Gymnosperm ID or 'key' for our specimens
| Does your tree have Needles, Scales, or Awl-Like leaves? | |
| Needles? go to B | Scales or awl-like leaves? go to A |
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| A. Leaves flattened scales or awl-shaped scales or very small leaves? | ||
Flattened Are the leaves flattened and only of the scale type? |
Awl-shaped scales and/or rounded scales? on older portions of the stem the
leaves may become more widely spaced and sharp If so then.... |
Slightly more elongate, small slender leaves,
may be awl-like or flattened sitting directly on stem |
| NorthernWhite Cedar - Thuja occidentalis | Our examples: Leyland juniper and others | Our example: Japanese cedar of the Taxodiaceae |
Trees with Needles
| B. Needles occur singly or in multiple bundles? | |
| Do the needles occur singly ---> single needles | or in multiple bundles or tufts? ---> multiple needles |
 GO to B2 |
 Go to H |
| B2. Single needles | |
| round or square in cross section and occur on raised pegs on the twigs; needles are stiff and sharp pointed; cones hang from the twig : spruces | needles are flat, not stalked, and have a round or blunt tip |
| Go to C | Go to D |
| C. Single needles on raised pegs, stiff needles, pointed; Spruces or Picea | |||
| Needles sharp tipped? | Needles blunt tipped? | ||
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1 to 1-1/4 inches long - Colorado Blue Spruce - Picea pungens |
1/2 to 3/4 inches long White Spruce - Picea glauc |
1/2 to 3/4 inches long; cone is 4-7 inches long; foliage appears to droop Norway Spruce - Picea abies |
1/4 to 3/4 inches long; cones are 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long? - Black Spruce - - Picea mariana |
| D. Single needles flat, not stalked, and have round or blunt edge | |
| 3-pointed bracts sticking out between the cone scales; needles 3/4 to 1-1/4 inches long; cones hang from twigs; buds are pointed with brown-red color | No 3 point bract between cone scales --> go to E |
| Douglas Fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii: see our sample | |
| E. Single needles, soft of stiff? | |
| Single needles stiff -->
Stiff, single needles flat, not stalked, and have round or blunt edge but cone does not have characteristic 3-point bract of douglas fir above: Needles pointed at the tip and 1- 1/2 to 3 inches long? |
Single needles not stiff or sharp --> go to G |
| White Fir (Concolor Fir) - Abies concolor | |
| G. Single needles, not stiff, not pegged or stalked | |
| Needles flattened of variable length. short needles among longer one | Needles flat, twigs green minute buds along twig |
| Tsuga or hemlock: see our sample | Taxus or yew: see our sample |
| H. Multiple needles in bundles on spur-like tufts; | |
| 7 to 24 needles that fall in winter or in multiple bundles; | 2 to 5 per bundle? PINUS |
 Go to I
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 Go to J |
| I. Needles in bundles...7 to 24 needles that fall in winter or in multiple bundles; cedars and larches | |
| Cedrus deodara |
| J Needles in bundles...2 to 5 per bundle ...PINUS | ||||||
| Bundles of 2 | Bundles of 3 | |||||
| 3/4 to 3 inches long and twisted? | 4 to 6 inches long | 4 to 11 inches long | 2-4 inches long bundles of 5 | |||
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3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long Jack Pine - Pinus banksiana |
1-1/2 to 3 inches long Scotch Pine - Pinus sylvestris |
thin and brittle; Red Pine - Pinus resinosa |
Austrian Pine - Pinus nigra |
Ponderosa Pine - Pinus ponderosa | White Pine - Pinus strobus | |