Plant ID Flashcards
Long needles horizontally
Flat branch appearance
Abies grandis - Grand fir
Needles blueish green; blunt
Narrow crown; short branches
Abies lasiocarpa - subalpine fir
Long needles horizontally
Flat branch appearance
Abies grandis - grand fir
Needles blueish green
Narrow crown short branches
Abies lasiocarpa - subalpine fir
Paper bark
Lenticels
Serrated simple leaves
Betula papyrifera - paper birch
Paper bark
Lenticals
Serrated leafs
Betula papyrifera
Nodules on twigs
Short clusters of needles
Needs turn gold
Larix occidentalis - western larch
Nodules on twigs
Needles in clusters
Needles turn yellow
Larix occidentalis - western larch
Narrow tight crown
Sharp needles
Picea engelmannii - Englemann spruce
Narrow tight crown
Sharp needles
Blueish green needles
Picea engelmannii- Englemann spruce
Narrow tight crown
Sharp needles
Blueish green color
Picea engelmannii - Englemann spruce
Scrubby looking (dead branches) usually
Two needles; twisted
Scaley bark
Pinus contorta - lodgepole pine
Two needles; twisted
Often lots of deadwood
Scaley bark
Pinus contorta - lodgepole pine
Scaley bark
Two needles; twisted
Usually lots of deadwood
Pinus contorta - lodgepole pine
Large cones
5 needles; long bundles; soft
Pinus monticola - white pine
Large cones
Five needles, long, soft
Pinus monticola - white pine
Large cones
Five needles, long, soft
Pinus monticola- white pine
Big pom pom needles
Bark reddish with sun exposure
3 needles in bundle
Pinus ponderosa
Large tufts of needles
Needles in bunches of 3
Pinus ponderosa - ponderosa pine
Needles in large tufts, long
Needles in bundles of 3
Pinus ponderosa - ponderosa pine
Larger leaves with triangular tip
White bark that goes gray and with furrows with age
Narrow pointy sticky buds
Populas trichocarpa - black cottonwood
Larger leaves with triangular tip
Narrow pointed sticky buds
White bark that goes gray and furrowed with age
Populas trichocarpa - black cottonwood
Smooth white bark
Usually grows in groups/stands
Rounder shaped “coin” leaves
Populas tremuloides - trembling aspen
Smooth white bark
Coin shaped rounder leaves
Grows in groups
Populas tremuloides - trembling aspen
Smooth white bark
Round shaped leaves
Found growing in groups often
Populas tremuloides - trembling aspen
Deep furrows in mature bark
Mouse tail bracts in cones
Flat spiral arranged needles
Psuedotsuga menziesii - Douglas fir
Deep furrows in mature bark
Mouse tail bracts in cones
Flat spiral arranged needles
Psuedotsuga menziesii - Douglas fir
Deep furrows in mature bark
Mouse tail bracts in cones
Flat spiral arranged needles
Psuedotsuga menziesii - Douglas fir
Scale type needles
Reddish stringy bark
Small cones
Thuja plicata - western red cedar
Scale type needles
Reddish stringy bark
Small cones
Thuja plicata - western red cedar
Small cones
Fine textured needles from afar
Furrowed bark
Drooping branch tips, top of tree droops
Two white stomata bands
Tsuga heterophylla - western hemlock
Small cones
Fine textured needles from afar
Furrowed bark
Drooping branch tips, top of tree droops
Two white stomata bands
Tsuga heterophylla - western hemlock
Loved leaf, Serrated
Short height often multistem
Samara type seeds
Smooth gray bark
Acer glabrum - Douglas maple
Loved leaf, Serrated
Short height often multistem
Samara type seeds
Smooth gray bark
Acer glabrum - Douglas maple
Serrated leaves
Catkins
Multistem
Alnus spp. - alder
Serrated leaves
Catkins
Multistem
Alnus spp. - alder
Serrated leaves
Catkins
Multistem
Alnus spp. - alder
Medium shrub
Oval leafs toothed margin towards the tip
Amelanchier alnifolia - saskatoon
Woody shrubs
Oval leafs serrated towards the tip
Amelanchier alnifolia - saskatoon
Low sprawling shrub; groundcover
Shiny small thick leaves
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - kinnikinnick
Low shrub
Very blue white color
Three rounded teeth at end of leaf
Artemisia tridenta - big sagebrush
Upright shrub
Reddish purple stem
Alternate leaf arrangement
Ceanothus sanguineus - red stemmed ceanothus
Thick glossy leaves finely serrated, white underside with velvety hairs
Evergreen shrub
Ceanothus velutinus - snowbush
Often red stems when sun exposed
Longer oblong leaves
Multi stem shrubs
Cornus sericea - red osier dogwood
Larger multistem shrub
Broader very serrated leaves (double toothed)
Alternate leaf arrangement
Smooth gray bark
Corylus cornuta - beaked hazelnut
Thorns on branches
Bushy shrub
Leaves Oval and toothed, Alternate arrangement
crataegus douglasii - black hawthorn
Deciduous shrub multistemmed
Alternate small leaves with many lobes, prominent veins
Tiny brown fruits that persist into winter
Holodiscus discolor - ocean spray
Evergreen conifer shrub
Needles in whorls of three
Small blue berries
Juniperus communis - common juniper
Elliptical overall shaped leaves hairy on margins
Opposite arrangement, distinct abrupt leaf tip
Shrub
lonicera involucrata - black twinberry
Elliptical overall shaped leaves hairy on margins
Opposite arrangement, distinct abrupt leaf tip
Shrub
lonicera involucrata - black twinberry
Shrub
Oval/oblong leaves
Fruit is red berry
Opposite arrangement
lonicera utahensis - Utah honeysuckle
Shrub
Shiney thick green leaves, innate, spiney, thick
Blue berries
Mahonia aquifolium - tall Oregon grape
Erect shrub
Branches have thin shredded bark
Alternate arranged Oval leaves with pointed tips, whole like clusters on branch, end of mid vein protrudes leaf
menziesia ferruginea - false azalea
Sprawling plant, large leaves maple like, red berries
Spines on stem and leafs
Crooked stems, grows in understood and moist areas
oplopanax horridus - devils club
Low growing shrub
Opposite ovation leaves, finely serrated
Squamish stem
paxistima myrsinites - falsebox
Erect loose branch shrub
Leaves opposite and Oval to egg shaped
Three major veins from leaf base
philadelphus lewisii - mock orange
Erect loose branch shrub
Leaves opposite and Oval to egg shaped
Three major veins from leaf base
philadelphus lewisii - mock orange
Large woody shrub (or small tree)
Leaves Oval and finely serrated
Lenticels often on younger wood
prunus virginiana - chokecherry
Deciduous shrub
Thin shiny elliptical leafs on short petioles’ often crinkled at edges
Rhododendon albiflorum - white flowered rhododendrom
Low shrub
Red leaves in fall
Grows in colonies
Large dense flower heads
Large compound leaves
Rhus glabra - smooth sumac
Erect/spreading shrub
Smaller lobed leaves with rounded teeth
Olders stems covered in prickles
ribes lacustre - black gooseberry
Small shrub
Compound pinnates leafs, leaflets ovation to round
Stem often covered in Spines
rosa gymnocarpa - baldhip rose
Lowish growing shrub
Large palate leaves (hairy/thick)
Usually grows in clumps
Rubus parviflorus - thimbleberry
Often suckering shrub or small tree
Typically elongated leaves, sometimes oval
Usually finely serrated and round at base
No terminal bud
Salix spp - willow
Large shrub
Wide habit multistem
Large pinnately divided leaves
sambucus cerulea - blue elderberry
Shrub
Red berries
Simple egg shaped leafs
New twigs shiny, rusty brown scales
shepherdia canadensis - soopalallie
Large shrub or small tree
Alternate, Compound leaves
Berries in clusters
sorbus sitchensis - sitka mountain ash
Small shrub
Alternate leaves round at base, Serrated tips
spirea lucida - birch leaf spirea
Smaller shrub often growing in clusters
White berries
Opposite, Oval, leafs
symphoricarpos albus - snowberry
Coniferus shrub or small tree
Needles, flat dark green
Red fleshy berries
Thin scaly bark can exfoliate to reddish purple
taxus brevifolia - western yew
Low growing
Leaves of three
Turns reddish in fall
Toxicodendron rydbergii - poison ivy
Small upright shrub
New twigs yellow - green
Alternate thin leaves, Oval, finely serrated
Each leaf tooth has a finely hair
vaccinium membranaceum - black huckleberry
Squat Bushy shrub
Matted/clumpy usually
Alternate serrated Oval leafs
Green twigs strongly angled
vaccinium scoparium - grouseberry
Herbaceious perennial
Upright grow, large umbel flower heads
Long fernlike leaves apwpear spiralled along the stem
Strong pungent sweet scent
achillea millefolium - yarrow
Herbaceious perennial
Upright grow, large umbel flower heads
Long fernlike leaves apwpear spiralled along the stem
Strong pungent sweet scent
achillea millefolium - yarrow
Spreading perennial with opposite Oval leafs
Reddish stem and petiole
Usually growing in groups
apocynum androsaemifolium - spreading dogsbane
Large compound leaves finely toothed
Stem grows straight up then divides into world of pinnate compound leaves, usually 3 to 7, most often 5, leaflets
aralia nudicaulis - wild sasparilla
Perennial herb, long naked stem
Cluster of leafs at the base, few pairs lower part of stem
Lance to heart shaped leaves, toothed
arnica latifolia - mountain arnica
Low growing herb, forms mats on ground
Heart shaped leaves, lobes go back around petiole
Leaves emit aroma when rubbed
asarum caudatum - wild ginger
Understory fern found in damp environments
athyrium filix-femina - lady fern
