Gymnosperms

Include the following families:
Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, Ginkgoaceae, Pinaceae, and Taxaceae. [Note that Taxodiaceae is now included in Cupressaceae.]

Note that only Juniper, Scots Pine and Yew are native - Most spp. shown are planted in forestry, parks or gardens

Select using: Leaf characters or Fruiting cones

Leaf characters

Lvs scale-like on twig

Needles in clumps

Lvs broad, flat

Leaves scale-like - Choose from terminal branch arrangement:

Flattened, spreading in 1 plane

Spreading in 3 dimensions

Terminal branches flat spreading in 1 plane

White Xs on underside

Flat twigs, white 'butterfly' marks

Flat twigs, double 'butterfly' marks

Shoots in flat hanging sprays

Cup. lawsoniana

Cup. torulosa

Shoots 'droopy'

Flat lvs in vertical planes

Flat lvs, long white stripes

Cup. nootkatensis

Terminal branchlets NOT spreading in 1 plane

Scale lvs with sm. point

Branchlets not flat

Some juvenile needles

Scale lvs alternate

Cup. x leylandii

Cup. macrocarpa

JuniperusSee also: Tamarisk

Short scale lvs

Long scale lvs

Pointed scale lvs

Curled up shoot tips

Cup. pisifera (filifera)

Cup. pisifera

Cup. sempervirens

Sequioadendron

Athrotaxis laxifolia

Needles single:

Lvs tapered at tip and base, on short persistent pegs

Needles single, sessile, on "suckers"

Lvs on partly raised angled "cushions"

Lvs variable size

Spruces, Picea

Firs, Abies

Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga

Western Hemlock Tsuga

Leaves in 2s or 3s, not appressed

Needles single on young shts

Needles with short petiole

base of Needles decurrent

Juniper, Juniperus

Cedrus

Yew, Taxus

Podocarpaceae

Needles with short petiole

Flat lvs in one plane

Flat lvs, deciduous

Flat lvs in one plane

Irish Yew, Taxus

Redwood, Metasequoia

Swamp cypress Taxodium

Sequoia

Long scale-like lvs

Lvs single, clumped

Flat lvs, not 1 plane

Shrub with needle-like lvs

Cryptomeria

see also Ericaceae

Needles in clumps:

Needles in clumps (2-5)

Needles deciduous in clumps >10

Needles evergreen in clumps >10

Clumps with single needles

Pines, Pinus

Larch, Larix

Cedars, Cedrus

Sciadopitys

Leaves flat:

Lvs broad, flat

Lvs Fan-shaped

Lvs rigid, broad, pointed

Fruiting cones

Upward-pointing cones:

Firs (Abies)

Cedars

Larches

Thuja

Platycladus

Sciadopitys

Cones hanging:

Spruce (Picea)

Spruce (Picea)

Pseudotsuga

Tsuga

Pinus nigra

P. sylvestris

P. radiata

P. contorta

Sequoiadendron

Calocedrus

Athrotaxis

Athrotaxis

Metasequoia

Araucaria

Cones not obviously upright nor hanging

C. pisifera

C. lawsoniana

C. x leylandii

C. macrocarpa

C. nootkatensis

C. torulosa

Cryptomeria

Fitzroya

Sequoia

Taxodium

Platycladus

Juniperus

Taxus