This document provides information about common tree species found in the Barrier Lake Area of Kananaskis Country, Alberta. It identifies both broadleaf and conifer tree types and provides details about key identifying features such as appearance, leaves or needles, bark, cones, and examples of each species in stands. Species described include lodgepole pine, white spruce, Douglas fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, alpine larch, trembling aspen, and balsam poplar.

1. Tree Species Identification
Barrier Lake Area,
Kananaskis Country

2. Broad Species Groupings
• Broadleaf – These trees have leaves.
Commonly (and mistakenly) also called
“deciduous” trees.
• Conifer – These trees have needles and cones.
Commonly (and mistakenly) also called
“evergreen” trees.
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• Deciduous – Drops its leaves or needles in the
fall.
• Evergreen – Keeps its leaves or needles year-
round.

3. Broadleaf vs Deciduous
Broadleaf
• Leaves.
• Light to moderate
green crown colour.
• Billowy crown shape.
• Absent in some
natural subregions.
Conifer
• Needles and cones.
• Darker green crown
colour.
• Conical crown shape.
• Present in all treed
natural subregions.

4. Broadleaf
vs
Conifer
CONIFERBROADLEAF

5. Lodgepole Pine
(Pinus contorta)
• Conifer species.
• Native to Western Canada.
• Eastern range of species is found in Alberta.
• Commonly hybridizes with jack pine in transition zones.
• Pioneer species.
• Sun-loving.
• Tolerant of dry sites. Not found in wetlands.
• Commonly found in mixed stands with aspen and white
spruce.
• Requires fire or heat to open cones.
• Typical lifespan is 100-120 years.
• Commonly used as lumber.
• Currently under attack by the mountain pine beetle.
• AVI Code = Pl

6. Appearance
 Crown colour is an olive
green.
 Crown shape is generally
tall and slender.
 Long needles give the
tree a fuzzy appearance.
 In closed canopied
stands, crowns may be
limited to the upper extent
of tree heights.

7. Needles
 Needles are long (2 – 3 inches).
 Needles occur in bunches of two.
 Needles are often twisted in a spiral with sharp points.
 Needles are stiff.
 Needles are usually a dark olive green.

8. Bark
 Bark is thin.
 Bark is finely scaled.
 Bark is orangey-
brown to grey in colour.

9. Cones
 Seed cones vary in shape from short and
cylindrical to egg-shaped.
 Size is 2 to 4 cm long without stalks.
 Seed scales have sharp prickles at their tips.

10. Example Lodgepole Pine Stand

11. Mountain Pine Beetle Damage - Banff

12. White Spruce
(Picea glauca)
• Conifer species.
• Commonly hybridizes with Engelmann spruce in
transition zones.
• Climax species.
• Can grow up to 40m tall.
• Commonly found as an understory species to
aspen and lodgepole pine.
• Commonly found in mixed stands with other
species. Pure stands are uncommon.
• Commonly used as lumber and pulp.
• AVI Code = Sw

13. Appearance
 Crown colour is a dark
green.
 Crown shape is generally
conical and pointed.
Crowns commonly come
right down to the ground.

14. Needles
 Needles are short (< 1 inch).
 Needles are four-sided.
 Needles are arranged spirally on the twigs.
 Needles are stiff and sharp.
 Needles are usually a dark green.

15. Bark
 Bark is loose and
scaly.
 Bark is greyish-brown
in colour.
 Bark is thicker than
that of lodgepole pine.

16. Cones
 Seed cones are light brown to purplish in colour.
 Seed cones hang from the upper branches.
 Seed scales have a smooth, rounded outer
edge.
 Pollen cones are pale red.

17. Example White Spruce Stand

18. Douglas Fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii)
• Conifer species.
• Long-lived species.
• Can grow up to 30m tall in Alberta, although is generally
much shorter.
• Not found north of Saskatchewan Crossing.
• Considered an indicator species for the Montane natural
subregion.
• Tolerant of dry sites.
• Commonly found as veteran trees in mixed stands as the
species has good fire resistance.
• Commonly used as lumber.
• AVI Code = Fd

19. Appearance
 Crown colour is a dark
green.
 Crown texture is coarse.
 Crowns may be
cylindrical in shape.
 Older trees have a long,
branch-free trunk and a
cylindrical crown with a
flattened top.

20. Needles
 Needles are short (< 1 inch).
 Needles are flat with a pointed tip.
 Needles appear to stand out around the twig.
 Needles are soft.
 Needles are bright yellowish-green on the upper surface
with a single groove down the centre. The lower surface is
paler.

21. Bark
 Bark is smooth, grey-
brown, with gummy
resin-filled blisters
when young.
 Bark becomes very
thick with age and
deeply grooved, with
dark reddish-brown
ridges.
 The thick bark adds
fire-resistance to
ground fires.

22. Cones
 Seed cones are 5 to 11 cm long.
 Seed cones turn from green to brown to grey as
they mature.
 Between each scale, long three-pronged bracts
are easily seen.
 Seeds are winged at the tip.

23. Example Douglas Fir Stand

24. Subalpine Fir
(Abies lasiocarpa)
• Conifer species.
• Long-lived species.
• Generally around 20m to 35m tall.
• Prefers cool summers, cold winters and a deep
snowpack.
• Grows at higher elevations.
• Considered an indicator species for the
Subalpine natural subregion.
• Generally lives 120 – 140 years old.
• AVI Code = Fa

25. Appearance
 Crown colour is a dark
green.
 Crown shape is generally
long and narrow.
 Crowns commonly come
right down to the ground.
 Branches are short and
stiff.
 May have lichens on
lower branches.
 Common krumholtz
species.

26. Needles
 Needles are short (< 1 inch).
 Needles are flat with blunt ends.
 Needles tend to turn upwards, but often a few stick out
from the underside of the branch.
 Needles are soft.
 Needles are usually a dark green.

27. Bark
 Bark is smooth
with resin blisters
when young.
 Bark becomes
broken into large
scales with age.
 Bark is grey.
 Bark is thicker than
that of lodgepole
pine.

28. Cones
 Seed cones are deep purple in colour.
 Seed cones grow upright in the upper branches.
 Seed cones disintegrate on the tree leaving a
central spike.
 Pollen cones are bluish.

29. Example Subalpine Fir Stand

30. Engelmann Spruce
(Picea engelmannii)
• Conifer species.
• Hybridizes with white spruce in transition zones.
• Generally around 30m to 35m tall.
• Prefers short, cool summers and long, cold winters.
• Prefers best on deep, rich soils with adequate moisture.
• Grows at higher elevations.
• Considered an indicator species for the Subalpine
natural subregion.
• A long-lived species, can live to > 500 years.
• Commonly occurs with subalpine fir and mountain
arnica.
• AVI Code = Se

31. Appearance
 A straight tree.
 Crown is spire-like.
 Branches near the
ground tend to droop.
 Crown often comes
right down to the ground.
 Crown is dark green.
 Common krumholtz
species.

32. Needles
 Needles are short (< 1 inch).
 Needles are four-sided and sharp and not particularly stiff.
 Needles are arranged in all directions on the twigs.
 Needles are a bluish-green with two white bands on both
the upper and lower surfaces.

33. Bark
 Bark is loose and scaly.
 Bark is reddish-brown to grey in colour.
Cones
 Seed cones are yellow to purplish-brown.
 Seed cones hang from the upper branches.
 Seed cones have papery seed scales which are
tapered at both ends and have a ragged outer
edge.
 Pollen cones are most commonly yellow to
purplish-brown.

34. Example Engelmann Spruce Stand

35. Alpine Larch
(Larix lyallii)
• Conifer species.
• Generally grows up to15m tall.
• Prefers very cold, snowy areas.
• Often grows on rocky, gravelly soils.
• Grows at higher elevations.
• Commonly found with subalpine fir and Engelmann
spruce.
• Generally found in the subalpine natural subregion.
• A deciduous conifer species that turns colour in the fall
and then drops its needles.
• AVI Code = La

36. Appearance
 Often dwarfed or
contorted.
 Crown colour is a dark
green.
 Crown tends to be sparse
and thin looking.
 Has woolly hair on its
buds and twigs.

37. Needles
 Needles are short (~ 1 inch).
 Needles are four-sided.
 Needles grow in clusters of 30 to 40 on short woody
projections which remain on the tree after the needles fall.
 Needles are very soft to the touch.
 Needles are usually a moderately dark green.

38. Bark
 Bark is thin and
deeply grooved.
 Bark flakes into
reddish- to
purplish-brown
scales.

39. Cones
 Seed cones are small and egg-shaped.
 Seed cones are reddish-yellow to purple when
young.
 Between each scale of the cone there are
prominent bracts.
 Pollen cones are yellow.

40. Example Alpine Larch Stand

41. Trembling Aspen
• Broadleaf species..
• Commonly a pioneer species.
• Can grow up to 30m tall.
• Commonly found in mixed stands with other species.
Pure stands are common.
• Commonly colonizes as clones – multiple trees from a
single root source. Clones can be very long lived (e.g.
thousands of years)
• All trees in a clone have identical DNA and identical
timing for spring greenup and fall colouring.
• Heart rot is not uncommon in older trees.
• Commonly used for pulp, waferboard and chopsticks.
• AVI Code = Aw

42. Appearance
 A slender, graceful shape.
 Trees in open density
stands may have full crowns
that extend far down the
trunk.
 Trees in closed canopy
stands will likely have
crowns only near the top.

43. Leaves
 Leaves are dark green above, paler underneath.
 Leaves turn golden yellow or slightly red in the fall.
 Leaf shape is round to triangular with a flattened stalk that
is longer than the leaf.
 Leaves tremble at the slightest hint of a breeze.

44. Bark
 Bark is smooth and
green.
 Bark may be rougher
on older trees, but
branches will still have
smooth bark.
 Bark does not peel.
 Bark has a whitish
powdery coating.
 Bark may appear
similar to birch.

45. Example Aspen Stand

46. Balsam Poplar
(Populus balsamifera)
• Broadleaf species…
• Can grow up to 25m tall.
• Commonly found in mixed stands with other species.
Pure stands are common.
• Has a preference for moist sites such as floodplains.
Easily damaged by drought.
• Not very shade tolerant. Likes light.
• Commonly used for pulp, waferboard and chopsticks.
• Not a long-lived species. Heart-rot is not uncommon in
older trees.
• Mature seeds have white hairs and look like cotton.
• AVI Code = Pb

47. Appearance
 Straight-trunked.
 Trees in open density stands
may have full crowns that
extend far down the trunk.
 Trees in closed canopy stands
will likely have crowns only near
the top.
 Has a coarser crown texture
than aspen (e.g. on aerial
photos).

48. Leaves
 Leaves are dark green above, paler underneath and often
marked with brown.
 Leaf shape varies from oval to wedge-shaped and have a
sharply pointed tip.
 Leaves are shiny.
 New spring leaves have a strong sweet smell.

49. Bark
 Bark is smooth and
yellowish-grey on
young trees.
 Bark is thick and
deeply grooved on
older trees.
 Bark has no powdery
coating.

50. Example Balsam Poplar Stand

51. Uncommon Species

52. Limber Pine
(Pinus flexilis)
• Conifer species.
• Generally grows 5 to 10m tall.
• A small, scrubby, twisted tree with short limbs.
• A hardy species that survives in difficult conditions (e.g.
chinook zones).
• Occurs on dry to moderately moist sites.
• Can occur on rocky sites where its roots penetrate the
spaces between rocks.
• Sometimes found with douglas fir.
• Found only south of the Bow Valley in the montane and
subalpine zones.
• Occurs as a single tree or in widely spaced groups.
• AVI Code = Pf

53. Appearance
 Small, scrubby and
twisted with short limbs.
 Usually 5 to 10m tall.
 The lower branches on
older trees becomes very
long and drooping with
upturned tips.
 Looks similar to whitebark
pine.

54. Needles
 Needles are long (3 to 9 cm).
 Needles occur in bunches of five.
 Needles are very stiff.
 Needles are bluish-green.
 Needles tend to be clustered at the ends of twigs

55. Bark
 Bark is silvery-grey
on young trees.
 Bark on older trees
becomes thicker, very
rough, and nearly
black, with scaly
patches.

56. Cones
 Seed cones are cylindrical in shape.
 Seed cones are large – 8 to 20 cm long.
 Seed cones are yellowish-brown.
 Seed cone scales are thickened and sticky
towards the tip.
 The seeds are nut-like and almost wingless.
 NOTE: Cone size is the distinguishing size
between limber pine and whitebark pine.