conifers ID practice order Pinales: Families • Cupressaceae (cypress, junipers, false cedars and redwoods) • Pinaceae (pines, cedars, firs, hemlock, larch & spruces) • Taxaceae • Cephalotaxaceae • Sciadopityaceae • Podocarpaceae • Araucariaceae Tree ID exercise #1 Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis 1 Needles or scale like 2 Needles less than 1 inch long or scale-like, 10 Most needles not scale-like, and at least ⅓ inch long, 11 Needles flat, extending only to the sides of the branch, 12 Needles not deciduous, with 2 parallel white lines on the underside of the needles. Found in western Piedmont and mountains Tree ID exercise #2 Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana L. 1 Needles or scale like 2 Needles less than 1 inch long or scale-like, 10 Most needles scale-like and less than ⅓ inch long,, 13 Young needles prickly, up to ⅜ inch long, older needles scale-like, 1/16 inch long, bark tan to reddish brown and shreddy. Bluish fruit ⅛ inch in diameter Tree ID exercise #3 Virginia Pine Pinus virginiana Mill. 1 Needles or scale like 2 Needles at least 1 inch long 3 Needles in groups of 2 or 3, 4 Needles mostly in groups of 2 8 Needles less than 3 inches 9 Needles 1½ to 3 inches, yellow-green and twisted, cones 1½ to 3 inches long. Scaly bark on older trees, may be orange-brown on upper trunk and large limbs Tree ID exercise #4 Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda 1 Needles or scale like 2 Needles at least 1 inch long 3 Needles in groups of 2 or 3, 4 Needles mostly in groups of 3 5 Needles generally longer than 6 inches, 6 Needles 6 to 9 inches, cones 3 to 6 inches long Our common pines Needle Resin Needles in Cone Length Species Length in Pockets Clusters of: in Inches Inches Present? White 5 3 to 5 4 to 8 No Virginia 2, rarely 3 1.5 to 3 < 3 No Loblolly 3, rarely 2 5 to 9 2 to 6 No Shortleaf 2 rarely 3 3 to 5 < 3 Yes Longleaf 3 rarely 2 > 9 6 to 10 No Pitch 3 < 5 1 to 3.5 No Conifer groups Tree ID exercise #5 Norway spruce Picea abies.