Advice - identifying your tree species?

[lissa]

Hey there!

I did a search, on here and on google, and wasn't able to find much (maybe because I am special). I am curious to know if there are any helpful sites that you would recommend for identifying trees you've grabbed from the woods.

Yesterday I went for a long hike and found 3 incredibly beautiful young trees. Not babies! I wish I took a picture now. I would have loved to share it with you guys. I will be going back very soon and grabbing it, I think...

Besides going to the nursery and asking someone to identify 100 trees... I was wondering if there were any guides online that are helpful.

 

[jk_lewis]

Start at your local library by checking out several regional field guides. Decide which you like and then go buy them. Tree guides on the I'net are often difficult to navigate -- especially when you have NO idea what you have. In books, you can scan thru a whole bunch of pictures until you find something similar and then can narrow it down.

BTW, I assume you know that you need the permission of whoever owns the land you are wandering through before you can collect anything. Permission may even include a fee.

 

[Zach Smith]

Hey there!

I did a search, on here and on google, and wasn't able to find much (maybe because I am special). I am curious to know if there are any helpful sites that you would recommend for identifying trees you've grabbed from the woods.

Yesterday I went for a long hike and found 3 incredibly beautiful young trees. Not babies! I wish I took a picture now. I would have loved to share it with you guys. I will be going back very soon and grabbing it, I think...

Besides going to the nursery and asking someone to identify 100 trees... I was wondering if there were any guides online that are helpful.

Get yourself the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, Eastern Region. Indispensable.

Zach

 

[M. Frary]

I learned tree species during my career in line clearance and getting my I.S.A. arborist certification. You can pick up tree guides at a bookstore. I've never used online sources except here.
On another note. I'm going to say it is a little late in the year to collect a tree and it having a chance of surviving. You want to do that before the leaves open. I would just mark potential trees and get them in the spring next year.

 

[sdavis]

the best guide

I learned tree species during my career in line clearance and getting my I.S.A. arborist certification. You can pick up tree guides at a bookstore. I've never used online sources except here.
On another note. I'm going to say it is a little late in the year to collect a tree and it having a chance of surviving. You want to do that before the leaves open. I would just mark potential trees and get them in the spring next year.

I find that the most useful guide is "Field Guide to Trees of North America" by Kershner and published by the National Wildlife Federation. It's even better that Sibley's new tree book. Nothing online is as good.

 

[0soyoung]

Search for terms like 'dendrology' ought to pull up a ton of stuff on Google, even if you are special. I find Dendrology at Virginia Tech useful. They also have their fact sheets available as an iOS/Android app which is handy for trekking through the woods (data is stored on your phone).

 

[lissa]

Well I found out that three of my plants are not trees LOL. But! I found some babies that definitely look like Maples. Oaks and Maples are so beautiful to me and I feel drawn to them more than most other trees.

I am hoping that I have a maple and an oak tree.

I found a decent site for identifying trees, let me know if you guys like it: http://www.oplin.org/tree/
You have to have the leaves right there with you... and I am not sure how accurate they are because my knowledge of trees sucks.

Thanks for your help!! I think I will make a Lissa Bonsai thread or something so I have somewhere I can post to all the time instead of crowding up the What's New page lol

I will definitely be staying here This place is so nice! /ramble

 

[M. Frary]

I hate to be a party pooper Lissa but I'm afraid the Maples and Oaks you are going to find growing naturally in your area aren't going to so suitable as bonsai. They all have rather large leaves that are near to impossible to reduce down. Also some Oaks don't take transplanting well either.
I personally believe someone starting out in bonsai should get their first trees from a nursery or even Lowes or Home Depot. These trees will have lots of roots and are already used to being in a container. Like maybe a juniper,Chinese elm or if you like maples maybe a trident maple or Japanese maple?
Collecting trees is a good way to get material but there is aftercare too. Not all survive the dig. No matter what you do. If you want to get started collecting wild trees find some elms. These trees seem to enjoy it. No kidding.
Also I might add. Don't wait around for seeds or baby trees to grow. Life is way too short for that.

 

[Poink88]

I hate to be a party pooper Lissa but I'm afraid the Maples and Oaks you are going to find growing naturally in your area aren't going to so suitable as bonsai. They all have rather large leaves that are near to impossible to reduce down. Also some Oaks don't take transplanting well either.
I personally believe someone starting out in bonsai should get their first trees from a nursery or even Lowes or Home Depot. These trees will have lots of roots and are already used to being in a container. Like maybe a juniper,Chinese elm or if you like maples maybe a trident maple or Japanese maple?
Collecting trees is a good way to get material but there is aftercare too. Not all survive the dig. No matter what you do. If you want to get started collecting wild trees find some elms. These trees seem to enjoy it. No kidding.
Also I might add. Don't wait around for seeds or baby trees to grow. Life is way too short for that.

Good advise.

I indirectly mentioned this to her on another thread...told her that my approach is to chop down big trees and look for good bonsai features (i.e. small leaves, etc.). She will eventually realize all these down the road...