diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/Types.h b/openvdb/openvdb/Types.h
index 6578802185..ed4fc53a69 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/Types.h
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/Types.h
@@ -234,6 +234,18 @@ using make_index_sequence =
     std::decay_t<decltype(make_index_sequence_impl<N>())>;
 
 
+////////////////////////////////////////
+
+/// @brief A Traits struct that can be used to query properties of an input T.
+
+template<typename T>
+struct TreeTraits
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = false;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = false;
+};
+
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/adaptive/AdaptiveGrid.h b/openvdb/openvdb/adaptive/AdaptiveGrid.h
index bca97305b3..f0a646c684 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/adaptive/AdaptiveGrid.h
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/adaptive/AdaptiveGrid.h
@@ -282,6 +282,34 @@ struct TreeAdapter<adaptive::AdaptiveAccessor<_TreeType> >
 };
 
 
+////////////////////////////////////////
+
+// Overload the TreeTraits struct to declare a const/non-const AdaptiveTree as adaptive
+
+template<typename ValueT>
+struct TreeTraits<adaptive::AdaptiveTree<ValueT>>
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = false;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = true;
+};
+
+template<typename ValueT>
+struct TreeTraits<const adaptive::AdaptiveTree<ValueT>>
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = false;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = true;
+};
+
+// Overload the TreeTraits struct to declare an AdaptiveAccessor as adaptive
+
+template<typename TreeT>
+struct TreeTraits<adaptive::AdaptiveAccessor<TreeT>>
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = false;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = true;
+};
+
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h b/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h
index 22ea00a914..4149e0e929 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/tree/Tree.h
@@ -2125,6 +2125,30 @@ Tree<RootNodeType>::print(std::ostream& os, int verboseLevel) const
 }
 
 } // namespace tree
+
+
+////////////////////////////////////////
+
+// Overload the TreeTraits struct to declare a const/non-const Tree as sparse
+
+template<typename NodeT>
+struct TreeTraits<tree::Tree<NodeT>>
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = true;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = false;
+};
+
+template<typename NodeT>
+struct TreeTraits<const tree::Tree<NodeT>>
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = true;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = false;
+};
+
+
+////////////////////////////////////////
+
+
 } // namespace OPENVDB_VERSION_NAME
 } // namespace openvdb
 
diff --git a/openvdb/openvdb/tree/ValueAccessor.h b/openvdb/openvdb/tree/ValueAccessor.h
index bf749e8785..850b0cb292 100644
--- a/openvdb/openvdb/tree/ValueAccessor.h
+++ b/openvdb/openvdb/tree/ValueAccessor.h
@@ -1021,6 +1021,20 @@ class ValueAccessorImpl final :
 }; // ValueAccessorImpl
 
 } // namespace tree
+
+
+////////////////////////////////////////
+
+// Overload the TreeTraits struct to declare a const/non-const ValueAccessorImpl as sparse
+
+template<typename TreeT, bool IsSafeT, typename MutexT, typename IndexSequenceT>
+struct TreeTraits<tree::ValueAccessorImpl<TreeT, IsSafeT, MutexT, IndexSequenceT>>
+{
+    static const bool IsSparse = true;
+    static const bool IsAdaptive = false;
+};
+
+
 } // namespace OPENVDB_VERSION_NAME
 } // namespace openvdb