About this field guide
What this field guide covers and what it leaves out, and how each note shows its publication date.
This field guide covers the common trees of woodland stands and the open ground around them. Each entry explains how to recognise one kind from its bark, buds, leaves, seeds and overall form, and names the look-alikes that cause most of the confusion.
What the site covers
- Bark patterns, and how they change as a trunk ages
- Bud and leaf arrangement on bare and leafed twigs
- Seeds, catkins and other flowering parts
- The structure of a stand: canopy, understorey and gaps
- Tree terms, defined once in a glossary
What it leaves out
The site does not cover tree work or felling, the use of wood for building or craft, or planting and garden care. It does not cover the use of any plant for food, drink or home use, because telling those parts apart needs more than a page of text, and a mistake can cause harm. Where a tree shows signs that a qualified person should look at it, the entry says so and goes no further.
Each note shows the date it was published.
To point out a mistake or ask about a page, write to contact@commonstand.com.