Trees

Speaking botanically, a tree is a perennial plant that has an elongated stem (called a trunk) that supports branches and leaves. Trees come in many sizes, shapes and colors. There are trees that produce beautiful flowers, ones grown as crops, and some that are great at providing shade. Tree shape is an important aspect to consider when choosing which to place in your landscape, and can also assist in the identification of a mystery tree. Some of the more commonly seen tree shapes are listed and pictured below.
Oval
e.g. Acer saccharum
Vase
e.g. Lagerstroemia
Irregular
e.g. Aesculus
Broad/Spreading
​e.g. Quercus alba
Weeping
e.g. Salix
Pyramidal
​e.g. Tilia
Columnar
​e.g. Populus tremuloides
Conical
​e.g. Abies procera
Fastigiate (Upright)
​e.g. Ginkgo
Shown here is a list of the more common trees that you'll come across in your adventures in the Western United States. As you peruse this list, take note of any trees that you've seen before, and those that you'd possibly like to see in your own garden.

Trees Homework

As you go through the list of trees, keep these questions in mind. If you'd like to print this list, click the button at the bottom that says 'Printable Homework Page'. 
  1. Make note of the trees that do well in your zone. Then, take a walk around your neighborhood and find 20 different trees that you see. Take a photo of each, and then try to identify them using the genus descriptions above. To go a step further, see if you can identify the specific variety of each species of tree you found. 
  2. Pick one tree in your yard (or in your immediate environment) that you can identify using the list above. Study the site it is planted in. Make note of what the soil looks like, the apparent health of the tree, the amount of water it receives, the amount of sunlight it receives, etc. Then, write a description of the tree, including how tall it is, what genus (and species, if possible) the tree is, and what its sunlight, water, soil, and care needs are.