Quiz: Can You Identify These Trees ?

Here are a number of photos of tree features, all belonging to trees that can be found in New England, as well as much of the eastern U.S. How many can you identify? Some may be fairly easy, others could be pretty difficult for some people, and could easily be confused with other species. Most are native species; some are not, but are commonly seen in the region.

Why this quiz?

Hopefully, this exercise will motivate you to take a closer look at the trees in your own area, and maybe you'll discover little details about them you never were aware of before. And that can lead to a greater fascination with the natural world we're all part of. Being aware of trees and actually taking note of individual ones will make your daily travels much more interesting, I promise! I like to encourage people to learn about their trees and appreciate the beauty and variety they offer. They're all the same, and they're all different.

New England's Fallen Champion Hemlock

Eight degrees. My thoughts went to the crew of like-minded guys who were heading out to the woods of Mt. Tom this February morning. Are we all crazy? It's cold here in western Massachusetts. Really cold. The split in my thumb that had finally healed over is splitting open again from the stinging cold. To work on a frozen log in the woods on a morning like this is silly. But here we are, just the same. And none of us is sorry to be here.

Why? That's a question I asked myself too. People who cherish the grandest, oldest trees in the forests are just willing to put up with discomfort to be among those hulking giants. In this case, the old tree is lying in repose on the ground, having smashed down unceremoniously a couple months ago.

New England Champion Hemlock, Jan 2009 (Bill Finn photo)

It's New England's champion hemlock tree, or was. It had stood at least 125 feet tall, with a circumference of about 15 feet. Age estimates before its fall put it at over 200 years, but likely not over 300 years.