 Thimbleberry - Rubus parviflorus

o Look for: zigzagged stems with dark

brown/black remnants at nodes
o Bud: alternate, medium, brown, embedded in
remnant of petiole; sometimes with stipules still
adherent
o Twig: zigzagged stems with dark brown/black petiole remnants at
nodes.

 Willow – Salix spp.

o Look for: fuzzy buds, remove bud scale if
necessary
o Bud: fuzzy buds, twig lacks terminal bud
(aborted bud only); close inspection may reveal a
small (1 mm in length) stump past last bud; bud
enveloped in one beak-shaped bud scale which
covers a silky-haired bud
o Twig: Catkins may be present.
 Winter ID
Intent of this document is to aid in identification of Puget
Sound native forest species*. Winter ID at first seems very
challenging, and it can be, but there are many clues when a
sample is examined closely.
Some factors to consider
 A young shoot may look quite different than a branch from a
mature tree.
 A twig may look quite different in late fall than in late winter
 A twig and its buds may differ in color depending on
exposure to sunlight

For this document

A small bud is
no longer than 6 mm (¼ inch)
no wider than 3 mm (1/8 inch)
A medium bud has either or both
length between 6 and 12.5 mm (¼ and ½ inch)
width between 3 and 6 mm (1/8 and ¼ inch).
A large bud is
longer than 12.5 mm (½ inch)
wider than 6 mm (¼ inch).

Definitions:
appressed: pressed against the twig
glabrous: hairless; smooth
inflorescence: a group of flowers borne on a single axis (stem).
petiole: leaf stalk
scandent: climbing or with long, thin, bent boughs
stipule: leaf-like lateral appendages found at the base of
the petiole of many species.

* Compiled by Loren and Lex for the 2011/2012 Carkeek Park Master
Foresters Class
Buds opposite

 Bigleaf Maple - Acer macrophyllum

o Look for: thick stem, terminal buds
o Bud: opposite, medium/large terminal bud,
red/green, lateral buds appressed
o Twig: shiny, glabrous, terminus of twig has three buds the
central bud larger than the other two, leaf scars go around the
twig, bud scale scars make multiple rings, many small, pale
lenticels.

 Black Twinberry - Lonicera involucrata

o Look for: opposite buds; remnants of fruits
o Bud: opposite, tan/brown, flat, triangular,
pointed and curving up the twig
o Twig: shiny/lustrous, light brown, a thin ridge runs down the twig
from below each bud to the side of the previous bud. Since buds
at successive nodes are perpendicular to each other, the twig is
somewhat square; may defoliate at base, stems twisting below,
vertical above.

 Common Snowberry - Symphoricarpos albus

o Look for: much-branched growth, white berries,
o Bud: opposite, small, pointed
o Twig: very fine, spindly at end, much-branched.

 Douglas Maple – Acer glabrum

o Look for: vivid red buds and twigs
o Bud: red, slender and pointed more so that Bigleaf
Maple, three buds very red at end of stem with the
middle bud larger than the lateral buds,
o Twig: red, leaf scars go around the stem.
 Salmonberry - Rubus spectabilis
o Look for: prickly much-stemmed bush,
end of twig thin
o Bud: alternate, light green, medium size, blunt
o Twig: light brown, armed stems, zigzagged,
prickles may be missing on new growth, terminus of stem often
very thin and appearing dead; stem may be defoliating like
Ninebark. Remnants of petioles may be present, but are smaller
and lighter in color than Thimbleberry.

 Scotch Broom - Cytisus scoparius

o Look for: thin green twigs, leaves may be present
o Bud: alternate, green, small, round
o Twig: green, thin, ribbed, nearly parallel branches.

 Serviceberry - Amelanchier alnifolia

o Look for: long, thin, pointed buds
o Bud: alternate, medium, very thin, pointed,
multi-colored red/green/brown
o Twig: slender, much-branched, unpleasant odor,
spurs on old twigs.
 Poison Oak – Toxicodendron diversilobum

pictures of
Too poisonous to take
o Look for: shrub, sometimes climber with
adventitious roots grabbing the stem
o Bud: rounded, terminal on spurs; spur glabrous
or pubescent
o Twig: spur glabrous or pubescent

 Red Alder - Alnus rubra

o Look for: reddish-purple club-shaped buds on
short stalk
o Bud: alternate, reddish-purple, club-shaped,
with short stalk
o Twig: lenticels, short curved branches along the stem.

 Red-flowering currant - Ribes sanguineum

o Look for: fuzzy last-year twigs
o Bud: alternate, fuzzy, appressed, medium size,
green when young, but turning red
o Twig: reddish-brown, dot-shaped lenticels at
base of twig often form vertical lines along twig.

 Red Huckleberry - Vacinium parvifolium

o Look for: growing on decaying wood,
thin much-branched green twigs
o Bud: alternate, very small, pink
o Twig: green, thin, much-branched,
zigzagged.
 Highbush Cranberry - Viburnum edule
o Look for: opposite branching pattern, bright red berries
o Bud: opposite reddish/greenish brown, long, pointed, appressed
o Twig: pithy, light brown, lengthwise furrows make the stem
appear 6 sided.

 Horse Chestnut – Hippocastanum sp.

o Look for: large, wide, pointed, dark
red/brown, resinous/sticky terminal bud
o Bud: opposite, terminal bud is large, wide,
pointed, shiny, dark red/brown, resinous/sticky,
lateral buds smaller but the same color and shape
o Twig: leaf scars with 3 bundle scars may be prominent.

 Mock Orange - Philadelphus lewisii

o Look for: fine, much-branched bush, buds not visible at nodes
o Bud: opposite, small and indistinct because imbedded under leaf
scars at the swollen nodes
o Twig: thin, swollen at nodes, not as much-branched as Snowberry.

 Oregon Ash - Fraxinus latifolia

o Look for: tapered terminal bud smaller than base of twig
o Bud: opposite, one distinct scale, powdery-brown; terminal bud is
very pointed, the base of the bud is narrower than the diameter
of the end of the stem – thus the end of the stem looks
somewhat like the flat top of a candle with a flame (the bud) on
it; lateral buds appressed.
o Twig: lenticels, thumbnail-shaped leaf scars, blunt terminus.
 Pacific Dogwood – Cornus x
o Look for: new inflorescences at end of twigs
o Bud: opposite, medium, slender
o Twig: youngest twigs green and curved.

 Red Elderberry - Sambucus racemosa

o Look for: multi-stemmed bush with thick stems
o Bud: opposite, medium/large, bi-colored,
red/green, early
o Twig: thick, pale brown pith, rough/raised brown
lenticels.

 Red-osier Dogwood - Cornus stolonifera

o Look for: red twig, thin terminal bud; scandent bush
o Bud: opposite, small/medium but very thin, pointed,
red or dark brown/black
o Twig: red, thin, dot-shaped lenticels.

 Vine Maple - Acer circinatum

o Look for: twin buds at the terminus, distinct “forked” branching
pattern
o Bud: opposite, twin buds of similar size at terminus of most
twigs; small compared to other maples
o Twig: bi-colored green and red, glabrous, fairly
small in diameter, lenticels obscure.
 Nootka Rose - Rosa nutkana
o Look for: large paired prickles, hip diameter
about 1.5 cm (.5 in)
o Bud: alternate, medium, red, pointed
o Twig: has a few prickles along stem and at each
node has two larger prickles which are opposite each
other at an angle of about 120 to 160 degrees.

 Ocean Spray - Holodiscus discolor

o Look for: long scandent boughs, brown lacy
inflorescence
o Bud: alternate, small, bi-colored, tip fuzzy
o Twig: many fine stems, fine line along the stem below the buds,
may have inflorescence still on end of twig.

 Pacific Crab Apple - Malus fusca

o Look for: spurs that have terminal bud,
unlike black hawthorn spurs
o Bud: alternate, small, red/brown, terminal bud
pointed, few lateral buds
o Twig: short spur branches terminating with a bud.
o
 Pacific Ninebark - Physocarpus capitatus
o Look for: defoliating bark, especially at base
o Bud: alternate, appressed, cylindrical, dark
reddish-brown
o Twig: triangular near end of twig, bark of stem
appears as reddish brown bark which splits to show
light tan streaks, peeling off in long thin strips.
 Garry Oak - Quercus garryana
o Look for: cluster of terminal buds
o Bud: alternate, reddish brown/grey, stubby
(short, pointed), terminal buds in a cluster;
compact bud scales
o Twig: grey, contorted and widening to support
terminal buds.

 Hardhack - Spiraea douglasii

o Look for: swampy environment
o Bud: alternate or sub-alternate, white or
gray, round, fuzzy lighter tips
o Twig: reddish brown; spindly, ascending.

 Indian Plum (Osoberry) - Oemleria cerasiformis

o Look for: very lenticellate stems, buds opening early
o Bud: alternate, green, red, open early, terminal larger
(because being flower buds) than laterals which lie along stem
o Twig: lenticels, chambered pith.

 Mountain Ash (Rowan) – Sorbus aucuparia

o Look for: gray fuzzy terminal bud
o Bud: alternate, terminal buds pointed, long
gray-hairy (more and larger than Hazel), side
buds appressed, gray, pointed similar to Cotton
wood in shape and laying along to the stem
o Twig: gray (Native Rowan is a mountain species).
 Buds alternate

 Baldhip Rose – Rosa gymnocarpa

o Look for: prickles, pea-sized hips
o Bud: alternate, green or red, medium and pointed
o Twig: new shoots green, older shoots turn red,
have many fine prickles.

 Beaked Hazel - Corylus cornuta

o Look for: catkins, round terminal bud
o Bud: alternate, medium, visible bud scales,
rounded and fuzzy
o Twig: fuzzy, zigzagged.

 Birch – Betula sp.

o Look for: catkins, feel rough bumps on stem
o Bud: alternate, slightly pointed, dark brown,
several bud scales
o Twig: white bumpy lenticels – the bumps feel like coarse sand
paper when rubbing the stem.

 Bitter Cherry - Prunus emarginata

o Look for: horizontal lenticels on older stems
o Bud: alternate, dark reddish green, small and
slightly pointed
o Twig: reddish-brown bark, fuzzy, horizontal
lenticels or dots on young twig.
 Black Cottonwood - Populus balsamifera
o Look for: large sticky, smelly terminal bud
o Bud: alternate, terminal bud brown, sticky,
smelly and pointed, lateral buds long, narrow
(look somewhat like a cat’s claw) and appressed
o Twig: slightly zigzagged, ridge between buds on last years
growth, twig angled (not round).

 Black Gooseberry - Ribes lacustre

o Look for: numerous fine and some long
three-pronged prickles
o Bud: alternate, medium, red, thin, pointed,
positioned by three-pronged prickles at nodes
o Twig: thin, many fine and some long
three-pronged prickles.

 Black Hawthorn - Crataegus douglasii

o Look for: thorns and small red, shiny buds
o Bud: alternate, small, shiny, red and rounded
o Twig: sometimes with sharp, smooth, often
curved thorns; straight spurs which usually do
not have a terminal bud.

 Blackcap - Rubus leucodermis

o Look for: light bluish-green stem, erect then
curved and often rooting at the tip
o Bud: alternate, green and fat at base tapering
to a slightly round point
o Twig: armed, light bluish-green, discoloring
purplish near the base, erect then curved and rooting at the tip.
 Carkeek willow – Salix purpurea
o Look for: sub-opposite buds
o Bud: black, pointed, one bud scale, fuzzy
o Twig: no terminal bud, (magnifying lens may be
needed to see the small terminal stump near base
of last lateral bud).

 Cascara – Rhamnus purshiana

o Look for: primordial leaves distinct, opening outward
o Bud: alternate, tan buds, terminal bud has no
scales, primordial leaves opening outward
o Twig: young stem green, finer twigs often
curved upwards.

 Devil’s Club – Oplopanax horridus

o Look for: terminus of stem stout and bristly with
thorns on twigs
o Bud: alternate, poorly visible because surrounded
by prickles
o Twig: large light brown, heavily armed stems.

 European Hawthorn - Crateagus monogyna

o Look for: short thorns and small red, round, shiny buds
o Bud: alternate, small, shiny, red and rounded
o Twig: sharp short thorns; spurs have a
terminal bud, much-branched.

 European Sweet Cherry – Prunus avium

o Look for: long horizontal lenticels on bark
o Bud: both end of twig and spurs with several sharp
reddish/brownish buds with distinct bud scales
o Twigs: lenticels, spurs with buds, silvery fleece
(sometimes).