Identification of Hardwood Trees in Iowa
This publication is designed to help identify the most common hardwood or deciduous trees found in Iowa. It is based on vegetative characteristics including leaves, fruit, and bark. It is neither complete nor without possible oversights.
Separate species are grouped by similar characteristics, mainly based on type and arrangement of leaves. Remember, vegetative characteris- tics are quite variable; use more than one specimen for comparison.
Alternate, Simple, Single Prunus americana Salix nigra Plum Black Willow Toothed, Triangle Shaped Shrubby tree with Buds with single bud scale; leaf is Populus deltoides 1 inch diameter green to purple fruit; finely toothed, 3/8-3/4 inch wide. Eastern Cottonwood twigs are stubby, spur-like, and Small branches are white sometimes spine tipped; leaf Alternate, Simple Leaves, or yellow; buds are with long pointed tip, 3-4 resinous; leaf coarsely toothed. inches long. Lobed with Pointed Tips Morus sp. Prunus virginiana Populus grandidentata Mulberry Chokecherry Bigtooth Aspen Leaf margins are Leaf is finely toothed Small branches are white coarsely toothed; if with outward curved or yellow; buds not leaves are lobed, the lobing is ex- teeth; leaves are thin; fruit is born in resinous and stick out tremely variable; fruit are composite red clusters; bark is brownish and from the twig; leaf coarsely toothed fleshy seeds. with flat petiole. smooth. Populus alba Prunus serotina Populus tremuloides White Poplar Black Cherry Quaking Aspen Leaf underside and twigs Fruit born in purple to Small branches are are hairy and white; leaves are three to black clusters; leaf is white or yellow; leaf five lobed; branches are cream or white finely toothed with teeth curved 11/2-3 inches long and finely toothed; colored. petiole is flat. towards the tip, thick and waxy; old bark has black platy scales. Platanus occidentalis Alternate, Simple, Sycamore Alternate, Simple, Long Leaves are three to five Single Toothed, lobed, margins coarsely Oval or Oblong Shaped Thin Leaves toothed; fruit is a hairy ball of seeds 1 inch in diameter; bark is scaly; Amelanchier arborea Salix interior inner bark is almost white; trunk Serviceberry Sandbar Willow appears mottled. Leaves are hairy when Buds with single bud scale; leaf has young; shrubby tree with widely spaced marginal teeth, very smooth, gray bark with dark lines; fruit narrow (1/4-3/8 inch); a shrubby is less than 1/2 inch diameter. species.
Pm-1384 | May 1996 Alternate, Simple Leaves, Ulmus rubra Quercus ellipsoidalis Thorns or Spines Present Slippery Elm Northern Pin Oak Leaves 5-7 Lobe sinuses reach almost to Maclura pomifera inches long, leaf mid-vein; acorn is oval Osage Orange very rough with cap covering almost one- Leaves 3-5 inches above and hairy below; twigs are gray half; northern lowa. long with smooth and grow upwards. margins; thorns Quercus rubra are straight and 1/2 inch in length. Red Oak Alternate, Simple, Double- Lobe sinuses reach Elaeagnus angustifolia Toothed Leaves with one-half way to Russian Olive fruit Equal Leaf Bases mid-vein; seven to Leaf is long and narrow; eleven lobes; leaf is green below; acorn leaf is silvery colored and Betula papyrifera cap does not extend up the acorn. scurfy. Paper Birch Bark is white and papery, Quercus velutina Crataegus sp. peeling horizontally. Black Oak Hawthorns Lobe sinuses reach Leaf margin is Betula nigra one-half way to mid- coarsely doubly River Birch vein; five to seven lobes; sinuses are toothed (almost Bark is brown to bronze, broad; leaf is coppery colored below; lobed); thorns are unbranched. peeling horizontally; leaf base acorn cap reaches one-half way up the is wedge shaped; southern Iowa. acorn with a rough margin.
Alternate, Simple, Double- Carpinus caroliniana Quercus imbricaria Toothed Leaves with American Hornbeam Shingle Oak Unequal Leaf Bases Bark is smooth, Leaf not lobed; leathery, thin, and blue gray; dull green with bristle Celtis occidentalis nut is connected to tip; leaves 4-6 inches Hackberry a three-lobed bract long with entire wavy margin. Leaves 21/2-4 inches long in spikelike with a sharp pointed tip; bark clusters. has warty or corky ridges or growths. Alternate, Simple, Lobed Ostrya virginiana Leaves; Lobes with Ulmus thomasii Ironwood Rounded Tips; Rock Elm Bark is rough; nut is Leaves 21/2-4 enclosed in a bladder- Fruit an Acorn inches long, like sac, borne in clusters. Quercus bicolor smooth above, hairy below; twigs may Swamp White Oak have corky growths or wings; buds are Alternate, Simple, Lobed Lobes are very brown. shallow and Leaves; Lobes with Pointed irregular; acorn cap Ulmus americana Tips; Fruit an Acorn is rough and fringed. American Elm Qurecus palustris Leaves 4-6 inches Quercus alba Pin Oak long, hairy below; White Oak Lobe sinuses reach almost buds are brown; twigs are reddish Seven to nine lobes; to leaf mid-vein, acorn is brown and tend to droop. acorn is mostly round with cap covering one-third or spherical with a less; southern Iowa. Tilia americana smooth cap. American Basswood Leaves are 4-7 inches long, heart shaped; buds are red-brown and have two scales. Quercus muehlenbergii Juglans cinerea Opposite Compound Chinkapin Oak Butternut Leaf margins are very Eleven to 17 leaflets; Leaves coarsely toothed with ternlinal leaflet is usually Aesculus glabra rounded tips. present and large; pith is chambered Ohio Buckeye and dark chocolate brown. Five leaflets, palmately Quercus macrocarpa compound; fruit is a spiny, Bur Oak Juglans nigra leathery seed capsule with one seed. Five to nine lobes; leaf is Black Walnut divided in half near center Fifteen to 23 Aesculus hippocastanum with a deep lobe almost to mid- leaflets; terminal Horse-chestnut vein; top portion of leaf is more leaflet is usually Seven leaflets, palmately wavy than lobed; acorn cap is absent or small; pith compound; fruit is a short- fringed. is chambered and tan in color. spined leathery seed capsule with one or more seeds. Alternate, Compound Alternate, Compound Acer negundo Leaves with Thorns or Leaves with Five to Nine Boxelder Spines Leaflets Three to five leaflets, pinnately compound; Carya ovata twigs are covered with whitish bloom; Shagbark Hickory fruit a double samara. Five leaflets, 7-14 inches Gleditsia triacanthos long; large terminal bud; Honey Locust Fraxinus sp. bark smooth when young Ashes Two to eight inch long thorns that and shaggy when older. are branched; attached to stem and Five or more twigs (thorns may be absent). leaflets; fruit a Carya cordiformis double samara. seed pod Bitternut Hickory Leaf is 6-9 inches long; Robinia pseudoacacia seven to eleven leaftets; Opposite Simple Leaves Black Locust buds are colored a sulfur One-half inch long spines occur at the yellow; nut husk is thin. Cornus sp. leaf base. Dogwoods Carya laciniosa Leaves 3-6 inches long; veins run parallel to leaf seed pod Shellbark Hickory Five, seven, or nine leaflets; margin; mid-vein contains fine strands leaf is 15-22 inches long when pulled apart. Alternate Compound and hairy below; old bark is shaggy; twigs are orange-brown. Acer saccharum Leaves with More Than Sugar Maple 11 Leaflets Carya tomentosa Leaves with five Mockernut Hickory lobes, margin is Gymnocladus dioicus Leaf is 9-14 inchcs long; smooth; fruit is a Kentucky Coffee Tree seven to nine leaflets; twigs u-shaped samara. Leaves double com- are hairy and reddish brown pound with 40 or more or brownish gray; nut husk is thick. leaflets; leaflet is 1-3 Acer rubrum inches long. seed Red Maple pod Leaf with three main lobes; lobe sinuses are sharp, with toothed margins; fruit a v-shaped samara. Catalpa speciosa Catalpa Leaves, 8-l2 inches, heart- shaped; fruit is a long, 8-20 inch pod.
Acer nigrum Black Maple Leaf with three main lobes; lobe sinuses are rounded with mostly smooth margins; fruit is a u-shaped samara.
Acer saccharinum Silver Maple Leaves with five or more lobes; sinuses are sharp angles with coarse teeth; fruit is a v-shaped samara; leaf light in color under surface.
Prepared by Paul H. Wray, extension forester.
File: Forestry 1 9/98
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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Stanley R. Johnson, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.