Key to Native Trees and Tall Shrubs

1. LEAVES LINEAR OR SCALE-LIKE; EVERGREEN OR DECIDUOUS
2. Leaves flat, scalelike, overlapping	Thuja plicata
2. Leaves linear or needlelike
3. Deciduous, cluster of 15-40 leaves borne on short spur	Larix lyallii Larix occidentallis
3. Leaves evergreen
4. Leaves in bundles	Pinus spp.
5. Leaves usually in bundles of 5	Pinus albicaulis Pinus monticola
5. Leaves in bundles of 2 or 3
6. Leaves usually in bundles of 2	Pinus contorta
6. Leaves usually in bundles of 3	Pinus ponderosa
4. Leaves scattered singly on stems
7. Leaves without a petiole
8. Leaves 4-sided; sharp tip; borne on short peg (which remains on twig after needles fall)	Picea engelmannii
8. Leaves flat with rounded or notched tip	Abies grandis Abies lasiocarpa
7. Leaves with petiole
9. Leaves with sharp apex, 2-ranked, fleshy fruit	Taxus brevifolia
9. Leaves blunt or with slight pointed tip; fruit: cone
10. Buds: large (6mm) pointed, red-brown	Pseudotsuga menziesii
10. Buds: small (3mm) rounded light colored	Tsuga heterophylla Tsuga mertensiana
1. LEAVES BROAD, THIN, FLAT; DECIDUOUS
11. Leaves opposite
12. Leaves compound	Sambucus spp.
12. Leaves simple
13. Leaves palmately lobed ("maplelike")	Acer glabrum
13. Leaves entire, not lobed	Cornus spp.
11. Leaves alternate
14. Leaves compound	Sorbus spp.
14. Leaves simple
15. Older twigs armed with stout woody thorns	Crataegus douglasii
15. Older twigs unarmed
16. Buds naked, without scales	Rhamnus spp.
16. Buds with scales
17. Flowers in catkins
18. Female catkins persistent and conelike	Alnus spp.
18. Female catkins decisuous, not conelike
19. Leaves relatively long and narrow; single bud scale; fruit: hairy capsule	Salix spp.
19. Leaves about equal in length and width; multiple bud scales; fruit: winged nutlet	Betula spp.
17. Flowers not catkins
20. Leaves elliptic, finely serrate with glands on leaf	Prunus emarginata Prunus virginiana
20. Leaves oblong, coarsely toothed, without glands on leaf	Amelanchier alnifolia