LEAF IDENTIFICATION PROJECT 40 minimum REQUIRED LEAVES

The Wildlife & Forestry midterm is a leaf collection. There must be 40 leaves (38 from the
approved list) that are to be collected, pressed, identified, and the accompanying worksheets
correctly filled out. This will be due the week before Christmas. Since leaves start changing
color and dropping near the end of the first marking period, it is recommended that you
collect and press your leaves early. Then, when the leaves are off the trees, you can fill out
the worksheets and put your collection together.
This is a large project, it is difficult to obtain a good grade since you must have good timemanagement skills to finish it properly. If you wait until the last minute, do not expect an
advanced grade. If you follow the outline and keep up on the collecting and identifying, then
it is an easy way to get a 100+% on your midterm.
The purpose goes beyond the Middle School project of identifying leaves, though that is part
of this assignment. This requires you to learn about the tree. What makes it different from
other trees, what unique characteristics does it have? Especially, since this is a Forestry class,
what uses does this tree have? Many trees are only useful for wildlife, but many have and/or
have had uses for humans. Which trees make the best barrels, best ship masts, best furniture,
etc?

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. McIntosh mcintoshb@hfxsd.k12.pa.us (sooner
rather than later!)
Computer use: Sometimes leaves are damaged and are not useable for mounting. I will allow
up to 5 computer printed leaves per project. After 5, I will take 1 point/leaf from the project.
So if you dont collect the leaves, the best final you can receive is a 65%. Worksheets
without a leaf or a printed leaf will not be graded. We will collect enough leaves in class to
receive a proficient grade. So make use of those leaves and press them ASAP.
Pressing leaves: An old phone book is best. Place the leaf (and write the identify on the
paper somewhere) inside one of the pages. Then place several heavy objects on top. The
weight keeps the leaf flat and the newspaper like pages absorb the moisture. After about a
month the leaf can be mounted and will be fragile, but last a long time.
Since the pressing of the leaves takes time and the leaves change color in November, collect
the leaves early. You can always do the worksheets later. Even though this is a midterm,
they will be collected before Christmas. I need the time to grade them. If I collected them
after Christmas I would not have enough time to finish everything. Besides, by Christmas,
there are no leaves anymore.
LATES: 1% a day, INCLUDING vacations and weekends. If you cant turn it in until Jan, it
would be an automatic 11% deduction.
Layout: You could go out and buy a photo album (which is the easiest) but that is
EXPENSIVE. Instead, you could mount using clear tape onto 3 hold punch paper and place
into a folder. The binder doesnt matter. However, how the leaves are displayed is more
important. When you open a page, the leaf should be on the left and the description on the
right. The example shown here is not the correct layout format, but done to save paper.

Pine Family
Eastern Hemlock 1
HHS
Eastern White Pine 2
HHS
Pitch pine 3
Virginia Pine 4
Red Pine 5
Norway Spruce 6
Red Spruce 7
Easter Larch 8
Scotch Pine
Blue Spruce
HHS
Austrian Pine
HHS
Tamarack
UMC
Cypress Family
Eastern Red Cedar 9
HHS
Northern White Cedar
UMC
Beech Family
White Oak 10
HHS
Chestnut Oak 11
CH
Northern Red Oak 12
HHS
Scarlet Oak 13
Black Oak 14
HHS
Pin Oak 15
HHS
American Beech 16
American Chestnut
Maple Family
Sugar Maple 17
HHS
Red Maple 18
HHS
Silver Maple
19
HHS
Norway Maple 20
HHS
Walnut Family
Butternut 21
Black Walnut 22
HHS
Shagbark Hickory 23
Shellbark Hickory 24
Mockernut Hickory 25
Pignut Hickory 26
Bitternut Hickory 27
Birch Family
Sweet Birch 28
Yellow Birch
29
River Birch
30
Paper Birch
31
Gray Birch 32
European White Birch
HHS
Legume Family
Black Locust
33
Honey locust 34
HHS
Silktree
UMC
Judas Tree (Redbud)
UMC
Quassia Family
Ailanthus
Cashew Family
Smooth Sumac
Staghorn Sumac

HHS
HHS
HHS

Olive Family
White Ash 35
Black Ash 36
Green Ash
HHS
Magnolia Family
Tuliptree (Yellow Poplar) 37 HHS
Cucumbertree Magnolia 38
Elm Family
American Elm 39
Slippery Elm
40
HHS
Common Hackberry 40
Willow Family
Quaking Aspen 42
Big Toothed Aspen
43
HHS
Black Willow 44
Weeping Willow
Rose Family
Black Cherry
45
HHS
Apple
UMC
Crabapple
HHS
Chokecherry
UMC
Bradford Pear
UMC
American Mountain Ash
UMC
Downy Service Berry
HHS
Pear Hawthorn
HHS
Sycamore Family
American Planetree 47
Sycamore
HHS
Buckeye Family
Common Horse Chestnut 48
Basswood Family
American Linden 49
American Basswood
Bignonia Family
Northern Catalpa 50
Ebony Family
Common Persimmon 51
Annona Family
Common Pawpaw 52
Laurel Family
Sassafras
53
HHS
Dogwood Family
Black Gum 46
Flowering Dogwood
54
HHS

Alternate-leaf Dogwood
Rough Leaf Dogwood
HHS
Heath Family
Mountain Laurel
Rosebay Rhododendron UMC
Witch-Hazel Family
Witch-hazel
CH
Sweetgum
CH
Holly Family
American Holly
English Holly
HHS
Honeysuckle
Arrowwood

White Oak
Family (English): Beech
Genus: Quercus

Family (Latin) : Fagaceae

Species: alba L.

FORMAT TREE IDENTIFICATION WORKSHEET

CLASSIFICATION (Page 10 common trees or page 382 Audubon)
Family Name (English)
Family Name (Latin)
Genus:
Species
English Common Name:

Beech
Fagaceae
Quercus
alba
White (Stave) Oak

DESCRIPTION
Height
80-100
Diameter
3-4
Leaves
Simple Compound______ leaflets Alternate Opposite
Length
4-9
Type
Elliptical
Edges
5 to 9 lobed
Color (summer) Bright green above, whitish or grey-green below
Color (fall)
Red or brown
Needles:
Length
NA
Number
NA
Twigs or Bark:
Color
Red-Gray
Texture
Fissured or ridges
Buds
Color
Size
Flowers:
Color
Size
Shape
Fruit

Habitat:

Rounded & Reddish-brown

1/8 long

3/8 11/4 nut

Moist, well drained uplands and lowlands

UNIQUE CHARATERISTICS

Rounded lobes in pinnate (classic oak) pattern.

USES

Important lumber tree

Called Stave Oak because of it outstanding making of tight barrels for whisky and
other liquids.
Important in colonial times for ship building.