Note that only Scots Pine is native - Some typical spp. shown

Lvs Needle-like or long & narrow:

Needles single

Needles in clumps (2-5)

Needles deciduous in clumps >10

Needles evergreen in clumps >10

Spruces, Firs, etc.

Pines, Pinus

Larch, Larix

Cedars, Cedrus

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, Tseudotsuga

Western Hemlock Tsuga

Leaves in 2s or 3s, not appressed

Needles single on young shts

Needles with short petiole

Juniper, Juniperus

Cedrus

Yew, Taxus

Irish Yew, Taxus

Flat lvs in one plane

Flat lvs, deciduous

Flat lvs in one plane

Long scale-like lvs

Redwood, Metasequoia

Swamp cypress Taxodium

Sequoia

Cryptomeria

Pinaceae/Abies . . . . . Firs

Firs have singly inserted flattened lvs on sucker-like bases, generally upward curved; many spp. planted - just a few shown here with many additional species planted in parks, gardens and forestry; cones always erect (c.f. Picea)

Abies alba . . . . European Silver Fir

Infrequently planted large tree, resinous smell, buds not resinous, female cones with bracts showing, broadly spreading lvs but not as much as A. grandis

Abies fraserii . . . . Fraser Fir

No parting between lvs on upper side, female cones with bracts showing, sometimes used as xmas tree

Abies grandis . . . . Giant Fir

Can easily see twig when viewed from above, also two rows of lvs (the upper shorter), lvs notched with two bands of stomata only on lower surface, buds resinous, female cones without any bract showing, lvs smell of orange peel

Abies homolepis . . . . Nikko Fir

Abies koreana . . . . Korean Fir

Similar to A. nordmanniana but cones <12 cm

Abies nordmanniana . . . . Caucasian or Nordmann Fir

Now the commonest Xmas tree, branches largely in horizontal planes, cannot easily see twig from above; lvs straight; cones >12 cm with scales showing

Abies procera . . . . Noble Fir

Branches largely in horizontal planes, cannot easily see twig from above; lvs curving up; stomata (white bands) on upper & lower lf surface

Pinaceae/Cedrus . . . . . Cedars

Lvs evergreen in clusters >10 on short side-shoots, but singly on young shoots; widely planted

Cedrus atlantica . . . . Atlantic Cedar

Leaves <3cm, tapering gradually to a 0.5 mm translucent tip (cf C. libani which has rapidly tapering lvs)

Cedrus deodara . . . . Deodar Cedar

Tip of tree hanging, lvs >3cm gradually tapered to translucent tip c.0.4 mm

Cedrus libani . . . . Cedar-of-Lebanon

Tip of tree stiffly erect or to one side, lvs <3cm rapidly narrowing to V, <0.2 mm hardly translucent tip

Pinaceae/Larix . . . . . Larch

Deciduous; most forestry Larches are a hybrid (L. x marschlinsii) between L. decidua (European Larch) and L. kaempferi (Japanese Larch) which has more squat cones (as below)

Larix decidua . . . . European Larch

Young twigs blond, cones c.1.5 times as long as wide, scales hardly sticking out

Larix kaemferi . . . . Japanese Larch

More reddish young twigs (pic 2), cones nearly spherical with scales recurved, and lvs with more prominent white stripes below

Pinaceae/Picea . . . . . Spruces

Needles single, on brown woody pegs (mostly less flat than Abies); cones hanging

P. abies

P. sitchensis

P. orientalis

P. omorika

P. breweriana

P. pungens

Picea abies . . . . Norway Spruce

Old-fashioned christmas tree; needles softer and less sharp than P. sitchensis; compare cones in pic3

Picea breweriana . . . . Brewer's Spruce

Picea omorika . . . . Serbian Spruce

Has characteristic pegs of spruce, but not spiny with flat needles

Picea orientalis . . . . Oriental Spruce

Needles <c.10 mm

Picea pungens . . . . Colorado (Blue) Spruce

Needles square in X-section; glaucous-blue foliage

Picea sitchensis . . . . Sitka Spruce

Needles very sharp and whitish (>15 mm); compare cones with P. abies in pic3

Pinaceae/Pinus . . . . . Pines

Needles predominantly in groups of 2, or 3 , or 5

Needles in Pairs:

P. contorta

P. sylvestris

P. nigra

P. pinea

Short needles

Short, blueish needles

Long needles

'Umbrella' tree form

Needles in 3s:

P. ponderosa

P. radiata

Needles wavy, yellowish

Cones large, asymmetric

Needles in 5s:

P. peuce

P. bhutanica

P. wallichiana

Needles fine, <12cm

Needles >12 cm, hanging

Needles >12 cm, droopy

Pinus contorta . . . . Lodgepole Pine

Frequent forestry tree but getting invasive; 6-8 cm bright green needles in pairs, twisted; cones have fine spines on the scales, cones retained on twigs for several years

Pinus nigra . . . . Corsican and Austrian Pine

Long dark green needles (>8-12cm or >10-18cm depending on subsp.), in pairs; widely planted - straight trunk dark brown all the way up

Pinus peuce . . . . Macedonian Pine

Fine lvs (<0.6 mm wide) in 5s; infrequently planted

Weymouth Pine (Pinus strobus) similarly has fine needles in groups of 5

Pinus pinea . . . . Stone Pine or umbrella Pine

Lvs in pairs, characteristic 'umbrella' shaped canopy; a mediterranean tree, infrequently planted, spherical cones (c.f. long cones of similar P. pinaster)