You can name almost any tree from four clues — its leaves, bark, shape, and any fruit or cones. Here’s the method arborists use, plus a way to get the species (and a health check) from one photo.
Free on iOS · Species ID + disease diagnosis
Trees give themselves away — you just need to know what to look at first.
Broad or needle-like? Simple or compound? Note the edge and whether they grow opposite or alternate.
Smooth, furrowed, peeling, or plated — bark is your best clue in winter when leaves are gone.
Columnar, spreading, weeping, or conical form is often recognizable from a distance.
Acorns, samaras, berries, catkins, or cones are strong species indicators when present.
Broad vs needle, simple vs compound, edge shape, and opposite vs alternate arrangement.
Texture and pattern narrow the species — especially useful outside the growing season.
The silhouette and growth habit tell you a lot before you get close.
Reproductive parts are among the strongest identifiers when the tree has them.
IsaArboristBuddy names the species from a leaf or whole-tree photo and adds a health and disease check.
IsaArboristBuddy identifies any tree from a photo and diagnoses common diseases and pest damage — plus ISA arborist exam prep for the pros.
Photograph a leaf, the bark, or the whole tree and scan it with IsaArboristBuddy. It returns the species with a confidence score, plus habitat and care information.
IsaArboristBuddy identifies trees from a photo and adds disease diagnosis and ISA arborist exam prep — built for curious walkers and working arborists alike.
Note whether leaves are broad or needle-like, simple or compound, their edge shape, and whether they grow opposite or alternate. Those four traits narrow most trees to a family.
Yes. Alongside species ID, IsaArboristBuddy flags common diseases and pest damage from a photo and suggests next steps.