Virginia Tech Tree ID - Tree identification & information

Virginia Tech Tree Identification brings the acclaimed digital dendrology resources from Virginia Tech to your Android smartphone. This app features fact sheets for more than 1,000 woody plant species native to North America, complete with comprehensive descriptions, range maps, and thousands of vivid images showcasing leaves, flowers, fruit, twigs, bark, and overall form.

How to use this app?

- Users can refine the list of species based on their exact location in North America by utilizing the phone's GPS, network signal, or entering a specific address or postal code. Essentially, the app allows you to explore “Woody Plants of Your Current Location.” For instance, it might provide information on the "Woody Plants of Southwestern Oregon," "Woody Plants of Central Park," or the "Woody Plants of latitude 37.108, longitude -80.452, elevation 2118."

- Additionally, users can further specify the species list by responding to straightforward questions regarding tree characteristics, such as the plant's growing environment, leaf shape, arrangement, flower color, or fruit type.

- The species list can be filtered by inputting keywords like oak, Abies, red, or palm. For example, entering "oak" will yield only the types of oaks present in the designated area.

- A unique feature of the app allows you to submit any tree-related inquiries to “Dr. Dendro,” an expert from the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. You are able to provide a description or photographs of your plant, and specialists will assist in identifying it.

KEY FEATURES

• More than 1,000 woody plant species from across North America

• Over 6,500 vibrant photographs displaying leaves, flowers, fruit, twigs, bark, form, and range maps for each species

• Detailed descriptions of all plant components

• Species list refinement based on your location and elevation using the device's GPS, network signal, or user-input location

• Search by keyword, e.g., maple

• Identify species through a series of simple questions, accompanied by illustrative images depicting what is being asked

• Easily navigate between species with the press of a button

• Pose tree-related questions to “Dr. Dendro,” the expert at Virginia Tech

VIRGINIA TECH TREE IDENTIFICATION DIGITAL MATERIAL

- In addition to the Android app, Seiler and Peterson recently released the third edition of their DVD-based software program Woody Plants in North America. The program, which expands on the tree fact sheets and includes side-by-side species comparisons, a quiz function, and thousands more photos, serves as a comprehensive tutorial for species identification. This popular resource, developed and refined over the course of 15 years, is used by students and practitioners alike.

- The multimedia tutorial titled Woody Plants in North America, published by Kendall/Hunt Publishing in 2018, covers approximately 1,000 woody plants and includes nearly 30,000 color photographs of leaves (in both summer and fall), flowers, fruits, twigs, bark, and overall form for each species. The software showcases multiple images of every plant part, allowing users to familiarize themselves with typical field variations. A customizable self-assessment feature allows users to gauge their progress in identifying plants.

Contact Virginia Tech

Please choose the department you wish to contact. By choosing the correct department, you help speed our response to your request.

Virginia Tech Switchboard

Phone: 540-231-6000

Unit and College Communications Contacts

- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | Virginia Cooperative Extension

Tom Soladay, Director of Marketing and Communications

540-232-2501 | tsoladay@vt.edu

cals.vt.edu | ext.vt.edu

- College of Architecture, Arts, and Design

Krista Timney, Director of Marketing and Communications

540-231-4160 | ktimney@vt.edu

aad.vt.edu

- College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Jenny Boone, Director of Marketing and Communications

540-232-8574 | jennykb@vt.edu

liberalarts.vt.edu

- College of Natural Resources and Environment

Max Esterhuizen, Director of Marketing and Communications 

540-231-6157 | max.esterhuizen@vt.edu

cnre.vt.edu

- College of Engineering

Chelsea Seeber, Director of Marketing and Communications

540-231-2108 | chelseab29@vt.edu

eng.vt.edu

- Pamplin College of Business

Marc Kaplan, Director of Marketing and Communications

540-744-6716 | marck@vt.edu

pamplin.vt.edu

NOTES

- The app includes a 650 MB database of images and textual content that is downloaded from our server. It is recommended to install Virginia Tech Tree Identification via a fast Wi-Fi connection, as cellular networks may be too slow for optimal performance.

- Text and photography credits go to John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson from the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, and Ed Jensen from Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University.

- Potts programmed the app; Peterson created digitized range maps for each species, worked on the interview key, and manipulated the database; and Seiler provided most of the photographs and lent his eye for design, product testing, and end-user market research. Professional application developer Andrew Meeks, who graduated from Virginia Tech in 2004 with a degree in wildlife science, helped solve some technical issues.