Introducing Winter Tree Identification

Throughout the winter, trees continue to provide benefits despite being dormant, such as soil stability and habitat provision for wildlife. While fall brings vibrant colors after spring and summer’s greenery, being able to recognize trees in winter can add another layer of seasonal interest (that also builds your local tree knowledge) during the coldest months of the year.

Benefits of Knowing Local Trees

It gives deeper meaning to the trees around the neighborhood, knowing that they’re performing many types of ecosystem services throughout the year, even in the winter. Of the many types and sizes of trees, each contributes unique attributes to a robust canopy and local ecosystem. 

There are several reasons why being able to identify winter trees can be a good way to strengthen our general appreciation of Nashville’s ecosystem and the trees that surround us. Some of the main reasons people would want to know which trees are which in winter include:

• Strengthening tree ID skills – Recognizing trees by their size, shape, and bark in the winter builds your ability to pick out tree species when they don their leaves at other times of the year.

• Landscaping and care – Pruning and planting are preferably done in the coolest months of the year while many trees are dormant. Recognizing trees during this period helps people make landscaping decisions. 

• Enjoying recognizing trees in new and familiar places – Knowing which trees are which deepens the experience in any place, whether around a neighborhood, in a park, or in wilderness areas.

• Maintaining awareness of the ecosystem – Even in winter, trees are performing ecosystem services and providing habitat for wildlife. Knowing which trees certain animals live in can help you stay engaged and perceptive when out in nature.

We asked ISA-certified arborist Bo Arrington about the benefits of knowing local trees in winter, and he reminded us of a professional’s need to identify trees at all times of the year. 

“For green industry professionals, it’s useful to be able to identify trees all year round to fulfill work orders or select trees when transplanting,” he said. “For those of us that use trees as resources—for timber, syrup, and medicine—it’s important to be able to identify those trees at all times of the year as well.”

Easy Ways to Identify Winter Trees

Some trees are easier to spot in the winter; evergreens are easier to identify since they hold on to their foliage. Deciduous trees can be a bit more difficult to identify, but there are a few easy ways to tell trees apart during winter when, admittedly, many of them look the same.

• A guidebook – The easiest way to identify trees in the winter is by using a guidebook like The Sibley Guide to Trees or A Peterson Field Guide To Eastern Trees, which you can use to align characteristics with a visual reference.

• The size and shape of the tree – Some trees can be narrowed down by their size and shape; understory trees can be rather uniquely shaped, but the biggest trees, too, have distinct forms that can give away their type.

• The tree’s bark – Bark is the easiest way to identify a tree, since tree species vary by color, flakiness, ridge patterns, and other characteristics that may be unique to a certain type of tree.

• Buds on branches – The buds of a species of tree are usually particular to that tree. The folds of the bud, color, size, shape, and location in relation to other buds are all indicators of a tree’s species.

• Evergreens – There are multiple types of evergreens, which can be distinguished by their leaf or needle formation, as well as the size and shape of their cones or berries.

• Marcescent trees – Certain trees, including beeches and some oaks, hold on to their dead leaves over winter (called marcescence). It’s not understood exactly why this happens, but it makes those species particularly distinct when most other deciduous trees are naked during winter!

• Look at the ground under the tree – Leaves and nuts or seed pods may still be under the tree from fall. If they’re visible, the organic materials may be indicators of the tree species that dropped them.

Common Species of Trees in Nashville

Bo Arrington weighed in on the challenge of recognizing even the most common species in winter: “All types of young trees can be extremely difficult to identify during the dormant season. For mature trees, the various species of red and white oak can be hard to distinguish among their own kind, and the same goes for the many types of maples, elms, and pines, to name a few.” However, certain trees are much easier to pick out, like the hackberry. “It has a smooth bark that is covered in wart-like, platey bumps. Even though it is common and considered a nuisance tree, it’s one of my favorites.”

Resources for Learning More About the Trees of Nashville's Forest

To become more familiar with the trees of Nashville, check out some of the resources below!

• The University of Tennessee Knoxville, All Season Pocket Guide to Identifying Common Tennessee Trees (images)

• The Tennessee Association of Resource Conservation and Development Council, Winter Identification Quick Reference Guide (images)

• The Nashville Tree Foundation, Recommended Trees for Middle Tennessee (by name)

• The University of Tennessee Arboretum, Tree Identification Guide (by leaf)

When learning the different tree species, take it slow! It will be easier to start noticing one or two new types at a time than trying to learn them all at once. The more engaged you are with the trees, the easier it will be! If you’re thinking about engaging with your own landscape, consider browsing the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps’ annual tree sale The sale is open year-round, while delivery and planting will be done during tree planting season (between the months of October and April). Trees ordered during the summer months will begin delivery sometime in October, and September is when the delivery calendar for the upcoming tree planting season is released. Volunteering with us is another way to stay close to trees, as is subscribing to our email newsletter to receive regular information and care tips from NTCC!