Trees can be identified in winter by observing their needles, bark, branching patterns, and buds. Distinctive bark, such as the smooth gray bark of a beech or the peeling white bark of a paper birch, ...

HAMLIN TOWNSHIP, MI – Sugar maple. Red maple. Silver maple. What’s the difference? Those three maple species are part of the “tree identification pathway” at Ludington State Park, near Ludington. This ...

Gardeners who limit their love to leaves and flowers are barking up the wrong tree. Sure, those ephemeral features are undeniably seductive, but their allure is limited to warmer months. In the ...

Every year I teach several winter-tree identification classes. Even though they are always held outdoors no matter how cold it is, student evaluations indicate such classes are generally fun. Showing ...