Winter is a great time to notice more about the tree in your yard, on your street or road, especially by taking a walk or hike at a local park. The fresh air will do you some good on a sunny day. Identifying trees will sharper your skills and can help you get others interested in nature.

Identifying deciduous trees in the winter when the leaves have fallen is not as difficult as it seems, and with some identification markers, we can learn the names of our most recognizable trees.

The easiest and most common rule to follow is the “three B’s” — branches, buds and bark.

When we consider branches, we observe how they grow from the stem or trunk of the tree. The two types of branches are alternate and opposite.

Opposite branches are growing directly across from each other on the stem or trunk. A clever way to remember this is the acronym “MADBuckingHorse,” which means Maple, Ash, Dogwood (Eastern), Buckeye and Horse Chestnut.

As we look at each tree, we have to remember the elements may cause branches to break off, so examining the twigs will probably provide more accurate information.

Alternate branching refers to branches that do not grow directly across from each other. These trees are much more common; when you have narrowed down the understanding of how tree branches grow, you are much closer to identifying the tree.

Buds come in various shapes and sizes. Some are obvious and hang from twigs while others seem to clutch closely to the twig. If two buds are opposite each other from the twig, you can assume that the tree is a maple, Eastern dogwood, buckeye or horse chestnut. Because of the emerald ash borer, we now have very few ash trees remaining.

The bark of trees can provide information as well. Characteristics of some of our local trees are the following: mature oaks usually have deep vertical fissures, and if you find acorns on the ground that haven’t been eaten by squirrels, you have probably found an oak tree.

Older shagbark hickory trees have “shaggy” bark peeling away from the trunk of the tree.

Some oaks and even beech trees retain their leaves, called marcescence. The leaves shrivel and dry but remain on the tree. It is thought that this protects next year’s leaf bud from the cold weather. Mature beech tree trunks are smooth and gray and remind me of an elephant’s leg.

Some other examples of characteristics for identification are the crabapple tree that retains its small red berries, the hawthorne with thorns on its branches, the sweetgum with spiny, rounded fruit that hangs from the branches all winter and the straight, tall tulip tree with its dried tulip-like flower reaching from its stem.

The sycamore tree has a distinctive bark. As it grows, it sheds its bark, causing the trunk to look like “camouflage.” Many old sycamores can be found around the perimeter of Crandall Park and on the streets of Youngstown’s North Side neighborhood.

Whether there is snow, identifying trees during winter can be interesting and fun. Use the identification markers just described, keep a journal and in the summer, observe the same trees with their leaves to see if your deduction is correct. I hope you have identified them correctly!

For details and photos to help you with winter tree ID, go to:

Deciduous — http://go.osu.edu/noleafID

Evergreen — http://go.osu.edu/greenID

To print a winter tree ID guide, go to http://go.osu.edu/treeguide.