Looking to identify a tree you saw while walking in the Arb? Use this list of common trees and their distinguishing characteristics or the step-by-step guide that starts at the bottom of this page! 

Trees in this guide:

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Boxelder (Acer negundo)

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Northern Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)

Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Willow (Salix spp.)

QR code campus trees:

  • American Elm (1.7MB PDF Document)
    (Ulmus americana)
  • Black Walnut (1.1MB PDF Document)
    (Juglans nigra)
  • Blue Beech (3.4MB PDF Document)
    (Carpinus caroliniana)
  • Bur Oak (1.6MB PDF Document)
    (Quercus macrocarpa)
  • Green Ash (1.0MB PDF Document)
    (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
  • Hackberry (2.5MB PDF Document)
    (Celtis occidentalis)
  • Hawthorn (4.1MB PDF Document)
    (Crataegus crus-galli inermis)
  • Honey Locust (2.6MB PDF Document)
    (Gleditsia triacanthos)
  • Ironwood (3.6MB PDF Document)
    (Ostrya virginiana)
  • Kentucky Coffee Tree (2.3MB PDF Document)
    (Gymnocladus dioicus)
  • Norway Spruce (2.1MB PDF Document)
    (Gymnocladus dioicus)
  • Ohio Buckeye (2.7MB PDF Document)
    (Aesculus glabra)
  • Paper Birch (1.9MB PDF Document)
    (Betula papyrifera)
  • Pin Oak (2.4MB PDF Document)
    (Betula papyrifera)
  • Quaking Aspen (1.1MB PDF Document)
    (Populus tremuloides)
  • Redbud (4.3MB PDF Document)
    (Cercis canadensis)
  • Star Magnolia (1.3MB PDF Document)
    (Magnolia stellata)
  • Sugar Maple (2.0MB PDF Document)
    (Acer saccharum)
  • Tamarack (2.6MB PDF Document)
    (Acer saccharum)
  • White Cedar (2.6MB PDF Document)
    (Thuja occidentalis)
  • White Pine (2.2MB PDF Document)
    (Pinus strobus)

Key question 1: Does the tree have its leaves or not?

(click answer to proceed to next question)