Overview
Pennsylvania is heavily forested, with northern hardwoods, oak-hickory ridges, and cool hemlock ravines. A few leaf and bark clues quickly narrow down its common trees.
This guide covers common and iconic Pennsylvania trees — how to tell them apart by leaf, bark, and habit. Pair it with a photo of the leaf or bark and the app to confirm any tree you find.
Key Species to Know
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
The Pennsylvania state tree — a graceful evergreen with short, flat needles (white-striped beneath) and tiny cones, shading cool ravines and stream gorges.
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
A hardwood with five-lobed leaves that blaze orange and red in fall, and the source of maple syrup. Smooth gray bark furrows with age.
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
A very tall, straight hardwood with distinctive four-lobed "tulip"-shaped leaves and orange-and-green tulip-like flowers high in the crown.
White Oak
Quercus alba
A stout oak with rounded-lobed leaves (no bristles) and pale, flaky gray bark. Long-lived and a mainstay of Pennsylvania ridges.
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
A hardwood with smooth, gray "elephant-skin" bark and oval, toothed leaves that fade to pale tan and often hang on through winter.
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
A tall, soft-needled pine with needles in bundles of five and long, slender cones. The largest conifer of the northeastern forest.
Seasonal Guide
- Fall: sugar maple, tulip tree, and oaks paint the ridges in color.
- Winter: smooth gray beech bark and pale flaky white-oak bark are easy to pick out.
- Summer: hemlock and white pine give the forest its dark evergreen backdrop.
Safety Reminder
This is an identification guide only — it does not cover edibility or foraging. Observe trees without damaging bark or breaking limbs, and stay on established trails.
Identify it instantly
Found something and not sure what it is? Point your camera with Spotter and get a species identification in seconds — with detailed reference info and species notes.