Identifying Trees in Michigan

In today's post, our Environmental Education Intern, Patrick Shults discusses how to identify trees found in Michigan!

I would think it is a safe bet that everyone sees at least one tree a day if not several, at least around here. I doubt there are any Michiganders who can think of a day when they haven’t seen one. Trees are everywhere, and they have been around much longer than us. All of Michigan was once covered in forest before settlers came. It is said that a squirrel could have crossed from one side of the state to the other without ever touching the ground. Trees are a part of our everyday routines, even if we don’t always notice them, and they play a very important role in the worlds ecosystems, as well as human survival.

Most people think of trees in terms of lumber and oxygen production, but the truth is they do so much more and should never be underestimated. Trees are capable of absorbing massive amounts of pollutants from the soil and air, making them great for cleaning up toxic sites and urban areas. An individual tree can absorb thousands of gallons of water every year, and in doing this it both stabilizes water tables and cleans the water. Trees can even help you save money on energy costs! Planting trees as wind breaks near your house can reduce heating cost in the winter and help shade the house in the summer. Using wood for biomass fuel is a rapidly growing field of study and there also is much research being done on using trees to solve pollution and energy issues in heavily populated areas. Trees could very well be an answer to many of our energy and pollution issues.

Almost everyone accepts that trees are important, but very few people know anything else about them or how to tell them apart. Different species are useful for different things and each has characteristics that make it unique and interesting. Ancient Celtic cultures used “birth-trees” because they believed that the characteristics of a tree could mirror a humans traits. Learning a little about tree identification can give you an idea of what these unique traits are and maybe even help you find your tree! So if you find yourself with some time grab a guide and head on down to the Fenner Nature Center trails. Think of it as your way of paying respect to the trees for all their hard work. Fenner is a great place to start as it has a great representation of the diverse species of trees you will see in Michigan.

Tree ID in the winter can be difficult for the inexperienced, but here are a few tips to get you started:

Some trees, like beeches and oaks, have marcescent leaves. This means the leaves stay on the tree through the winter, even though they are no longer functioning.

Cedars are conifers that have scale-like leaves as opposed to needles.

For some trees, the bark is a dead giveaway to its identity. From left to right here is cherry, red pine, sugar maple, and white ash. Notice the potato chip-like bark on the cherry, the red tones on the red pine, the flaky sheets of bark on the sugar maple, and the diamond-like plating design on the ash. Traits like these will stick in your head and help you identify all year round.

Larch, also known as tamarack, is the only coniferous tree that loses its leaves (needles) in the fall. It’s very easy to identify by the spur shoots on the branches where the needles grow in clusters.

The buds of a tree are the next years leaf. After leaves start growing in the spring it’s the trees primary concern to create a new bud. They are surefire ways to identify a tree but can be meticulous and difficult. This is the bud of a beech tree and is easy to recognize by being longer than most buds and sharply pointed.

So now that you’ve got an idea for winter tree identification, try taking a walk on the trails at Fenner and put your skills to the test. If it’s difficult without the leaves don’t be disheartened! Spring is coming soon!