"Isom, Jeff (EM, PTL)" wrote:
... My question is this: is there any
telltale giveaway means to tell what is what without leaves

Hi Jeff, congrats on this wonderful opportunity!

The best resource to take with you is someone local who knows the
species likely to be there, and how to ID them. Also someone with a
strong back to cheerfully help pack your trees out.. I'd come myself,
but it's a bit of a drive

Next best resource is the Peterson Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs of
Eastern/Central N. America. NOT the newer one which is only Trees...
there's a lot of potensai amongst the understory shrubs! You should be
able to find this at the library. Better yet, get one used from www.
bookfinder.com or similar source, for your permanent library.
Shouldn't run you more than $8 or 10.

In the back of the book is a Key to leafless trees. The best
identifier is not bark, but buds. You can tell opposite from alternate
right off, and there are other easy characteristics. You mentioned
beech, it has unique long pointed buds with straw-colored covering.
Oaks have buds clustered at the tip of each twig. Willow should have
buds greening and swelling by now, and the year-old twigs will be
green or yellow. Hawthorn has thorns (!) but so do some crabapples;
haw buds are fat and round and reddish, crabs are very tiny. Bring a
cheap magnifying glass to look at stipule scars, one of the main
things the Key will want you to look for.

If you don't have time to key out a twig, you can get a clue to what
sort of trees/shrubs are in the area by looking at the leaves on the
ground, just don't expect them to still be next to the precise tree
they came off!

If you still don't know what it is, and it has a great trunk, go
ahead, dig it up and try! My only caution is to avoid mystery trees
with thick twigs and coarse branching patterns, these nearly always
turn out to be a disappointment.

Oh, and be sure you can recognize poison ivy or oak leafless...

Enjoy!
Anita

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