favored to provide the species' best
qualities, especially when planting for the Christmas tree market.
Clusters of 3
Are the needles 3"-5" long, somewhat twisted,
often sprouting in tufts from the trunk?
It is a pitch pine.
OR
Are the needles 6"-9" long?
It is a loblolly pine.
PITCH PINE
Pinus rigida
Pitch Pine is one such conifer. Pitch Pine is found in the northern half of the
Eastern Deciduous Forest and is the dominant tree species is areas of sandy soils.
Pitch Pines can grow to 50 or 60 feet in height, but under the worst conditions in
very arid, sandy soils they can be stunted.
All pine trees have needles in bundles. Pitch Pine has three needle per bundle,
although other pine species have differing numbers of needles in a bundle. The
fruit of pine trees is distinctive. The pine cone of Pitch Pine is from 3 to 5 inches
long, brown when mature and composed of a number of cone scales each tipped with
a short, hooked spine.
Pitch Pine is highly adapted to fire. The cones may stay
closed on the trees for up to 10 years, opening only when fire
passes through the stand. The opening cones seed the newly
opened land for the next generation of Pitch Pine. Pitch Pine,
unlike most conifers, can sprout from the base of the tree if
the tree has been destroyed by the fire. An ecosystem
whose dominance in a region is promoted by fire is called a
Fire Disclimax.
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda
Loblolly Pine is characterized by needles in bundles of 3 from 6 to 9
inches long. The cones are elongate and cylindrical (6 – 9 in.) and the
mature tree is tall with spreading branches. Mature individuals 80 to
100 feet tall with a straight trunk and widely spread branches. The
trunk is about 2 feet wide at breast height. Cones scales are thin,
rounded at the apex and with a short apical spine. Needles are 6 to 9
inches long, slender, but stiff. The color may be yellow-green or pale
green and the needles may be slightly twisted.
The native range of Loblolly Pine extends through 14 States from
southern New Jersey south to central Florida and west to eastern
Texas. Loblolly Pine does not grow naturally in the Mississippi River
flood plain. Loblolly Pine is an adaptable species that has been
successfully planted along the periphery of its natural range and has
been introduced on other continents with varying degrees of success.
Clusters of 5
Are the needles clustered in groups of 5
and the cones long with thin scales?
It is an eastern white pine.
Eastern White Pine
(Pinus strobus)
This popular tree grows statewide in sandy, well-drained soils and along
rock ridges. The white pine has a straight stem and a nice pyramid shape with
soft gray-green needles, making it one of the most majestic trees in the
state. It can grow to be 100 feet tall. The bark is thin greenish-gray on young
bark, but gray, thick and deeply cut on older trees.
Look for the distinctive bluish-green needles that are 3-5 inches long.
They grow in bundles of five. You can remember that the white pine has five
needles per bundle by counting the number of letters in the word white (5).
White = five letters, white pine = five needles. The cones are
long (4-6 inches) with thin and far-spread scales that each
contain two small winged seeds. Cones mature after two years,
in August or September.
The wood from the white pine is light and soft, used for
making matches and lumber. People also make cabinets, windows,
interior woodwork and wooden craft items.
White pine is very susceptible to air pollution damage and can
be an indicator of poor air quality.
Single needles around the twig
Are the needles fairly easy to roll between
your fingers?
These are spruce trees.
OR
Are the needles difficult to roll between
your fingers?
This is a bald cypress.
Spruce
Picea
Most spruce needles are four-sided, stiff, and less than one inch long,
2.5 centimeters to be exact. Woody, peglike projections help join the
needles to the twigs. Spruce trees grow tall and most are shaped like
pyramids. Some grow as tall as one hundred and fifty feet, specifically
the white spruce. The spruce tree is an evergreen color but specific
types of spruces, the black spruce for example, are named for the color
of their bark and foliage.
The needle-like leaves attached to the common spruce trees are used
to hold in moisture. The blue spruce is widely planted in yards because
of its beautiful silver-blue foliage.
Some spruce trees grow beyond the Arctic Circle, whereas others can
grow as far south as the Pyrenees Mountains. Approximately forty
different types of spruce trees are native to the Northern Hemisphere.
In North America, spruce trees grow as far south as North Carolina and
Arizona. The Sitka spruce grows on the Pacific Coast from northern
California to Alaska.
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
The Baldcypress tree is the classic tree of southern swamps. There,
in its native habitat, it displays a peculiar habit of raising conical "knees"
from its roots. The function of these growths is something of a mystery,
although some believe it is a way to help the roots get oxygen. This tree
dwells in swamps because it out-competes most other trees on such sites.
To the surprise of some people, when the Baldcypress is planted on the
right soil in yards or along streets, it does quite well and is a beautiful
specimen tree. It has been grown successfully in cities as far north as
Milwaukee and on dry Texas hills.
A stately deciduous conifer adaptable to wet or dry conditions. Best
known in wet areas, does well in city conditions as far north as Milwaukee.
As a benefit to wildlife the Baldcypress form characteristic groves in
swampy areas that support complex and variable ecosystems, and are
used by many wildlife species.
Baldcypress trees are native from Maryland along the eastern
coast to Texas and as far west as the Mississippi valley. The first
scientific reference to the species was made in 1640. This tree has
inspired much poetry and prose over the centuries due to its
melancholy and mysterious appearance.
Related Internet Sites
Title and Internet Address
Description
Grade
Level
Comparing Leaves
http://ericir.syr.edu/cgibin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/
Lessons/Science/Botany
Students will compare trees by
studying leaves, in order to tell
them apart and will be able to
determine differences in trees by
their leaves, seeds, and flowers.
Kdg. - 6
Deciduous and Coniferous
Trees
http://ericir.syr.edu/cgibin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/
Lessons/Science/Botany
There are distinguishing
characteristics of deciduous and
coniferous trees. Students will
learn through a hands-on approach
about these characteristics.
3-5
What Tree is That ?
http://www.arborday.org/tree
s/treeID.html
Dichotomous key activity for
simple identification of trees as
they are listed regionally in our
country. Samples of tree leaves
and fruit / cones is helpful.
4-8
Provides information on many of
the common trees native to
Kentucky
3-8
Kentucky Trees
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horti
culture/kytreewebsite/welco
me.htm
Related Internet Sites
cont.
Grade
Level
Title and Internet Address
Description
What Tree Is This?
http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/product
s/tree/
You see an unknown tree. Or perhaps
have found part of a tree, and you want to
know from what kind of tree it came.
Often, you can identify an unknown tree
by just one part, such as a leaf or a fruit.
3-6
Arbor Day Foundation: Tree Guide
http://www.arborday.org/trees/tre
eguide/browsetrees.cfm
detailed information on dozens of
commonly planted landscape trees that
grow throughout the United States. Here
you will find information on height and
spread, soil and sun requirements, leaves
and fruit, history, wildlife habitat, and
more
6 - 10
Environmental Education for Kids
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/ca
er/ce/eek/veg/trees/
This section of the webpage
Environmental Education for Kids is
actually from the state of Wisconsin.
Many of these trees are also found in our
state. This page gives excellent
descriptions and advantages to choosing
these trees.
4 -8
Native Conifers of North America
http://www.nearctica.com/trees/c
onifer/index.htm
Online dichotomous key and specific
descriptions of trees including identifying
characteristics, range and habitat.
4-8