Links
Choose one of the categories above for a list of plant-related websites. Selected websites are all non-commercial, without advertisements, and free-access sites. The links provided have all been checked as of March 1, 2018; however, websites are occasionally moved or deleted without notice by the authors or sponsoring agency. If you do encounter a link that no longer works or a website that has changed location, please report the problematic link to the NOPD so that we can update the link.
Trees & Shrubs
British Brambles
Part of the excellent British Wildflowers website by John Somerville.
British Trees and Shrubs
Part of the excellent British Wildflowers website by John Somerville.
Colorado’s Major Tree Species
An attractive website from Colorado State Forest Service with basic descriptions and good images of 20 common tree species native to Colorado.
Common Ohio Trees
A well-illustrated, excellent resource by Ohio DNR’s Division of Forestry, with images and descriptions of Ohio tree species, followed by information on key identifying features of each species.
Common Trees of the Pacific Northwest
A very useful website on trees of North America's northwest coast. Linked to the list of genera is a description of each genus, plus a list of local native species. The descriptions are brief, non-technical, and include several images and a range map for each species.
Dendrology at Iowa State University
An easy-to-navigate website on North American trees by Donald Farrar, Iowa State University. Each species page features clear scanned images of diagnostic traits, distribution map, and usual topographic position.
Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)
A very useful website with information on the fire ecology and effects of fire on both plant and animal species. To access the ecological information on forest species, click on the species acronym in front of each name in the Species Reviewspage.
FloralImages – Trees of the UK and Ireland
Trees and shrubs from John Crellin's excellent FloralImages website.
Forestry Images: Trees and other plants
Images of various forestry-related topics, including silviculture, forest pests, wildlife, and invasive species, presented in an easily navigated format.
Identifying Trees by Bark and Buds
This PDF of a PowerPoint seminar provides excellent definitions of the terminology students need to understand to identify tree species by their winter twig and bud characters. A very useful resource for beginning botany students, developed by Jay C. Hayek, Extension Forestry Specialist, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Kansas Trees and Shrubs
A gallery of very good images of woody species from Kansas by Mike Haddock, part of his Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses website. Click on the thumbnails to access the species description and additional images. From the buttons at the top of the website, see also his image collection of Kansas Grasses, Sedges, and Wildflowers.
Maples and Japanese Culture
An excellent website dedicated to sharing information on world maple species, by Hajime Hayashida, which provides scientific and Japanese common names, foliage autumn colour, and distribution, as well as a page of images for each species (click on the number at the end of each line). Comparison pages of leaves, flowers, fruit, and twigs for each species are very useful for identification. Access this species list for North American maples, or choose other species from the home page.
Minnesota Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
Part of the excellent Minnesota Wildflowers website by Katy Chayka and Peter M. Dziuk, this series of links provides access to the woody species of Minnesota.
Native Trees of Texas
This website includes basic descriptions and images of the native trees and shrubs of Texas.
NatureGate – Trees and Shrubs of Finland
One of my favourite websites! While the native flora of Finland is quite different from that of Ontario, there are a number of European woody species, introduced to Ontario, that can be found in this excellent website. Several excellent images and clear descriptions are available for each species.
New Brunswick Tree and Shrub Species of Concern
This 77-page field guide from the Atlantic Forestry Centre (Canadian Forest Service) provides excellent information sheets to 25 species of trees and shrubs native to Nova Scotia and Ontario, as well as an illustrated glossary. This resource is now archived, but the link above is to a PDF file of this document, which can be downloaded for personal use.
Oaks of the World (Tous les Chênes)
A very comprehensive website by Jean-Louis Hélardot, which includes all world species of oaks (Quercus), including currently accepted names (in blue text) and synonymy. Each page includes excellent images of leaves, buds, fruit, and wood section for identification purposes.
Pocket Reference for Winter Tree Identification
A concise and useful reference in PDF form to 32 common native trees of Illinois. Developed by Forest Preserves, Champaign Co., IL.
Silvics of North America
An indispensable website from the USDA; Silvics of North America, originally published in 1965, describes the characteristics of about 200 conifers and hardwood trees in North America. Excellent information on habitat, climate, soils & topography, associated species, life history, and special uses. Range maps of the tree species include Canada.
Tous les Épicéas (Spruce of the World)
A comprehensive website by Jean-Louis Hélardot, which includes all species of spruce (Picea). Currently accepted names (in blue text) and synonymy are provided. Each page includes excellent images of leaves, buds, fruit, and wood section for identification purposes. Note that not all nomenclature agrees with North American names; for example, black spruce, Picea mariana, is listed under Picea nigra.
Tous les Érables (Maples of the World)
A very comprehensive website in French by Jean-Louis Hélardot, which includes all species of maples (Acer), including currently accepted names (in blue text) and synonymy. Each page includes a brief description, images of leaves, buds, flower, fruit, and wood sections for identification purposes.
Tous les Pins (Pines of the World)
Another comprehensive website, in French, by Jean-Louis Hélardot, which includes all species of pine (Pinus), including currently accepted names (in blue text) and synonymy. Each page includes a brief description, excellent images of needles, buds, and cones for identification purposes.
Tous les Sapins (Fir of the World)
A website in French by Jean-Louis Hélardot, which includes all species of fir (Abies). Currently accepted names (in blue text) and synonymy are provided. Each page includes images of leaves, buds, fruit, and wood section for identification purposes.
TreeBarkID.com
The Tree Bark Identification Key helps non-professionals identify common tree species in the Midwest by their bark and branching features. A very useful image gallery of 34 tree species is provided.
TreeLib.ca
An excellent collection of high-quality digital images of over 260 tree species for non-commercial use by educators, students and the general public. This new website was created by B.C.'s Blake Willson, R.P.F., and his son, Nathan. New images will be added in the coming year, so check back often. A very useful resource for all forestry and dendrology student.
Trees and Bushes of Commanster, Belgium
A website with excellent habitat and closeup images of Belgian conifers and deciduous trees and shrubs, part of the Ecology of Commanster website by Jim Lindsey. Plants are organized according to scientific name, but common names are provided in English, French, Dutch, and German.
Trees and Shrubs of Wisconsin
A great resources for students. These two websites, by Gary Fewless of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, include an interactive glossary of terms used in tree and shrub identification, and an interactive key to the trees of Wisconsin.
Trees of Alabama and the Southeast
A well-organized website on trees of the southeast U.S. for dendrology classes, by Lisa Samuelson, Auburn University. Non-technical descriptions and several images of each tree species are provided; click on the image provided to access additional images.
Trees of Southern California
Another website of excellent image by Michael L. Charters; this one exclusively on tree species. Each species is represented by an image of the trunk (showing the bark) and the leaves (and/or fruit).
Trees of Texas
A very attractive and useful website with beautiful paintings of each tree species, including details of the leaves and flowers or fruit. Information is provided on how to collect leaves and identify the tree species. A glossary of terms and information on Texas Ecoregions is also included.
Trees of the Northwoods
Part of the extensive Natural History of the Northwoods websites, by Earl J.S. Rook. Each webpage includes a single photo, descriptions, and ecological and ethnobotanical information on each species.
Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Illinois
An excellent website of the woody plants of Illinois by John Hilty. Each webpage includes excellent images and very good descriptive information. A great site for dendrology, forestry, and botany students to bookmark.
UCONN Plant Database of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
A very good website on cultivated plants from the University of Connecticut's College of Agriculture in Storrs, CT. Included are dichotomous keys to the woody species and descriptive Plant Pages, accessed by species name or traits.
Upper Peninsula Tree Identification Key
An interactive website from the Michigan State University Extension, developed mainly for grade school students, but still to be appreciated by all botany students.
Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets (vTree)
The factsheets page of the Dendrology website from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, links to identification sheets on over 800 species of trees. Access the species lists through the links to Angiosperm Families or Gymnosperm Families. Very useful for all botany students.
Woody Plants of the Southeastern U.S.
A website from BioImages, hosted by Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Dendrology students will find the comparisons of oak, hickory, and maple species particularly useful.