Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple
Leaves are green on both sides. Leaves are lobed and deep indentations are "u" shaped. Twigs are glossy. Looks like a "plain old tree."
Acer rubrum
Red Maple
Leaves are silvery-white underneath. Leaves are lobed and deep indentations are "v" shaped. Petioles are generally red.
Acer pennslyvanicum
Striped Maple
Goosefoot
Mature leaves can be very large with 3 long points. Leaves resemeble the webbed foot of a goose. Bark of this tree is vertically striped.
Betula papyrifera
White Birch
Leaves are double toothed with large pinnate veins (feather veins) extending to large tooth. Smaller serrations are found between larger ones. Bark is white and peels easily
Betula alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch
Leaves are similar to white birch, but the bark is gray and peeling. Twigs smell of wintergreen when broken.
Fagus grandifolia
American Beech
Leaves are largely toothed and have one main center vein and a single vein for each tooth. Twigs have large cigar shaped buds and the trunks resemble smooth gray elephant legs.
Looking up through the leaves of a beech tree on a sunny day is reminiscent of stained glass.
Currently the beech trees of the Adirondacks are under attack by fungus.
Prunus Serotina
Black Cherry
Serrated leaf margin and brown "fuzz" on underside midrib.
Populus tremuloides
Quaking Aspen
Finely serrated leaf margin. 3-5 veins meet near the base of the leaf.
Populus grandidentata
Bigtooth Aspen
Leaves similar to Quaking Aspen with 3-5 veins meet near the base of the leaf. However, the leaf margin consists of large serrations.
Tsuga canadensis
Hemlock
Needles flat, opposite, 2 racing stripes underneath, petiole connects needle to branch.
Abies balsamea
Balsam Fir
Needles flat and may occur in flat sprays or circle the twig. 2 racing stripes underneath needles as in hemlock, but needles do not have a petiole. Trunk contains sap blisters. The tree smells like Christmas
Thuja occidentalis
White Cedar
Arbor Vitae
Needles are scaly and hug the twigs. Bark of the White Cedar is gray and shaggy.
Pinus strobus
White Pine
Branches of this pine are arranged in whorls around the trunk. strobus refers to these whorls of branches. The number of whorls is an indication of the age of the tree. The needles are long and flexible. Needles are found in bundles of 5.
Note: Pinus resinosa
Red Pines only have 2 needles per cluster and the needles are very brittle.