Tree Identification Guide

Roger Erismann
Aug 11, 2025
4 min read

This guide focuses on observable traits for field identification. Each species is introduced by its common and Latin name, and its traits are organized into four categories: Habitat, Leaves and Needles, Branching Pattern, and Form and Bark. Tables list only the common names for quick reference.

Definitions

Chaparral – a dense, shrubby plant community common in California’s Mediterranean climate, dominated by drought-tolerant shrubs and small trees.
Alluvial soils – fertile soils deposited by rivers or floods, often deep and nutrient-rich.
Loam – a balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay, good for plant growth.

Species Included

California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)
Sierra Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia)
California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii)
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Gray Pine (Pinus sabiniana)
Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)
Valley Oak (Quercus lobata)
Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii)

Habitat

Geographic range, elevation, climate, and soil preference often narrow the list of possible species before close inspection.

Species	Geographic Range	Elevation Range	Climate	Soil Preference
California Black Oak	Foothills and lower mountain slopes of Oregon and California	from 450 to 7800 feet	Hot, dry summers; cool, wet winters; 30–70 inches of precipitation	Deep, well-drained; medium to coarse texture; avoids heavy clay
Sierra Scrub Oak	Chaparral and foothills of California	from sea level to 6000 feet	Dry summers; mild, wet winters	Rocky, nutrient-poor
California Buckeye	California and southwest Oregon	below 6000 feet	Dry slopes, canyon edges, streambanks	Sandy, loamy, or gravelly; pH 5.0–8.4; avoids saline
Douglas-fir	British Columbia to central California	from sea level to 7500 feet	Coastal fog belt to snowy mountain slopes	Deep, well-drained; pH 5–6; avoids compacted, nutrient-poor
Coast Redwood	Southern Oregon to Monterey County, California (within 30 miles of coast)	from sea level to 3000 feet (common from 100 to 2300 feet)	Cool, moist; 25–122 inches of rain plus fog	Moist, well-drained; low magnesium and sodium
Giant Sequoia	Western slopes of Sierra Nevada	from 4000 to 8400 feet	Montane Mediterranean; 35–55 inches of precipitation, mostly snow	Well-drained sandy loams; pH 5.5–7.5
Gray Pine	California foothills and valleys	from 100 to 6000 feet	Dry slopes and ridges; 10–70+ inches of precipitation	From serpentine to limestone; deep or shallow
Ponderosa Pine	Western North America	from sea level to over 9000 feet	Low to moderate precipitation (15–30 inches)	Sandy, gravelly, loamy, decomposed granite
Valley Oak	Central Valley, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills of California	from sea level to 5100 feet	6–80 inches of precipitation; fog common	Deep, rich alluvial soils; tolerates clay loam
Blue Oak	Foothills surrounding California’s Central Valley	from 150 to 5000 feet	Hot, dry; very drought tolerant	Thin, rocky soils

Leaves and Needles

Leaf or needle type, persistence, and shape are among the most distinctive visible traits.

Species	Type	Persistence	Shape and Features
California Black Oak	Leaf	Deciduous	Simple, deeply lobed; bold texture; rich fall color
Sierra Scrub Oak	Leaf	Evergreen	Simple, small, oval or oblong; leathery; spiny margins
California Buckeye	Leaf	Deciduous	Palmately compound; 5–7 serrated leaflets
Douglas-fir	Needle	Evergreen	Spirally arranged; yellow-green; about 1 inch long
Coast Redwood	Needle	Evergreen	Flat, sword-shaped; feather-like sprays
Giant Sequoia	Needle	Evergreen	Awl- to scale-like; blue-green
Gray Pine	Needle	Evergreen	Bundles of 3; long, silver-green
Ponderosa Pine	Needle	Evergreen	Bundles of 3 (sometimes 2); 5–10 inches long; bright yellow-green
Valley Oak	Leaf	Deciduous	Simple, alternate; deeply lobed; obovate
Blue Oak	Leaf	Deciduous	Simple, shallowly lobed; dull blue-green; papery texture

Branching Pattern

Branch arrangement remains constant year-round and helps confirm an identification.

Species	Arrangement
California Black Oak	Alternate
Sierra Scrub Oak	Alternate
California Buckeye	Opposite
Douglas-fir	Spiral
Coast Redwood	Spiral
Giant Sequoia	Spiral
Gray Pine	Spiral
Ponderosa Pine	Spiral
Valley Oak	Alternate
Blue Oak	Alternate

Form and Bark

Height, crown shape, and bark texture can often be recognized from a distance.

Species	Height	Crown Shape	Bark
California Black Oak	from 50 to 110 feet	Broad, low in open; tall, narrow in stands	Thick, rugged
Sierra Scrub Oak	Shrub to small tree	Dense, multi-stemmed	Thin and flaky, gray to brown color.
California Buckeye	from 12 to 36 feet (rarely over 40 feet)	Broad, rounded	Silver-gray
Douglas-fir	from 200 to 250 feet (exceptionally over 300 feet)	Upright, symmetrical	Young: thin, gray with blisters; mature: thick, corky
Coast Redwood	up to 380 feet	Narrow, columnar	Rust-red, deeply furrowed; up to 12 inches thick
Giant Sequoia	from 250 to 310 feet	Broad, tapering	Fibrous, furrowed; up to 2 feet thick
Gray Pine	from 40 to 80 feet	Sparse, twisted; often multi-trunked	Gray and furrowed. Thinner in younger trees, fire protection in older trees.
Ponderosa Pine	from 60 to over 200 feet	Tall, columnar; open crown	Deeply fissured; orange to cinnamon brown; aromatic
Valley Oak	from 30 to 75 feet (rarely taller)	Broad, rounded	Blocky, furrowed; dark brown to light gray
Blue Oak	from 20 to 66 feet (rarely taller)	Sparse, open crown	Light gray; smooth aging to cracked