There are multiple types of pine trees, but as members of the same broad family, they tend to share similar characteristics. Look for tall trees with needles and cone type fruit to find a pine tree.  Loblolly pine trees are tall trees, usually reaching heights between 98 and 115 feet (30 to 35 m). These trees have needles that are usually found in bunches of three, and the trees produce cone-type fruit. The bark is scaly, and the branches are largely clustered at the top of the tree.  Lodgepole pine trees are thin, narrow trees reaching heights of 130 to 160 feet (40 to 50 m). The top of the tree tends to be flattened, but they also have needles that come in clusters of two and cone-type fruit. As with pine trees, there are a few different variations of fir tree within the fir species, even though most do share similar traits.  Douglas fir trees are one of the tallest tree types in the world, growing up to 250 feet (76 m) tall. The bark is thin and smooth on young trees but thick and corky on old trees. These trees produce cone-like fruit with a narrow shape and red-brown scales, and the needle-like leaves are arranged in spirals, lying flat along the shoots. The top of the tree is somewhat cylindrical.  Balsam fir trees are a smaller variety, reaching heights between 46 and 66 feet (14 and 20 m). The top of the tree is narrow and pointed, giving the overall shape a conical appearance. The bark is smooth and gray on young trees but rough and scaly on old trees, and the leaves are needle-like. The cones ripen to a brown color but disintegrate and release winged seeds in the fall. Oak trees are usually divided into a white oak group and a red oak group, but other variations exist as well.  White oak trees have simple, lobed leaves without bristled tips. They produce acorns, and the bark is usually a light gray color with a scaly appearance.  Red oak trees also produce acorns, but they have lobed leaves with bristled tips. The bark is scaly and a dark red-gray to red-brown color. The branches are thin and initially appear bright green before turning dark red and, eventually, dark brown. Maple trees are all fairly similar, but there are also multiple types within the broader species.  Sugar maple trees have five rounded leaf lobes. In the spring and summer, the leaves are green, but they turn bright yellow, orange, or bright red-orange in fall, and the fall coloring tends to be uneven. The bark has ridges in it and the fruit it produces is winged.  Silver maple trees have sharp leaf lobes that are deeply cut. While vibrant green during the summer, the leaves are only a pale yellow in the fall. The bark tends to be smooth and silver on young trees but gray and shaggy on old trees.  Red maple trees have sharp leaf lobes that are shallowly cut. The leaves are green during the summer but usually turn a vibrant shade of red during autumn. The bark of the tree is smooth and pale gray in young trees, but older trees get darker bark with a plate-like texture. Red maple trees also produce double-sided winged fruit. Birch trees are used fairly commonly as decorative or ornamental trees due to their colorful bark and exposed trunks. Look for papery bark that wraps around the tree, lobed leaves with points around the outside and small, fragile cones attached to the branches to identify a birch.  Paper birch trees will have white, very papery bark and can grow up to 70 feet (21 m) tall.  Red or water birch trees have a darker, reddish-brown or copper colored bark. They also tend to be much smaller, between the size of a shrub or up to 30 feet (9.1 m) tall. Sycamores are giant trees, used both to decorate a broad landscape and to provide a spot of shade on a particularly hot day. To identify a sycamore tree, look for large, leathery green leaves and small green flowers attached to its branches. The bark will generally be a mixture of whites, tans, and browns, although these colors might be covered with a thin layer of white bark. If you’re trying to find a sycamore tree, look up! Sycamores can grow up to 100 feet (30 m), with a canopy of leaves covering a 70 feet (21 m) diameter.

Summary:
Identify a pine tree. Spot a fir tree. Know what an oak looks like. Familiarize yourself with the maple tree. Recognize a birch tree. Spot a sycamore tree.