Identify Trees by Common Name

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Identify Trees by Common Name

You see an unknown tree. Or perhaps have found part of a tree, and you want to know from what kind of tree it came. Often, you can identify an unknown tree by just one part, such as a leaf or a fruit.
This web site will lead you through qualities of leaves and fruits from the common trees of Ohio. You will work your way through these choices by selecting images that more closely resemble your sample. To be certain of your identification of an unknown tree, however, you must use as much of the tree as possible.

Trees are made up of many parts. They have woody trunks and branches that are covered with bark. They have leaves, and they produce fruit. Remember that a tree is a complex organism. You should get to know the whole tree, and until you learn more about trees, you probably won’t be able to identify a particular tree with just a single part. You may have to make several trips to the tree, looking at it both closely and from a distance.

What tree is it?
We will use just two of the parts of trees, leaves and fruit, to identify the common trees of Ohio. Then, after you learn the tree’s name, you can read facts about your tree, or you can bypass the keys and go directly to the tree by name.

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