Additional Sources for Tree Species Information

By clicking on PLANTS Links found at the bottom of the left hand navigation area on the PLANTS Home Page, visitors can find many sources of information on individual plant species other than the basic information and Fact Sheets. Some of the links within “Plant Groups A to W/Plant Fact Sheets” (off-site) include:

Fire Effects Information System
The FEIS is maintained by the Federal land management agencies (USFS, BLM, BIA, FWS, and NPS). It encompasses about 900 species and provides a wealth of ecological information, particularly how fire affects each species. Go to the Plant Species Life Form page, click on “Tree,” then click on a link to view the information available on a species.

Tree Fact Sheets
These US Forest Service tree fact sheets are maintained by the University of Florida Horticulture Department. They address 680 species found in the southeastern United States. Included are small line drawings, distribution maps, many plant characters, and a discussion of use and management.

Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheets
This site contains both identification and landowner fact sheets. The hundreds of identification fact sheets each contain several photos and key characteristics that are invaluable for verifying a plant in question.

SelecTree: Urban Forest Ecosystems
Maintained at Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo, this site contains information on over 1,400 trees. The site is . The data are primarily derived from a California power industry database and Southern Trees (University of Florida). Trees can be selected by name or species attributes to help you select trees for different uses.

The Gymnosperm Database
This database encompasses almost 1,000 gymnosperm species worldwide. There is a selection box in the top left hand corner of the home page. To understand what information is available, select “Pinophyta-Pinaceae,” select “Pinus,” then select “P. banksiana.” This will bring you to the page on Jack pine with a description, images, and other information.
Your contact is Scott Peterson, Director, NRCS National Plant Data Center, at 225-775-6280.