Winter Tree Finder: A Manual for Identifying Deciduous Trees in Winter

Nature Study Guides

by May Theilgaard Watts, Tom Watts

Learn to identify trees in winter, by their twigs and other features, with this key to native and commonly introduced deciduous trees of U.S. and Canada east of the Rockies.

Genres: Nature, Field Guides, Nonfiction, Reference, Plants, Science, Biology

58 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a 'Winter Tree ID Hike' at a local nature center, we were given this book to use as a reference. We practiced it & found that we could all easily identify trees with it - but it did take some time to READ, COMPREHEND & PRACTICE before we were all proficient. Some took a little longer &, in every case, it was because they tried to short cut the process. So if you're having trouble using it, go back & re-read. It's really quite easy, once you get the hang of it.

For such a small book, it packs a lot of trees into it - Eastern North America only. You won't find hybrids, some imports (garden) trees, but it packs in over 100 common trees & can lead anyone into a quick, accurate identification with very little practice. It's small enough to fit into a back pocket without a bulge, which means I'm more likely to have it with me when I want it. That's the biggest plus. The more comprehensive books are OK, but they're always back at the house when I need them or in the way as I walk through the woods & want to take a picture. Not this book!

I have several tree ID books & I may outgrow this one. But I haven't outgrown Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves by the same authors (for trees with leaves) & I've been using it for a couple of years on a pretty regular basis. Often I'll think I've found a tree that won't be in it, but there it is. It's been so worthwhile that I got a second copy to keep in the truck.

[Sandi Medina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference. Wish index had a page for the start of the trail to describing the tree.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely cool little book that, while it doesn't provide much information on each tree species described, presents an almost "choose your own adventure" approach to identifying the species of a tree using primarily a leafless winter twig. If you want to know more about the species once you've identified it, you'll want to use it in tandem with a larger guide to the trees in your area (and this book does have the caveat that it is specifically for eastern North America)--but this very lightweight guide not much bigger than my hand seems like a wonderful resource for carrying on a winter walk in the woods.

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I learned how to use this book at a Winter Tree ID workshop at Wander North Georgia. It is a useful, pocket-sized guide, but it takes some practice to understand how to use it properly. By the end of the workshop, we felt comfortable with it but also realized that it has some shortcomings, so we were enthused about looking into a more comprehensive dichotomous key book. For its compact size, however, it is a useful tool for tree identification.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought Winter Tree finder, and Master Tree finder, when I was working with Cub Scouts. That program helped me to learn all kinds of things, and pushed me to learn more than I thought I could.

[Allyson G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worked as needed. Simple guide for beginners. Would recommend pairing it with a more intensive guide if you wanted to go in-depth.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming slim guide to identifying trees in winter. Easy to take along and enjoyable to peruse on its own.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good, small, and compact field guide for i.d.ing trees in winter.

[Mitzi Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this little book - great for IDing trees in the winter in a way that no other book replicates. And I have a lot of tree ID books.....

[Foxtower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I wasn't diligent enough Jim, because so many trees and buds become so similar I couldn't really use this with any confidence. Now with actual experience I can easily identify my local tree species any time of year, but thats more from living with them and observing them year round.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it a little difficult to use and tried two twigs and it correctly got one and missed on the other....I will try it again tomorrow on a few trees and see how it works.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandmother traveled a lot and picked up books on nature for my kids, this being one of them. I’m forever grateful to her for inspiring the love of nature into my life.