Choke Cherry Tree

Fairly straight with narrow rounded crown

Branches point upwards

Bark reddish brown smooth

Bark marked by orange, horizontal, dots on older trees

Size – 3-8m

Leaves have sharp pointed tips

Uneven teeth on margins

Small white flowers

Small round bright red brries on a single pin like stem

Found in open woods, bluffs, and along river banks throughout Alberta.

Intolerant of shade

Tamarack/Larch

Slender with a straight trunk

Bark thin, smooth, grey when young, becomes dark reddish-brown and scaly when olderBranches curved slightly downwardsLeaves – needle-shaped in feather like clustersNeeds are long, soft, flexible, pale green turning bright yellow in autumn

Sheds needles in fall

Long cones that are red. Open in the autumn and live on tree through winter

Found in swamp areas where in central and northern Alberta where it receives plenty of lightCan also be found on valley slopes

Lodgepole Pine

Tall, slender evergreen with a straight trunk

Bark is orange-brown, somewhat scaly

Branches curve upwards

20-30 m high

Needles in bundles of 2. Long, spirally twisted, stiff, very sharp pointed

Short egg shaped cones that remain on trees for many years

Grows on a wide variety of sites.

Prefers to grow in well drained sandy soils in the western part of the province

Aspen poplar

Also known as trembling aspen

Slender with a long straight trunk and rounded crown

Bark is smooth, greenish white when young, becoming blackened and furrowed near base on older trees

Branches only high up on older trees

20 meters high

Leaves - Alternate, simple, rounded, abruptly pointed at tip

Small hairy catkind appear before the leaves

Fruit – small green capsules in catkins which split when ripe to form a cotton mass

Very common and widespread through forested regions

Leaves tremble with slight breezes because of flattened leaf stems

White Birch

Other names: Paper birch, Canoe birch

Small to medium sized

Crown is oval when beside other trees, but pyramid shaped when it is in the open

Branches are slender, twisted, pebbled, and brown.

Smooth bark turning white with age, peels easily

Leaves are alternate, simple, egg-shaped

Flowers are catkins that droop

Fruit are conelike catkins

Common along riverbanks and moist wooded areas.Intolerant of shade

White Spruce

Dense evergreen with straight trunk

Bark is scaly, thin, grey to ashy brown. Branches are horizontal

Average 25 meters high, can be taller if it has favorable conditions

Leaves are needles that are long, straight, stiff, sharp-pointed, bluish green, and have an aromatic scent when crushed

Cones that are cylinder shaped at the ends of twigs

Cones open in the autumn and drop during the winter or spring

Found in a variety of soil types and climatic regions

My Personality

In general, are you:• Easy to get to know or hard to get to know?• Firm in your beliefs or do you go with the flow?• Shy or outgoing?• A rule follower or risk taker?• Adventurous or content to stay at home?• Young at heart or wise beyond your years?• Enjoy being in a group or by yourself?• A fan of the summer or winter?