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Once you get practice, you’ll find that bark is a great tool for tree identification, and don’t forget to have fun! Next, stop by your local library and checkout Bark, A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, by Michael Wojtech and add to your tree identification skills. You will probably find some of the same trees in these photos. (7) With ridges and furrows – ridges broken into large scales – pitch pineįor those of you ready to start, find a natural setting rather than a planted landscape where non-native trees might make it more difficult. (7) With ridges and furrows – northern red oak (6) Broken into scales or plates – black cherry (5) Broken in to vertical strips – intersect - pignut hickory (5) Broken in to vertical strips – mature shagbark hickory (4) Vertical cracks or seams in otherwise smooth bark - young shagbark hickory (4) Vertical cracks or seams in otherwise smooth bark - scarlet oak (1) Peeling horizontally in curly strips - yellow birch The following simple example shows how it works using common NH trees:

With ridges and furrows – ridges broken into large scales –pitch pine and northern red oak.Broken into scales or plates- scales – black cherry.Broken in to vertical strips – intersect, pignut hickory.Vertical cracks or seams in smooth bark scarlet oak and shagbark hickory.Lenticels visible – black birch and big tooth aspen.Peeling horizontally in curly strips - Yellow Birch.The seven bark types vary from easy to inscrutable. The changes from young to old are hardly noticeable on some species, and on others it is hard to believe that the pictures are of the same species! Some older trees exhibit all three growth stages from the old bark at the base of the tree to the younger bark on the branches at the top. The complication is that as each kind of tree matures, it passes through different categories: young, mature, and old. The next two steps are instructions for using the keys, and the last one is to have fun!īelow are Michael Wojtech’s seven types of bark listed in his ‘Primary Key’, accompanied by winter photo examples of native trees found around my yard. Step two is to “ Use the Primary Identification Key (inside the covers) to determine bark type”. The first is to “ Read the introductory chapters to the book.” He provides a fascinating explanation of how and why tree species evolved unique bark with different characteristics like texture, color, thickness. Wojtech lists five steps to Identifying trees by bark using his identification keys. Detailed features provide understanding on how different kinds of bark grow and age. He has cleverly categorized tree bark into seven types, which simplifies recognizing and remembering all the different kinds of bark. Michael Wojtech’s book Bark, A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast is a huge help. Some kinds of bark actually sparkle in the winter sunlight like both white and yellow birch.

Bark is an important clue in identifying trees, especially in winter when the bark stands out against the white snow. Winter is the perfect time to get up close and notice and appreciate the variations of tree bark.

Types of maple trees in new england