When I was in college, I took classes that were solely about plant identification. We would have to study and memorize hundreds of plants each semester - their botanical and common names, growing habits, and what they looked like. I remember being shown a leafless twig as part of a test in tree identification class....talk about a difficult task!

While you may not have to memorize and identify so many plants yourself, it is always important to identify the unknown trees you have in your yard. You need to know so you can find out how to care for them properly. Steve Nix, the Forestry Guide, has prepared a wonderful tree identification key for 50 common North American trees.