| 1. | Evergreen (living leaves persistent in winter) | Go to 2 |
| Deciduous (leaves dead, dying or fallen) | Go to 10 | |
| 2. | Leaves just a mass of sharp spines | Gorse Ulex europaeus |
| Leaves consisting of single or grouped needles or sprays of small scale-like leaves | An evergreen Conifer | |
| Leaves broad and flat | Go to 3 | |
| 3. | Leaves shiny, dark green and spiny but no spines on stem | Go to 3a |
| Leaves shiny, dark green and spiny but with spines on stem also | Berberis sp | |
| Leaves various and without sharp spines on leaves or stems | Go to 4 | |
| 3a. | Leaves pinnate with almost flat leaflets | Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium |
| Leaves not pinnate and distinctly undulating | Holly Ilex aquilifolium | |
| 4. | Leaves arranged in opposite pairs on the stem | Go to 5 |
| Leaves arranged alternately | Go to 7 | |
| 5. | Leaves large (over 4 inches long), matt, whitish below | Buddleia Buddleia davidii |
| Leaves medium (2 to 4 inches long), shiny, not whitish below, hairy on edges | Lauristinus Viburnum tinus | |
| Leaves small (1 to 2 inches long), dark green, dull or shiny, acute at tip | Go to 6 | |
| Leaves very small (less than one inch) as above but very shiny and obtuse at tip | Evergreen Honeysuckle Lonicera nitida | |
| 6. | Leaves oval (twice as long as wide) | Japanese Privet Ligustrum ovalifolium |
| Leaves narrowly oval (at least three times longer than wide) | Common Privet Ligustrum vulgare | |
| 7. | Leaves ovate, breaking noisily and spicy scented | Bay Tree Laurus nobilis |
| Leaves large, oblong, shiny above and scent of bitter almonds when crushed | Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus | |
| Leaves not as above and no distinctive scent | Go to 8 | |
| 8. | Leaves entire (i.e. not toothed at all) | Go to 8a |
| Leaves clearly toothed or serrated at the edge | Go to 9 | |
| 8a. | Leaves large (over 4 inches) and narrow, elliptical, tough, leathery and dull | Rhododendron Rhododendron sp |
| Leaves smaller than 4 inches long, not very tough | Go to 8b | |
| 8b. | Leaves ovate to elliptical and obtuse at tip | Go to 8c |
| Leaves ovate to elliptical and acute at tip | Go to 8d | |
| 8c. | Leaves ovate, quite shiny and dark green with veins impressed above | Late Cotoneaster Cotoneaster lacteus |
| Leaves ovate to oblong, dull green with veins impressed above | Tree Cotoneaster Cotoneaster frigidus | |
| 8d. | Leaves elliptical and smooth above without impressed veins | Stransvaesia Photinia davidiana |
| Leaves ovate to elliptical and with distinct impressed veins above | Cotoneaster sp. difficult to ID | |
| 9. | Leaves dull green, teeth few and large and with spines | Holm Oak Quercus ilex |
| Leaves rather shiny dark green & finely serrated | Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo | |
| Leaves shiny very dark green & coarsely serrated & leaf stalks pinkish | Portugal Laurel Prunus lusitanica | |
| 10. | Buds clearly and neatly arranged in opposite pairs | Go to 11 |
| Buds on either side of twig and distinctly alternate | Go to 16 | |
| Buds either opposite or alternate, spherical and randomly placed on twig | Larch Larix sp. | |
| 11. | Twigs thick and grey, buds large, round and black | Ash Fraxinus excelsior |
| Twigs thin and dark, purplish red, buds small | Dogwood Cornus sanguineus | |
| Twigs thin and bright green, buds small | Spindle Tree Euonymus europaeus | |
| Twigs brown to dull greyish, buds various but not black | Go to 13 | |
| 12. | Buds just embryonic leaves with no protective scales | Wayfaring Tree Viburnum lantana |
| Buds small and positioned at the end of short stalks | Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides | |
| Buds not at the end of short stalks and with distinct protective scales | Go to 13 | |
| 13. | Twigs snap easily breaking the skin, no scent produced | Go to 14 |
| Twigs are more pliable and don’t snap readily, produces a smoky scent when damaged | Go to 15 | |
| 14. | Twigs a pale pinkish-brown, terminal bud small, dark brown and green | Field Maple Acer campestre |
| Twigs pale grey-brown, thin (some >3mm wide), terminal bud green or purple | Norway Maple Acer platanoides | |
| Twigs dark green-brown, thicker (all <3mm wide), terminal bud green | Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus | |
| Twigs grey and very thick (mostly over 9mm or third of an inch thick), buds chestnut coloured and very sticky | Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum | |
| 15. | Twigs irregularly branched, producing a strong scent when broken | Elder Sambucus nigra |
| Twigs more regularly branched, only a faint scent when broken | Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus | |
| 16. | Spines or thorns present on the twigs | Go to 17 |
| Spines or thorns completely absent from twigs | Go to 23a | |
| 17. | Twigs are armed with straight, sharply pointed spines | Go to 18 |
| Twigs are armed with very sharp, triangular thorns (on lower branches) | Robinia Robinia pseudoacacia | |
| Twigs are armed with (usually down curved) hook-like thorns | Go to 20 | |
| 18. | Spines in groups of three, twigs pale brown | Gooseberry Ribes uva-crispa |
| Spines groups of three to seven or single and over an inch long | Berberis sp | |
| Spines produced singly on the twigs and less than an inch long | Go to 19 | |
| 19. | Twigs dark brown, buds blackish and pointed | Buckthorn Rhamnus catharticus |
| Twigs dark brown, buds small and rounded | Blackthorn Prunus spinosa | |
| Twigs grey-brown, buds small and rounded | Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna | |
| 20. | Thorns strong, large and sharp | Go to 21 |
| Thorns very small and weak | Go to 22 | |
| 21. | Twigs terete (round in section), thorns paler than twigs | Rose Rosa sp. |
| Twigs deeply grooved or angular in section, thorns no paler than twigs | Bramble Rubus fruticosa agg | |
| 22. | Twigs reddish, leafy stipule with the buds | Dewberry Rubus caesius |
| Twigs pale brown, buds greenish, no stipules | Raspberry Rubus idaeus | |
| 23a. | Overall shape of the tree conical with fibrous reddish bark | Swamp Cypress Taxodium distichum |
| Overall shape of the tree clearly not like above | Go to 23b | |
| 23b. | Buds very acute at tip and over twice as long as broad | Go to 24a |
| Buds obtuse, or if acute at tip, then not more than twice as long as broad | Go to 25 | |
| 24a. | Buds shiny and resinous | Aspen Populus tremula or other Poplar Populus sp. |
| Buds dry (not resinous), terminal bud single | Go to 24b | |
| Buds dry (not resinous), terminal buds in groups of three or more | Go to 24c | |
| 24b. | Buds very narrow (five times longer than wide), red-brown | Beech Fagus sylvatica |
| Buds triangular (two to three times longer than wide), dull brown | Hornbeam Carpinus betulus | |
| 24c. | Young twig dark brown above and green below, shiny or dull | Black (= Rum) Cherry Prunus serotina |
| Young twig shiny dark brown all round | Bird Cherry Prunus padus | |
| 25. | Twigs pliable and elastic, they can be tied in a knot without breaking | Go to 26 |
| Twigs snap fairly easily and usually audibly | Go to 29 | |
| 26. | Young catkins present on twigs | Go to 27 |
| No sign of catkins on the twigs | Go to 28 | |
| 27. | Twigs smooth to the touch with a velvety | Downy Birch Betula pubescens |
| Twigs rough to the touch and not velvety | Silver Birch Betula pendula | |
| 28. | Twigs smooth and reddish with large round, blunt red buds - | Lime Tilia sp. |
| Twigs somewhat hairy and dull coloured and with very small, dark buds | Elm Ulmus sp. | |
| Twigs smooth and not dark or reddish and with quite large, usually greenish buds | Willow or Sallow Salix sp. | |
| 29. | Young catkins present on twigs | Go to 30 |
| No sign of catkins on the twigs | Go to 31 | |
| 30. | Twigs dull brown, buds greenish, catkins (from January) | Hazel Corylus avellana |
| Twigs dark brown, buds very dark and rough to feel, catkins (from February) | Alder Alnus sp. | |
| 31. | Twigs fairly thick with distinct longitudinal ridges and white dots, buds triangular and greenish | Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa |
| Twigs thick, red brown, buds brown, very short and broad | Walnut Juglans regia | |
| Twigs rather slender and reddish with large round, blunt red buds | Lime Tilia sp | |
| Twigs less distinctive and not as above | Go to 32 | |
| 32. | Bark of tree is distinctive, dark red-brown and shiny with horizontal lenticels | Cherry Prunus avium |
| Bark of tree otherwise | Go to 33 | |
| 33. | Some of the buds on the youngest twigs almost in opposite pairs | Alder Buckthorn Frangula alnus |
| All buds distinctly alternate with space between them (even on the youngest twigs) | Go to 34 | |
| 34. | All buds are sessile on twigs | Go to 35 |
| Most buds (except on the youngest twigs) are at the top of stalks, terminal buds single or in groups of three or more | Go to 36 | |
| 35. | Smooth brown buds on smooth, grey twigs [Consider Sessile Oak Quercus patraea very similar (acorns sessile and dead leaves with stalks)] | English (= Pedunculate) Oak Quercus robur |
| Dark brown buds surrounded by long hairs, rough dark brown twigs | Turkey Oak Quercus cerris | |
| 36. | Terminal bud in groups of three or more | Go to 37 |
| Terminal bud is single (Possibilities include Apple Malus;Pear Pyrus; Sorbus sp.; Amalanchier lamarckii) | Tree or shrub in Rosaceae (difficult to ID) | |
| 37. | Young twigs shiny, green and hairless | Cherry Plum Prunus cerasifer |
| Young twigs dull, brown or grey and usually rather hairy | Plum Prunus domestica |
Phil Budd
Update: 09/12/2006
Phil Budd
Update: 09/12/2006