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Reading a tree

A tree offers more than one clue to its identity.

Begin with the whole tree. Notice the shape of the crown, how the branches leave the trunk, and whether the tree is growing in open light or among its neighbours. A crowded tree often has a different outline from one of the same kind growing alone.

Look at several leaves rather than a single specimen. Check how they attach to the twig, whether the edges are smooth or toothed, and whether each leaf is simple or divided into leaflets. Fallen leaves are useful, but they may have travelled from another tree.

Finish with the bark and the ground beneath the branches. Seeds, cones, and old fruit can supply a clue when flowers are gone. A sketch and a few written observations usually tell a better story than a photograph without context.