Identification of Common Trees of Iowa, An Interactive Key

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Identification of Common Trees of Iowa, An Interactive Key
Iowa State University Extension

This interactive key was developed to help identify the most common trees in Iowa. The key is based on vegetative characteristics such as leaves, fruits, and bark. It is not a complete key. It does not include all trees grown in Iowa.

The proper use of the key may be compared to the use of road signs where a choice of two directions must be made at each intersection. One must always chose the best route which matches the characteristics of the tree. If at the end, the solution does not match the specimen, one can usually identify a point in the process where the choice of direction was in doubt. Many times the steps can be retraced to this point and the sample can be identified.