• Forest zones in the Southeast range from the sub-tropical forest of south Florida to the spruce-fir, alpine belt found along the crests of the Appalachian mountains. Also important to this part of the country are the mixed hardwood and bald cypress forests that grow in the vast tracts of swampland, and the large acres of pines that can be found in the sandy soils of the Piedmont region. All in all, the southeastern United States has a very diverse flora.
  
  

The Conifers Include Many Pines

• The key to identifying conifers is looking at the needles. The hemlock (one species is found in the South) has flat needles, and the pines have needles in clumps. According to the North Florida Research and Education Center, 10 different types of pines are commonly found in the South.
  
  To distinguish among the many Southern pines, you will have to count the needles (two to five most of the time) and notice whether the needle is long or short. The most common pines in the region include the longleaf, loblolly, slash, shortleaf, sand, spruce, pond, pitch, Virginia, and table-mountain pine.
  
  Bald cypress and cedar have scalelike needles. The bald cypress is a large tree that drops its needles every fall.
  
  In the mountains, two common trees are found at the summits--the red spruce and the balsam fir. The balsam fir has aromatic needles, while the needles of the red spruce wrap completely around the twig.
  
  

Evergreen Flowering Plants

• In hotter and drier climates such as are found in the South, the presence of evergreen flowering plants increases dramatically. In the southeastern states, some of the most common hardwoods can be identified by their hard, shiny evergreen leaves. Some of the most noted Southern trees fall into this group, which includes the live oak, the American holly, the Southern magnolia and several species of mangrove found along the Florida coast. These trees are very easy to tell apart.
  
  

Many Deciduous Hardwoods

• As stated on the NPS website for The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, these mountains are a botanist's paradise. During recent geological history the area served as a plant sanctuary while the glaciers advanced. As a result, these forests and those of the surrounding areas abound with many deciduous hardwood species.
  
  Northern species including birch, beech, maple and ironwood can be found at higher elevations. Elsewhere, both groups of oaks (red and white) are present, as well as many hickories, redbud, tupelo, black gum, yellow poplar, black locust, catalpa, persimmon, paw-paw and the unique Kentucky coffee tree.
  
  This bounty of hardwood species necessitates the use of a dichotomous tree key, but learning to spot-identify all these varied species is a very rewarding task.