The Ogham and the Seasons and Cycles of Earth, Moon and Sun

The ancient Ogham alphabet used as a calendar, both lunar and solar, is a unique and effective tool for

personal development and spiritual growth. We will explore our connections to trees, birds, animals,

colors, stones and much more as we follow the seasons of the year. In the Year and a Day that we work

together, we will explore all 15 consonants as lunar cycles and the 5 vowels as the Solar seasons. This

will allow us to experiences all of the letters during one full turning of the Earth around the Sun.

This year long course will include thirteen lunar cycles (the thirteen consonants of the alphabet) and five

Seasons of the Sun (the five vowels). The first two weeks will include an overview of the Ogham, its

origins and applications as well as basic orientation to the course. On the new moon, we will

begin exploring ourselves and our connection to our kindred with the Ogham as our guide.

On each New Moon I will post the correspondences for the letter of the Ogham alphabet assigned to that

lunar cycle. When we are close to a Solstice or Equinox I will also post the correspondences for that.

Each student is expected to research the correspondences in the weeks assigned and post the research

(written in their own words). Please post your research in a well thought out manner with attention paid

to readability. Your posts will be evaluated on the amount of research as well as, your depth of

understanding. I am also interested in seeing how what you have learned can be applied to your life. It is

wonderful to collect and have pictures for visual remembrance. {Please be sure to record where the texts

and pictures come from and any copyright information. Keeping accurate references is very important.

The last week will be a review (a paper from each) and a summary of the impact of what they have

personally learned using the Ogham correspondences as tools for personal development.

In summary, what I look for:

1. Amount of research done

2. Depth of understanding of the teachings

3. Ability to apply to your own life at this time

4. Your interaction with the other women on the list – you are expected to reply to other’s posts in

such a way as to encourage positive discussion.

I hope that you will feel free to discuss your findings and what you think and feel about it all. Share

stories with each other – it is how we will truly learn together. I hope that you will find this fun – it

should be fun or we are doing something wrong!

The following information is an overview of your assignments for each lunar cycle:

On the New Moon

Begin your research on the correspondences of this cycle. Research the tree and the

Goddess in week one and post to the group. Please keep detailed notes and record

references from where found. You will need to provide these references when your work is

submitted.

If the tree of this cycle grows in your area, see if you can get to know it. Spend time with it

on several occasions. Sit with it – see if you can feel its energies or hear it speak to you.

Begin a tree book that will contain all 20 trees or your chosen substitutes. Within the book

should be a leaf etching, drawing or picture of stem, bark, root, seed and bud. Not all of

these will be available at one time so book is on-going.

You will begin to examine personal energies, what is going on in your life at the moment.

From the personal information you are gathering, see if you can relate it to what you are

learning in your research.

Post the results of your research to the group. Include in your posting your personal

reflections on these.

On the Full Moon

Research the bird and the stone in week two and post to the group.

Create an art project with what you have learned about this cycle. (optional)

Continue your research now focusing on healing qualities.

Beginning on the Waning Moon

Post findings on healing qualities.

Reflect again on the energies present in your life.

What is going on around you?

Are you manifesting?

Are you gestating, pulling back?

How can you relate or tie in what you are learning this cycle?

Write down all of your feelings and thoughts.

On the Dark Moon

Post reflective thoughts, art work, etc.

Put away your symbols for this cycle. Save them is a special place.

Complete your work on the tree book for this tree

Complete your notes, and last minute feelings about what you have learned and post to the group.

A reminder of copyright material

All rights reserved. No part of this course may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage

and retrieval system without permission in writing from Deanne Quarrie.

The Ogham as a Spiritual Tool

It is my hope in this course that I can give you a few ideas of what the ogham is, where it might have come

from, and how I (and others) use it as a spiritual tool. I wish to disqualify myself as an historical expert

on the subject. What I have learned has been a process of finding sources, assimilating what parts helped

to enhance my spiritual journey and forgetting the rest, or if not forgetting, hanging on to until I was

ready to use them.

It is not important to me, personally, that I be historically correct. To be honest, there is truly no way to

be historically correct and so I would rather take what we do know and attempt to use it in a way that is

life enhancing. What is important is how I apply what I have gathered to my own life and to the lives of

women I mentor. I know that the system is old, very old. Many experts believe that the ogham was a tool

used by the Druids containing their sacred teachings. Theirs was an oral tradition and each of the letters

contained certain teachings as well as a Mystery (or several that were all related). Perhaps they used the

letters as visual symbols of those teachings.

We do not know if the ogham was actually used as an alphabet. We do not know for sure if the ogham

was ever used for divination. Finally, it is not known if the letters were ever used to designate lunar

cycles. That is something Robert Graves put forth as his theory in his book The White Goddess. We do

know that the Druids were the keepers of the history of the Celts. They kept their history without benefit

of written texts. What is thought is that the many oghams were mnemonic devices for memorizing sets of

facts. By organizing things by the sound of the first letter, and perhaps in using poems utilizing those

sounds, they were able to memorize great bodies of spiritual knowledge. What is known is that there

were many oghams – the letters themselves, bird oghams, tree oghams, etc. The letters are symbols for

words, not all trees as it thought by most today. What we have is a system that uses several oghams in

combination that is not necessarily historically correct but that which works for us as a tool for learning.

What we have are those teachings, or at least those teachings we have managed to hang on to because so

much of what the Druids kept in their memories was lost when the Romans set out to annihilate the

Druids as keepers of the history and leaders of the Celtic people. They knew that the Druids, as keepers

of the history, were what held the Celtic people together. By removing their Druids, they conquered the

people.

There are two versions of the letter ogham. One is the B-L-N version and the other the B-L-F. They are

different in the order in which they are expressed and visually, in direction that the letters face. The

actual teachings in each are however, no different.

We are going to deal with those teachings set in a framework of the lunar year. The letters are assigned

to the same months that Robert Graves used. I use the B-L-N version because I believe it is the older of

the two and therefore, the original. I cannot really prove that. It is simply the system I learned and I am

now very accustomed to using it in that way.

Each of the ogham letters as offered here has correspondences associated with it. With each letter, you

will find these typical associations: its name, symbol, a Mystery (the teachings), trees, birds, animals,

stones, goddesses, gods, the days of the week, numbers, and finally a quote from the poem known as the

Song of Amergin.

Our primary reference for much of our material does come from The White Goddess by Robert Graves.

We also added herb lore to our teachings as associated with the trees and seasonal information based on

energies present throughout out the turning of the wheel. I also highly recommend the book by Erynn

Rowan Laurie, Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom.

Robert Graves proposed that the Year should begin with the Return of the Light, and so began his year

the day after Winter Solstice.

We place Beth, the first consonant, on the day after the Day that is Not a Day, or the Extra Day of the year.

The vowels are assigned to the Equinoxes, the Solstices, and the Extra Day.

We will also use a poem, The Song of Amergin in conjunction with the letters of the Ogham.

Amergin means “Birth of Song.” According to legend, Amergin was one of the leaders of the “Men of Mil”

(Milesians), who battled the Tuatha De’ Danann (The Faerie Clan) for possession of Ireland. The Song of

Amergin is the song that he sang as he claimed the land, and was a challenge to the Tuatha De Danann,

who were considered the gods.

His ships sailed to the shores in a cloud of fog, hiding their entry and so were undiscovered in their

approach. Amergin invoked the powers of the Land as he stepped ashore in Ireland. These words came

from Amergin's “poetic inspiration” and marked the start of battle over sovereignty of Ireland. Amergin

claims the elements of Ireland. He displays his wisdom and power over the elements. He is actually

"becoming"... all of these elements. In this invocation, he joins with the spirit that controls the elements

of the Cosmos. The wind died down and the Gaels claimed sovereignty on Ireland.

It is interesting to reflect, that even though Amergin claimed dominion over this land resulting in the fact

that the Tuatha Dé Danann went to live in the Otherworld (within the mounds of Irish lore); the Gods of

Old retain their power and to this day are the principal Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic people. It is my

own personal opinion that the invasion of Ireland by Amergin and the Milesians was but a merging of

peoples upon a sacred Land.

There are many excellent sources for researching the ogham. I have provided an extensive reading list to

help you in these studies. They are not required texts except for The White Goddess by Robert Graves. I

would fully recommend that over time, if this material really draws you, that you research and learn on

your own, the rich roots of this material.

To conclude, the source material we are using to plot our year is the Ogham as the primary tool for

sharing the Mysteries of the Seasons and Cycles, which are placed within, formed and shaped by the

energies of those cycles and seasons, as given to us by the Song of Amergin in his song.

Useful References

Author Title Subject

Andrews, Ted *** Animal Speak Animals & Birds

Andrews, Ted *** Animal Wise Animals & Birds

Carr-Gomm, Philip and Stephanie Druid Animal Oracle Deck & Book

Gray, Miranda Beasts of Albion Deck & Book

Matthews, Caitlin Celtic Wisdom Tarot Deck & Book

Matthews, John Green Man Tree Oracle Deck & Book

Murray, Liz & Colin Celtic Tree Oracle Deck & Book

Pennick, Nigel Celtic Oracle Deck & Book

Pracownik, Peter Ogham, The Celtic Oracle Deck & Book

Leigh, Marion Findhorn Flower Essences Flower Essences

Melody Love is In the Earth, The Crystal and Mineral Encyclopedia Gemstones

Melody Love is In the Earth Gemstones

Simmons, Robert *** The Book of Stones Gemstones

Blamires, Steve Celtic Tree Mysteries Ogham

Carroll, Roisin Crane Bag Ogham

Dathen, Jon Ogham – Wisdom of the Trees Ogham

Ellison, Robert Lee (Skip) *** The Druid’s Alphabet Ogham

Fiesch, Matthew Ogham, Druidic Oracle of the Trees Ogham

Glass-Koentop, Pattalee Year of Moons, Seasons of Trees O/P Ogham

Graham, Matthew The Celtic Tree Ogham Ogham

Graves, Robert - Required The White Goddess Ogham

Hageneder, Freed Meaning of Trees Ogham

Hopman, Ellen Evert A Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine Ogham

LaCour, Suzanne Ogham and the Universal Truth of the Trees Ogham

Laurie, Erynn Rowan *** Ogam, Weaving Word Wisdom Ogham

Matthews, Caitlin *** Celtic Wisdom Sticks Ogham

Mountfort, Paul Rhys Ogam, The Celtic Oracle of the Trees Ogham

Quarrie, Deanne - Required From the Branch – The Ogham for Spiritual Growth Ogham

Thorrson, Edred Book of Ogham Ogham

Altman, Nathaniel Sacred Trees Trees

Bleakley, Alan Fruits of the Moon Tree Trees

Bouchardon, Patrice Healing Energy of Trees Trees

Chase, Pamela Trees for Healing Trees

Gifford, Jane *** Wisdom of Trees Trees

Kindred, Glennie The Sacred Tree Trees

Lilly, Simon & Sue Tree Seer Trees

Lilly, Simon & Sue Tree Essence, Spirit and Teacher Trees

Lilly, Simon & Sue Tree Essence of Healing Trees

Paterson, Jacqueline Tree Wisdom Trees

*** More recommended than others

Possible Websites to Explore in Doing Your Research

Ogham

The Blue Roebuck

http://blueroebuck.com

Druid Tree Lore and the Ogham

http://www.druidry.org/obod/druid-path/druidtreeloreogham.html

The Ogham Stone

http://ogham.lyberty.com/

Celtic Ogham – Curtis Clark

http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/ogham/

Ogham – Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogham

The Ogham – Sacred Fire

http://www.sacredfire.net/ogham.html

Stones of the Ogham

The Blue Roebuck

http://blueroebuck.com

Beadage

http://www.beadage.net/

The Breastplate of the High Priest

http://www.highermeaning.org/Authors/SDC/Gemstones.shtml

Birds of Ogham

The Blue Roebuck

http://blueroebuck.com

Birds of the Ogham

http://www.erintulach.com/Divination/ogham/birds_of_the_ogham.htm

Animals of the Ogham and More

The Blue Roebuck

http://blueroebuck.com

Celtic Animal Allies

http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Celtic/animalallies.html

Celtic Sacred Animals

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5088/sacred_animals.html

If you find good sites, please feel free to share them with your classmates!

Ogham Table of Correspondences

Letter Irish Name Tree Goddess Bird Stone or Metal Color Song Line

Beth Birch Britomartis,

Sadb

Pheasant Carnelian White I am a stag of

seven tines

Luis Rowan Sequana,

Brighid

Duck Yellow Topaz Grey I am a lake upon

a plain

Nion Ash Norns Snipe Sea Green Beryl Clear I am a wind

over the sea

Fearn Alder Saule, Kore Gull Fire Garnet Crimson I am a tear of

the sun

Saille Willow Hecate Hawk Ruby Fine-colored I am a hawk

upon a cliff

Huath Hawthorn Cardea,

Hymen

Night

Crow

Lapis Lazuli Terrible-

colored

I am a beautiful

flower

Duir Oak Eurynome Wren White Carnelian Black I am a god that

sets the head on

fire

Tinne Holly Boudica Starling Smokey Quartz Dark Grey I am a keen

spear that pours

forth battle

Coll Hazel Sophia,

Olwen

Crane Red Agate Brown I am a salmon in

a pool

Quert Apple

Muin Vine Danu,

Muses

Titmouse Amethyst Variegated I am a hill of

skilled ones

Gort Ivy Bendis, Mute Swan Yellow

Serpentine

Blue I am a boar in

battle frenzy

Ngetal Reed Ceridwen Goose Green Jasper Glass-green I am a noise of

the Sea

Straif Blackthorn

Ruis Elder Morrighu Rook Malachite Blood-red I am an ocean

wave

Ailm Silver Fir Druantia Lapwing Silver Piebald I am the womb

of every holt

Who but I know

the secrets of

the unhewn

dolmen?

Onn Gorse Sunna Cormorant Gold Dun I am a blaze on

every hill

Ura Heather Melissae Lark Copper

Amber

Resin-

colored

I am the queen

of every hive

Eadha Poplar

Aspen

Demeter Whistling

Swan

Tin Rufous Red I am the shield

for every head

Idho Yew Cailleach Eaglet Lead Very White I am the tomb of

every hope

The Ogham Trees and Substitutions

By Caitlin Matthews in Celtic Wisdom Tarot handbook, page 136

The ogham trees are specific to the Celtic lands of northwest Europe, so readers outside this region will

need to discover alternatives among their own indigenous trees. Although this breaks the mold of

tradition, it is better that we each have a relationship with our own native trees, rather than working with

species that have no meaning or relevance for us.

The following are suggestions to help your quest:

Ogham Tree Substitute

Scots Pine Conifers or needle-leafed trees

Gorse Brightly flowering shrubs growing on heathland or poor soil

Heather Low, clustering armonatic plants growing in poor soil or hilly areas

Aspen Any tree whose leaves give the appearance of quivering

Yew The longest-lived evergreen species of tree growing in your region

Birch The first tree to put on leaf after the winter, or trees associated with cleansing

Rowan Berry-bearing tree associated with magic

Ash Tall, straight, leaf shedding treewith seed cases or pods

Alder Water-loving, leaf-shedding trees

Willow Trees that fringe rivers and creeks

Hawthorn Flowering, berry-producing trees that herald summer

Oak The strongest tree

Holly Evergreens with shiny leaves

Hazel Quick-growing, nut-bearing trees whose wood is useful

Apple Fruit-bearing trees

Bramble Thorny, rambling shrubs

Ivy Creepers, climbers, lianas, and so on

Reed Any reed, rush or grass

Blackthorn Spiny flowering trees or shrubs bearing fruit

Elder Blossoming- berry-producing trees that grow anywhere

North American Equivalents to Druidic Sacred Trees

Ogham British Texas Pacific NW Mid Atlantic Indiana

Beth Birch Gum Aspen Palmetto River Birch

Luis Rowan Tx Red Cedar Madrone So. Red Cedar Red Cedar

Nion Ash Am. Elm Ponderosa Pine Redbud Redbud

Fearn Alder Magnolia Maple

Saille Willow

Huath Hawthorn Cottonwood Cottonwood Cottonwood Sycamore

Duir Great Oak Mesquite West. Cedar So. Great Oak Eastern Oak

Tinne Holly Oak Ashe Juniper Sitka Spruce Holly Black Walnut

Coll Hazel Pecan Western Oak Beech Beech

Muin Vine Mulberry Brakenfern Grape Heliotrope Fiveleaf

Gort Ivy Blackberry Elm

Ngetal Reed Cattail Horsetail Carolina Cane Cattail

Ruis Elder Myrtle Lodgepole Pine Loblolly Pine Persimmon

Ailm Silver Fir Pine Douglas Fir So. Yellow Pine

Onn Furze Sycamore Pacific Yew So. Sweetgum

Ura Heather Sagebrush Scotch Broom Span. Tree Moss

Eadha White Poplar Bl. Hickory Silver Fir Hickory

Idho Yew Cypress W. Hemlock Cypress

My Own Texas Equivalents

Ogham Native Texas Possibilities

birch River Birch

rowan (mountain ash) American Mountain Ash

ash Texas White Ash

alder Hazel Alder

willow Black Willow

hawthorn oak Texas Red Oak

holly Jaupon Holly or Possumhaw Holly

hazel pecan or black walnut

apple crab apple

vine Mustang Grape/Dewberry

ivy ivy treebine

reed/broom common reed, Phragmites australis or cattail/bulrush

blackthorn Mexican Plum

elder Elderberry

silver fir Ashe Juniper

gorse Agarita or Retama

heather Texas lantana ???

aspen,poplar cottonwood or sycamore

yew Pinyon Pine

Getting to Know Your Kindred

The quality of your life will be greatly enhanced if, in addition to working with the essences, the energies

of the tree symbols, and the healing energy of the Earth, you step outside and spend time with the trees.

My spirituality teaches me that they are my kindred, as they are yours. They wish to share their wisdom

and life giving essence with you personally. Here are some suggestions for you to get acquainted with

your family!

Merging with the essence of the tree

If possible work so that sunlight is filtering through the leaves. Begin by sitting against the trunk for a

while, making connection with the forest floor and through the bark with the energy flowing upwards

form the earth.

Put your hands on the ground and press down with your feet, picturing any excess energies and negative

feelings as dark light sinking downwards into the earth.

When you feel calm, stand facing the tree so your fingers on both hands and your toes are lightly touching

the trunk.

Picture a rich light rising in beams through your feet and legs, flowing through every part of your body,

finding its own pathways.

Another Exercise

Find yourself a quiet park, forest, or woodland area. Walk among the trees until you feel comfortable in

their presence. Feel the different bark textures with the palms of your hands. Smell the scent of the

various woods.

Absorb their life's energies as you look upwards to the sprawling branches overhead.

Find the perfect tree that fits your mood. You will know which one is right for you. Encircle it with your

arms while gently pressing your cheek to the trunk being careful not to scratch your face. Squeeze tightly.

Sigh deeply. Be one with your tree.

Sit upon the ground wrapping your legs around the base of the tree and at the same time embracing it

with your arms.

Climb a tree. Sit upon a strong limb and straddle it with your legs. Bend forward and place your belly

against it while wrapping your arms about it.

Tips

Feel free to hug more than one tree if the mood strikes. You may like to take home a fallen leaf or nut as a

keepsake from your new friend.

Be sure to return each season to visit your tree. And don't be afraid to talk to it, as trees are good

listeners.

Taking a walk through nature is not only refreshing and energizing; it can also be a healing experience

thanks to the energy of trees.

How to See a Tree's View of the World

You can also enhance your psychic perceptions of the world around you, by merging your consciousness

with that of your healing tree. Allow your aura to merge with the tree's energy field, and with your eyes

open, see the surroundings as if through the consciousness of the tree. A silvery glow will surround the

area, and you will see the auras of other trees and plants. When you have finished this experiment, thank

the tree for its participation, and move away from its energy field. Bring your consciousness up through

your body and into your head, then take a few more deep breaths. Stamp your feet on the ground to bring

yourself back to full conscious awareness.

Clearing Negativity with Trees

It is said that trees can also absorb negative energy from our bodies, without it doing the tree any harm.

To clear yourself of negativity, find another tree that you are intuitively drawn to, and ask permission to

give it the negative energy that you have unwittingly stored in your body.

Trees can transform and use this energy for their own enhancement. To gather and release negativity

from your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self, run the palm of your left hand from the top of

your head, and down the right side of your body, visualizing the collection of negativity into your hands.

Do the same with your right hand on the left side of your body.

Then rub your hands on the trunk of the tree, thereby releasing all the toxins that you have gathered.

Also, run your hands down the front and back of your body and pass this onto the tree as well.

Do this three times, and when you are finished, thank the tree for taking the negative energy from you.

Trees are more than lumps of wood with leaves attached. Make the effort to walk through a national park

or forest soon, and take visual notes of the variety that exists even within the same species of tree. By

making the conscious effort to look closely at a tree trunk, you will be surprised at the myriad of patterns

and colors that normally go unnoticed.

Each tree has its own characteristics and personality. By taking the time to attune to a few trees, you will

be amazed at the different styles of energy that emanate from them. For your health's sake, hug a tree

today!

Tree Identification Characteristics

Trees are cool. Learning how to ID trees and learning about their "personalities" is like making new

friends. There’s a lot more to know about trees than just how to tell them apart! The more time you

spend with trees and in the forest, the more you will understand about some of the neatest places on

earth. But we have to begin somewhere and ID is a great first step.

There are certain parts of a tree that will tell you what species you’re looking at. Usually, we think only of

leaves. But, of course, this doesn’t help us much in winter if the leaves have fallen (not all do!). Leaves on

tall trees that are only way up in the air don’t help us much either.

So, we should learn to look at other parts, such as twigs, buds, bud scars, bark, flowers, fruits, branching

pattern, tree form, where the tree is growing, and "who" the tree is growing with.

It is not necessary to learn every characteristic of every species (although it’s fun). Generally, just one or

two features will be enough … but you have to know which ones are important for which tree! That’s the

hard part. For example, most of us can identify paper birch from just the bark. But how many of us can

tell the difference between maples, elms, oaks, and ashes without the leaves? (How many of us can do

that even with the leaves!)

And, what about all the conifers? Some of the following considerations will help you look in the correct

place in a tree ID book or this on-line tree ID key.

TWIGS: Slender or chubby? Smooth or hairy? Any spots, ridges, or special colors? Boxelder twigs have a

purplish color to the most recent growth.

BUDS: Pointy or blunt? Shiny or dull? Hairy or smooth? Big or small? Colors? Sugar maple have very

pointy buds. Oaks have a cluster of "end" buds.

BUD SCARS: These are the places where last year’s leaves fell off. They have shapes, sizes, and "face"

patterns unique to each species. This helpful with ashes, butternut, walnut, and hickories because the

scars are bigger.

BARK: Rough, smooth, special colors, thickness, patterns, oddities? Bark can be difficult to learn because

most trees have bark that changes appearance with age. Only a few trees have really easy bark to

recognize, like birches, aspens, or American elm.

FLOWERS: We don’t normally think of trees with flowers but all trees have them. In some cases, the

flowers help us with identification. Flowers are also one of the main parts that scientists have used to put

trees in categories. Red maple is about the first tree to bloom in the spring.

FRUITS: All trees have fruits, too. Cones, nuts, acorns, seeds, and helicopters are just some of the many

kinds of fruits that trees produce. A fruit is any kind of organ that hold seeds, not just edible fruits like

apples or oranges.

BRANCHING PATTERN: The way in which a tree branches can sometimes be a helpful thing to

know. "Opposite" branching occurs only in maples and ashes (at least with U.P. trees). Some shrubs also

have opposite branching, so identification of tree saplings may be harder. Most other trees have

"alternate" branching. The angle at which branches come off the trunk, or the density of branches in the

crown, can be good clues in tree ID. Sometimes the crown (all the branches together) have special

characteristics. Paper birch looks purple.

TREE FORM: The overall shape of a tree is the form. Some trees have very distinctive forms. An

American elm is shaped like a large flower vase. Or balsam fir has a very pointy crown.

GROWING PLACE or SITE: Some trees, like cedar, black spruce and tamarack are usually found on wet

sites. Yellow birch and hemlock grow in cooler, moister places like ravines and the north side of hills.

TREE ASSOCIATES: Trees, like people, like to "hang" around in certain groups. If you can identify one or

two trees in an area, you’ll have some clues to what else might grow there. For example, if there is a lot of

sugar maple, chances are good that you’ll find basswood, beech, and ironwood. Aspen, paper birch, and

jack pine probably won’t be there.

LEAVES: Leaves include needles and scales of conifers. Leaves are one of the best ways to ID a tree,

when they are available. Simple or compound? Margins smooth or margins rough? Shape? Size? Color

variation? Texture? Any sinuses or lobes?

Getting good at identifying trees takes practice. Once you know your trees, it becomes much easier to

learn about shrubs, flowers, and wildlife that grow together with the trees. Trees dominate forest

ecosystems, so if you have a pretty good idea of what trees are there, you’ll have a pretty good idea of

what’s happening in that environment and what else might be living with those trees.

Preserving Tree Leaves in Wax Paper

You just can't beat using a real, preserved leaf to assist you in tree identification. Wax paper pressing

captures color, highlights a leaf's structure and provides you with a leaf in three dimensions. Collecting

the leaf aids you in initial identification and gives you a template for future use.

What you need:

* Wax paper

* Thin Towel

* Iron set on warm heat

* Leaf

How to do it:

* Find a leaf on a tree you either know or would like to identify. Collect the leaf or several leaves that

most represent an average looking leaf of the tree species.

* Place the collected leaf between two layers of wax paper with plenty of room to trim and preserve the

wax "seal".

* Cover the wax paper with a towel. The towel should not be a thick bath type but preferably a thin dish

towel. Some people actually use paper towels.

* Turn the iron on medium dry heat and evenly iron over the towel which separates the iron from the

wax paper. This heat actually seals the leaf between the wax paper sheets.

* Trim the wax paper specimen to fit a standard weight, three-ring sheet protector and insert it with a

label. Keep your collection in a three-ring notebook binder.

Tips

* A great way to label your leaf specimen is to "copy and paste" tree information directly from an ID site

on the Internet.

* Depending on the tree species, your green leaf will brown a bit. That is normal and should be

considered when reviewing leaf color.

* The beauty of leaf collecting is, you don't have to know the tree's name. You can do your research right

on the Internet or out of a good book on trees.

Identifying Trees by Their Bark

When there are no leaves on the trees, we have to rely on bark, buds, and growth patterns to identify the

species, a fascinating challenge.

It is useful to start by determining whether the tree has opposite or alternate twigs and buds. (See

Identifying Trees in Winter.)

The next step is to examine the bark. It takes a lot of practice to learn to recognize bark patterns visually.

Fingertips learn textures more rapidly, so it is helpful to use the sense of touch when examining bark.

Keep in mind that almost all saplings have smooth bark and that distinguishing characteristics do not

develop until trees are more mature, changing still more into old age. Following is a breakdown of the

bark for some of the trees in this book by texture. Clearly it is not a complete list but a place to start for

you.

Smooth ~ Beech has smooth, light grey bark with virtually no cracks or ridges, although there is a disease

that causes a bull’s-eye pattern of cracks. Long, pointed buds.

Sweet (black) birch has smooth dark grey bark with raised horizontal lines. Old or diseased bark may

break up into large plates with peeling edges.

Grey birch is a small tree with chalky white non-peeling bark.

Peeling ~ Paper (white) birch has chalky white bark that peels horizontally in relatively large strips.

Lower layers are pinkish-orange.

Silver (yellow) birch has shiny silvery-yellow bark that peels horizontally in small strips.

River birch has pinkish-tawny to silver-grey bark that peels horizontally in small strips.

Flaky ~ White oak has rough, flaky bark.

Elm has shallowly furrowed bark with soft, flat ridges that flake easily.

Furrowed ~ White ash bark has deep furrows and relatively sharp, narrow ridges that tend to converge

in diamond shapes.

Elm has shallowly furrowed bark with soft, flat ridges that flake easily.

Rough ~ Oaks with bristle-tipped leaves, including Red, Black, Willow, Pin, and others, have bark that is

very scratchy to the touch but does not peel or flake.

For a field guide with photos of bark, see National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees

(New York: Knopf), 1980.