So you think you know tree trunks?

Trees’ trunks are useful in identifying the various species. I took a bunch of photos in the Sperry home landscape a while back.

These are trees that I planted, as well as those growing natively in our woods. Almost all are fairly common in Texas landscaping.

Can you recognize them on sight? I’ve thrown a couple in just to challenge you.

Oh, and ignore those woodpecker holes you’ll see in some of the trunks. They’re harmless, and we enjoy their antics, so we don’t do anything to discourage them.

The answers are down at the bottom of his page, so don’t scroll too fast unless want to spoil the surprise.

The easy ones…
OK – that’s what I’m calling them. You may not agree and I certainly won’t tell anyone. But the ones in the next group may be decidedly more difficult.

Just a bit more challenging…
Even veteran horticulturists and arborists may not know these at first glance. See how well you do.

So, how do you think you did?
This was one of the things we in horticulture classes had to be able to do in college – identify plants during the winter, even without leaves. Bark is difficult in many cases. I hope you’ve enjoyed this. And now, here are your answers.