Winter Plant ID

Without leaves or flowers, it can be a challenge to identify plants – particularly forbs – in a winter landscape.

The likely answer to the question, “What is that?”, is often revealed by observing any (and preferably more than one) of the following clues:
• the color, texture, hairiness, and thickness of certain plant parts;
• the scent of scraped bark or that of a crushed bud or fruit;
• the plant’s branching or leaf pattern;
• if present, any fruit such as nuts, berries, or seed pods; or
• the habitat in which the plant is growing.

If you missed the online presentations that I conducted in 2021, you may view an archived copy of each; please use these links:

Another resource, available for purchase, to aid in your identification of plants in their winter slumber is A Guide to Wildflowers in Winter Herbaceous Plants of Northeastern North America by Carol Levine (1995).

Agrimony (One of two species frequently found in forests shown here; the residual leaves on this stem indicate that this specimen is Woodland Agrimony.)

The vine with red fruit wrapped around the tree branch:  Asiatic Bittersweet

The two stems (left to right) in the foreground (not the one with leaves) –
(1) Large stem along left edge of photo:  Black Cherry
(2) Smaller stem slightly right of center of photo:  Asiatic Bittersweet

The stem with red berries: Canada Mayflower

Black berries on tree branches: Common Buckthorn; Red berries on vine entwined with tree branches: Asiatic Bittersweet

The small plant wrapped around the red twig:  Common Dodder

The stem with seed pods:  Foxglove Beardtongue

The thin vine-like plant with the seed pod: Hog Peanut

An invasive honeysuckle

The arching thin stem near the top of the photo and the arching thin stem along the bottom of the photo:  Jumpseed

Poison-ivy with fruit

Virginia Creeper (closeup and in background)

Wild Cucumber – resembles mini lufas on a string!