Dynamic essence of trees

I have often heard that the first impression is the most important. I had never really thought too much about it, but somewhere in the back of my mind I accepted this as good advice. That was until a wise woman asked me, "Why would you want to be friends with anyone who summed you up in a few seconds?"

This query sat with me for a long time, churning and fermenting in my head. Where is the balance between immediate instinct and the acceptance that each person is a changing piece of art not to be quickly defined?

While hashing this out in my brain, I couldn't help but recognize how I often created a static "knowing" of things in nature based on my first impression. Maybe this is the hazard of first impressions. But spending more and more time in the chaparral has made me realize that first impressions are just that. They may be appropriate for that moment, but they do not accurately portray the dynamic essence of a species, a land or a system.

Recently this discrepancy between first impressions and knowing has come to my attention regarding trees. So often I pass by a tree and, from the vaguest outline, I will name it and continue by. But this winter when the trees lost their leaves and in spring when the buds burst, I truly took notice of all the attributes that make a tree individual.

Coniferous or broad-leaved?

To comprehend trees better, note should be taken of key characteristics: growth habits, buds, twigs and leaf patterns. The first step, though, is deciding if the tree is coniferous or broadleaved. Conifers bear cones and their leaves are scalelike or needlelike. Examples of conifer trees are ponderosa pines and Monterey cypress. Broadleaf trees comprise all trees that do not have needles, such as a sycamores or oaks. The differentiation between broadleaf and conifer will help you understand what the tree's basic resources are.

Next, recognize the growth habit of the tree. Helpful questions to ask are: "Is it a tree or a shrub?" "Is there one main trunk or multiple stems?" "Does the tree grow erect or laterally?" "What is the shape of the crown?" "How tall is it?" "What is the diameter of the trunk?" These questions aid in grouping tree growth forms.

For instance, toyon and scrub oak share a similar form, while sycamores and cottonwoods are comparable. Once trees are clumped by growth habits, the reasons for different growth forms are better understood. Each growth form has needs that vary widely from other forms; e.g., sycamores need to have their roots in water while scrub oaks do well on dry, rocky slopes. Each tree grows to best suit its requirements.

Know your buds and twigs

Another arboreal feature to become familiar with are the bud and twig types. These features are especially valuable in the winter, when deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. A twig is the newest growth at the end of a branchlet that is last year's growth. When leaves are absent, the leaf scars on twigs and branchlets help to distinguish similar-looking trees. Tree species fall into two broad categories: leaf scars that are arranged in opposite pairs and/or whorls or leaf scars that are single and appear in a random pattern.

While the twigs are being examined, the buds will also beg to be noticed. Buds refer to the mature buds that grow in fall, are dormant in winter and burst in spring. The more I notice buds, the more astonished I am at their vast diversity. Some buds have elaborate shapes and scaling while other species adorn their buds with brilliant colors.

Beyond the bud's aesthetic, the placement of the bud on the twig will help to better differentiate the tree. Is the bud growing directly at the end of a twig or on the side? Are the buds slightly shy of the twig tip, making them a "false" end bud? Are the buds growing directly from the twig or are they on a spur?

Other things to notice are the leaves and their branching pattern. Begin by observing if the leaves are growing opposite, whorled or alternate to each other. What is the shape of the leaf? Are the leaf margins toothed, lobed or smooth? Is the leaf compound or entire?

Beyond these more technical facets of tree identification, a person could lose himself in the intricacy of a tree's entirety. While he's sitting at the bottom of a tree and taking in all of its nuances a story unfolds- a story that may be missed if one relies only on first impressions. Realizing this about trees, I am anxious to bypass my first impressions of people and know each individual story.