The tallest tree in Michigan is the White Pine.
The state is home to one of the largest populations of sugar maple trees, three times more than Vermont.
There are other types of trees in the state.We created a tree guide with information from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help you identify what you're looking at.
Sugar maple is a common species in Michigan, but it is not a generalist like the red maple.It is a dominant species in the north because it is tolerant of shade.The sugar maple is used for maple syrup and sugar production.
The leaves of sugar maple are usually 5-lobed.The lobes near the base of the leaf are more rounded.The leaves are green above and green on the underside.The leaves of the sugar maple change colors in the fall.
Compared to other Michigan tree species, sugar maples have dark gray bark with ridges.
American beech trees grow in beech-maple forests.They can be found in the north.The western edge of Michigan can be found in almost every county except for the western side of the Upper Peninsula.
American beech has a smooth grayish thin bark and is often seen with writing on it.It is best to not write on this tree or any tree because it can kill it.Its leaves are toothed at the edge and come to a tip.It is a tree that starts to fall off when its leaves turn yellow.The tree's long pointed winter buds can be used to identify it when the leaves fall.
The red maple is found in all of Michigan.It can be found in a wide range of forest types.The red maple is a popular ornamental tree for its fall color.
The leaves of red maples have serrate leaf margins.The leaves can have up to 5 lobes.The leaves are green on one side and silvery-green on the other.
The red maple can be difficult to identify because of its bark.The bark of the red maple is light and smooth.The trunks are dark gray and rough-ridged.Sometimes abullseye pattern can be seen farther up their trunk.
The fruit of a red maple is called a samara, more commonly known as "helicopters", because of the swirling motion they make as they fall to the ground.The red maple's samaras are small and the two wings are narrow.
The pine family includes the Eastern hemlock tree.The trees can reach heights of up to 100 ft when they are mature.They are found in small groups on hills or ravines.
There are needles attached to the Eastern hemlock.They are attached to a peg on the stem.There are 2 stripes on the underside of the needles that go from the base to the tip.
The bark of the Eastern hemlock is thick.Plates are formed by the ridges on the bark.
The eastern hemlock is a member of the pine family.Compared to other species within the pine family, the cones on the hemlock are small in size.The scales of the seed cone are smooth.
Almost every county of the Upper and Lower Peninsula has an eastern white pine.It thrives in mixed forests and sandy plains.
White pine is a conifer, it keeps its needles all year long.The easiest way to identify a pine from other conifers is by the needles.If they are in clumps, it is a pine tree.It is not if they have single needles.
White pine trees have five needles in a bundle, while red and jack pines have two.White pine can be identified by its pine cones.White pines have long hard pine cones.
The Lower and Upper Peninsula can be found in almost every county of Michigan.It thrives in full sunlight and near water.It is a pioneer species that is found in disturbed areas and rarely seen in older forests.Paper birch can be seen in sandy, well drained areas such as river sides, urban areas, and road sides.
The leaves come to a tip.The edges of the leaf are not smooth.The leaves are on the stem.The white paper is similar to bark.It is a tree that starts to fall off in the fall.The caterpillar is pollinated by the wind in the spring.
The eastern cottonwood is known for colonizing open areas in the floodplains.It doesn't tolerate cold temperatures in Northern Michigan unless it's regulated by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The leaves of the cottonwood are broad and triangular.The entire base of the leaves is rounded.The undersides of the leaves are a bit lighter than the upper sides.The leaves change color in the fall.
The bark on mature cottonwoods is very thick and flat-topped.It is an ashy gray color and is easier to identify due to its blocky bark.
Catkins are wind pollinated in the cottonwood and are caterpillar-like.The fruit is carried within the catkins and the seeds are white to light brown.
Northern red oak can be found in forests and backyards.It can be found in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas because it likes to grow in moist areas.Along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, it can be found.
The tips of the leaf are pointed.The difference between red and white oak species can be seen with pointed leaf tips.
The bark of a red oak looks like someone is skiing on it.Ski trails run up and down the trunk of the tree.
Oak trees are mast trees, which means they produce fruit.The outer shell of an acorn is hard and has a seed inside.The top of the acorn is covered in a saucer-shaped cup.The acorn is round.
The white oak is a common oak species in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.It does not grow well on soils that are poorly drained.
The tips of the white oak leaf are rounded.The red oak has pointed leaf tips that make it easy to tell the difference between the two oaks.
The bark of the white oak is gray.It can be variable between trees.
Jack Pine can be found in almost all of the Upper Peninsula.The jack pine is adapted to exist and reproduce on the hottest and driest sites in Michigan.
On the sandy plains, it thrives on dune sand and in dense stands.Historically, fires swept through jack pine stands and prepared the ground for a new stand.The seeds of the next generation of jack pines were released by the heat from the fire.