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Great Lakes Northwoods
The Great Lakes Northwoods are a critically important landscape that filters and provides high-quality freshwater, maintains species biodiversity and naturally stores carbon.
Northern Red Oak
One of the Midwest's most common native oak trees, northern red oaks host nearly 900 species of caterpillars, providing crucial food for diverse species of birds.
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Jason Whalen
United States
What Tree Is That?
Get to know some common Midwest tree species—including quick id tips, where they grow and why they matter.
From shady summer picnics to bright fall color, trees shape so many everyday moments in the Midwest. They’re also working hard behind the scenes—cooling our neighborhoods, helping protect clean water and providing food and shelter for wildlife.
How to Use This Guide
Midwest trees are easier to recognize than you might think—you just need a few quick clues. This guide introduces common tree species you’re likely to see in parks, neighborhoods and preserves, with simple tips to help you identify them, no matter what the season.
Choose your path (or just scroll on down):
- Want traits to help you identify a tree? Head to Tree ID Tips.
- Looking for a specific tree? Use the Meet the Trees jump links.
- Want to avoid problem species? Check Invasive Trees for what to watch for and how to recognize them.
Meet the Trees
Looking to jump right into common trees? Click the jump links below to get started!
- Maples
- Oaks
- Other Common Deciduous Trees
- Native Fruit Trees
- Evergreens
Tree Id Tips
In the Midwest, our most common, native trees aren't too hard to identify—especially if you know what to look for. A tree's bark, how it branches, and the shape and size of its buds (winter and spring) or leaves (summer and fall) can often help you narrow it down to a general group, like maples or oaks, if not the exact species.
Here, we've listed the big-picture basics to look for when identifying trees, but we highly recommend getting a solid field guide for your area or using an app for more in-depth information.
Bark
Bark is the tree’s outer protective layer, and its texture (and sometimes color) can help you narrow down a tree's identity. Textures to look for:
Smooth: Likely American beech, though some trees, like American basswood or some oaks, start out smooth.
Peeling: Likely a sycamore or birch species.
Shaggy: It's a shagbark hickory. That one's easy!
Rough: Can appear as ridges and furrows or scales/plates. Many Midwest trees have rough bark. While the pattern of the ridges, furrows or plates on the trunk can indicate species, look for other tree traits for a solid ID.
Branching
Trees grow new leaves and twigs in two patterns:
Alternate growth (as in the common hackberry pictured here) happens when leaves grow in a zigzag or staggered arrangement along the branch. Most Midwest trees grow this way.
Opposite growth is when leaves or twigs grow directly across from each other along the branch. Only a handful of native trees have opposite growth patterns, and to identify them, just remember MAD BUCKing HORSE: Maples, Ash, Dogwoods, Buckeye and Horse chestnuts.
Buds
When trees have bare branches in winter and early spring, buds are a good clue for tree id. However, buds can be tricky to learn, so we recommend a solid field guide for your state for more in-depth information.
Opposite buds: Think MADCap HORSE species.
Terminal buds: Usually the largest buds found at the tip of a twig, the size, shape, scales, and color of terminal buds can help narrow down ids.
Pro-tip: False terminal buds are often off-center from the tip and the same size as other buds along the twig.
Leaves
Leaves are a huge help in tree ID, and a good field guide or app for your area makes it even easier.
Type: Broad (flat and wide like oaks), needle (thin and pointed like pines) or scale (small and overlapping like junipers).
Arrangement: Are the leaves opposite or alternate?
Shape: Is it lobed (distinct indentations along its edge) or unlobed (one continuous edge)?
Structure: Is it a simple (one leaf per stem) or compound (multiple leaves per stem)?
Edges: Does it have smooth or jagged/toothed edges?
Click each point to learn more!
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Common Midwest Trees
Here are a few of the most common trees around the Midwest, complete with fun facts, ID tips and more!
Big Walnut Natre Preserve
Big Walnut Nature Preserve in Putnam County.
© Christopher Jordan
Sugar Maple
Probably the most famous of the native Midwest maple species, sugar maples can grow up to 75 feet tall. Its fall foliage is a brilliant yellow to burnt-orange.
© Superior National Forest
Acer species
Midwest Maples
One of the most common deciduous tree species in the Midwest, maple trees are important members of our native ecosystems and forests, providing food and shelter for wildlife. They also provide sap for syrup, lumber, shade for hot days and are among the most colorful trees in the fall. Many maple species, like red or silver maples, are fast-growing, while other species, like sugar maples, are more slow-growing.
Most species of maple, except box elder, are monoecious, meaning they have both male and female flowers on the same tree. All maples produce fruit/seeds called samaras—a dry fruit that is a seed attached to a papery wing. You might know them as helicopters or whirlygigs. Maples produce paired samaras, while other native trees like elms or ashes produce single samaras.
Traits of maples:
- Opposite leaves and twigs on a single stem
- Leaves are lobed and shaped kind of like a hand
- Young maples have smooth bark; older maples have rough bark
- Produce paired samaras that fall in late spring/early summer or autumn, depending on the species
Did You Know? Sugar maple sap has twice the sugar content of other maple species. A single sugar maple can produce 1 to 16 gallons of sap in a season—and it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of pure maple syrup. Indigenous peoples invented the process of collecting maple sap and distilling it into syrup thousands of years ago.
Look for These Maple Species
Now that we branched out into general information for maples, here are four common species to look for. Click each photo for id tips and fast facts!
Red Maple
Quick Facts
Red maple (Acer rubrum) is one of the most common maple species in the Midwest and a popular shade tree in landscaping. It's a fast-growing tree that typically reaches 70 feet tall, though some trees can reach 90-120 feet. Like all maples, red maples have opposite leaves and twigs.
It's a generalist species that can grow in a wide range of habitats, from wetlands to dry forests. Red maples typically live 80 to 100 years.
ID Tips:
- Leaf Shape: 3 lobes (sometimes 5, the last two being small lobes at the base) separated by pointed, angular openings; leaf edges are saw-toothed
- Leaf Length: 2-4 inches
- Leaf Color: Light green on top with pale, partly downy underside; leaves turn bright scarlet, orange or yellow in fall
- Bark: Light grey and smooth when young, shifting to dark grey and rough as the tree ages; bark on mature trees has shallow, flaky ridges
- Buds: Green to red, oval to elliptical, and blunt at the tip with 6-10 dark red, rounded overlapping scales; typically 1/8-1/16 in. long
- Fruit (aka samaras or whirlygigs): Forms in u-shaped pairs, 1 to 1.5 inches long on droopy stems; seeds are red, reddish brown or yellow in early spring, ripening and falling in summer
© Seven75/Getty Images
Silver Maple
Quick Facts
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), like other maples, is a fast-growing tree that is often found around wetlands and waterways. It reaches about 80 feet in height. In natural areas, silver maples can live 100-130 years, but in urban environments typically live about 80 years. Like all maples, its leaves and stems grow opposite.
Silver maples are incredibly adaptable trees, however, able to grow well in a wide variety of soils and sites. While it's a popular shade tree in landscaping, silver maples develop strong, spreading root system that can damage sidewalks, sewer lines and building foundations.
Also look for:
- Leaf Shape: 3-5 lobes that end in long points with toothed edges; lobes are separated by deep, V-shaped openings
- Leaf Length: 4-6 inches
- Leaf Color: Pale green on top with light, silvery underside; leaves turn over easily in the wind, making the tree flash silver, giving the tree its common name; leaves turn yellow in fall
- Bark: Reddish to yellow-grey and smooth when young; mature trees have gray bark that's broken into long scales
- Buds: Reddish, egg-shaped, , 1/4 in. long, blunt at the tip with 4 or fewer pairs of overlapping scales
- Fruit (aka whirlygigs): Forms in 1-2 inch long pairs on thin stems that ripen in fall in late spring; these seeds are the largest of any native maples
© Evelyn Fitzgerald/CC-BY 2.0/Flickr
Sugar Maple
Quick Facts
The most common maple species in eastern North America, sugar maples (Acer saccharum) are slow-growing trees, reaching 70 to 80 feet tall. Sugar maples are also longer lived than other native maples, averaging 150-200 years old, though they can reach 300-400 years old.
Like all maples, its leaves and stems grow opposite. Its foliage forms a dense canopy, limiting understory plants from growing beneath it. While sugar maples are found throughout the Midwest, they grow best in cooler climates in the region's north. The sugar maple leaf is featured on the Canadian flag.
- Leaf Shape: 3-5 pointed lobes with smooth edges; lobes are separated by U-shaped openings
- Leaf Length: 3-5 inches
- Leaf Color: Dark green on top with lighter green underside; leaves turn bright scarlet, dark red, orange or yellow in fall
- Bark: Light grey to brown and mostly smooth when young; mature trees have dark gray to nearly black and rough bark with deep furrows and thick, long, irregular plates
- Buds: Dark brown, thin, oval and sharply pointed with 4-8 pairs of overlapping scales
- Fruit (aka whirlygigs): Forms in 1-inch-long, slightly connected horseshoe-shaped pairs that fall just before the tree loses its leaves in autumn
© Sev en75/Getty Images
Box Elder
Quick Facts
Box elder (Acer negundo) is the only native maple with odd, pinnately compound leaves. That means it has three to five leaflets per leaf stalk—one primary leaflet at the tip and two to four opposite ones following. Like all maples, its leaves and twigs are opposite.
Box elders are fast-growing trees that reach 35 to 70 feet tall. They are relatively short-lived trees, averaging about 80 years. They're important trees for wildlife, providing shelter and food (both leaves and fruit) for many species.
Due to the tendency of their new growth compound leaves to emerge in threes, young box elders are often confused with poison ivy. However, unlike box elder, poison ivy has alternate leaf patterns. Box elder is also unusual among maples in that it is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees.
Also look for:
- Leaflet Shape: Oval, sometimes with short lobes, with irregularly toothed edges
- Leaflet Length: 2-4 inches
- Leaf Color: Light to bright green on top with greyish-green underside; leaves turn yellow in fall
- Bark: Grey to light brown as the tree ages; mature trees have long, thin ridges and shallow furrows
- Buds: Hairy and blunt, ranging from round to egg-shaped; 3 or more scales overlap on the bud
- Fruit (aka whirlygigs): Forms in v-shaped pairs and hangs in clusters
Burr Oak
This common Midwest oak tree has thick, fire-resistant bark, making it well adapted to live in prairies and oak savannas that have occasional fires.
© Cassie Barnes/TNC
Quercus species
Midwest Oaks
There are several species of native oak trees found throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin—and several more species are found in a few of those states or just in certain areas.
While oak species are common trees in the Midwest, identification can be tricky because they vary widely in leaf shape, acorn production and bark traits. Native oak species are divided into two different groups: white oaks and red (or black) oaks. While in the same genus (Quercus), these two groups have different leaf shapes and their acorns take different amounts of time to mature.
All oaks will grow their leaves and twigs in an alternate pattern. All oaks produce a hard nut called an acorn as their fruit, which typically falls in autumn.
White Oaks
- Leaves are lobed or wavy with smooth, rounded edges
- Buds are rounded
- Acorns mature in one year and germinate in the fall
- Examples include white oak, swamp white oak, bur oak and chinkapin oak
Red Oaks
- Leaves can be lobed, toothed, both or entire (lacking lobes or teeth)
- Leaves have bristles or spines at the tips and edges of their leaves, regardless of shape
- Buds are pointed
- Acorns take two years to mature and germinate in the spring
- Examples include northern red oak, black oak, pin oak, and scarlet oak.
Did you know? Bur oak is one of the largest oak species in the Midwest, reaching up to 98 feet tall in maturity. It's also a slow-growing, but long-lived tree, living up to 200-400 years. It produces the largest acorns in North America, averaging 1-2 inches long and up to 1/2 inch wide!
Look for these oak species!
Now that you're rooted in the basics of oaks, here are four common species to look for in the Midwest. Click each photo for id tips and fast facts!
© Denny/Adobe Stock
Bur Oak
Quick Facts
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is one of the most common oak species in the Midwest and a bit of a habitat generalist, adapted to a wide range of soil conditions. It's commonly found in oak savannas, prairies and bottomland forests, though it can also grow on rocky ridges. It's tolerant of drought and occasional flooding, and is among the most cold-tolerant native oak species.
Bur oaks are also tolerant of occasional fires. These trees have thick, corky bark that protects them from most fires.
Like most oaks, they are relatively slow-growing and do not produce their first crop of acorns until they are 35 years old. They're long-lived, typically reaching 300-400 years old. Bur oaks typically reach 50-80 feet tall, though some can reach more than 100 feet. Like all oaks, bur oaks have alternate leaves and twigs.
Bur oaks are part of the white oak grouping.
ID Tips:
- Leaf Shape: Highly variable, but typically large, leathery with 5-9 irregular, rounded lobes, ranging from the smallest lobes at the base to the largest at the top of the leaf; typically has deep indendations near the center of the leaf
- Leaf Length: 6-12 inches
- Leaf Color: Shiny dark green and hairless on the top, pale green or grey and densely hairy with short hairs on the underside; leaves turn yellow, brown or rust-colored in fall
- Bark: Greyish and rough on young trees; thick and deeply furrowed with irregular, broken scales that can sometimes be reddish on mature trees
- Buds: Blunt with fine hairs, occurring on stout twigs
- Flower: Both male and female flowers on same tree; male flowers are yellow-green and form long, droopy clusters called catkins; female flowers are shorter, pale green catkins near tip of twigs
- Fruit: Large oval acorns with fringed caps that extend down about half or more of the acorn length; acorns take a full year to mature. Bur oaks produce the largest acorns of any North American oak.
American Basswood
American basswood tree standing at the edge of a lake.
© Alora Jones
Basswood Leaves
Emerging basswood leaves in early spring.
© Alora Jones
American Basswood
American basswood tree standing at the edge of a lake.
© Alora Jones
Basswood Leaves
Emerging basswood leaves in early spring.
© Alora Jones
1. American Basswood (Tilia americana)
An attractive shade tree, the American basswood can grow as tall at 60 to 80 feet with a round and lush crown made up of heart-shaped leaves. Its whiteish flowers are typically in bloom by mid-June and fill the summer air with a pleasant fragrance. Basswood is common in deciduous forests throughout the Midwest and makes for a popular yard and boulevard tree because of the benefits it provides for both people and urban wildlife!
Fun Fact: Nectar from basswood flowers is a favorite source of food for bees, as the pungent flowers help honeybees produce an especially delicious brand of honey.
American Elm
Looking up at an American elm tree.
© Diane Cook and Len Jenshel
American Elm Leaf
An American elm leaf set against the bark of its parent tree.
© Tom DeGomez, University of Arizona, Bugwood.org
American Elm
Looking up at an American elm tree.
© Diane Cook and Len Jenshel
American Elm Leaf
An American elm leaf set against the bark of its parent tree.
© Tom DeGomez, University of Arizona, Bugwood.org
2. American Elm (Ulmus americana)
Although its numbers have been impacted by Dutch elm disease, the American elm can still be found with its tall, arching branches creating a shady place to escape the hot summer sun. You can recognize this tree by its gray, furrowed bark and elliptical green leaves that have toothy edges. In the fall, these leaves turn a yellowish-brown that isn’t quite as ornamental as other species, such as the sugar maple.
Fun Fact: Mature elms can provide important habitat for eagles, ospreys, barred owls, a host of breeding songbirds and mammals such as roosting bats and flying squirrels. TNC is working to help our elm trees bounce back from the impact of Dutch elm disease.
Trees reduce air temperatures by shading impervious surfaces, preventing them from heating up from the sun’s rays, and by transpiring water, cooling the air much as you feel cooler when sweat evaporates off your skin.
Lead Scientist, Global Cities
Common Hackberry Tree
A common hackberry tree stands tall in a field in Indiana.
© Vern Wilkins, Indiana University
Common Hackberry Tree Leaves
Close-up photo of common hackberry tree leaves.
© Eli Sagor, Flickr, CC by 2.0
Common Hackberry Tree
A common hackberry tree stands tall in a field in Indiana.
© Vern Wilkins, Indiana University
Common Hackberry Tree Leaves
Close-up photo of common hackberry tree leaves.
© Eli Sagor, Flickr, CC by 2.0
3. Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Also known as the northern hackberry and American hackberry, the common hackberry is easily recognizable from a distance by its light gray, warty bark on massive trunks. It is commonly used as a street tree because of its ability to withstand drought and urban environments, and it is among the best trees for wildlife. Their fruits have a raisin-like taste and are relished by birds.
Fun Fact: The pea-sized berries of the common hackberry are edible, ripening in early September, and their leaves are a primary food source for the larvae of several butterflies, including question marks and mourning cloaks.
Eastern White Pine Tree
Towering Eastern white pine tree.
© Richard Hamilton Smith
Eastern White Pine Needles
Close-up view of white pine tree needles.
© Alora Jones
Eastern White Pine Tree
Towering Eastern white pine tree.
© Richard Hamilton Smith
Eastern White Pine Needles
Close-up view of white pine tree needles.
© Alora Jones
4. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Found and adored throughout the Great Lakes and Midwest states, Eastern white pines are impressive to look at and soft to the touch. The largest conifer of the upper Midwest forests, white pines can grow as tall as 100 feet and up to more than three feet in diameter. Historically these trees had fallen victim to turn-of-the-century logging, leaving their populations at just a fraction of what they once were in many states. Reforestation efforts are underway, but know that if you plant one in your yard, you’ll need to protect it from deer browsing.
Fun Fact: White pines are the only five-needle pines found east of the Rocky Mountains and get their common name from the number of needles in each pine: W-H-I-T-E!
Honey Locust Trees
Plaza under a canopy of honey locust trees.
© Diane Cook and Len Jenshel
Honey Locust Leaves
Honey locust leaves sprout from a seedling.
© Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org
Honey Locust Trees
Plaza under a canopy of honey locust trees.
© Diane Cook and Len Jenshel
Honey Locust Leaves
Honey locust leaves sprout from a seedling.
© Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org
5. Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
The lacey, oval leaves of the honey locust tree are small enough to let a little sunlight through, which creates a beautiful dappled shade in the yards and gardens where it’s planted. Their flowers provide food for pollinators and their leaves turn a beautiful golden shade in the fall.
Fun Fact: This hardy tree can stand up to the stress of urban environments and thrive in places like parking lot islands and sidewalks. That’s why it’s often a go to tree for urban planners to help with erosion and other environmental challenges. Learn how urban trees can save lives.
Redbud Tree
Redbud tree in full bloom.
© Carl Dennis, Auburn University, Bugwood.org
Redbud Leaves
Close-up of redbud leaves.
© Larry Allain/USGS
Redbud Tree
Redbud tree in full bloom.
© Carl Dennis, Auburn University, Bugwood.org
Redbud Leaves
Close-up of redbud leaves.
© Larry Allain/USGS
6. Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Redbud is easy to identify in the spring, when the red buds of this small tree burst open into tiny purple blooms that line the branches for as long as two to three weeks. Its heart-shaped leaves will turn a golden yellow in the fall. Watch for redbud’s rounded crown appearing in yards and gardens, as it grows no more than 30 feet, making it a wonderful native species to add to your backyard.
Fun Fact: Because redbud trees bloom early, they are an important food source for pollinators, including early-season butterflies. Northern bobwhite and chickadees also like to snack on their seeds!
I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree...
Shagbark Hickory Tree
Shagbark hickory tree in summer.
© Aaron Carlson, Flickr, CC by 2.0
Shagbark Hickory Bud
Emerging shagbark hickory leaves in spring.
© John A. Harrington
Shagbark Hickory Tree
Shagbark hickory tree in summer.
© Aaron Carlson, Flickr, CC by 2.0
Shagbark Hickory Bud
Emerging shagbark hickory leaves in spring.
© John A. Harrington
7. Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
If you spot a tree with gray bark peeling in long, tough, vertical curls along its trunk, it’s likely to be a shagbark hickory. Another dead giveaway are the leaves, which resemble tulips when they emerge from their large, expanding pastel buds in the spring. A wide array of wildlife eats its tasty nuts.
Fun Fact: Love hickory-smoked meat or fish? That delicious flavor comes from the green wood of the shagbark hickory.
Sugar Maple Tree
Sugar maple tree in full fall color.
© James St. John, Flickr, CC by 2.0
Sugar Maple Leaves
Up-close view of sugar maple leaves.
© Superior National Forest
Sugar Maple Tree
Sugar maple tree in full fall color.
© James St. John, Flickr, CC by 2.0
Sugar Maple Leaves
Up-close view of sugar maple leaves.
© Superior National Forest
8. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
A Midwest favorite, sugar maple is famous for its exceptional fall color. It is a large tree, commonly growing to more than 75 feet, with a rounded crown. With hard, dense wood, it is valued for its use as flooring, furniture, veneer, musical instruments and railroad ties.
Fun Fact: Native Americans invented the process of maple sap collection and its distillation into maple sugar and maple syrup.
Swamp White Oak
Swamp white oak in very early spring.
© John A. Harrington
Swamp White Oak Leaves
Close-up view of top and underside of swamp white oak leaves.
© Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org
Swamp White Oak
Swamp white oak in very early spring.
© John A. Harrington
Swamp White Oak Leaves
Close-up view of top and underside of swamp white oak leaves.
© Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org
9. Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Like our other native oak trees, swamp white oaks are especially important for hungry migratory birds who rely on their acorns and the tasty insects hiding under their rough bark. They are also beautiful shade trees in summer, and their leaves sport a lovely gold or orange hue in the fall.
Fun Fact: Swamp white oaks take their scientific or Latin name, Quercus bicolor, from their two-toned leaves, which are a shiny dark green above with a lighter green to whitish surface below that flashes in the wind.
White Oak Tree
A white oak tree growing in a field.
© Melinda Stuart, Flickr, CC by 2.0
White Oak Leaves
Close-up of white oak leaves and acorns.
© Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org
White Oak Tree
A white oak tree growing in a field.
© Melinda Stuart, Flickr, CC by 2.0
White Oak Leaves
Close-up of white oak leaves and acorns.
© Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org
10. White Oak (Quercus alba)
The white oak has a significant presence, with the average tree growing between 80 to 100 feet tall and measuring two-to-four feet in diameter. Living on average between 200 to 300 years, the white oak produces acorns that are an important source of food for a wide variety of birds and mammals, including turkeys, woodpeckers, black bear and rabbits.
Fun Fact: The Wye Oak in Wye Mills, Maryland, was estimated to be over 450 years old when it finally fell in a thunderstorm in 2002.
Meet the Trees in Your Neighborhood
We hope this list will help you branch out and enjoy the trees all around you. And we hope you’ll continue to learn more about the species that thrive in the wetlands, prairies, forests and other wild places The Nature Conservancy works hard to protect for people and nature.
Explore the Forests of the Midwest
Learn more about the woodlands TNC protects and manages in the Midwest.
