Since this sight is aimed at helping the morel hunter at becoming successful in his/her morel hunt, I thought this site wouldn't be complete without a page that provides information on tree identification. Morel hunters know that the main key to finding morels is knowing which trees produce. I have included the main hosting trees for morels. Although morels have been found near other types of trees but I think I have included the main big hitters here on this page
If you read anything on this site this is perhaps the most important read discussed. I encourage you not to pass this up. Knowing how to identify the Hosting trees is a major contributer to how well you do.
After studying this page you will be able to:
- Identify what the main hosting trees bark pattens look like.
- What main hosting trees leaves look like.
- The shape and size of the main hosting trees.
- The type of fruit the tree porvides.
- The types of morels asscotiated with the main hosting trees.
| Aspen Tree |
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"Aspen Tree"
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"Aspen Leaf"
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"Aspen Bark"
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"Aspen Fruit"
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Aspen Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Blacks
- Morchella Elata
- Morchella Angusticeps
- Morchella Conica
- Beef Steaks
Height
50-60 Feet Tall
Diameter
2-3 Feet with a rounded crown and slender branches.
Decription
The Quaking Aspen and the Big-tooth Aspen trees are very similar in appearance. The bark is kind of a smooth light grey or whiteish and in certain cases an olive cast with small furrows that almost appear as small horizontal lines. They Typically grow in clustered groves.
Leaf Characteristics:
The Quaking Aspen Leaves have a Semi-rounded,appearance that comes to a point. 1 1/2-3 inches wide. Color is a yellowish green and has very tiny rounded teeth. The main distinction between the Quaking Aspen and the Big-tooth Aspen is the leaves. The Quaking Aspen leaves have small tiny teeth whereas the Big-tooth Aspen has large jagged looking teeth. Other than that the two trees look pretty much alike.
| Poplar Tree |
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"Poplar Tree"
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"Poplar Leaf"
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"Aspen Bark"
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"Poplar Fruit"
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Poplar Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Blacks, Yellows/Blonds & Greys
Black Morels
- Morchella Elata
- Morchella Angusticeps
- Morchella Conica
Yellow/Blond/Grey Morels
- Morchella Esculenta
- Morchella Deliciosa
- Morchella Crassipes
- Beef Steaks-Gyromitra Esculenta
Height
80-100 Feet Tall
Diameter
2-6 Feet with a variable crown and large branches.
Decription
The Poplar or Tulip tree is the tallest in North America. They can reach heights of 200 feet. The bark is gray and fairly smooth when young. As the tree matures the bark become furrowed forming a diamond shape or "X" pattern (depending on your perspective)
Leaf Characteristics:
The Tulip Poplar leaves are easy to remember since they are shaped like a Tulip, Hence the name. They are typically 4-6 inches long with 4 broad lobes. Color is a dark to pale green and the edges are smooth.
| Cotton Wood Tree |
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"Cotton Wood Tree"
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"Cootn Wood Leaf"
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"Cotton Wood Bark"
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"Cotton Wood Fruit"
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Cotton Wood Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Blacks, Yellows/Blonds
Black Morels
- Morchella Elata
- Morchella Angusticeps
- Morchella Conica
Yellow/Blond/Grey Morels
- Morchella Esculenta
- Morchella Deliciosa
- Morchella Crassipes
Height
60-100 Feet Tall
Diameter
Up to 5 Feet with a wide crown and large branches.
Decription
The bark is Pale, thin, and smooth at a young age becoming grayish brown, thick, and very deeply furrowed from the base of the tree upwards. Very similar to the Tulip Poplar. The Cottonwood bark has deeper furrows.
Leaf Characteristics:
The Cottonwood leaves are broad and flat, fine double teeth, all teeth the same size,
triangular with a long stem.
| Maple Tree |
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"Maple Tree"
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"Maple Leaf"
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"Maple Tree Bark"
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"Maple Tree Fruit"
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Maple Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Blacks, Yellows/Blonds
Black Morels
- Morchella Elata
- Morchella Angusticeps
- Morchella Conica
Yellow/Blond/Grey Morels
- Morchella Esculenta
- Morchella Deliciosa
- Morchella Crassipes
Height
75-100 Feet Tall
Diameter
2-4 Feet with a wide crown and large branches.
Decription
The Maple tree is a tall tree reaching heights of 100 foot tall. The bark is grayish varying to brown, rough textured with shallow furrows.The bark on Maple trees tend to be loose in some cases.
Leaf Characteristics:
The Maple leaves are broad and flat with "U" shaped notches. No teeth. This is probably the easiest to identify and most well known leaf
| Ash Tree |
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"Ash Tree"
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"Ash Leaf"
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"Ash Tree Bark"
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"Ash Tree Fruit"
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Ash Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Blacks, Yellows/Blonds
Black Morels
- Morchella Elata
- Morchella Angusticeps
- Morchella Conica
- Morchella Semilibera
Yellow/Blond/Grey Morels
- Morchella Esculenta
- Morchella Deliciosa
- Morchella Crassipes
Height
50-80 Feet Tall
Diameter
1-3 Feet with an open crown.
Decription
The Ash tree is not as tall as most only topping a height of 80 feet. The Bark is a dark grayish brown, deeply cut into X-shapes or diamond pattern. This is a highly sought after tree for morel hunters. Good for finding blacks and can produce large flushes of yellows.
Leaf Characteristics:
The leaves of an Ash are compound, that are shaped like a candle-flame, the edges are smooth.
| American Elm Tree |
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"American Elm Treee"
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"Elm Tree Lef"
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"Elm Tree Bark"
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"Elm Tree Fruit"
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Elm Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Yellows/Grey/Blonds
Yellow/Blond/Grey Morels
Morchella Esculenta
Morchella Deliciosa
Morchella Crassipes
Height
75-100 Feet Tall
Diameter
1-5 Feet with a vase shaped crown and slender branches.
Decription
The American Elm Tree has a bark that is Thin, gray, furrowed with flattened ridges that form a vague criss-cross pattern. The leaves are a shaped like a candle flame with double saw-tooth teeth. This tree can have a green appearance as it just begins to die of the dutch elm disease. Perhaps one of the most sought after trees for morel hunters. Elm trees in their early dieing stage can produce a great flush of yellows and greys.
Leaf Characteristics:
The leaves are 4-6 inches long, candle flame shaped with double saw-tooth teeth all around the leaf. Spotting a deam Elm is very easy. When an Elm dies or begins to die, the bark will start falling off the tree. Usually the ground will be littered with big chuncks of barks all around the tree.
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| Apple Tree |
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"Apple Treee"
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"Apple Tree Lef"
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"Apple Tree Bark"
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"Apple Tree Fruit"
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Apple Tree Morel info and Characteristics
Associated Morels - Yellows/Blonds/Greys
Yellow/Blond/Grey Morels
- Morchella Esculenta
- Morchella Deliciosa
- Morchella Crassipes
Height
50-60 Feet Tall
Diameter
2-3 Feet with a rounded crown and slender branches.(Wild overgrown apple trees diameters can become much more large)
Decription
The bark of the Common Apple is gray, broken and scaly.
The Tree is a small to medium-sized tree that rarely exceeds 40 feet in height and is often smaller. It usually has a relatively short trunk, with large branches spreading out not too far from the ground and forming a broad tree with a rounded crown.If left to grow naturally can grow to heights of 15 to 20 feet. The tree trunk can be twisted and up to 4 ft in diameter. Mature trees over fifteen years of age bear fruit from September to October.
Leaf Characteristics:
Most apple tree leafs are either elliptical or oval. Their bases can rounded wedge shaped. Blossoms appear in May and are white tipped with pink.
