To identify a tree in winter you have to rely on things you can see. Bark is one easy choice, but often the bark on older trees does not look anything like the bark on younger trees. Most of the trees in Kentucky are called deciduous trees. This means that they lose their leaves in winter. When the leaves fall off, scars are left behind. Often these scars are unique fingerprints. Sometimes the scars may look like a smiley face; sometimes they are dots arranged in a unique pattern. When a plant loses its leaves, it has little ones folded up and covered with scales which keep the leave from freezing in winter. These baby leaves are called leaf buds. Sometimes they occur at the end of the twig (terminal buds), and sometimes they occur on the sides of the twig (axillary). Take a look at a this picture to see these. The buds can occur in pairs at the same place on a twig (opposite) or can occur unpaired (alternate). So buds can be terminal or axillary and opposite or even, and they almost always have scales that are unique to the species of tree.
Also, if you cut twigs of different trees and look carefully at them, you will see that different kinds of trees have different stems. By following the species links on the right you will be able to see pictures of twigs. You will soon be able to identify some trees like an expert. For others you will need to look at other characters such as fruits, leaves and bark.
