Identify trees by their fruit and seeds

Nuts and acorns

A hard nut, often in a cup or a husk.

• English oakAcorns on long stalks
• Sessile oakAcorns sitting right on the twig
• Turkey oakAn acorn in a mossy cup
• Horse chestnutA conker in a thick spiny husk
• Sweet chestnutA ball of fine spines, usually three nuts
• BeechTwo triangular nuts in a prickly husk
• HazelA nut in a ragged leafy husk

English oakAcorns on long stalks, often in pairs Sessile oakAcorns sitting right against the twig Luca Fornasari, CC BY 4.0Turkey oakTwo-tone acorn in a mossy cup oliverc29, CC BY 4.0Horse chestnutA conker in a thick spiny husk Owen and Carol Fawcett., CC BY 4.0Sweet chestnutDense ball of fine spines, usually three nuts Common beechTriangular nuts, two to a prickly husk David Ashcroft, CC BY 4.0HazelNuts in a leafy husk their own length Matthew Vosper, CC BY 4.0Holm oakSmall pointed acorns deep in hairy cups Maksymilian Bobko, CC BY 4.0Red oakSquat acorn in a shallow saucer cup zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0WalnutGreen husk splitting away from a wrinkled nut

Winged seeds and keys

A seed with a papery wing that spins as it falls.

• SycamorePairs, the wings in a V
• Norway maplePairs, the wings almost in a line
• Field mapleSmall pairs, the wings in a line
• AshBunches of single keys, held all winter
• HornbeamThree-lobed leafy flaps
• An elm, such as wych elmA round papery disc
• A limeSmall fruit hanging from a leafy strap

Yves Bas, CC BY 4.0SycamorePaired keys, wings set in a V Norway maplePaired keys, wings spread almost in a line Field maplePaired keys with wings set in a line Common ashBunches of biscuit brown keys, held all winter HornbeamHanging clusters of three-lobed leafy flaps Scott Shanks, CC BY 4.0Wych elmFlat papery discs, seed dead centre Common limeHairy fruit hanging from a leafy strap Jose Gutierrez Higa, CC BY 4.0Field elmPapery disc, seed up under the notch João D'Andretta, CC BY 4.0Japanese mapleSmall reddish keys hanging in clusters Large-leaved limeHard woody nut with five raised ribs Andrew Skotnicki, CC BY 4.0Silver birchCylindrical catkins that crumble into winged seeds

Berries and cherries

Small, soft and often bright.

• HawthornRed haws, one pip in each
• RowanFlat heads of scarlet berries
• HollyRed berries among glossy spiny leaves, on female trees only
• YewA red cup, open at the tip
• ElderDrooping clusters of small black berries
• BlackthornDusty blue sloes

Henry Miller, CC BY 4.0HawthornRed haws, one pip in each David Ashcroft, CC BY 4.0RowanFlat heads of scarlet berries from August HollyRound red berries, on female trees only John Witton, CC BY 4.0YewRed berry-like cup, open at the tip ElderDrooping clusters of small black berries Nicola Crockford, CC BY 4.0BlackthornDusty blue sloes, black under the bloom Paul Cook, CC BY 4.0Cherry plumRound plums ripening yellow or red Scott Shanks, CC BY 4.0Common whitebeamDull red berries, two seeds in each DogwoodPurplish black berries on dark red stalks chrisdt, CC BY 4.0JuniperRound and black under a bluish waxy coating Don Loarie, CC BY 4.0Midland hawthornDeep red haws, two or three stones Andrey Polstianoi, CC BY 4.0Purple-leaved plumRound purple plums, a few among the leaves Swedish whitebeamOval scarlet berries, freckled with small specks Wild cherryRound red cherries darkening to purple

Apples and pears

Firm fruit with pips inside.

Alex Press, CC BY 4.0AppleHollow at each end, one with a brown star Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0Crab appleHard yellowish green apples, 2 to 3 cm

Cones

Woody or papery scales round a central stalk.

• A cedarUpright barrels standing on the branch
• A fir, such as grand firUpright, high in the crown
• Douglas firHanging, with three-pointed straps showing
• Norway spruceLong and hanging, up to 20 cm
• Japanese larchSmall and round, the scale tips bent back
• Lawson cypressPea-sized and round
• AlderSmall and woody, on a broadleaf tree

Jonathan Curley, CC BY 4.0Grand firUpright cones about 8 cm, high in the crown Douglas firHanging cones with three-pointed straps showing Norway spruceLong hanging cones, to 20 cm Japanese larchSmall round cones, scale tips bent back Jarro Nevsbaru, CC BY 4.0Lawson cypressPea-sized round cones, few broad scales scallions, CC BY 4.0AlderSmall woody cones, on the tree year round Dyhia YOUSFI, CC BY 4.0Atlas cedarUpright barrel cones with a sunken top Шальнов Кирилл, CC BY 4.0Cedar of LebanonBarrel cones standing upright on the branch Corsican pinePointed cones to 8 cm, dull greyish brown European larchSmall oval cones, old ones going dark grey Nicole, CC BY 4.0Giant redwoodWoody egg-shaped cones, 4 to 7 cm long David Anderson, CC BY 4.0Noble firHuge upright cones under long papery flaps dawn2022, CC BY 4.0Scots pineSlim greyish brown cones, two ages at once Barry Walter, CC BY 4.0Sitka sprucePapery crinkle-edged cones, 6 to 10 cm Western hemlockSmall drooping cones, green then greyish brown Chris Fluit, CC BY 4.0Western red cedarSmall upright cones opening into thin scales

Fluffy seeds

Tiny seeds on white down, carried off on the wind.

Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), CC BY 4.0AspenWhite fluffy seed, shed as the leaves open Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), CC BY 4.0Bay willowSmall seed cases opening to white down

Pods

Seeds in a pod, like a bean’s.

Tomás Carranza Perales, CC BY 4.0Honey locustLong, very dark pods that twist and rattle tylototriton, CC BY 4.0Judas treePods flat and thin, hanging into winter

Other fruit

Clive Freedman, CC BY 4.0EucalyptusHard woody capsules, bell-shaped and waxed silver Susan Marley, CC BY 4.0London planeBristly balls, about 3 cm, hanging all winter