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Winter Identification Key to trees and shrubs significant to moose

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A. Winter Buds covered by a single scale……Willow, Salix speciesAA. Winter buds with two or more scales.

Single Scale Multiple Scales

Two Scales

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B. Winter buds usually resinous sticky or glossyBB. Winter buds not resinous sticky.

Resinous and sticky Not resinous and sticky

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Glossy

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C. Winter buds 6mm or less in length, glossy, slightly or not resinous…Quaking aspen….Populous tremuloides.

CC. Winter buds large and long, 10-25 mm, very resinous…..Balsam poplar (aka cottonwood), Populus balsamifera or black cottonwood, P. tricocarpa (difference unknown in winter)

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D. Winter buds mostly stalked, old hard blackish cones or cone like fruits present……..Alder, Alnus species.

EE. Winter buds not stalked, composed of overlapping scales

Bud stalk

Cones

Not a bud stalk, scales overlap

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F. Winter buds not cone like and lack hair, 6mm or less in length, bark papery, twigs with many small white sugary dots…….Paper birch, Betula papyrifera.

FF. Winter buds cone like, usually large, greater than 8 mm in length.

Conelike and large

Not cone like, less than 6 mm in length

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Small white sugary dots

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G. Winter buds with rusty brown or white hairs ….Mt. ash, Sorbus sp.

GG. Winter buds without hairs, cone like, largest bud generally 1 cm or more in length……Cherry, Prunus padus, or P. virginiana.

Buds with hairs No hairs and greater than 1 cm in lenght

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