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Field Guides for Identifying Trees

Joined
Jan 13, 2021
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Does anyone have any recommendations on a good illustrated tree guide? A book with illustrations or pictures of the overall tree, leaf, bark, nuts/flowers/fruit and wood grain is what I am hoping to find. Color pictures are preferred over hand drawn illustrations but any really good recommendations would be appreciated. I am hoping to expand my knowledge from the half dozen or so trees I can i.d. for green turning. I am in Texas if it helps (regional trees).
Thank you.
Al in Texas
 
Joined
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Thank you Richard. I just found it on Amazon and ordered it.
I'm still interested to see what other turners may recommend.
Al

Saved the Hobbithouse link too so I can cross reference if needed.
 
Joined
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Randy Anderson

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I use an app on my phone called PictureThis that does a great job of identifying trees and plants. I ignore the purchase option and have used it free for quite a while. If you paid for it I believe it has lots of online guides, references and other info. I just use it to identify a tree or plant I see.
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
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Location
New City, NY
Al,
I have a few books that cover most trees in my locality. I often reference Peterson's Field guide to trees in the Eastern United States. They also have one for the Western States as well.
You can browse the first few pages here:
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
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Location
Punta Gorda, FL
I use an app called VTree (Virginia Tech Tree Identification). It works on an iPhone, not sure about Android. You supply your location and can then download onto your phone a database of woody plants found in your locale. For each tree, the DB contains descriptions and pictures of the leaf, flower, fruit, twig, bark and form of the tree, along with a map showing where that tree can be found in North America.

Unlike some of the other apps mentioned, you can't take a photo of a leaf, say, and have it make a guess as to the species. You do need some idea of what kind of tree you're looking at. But you can limit the results found by searching for all or part of a species name (such as oak, cherry, hickory, etc.), so if you want to distinguish between two different types of hickory, for example, this can be a big help.

Another app you can use is iNaturalist. That app does allow you to take a picture and have it make an attempt to identify the species. As with PlantSnap, it does an ok job on automatic identification but there are times it's way off. iNaturalist allows you to post your "observation" (aka photo), then other users can see that and can chime in to identify the plant (or insect, bird, mammal, etc). I have found that such suggestions by other users are invariably correct. (But I do try not to be the guy that continually relies on others to do the work of researching what it might be.)
 
Joined
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I have copyright 1980 "The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees Eastern Region" which has color photos of the bark and leaves, the flowers, cones and fruit and Autumn leaves in Part I. Part II is family and species Descriptions.
 
Joined
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I looked at the recommended guide from Stan Takiela and it works pretty well for short, young trees. But all the guides require you to get a good look at the leaves, and that's just not practical on a 40 or 60 foot tree.
 
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