A guide to identifying tree leaves

How to Identify Trees By Their Flowers

Flowers play a big role in tree identification because they’re very distinctive. When you’re looking at ornamental trees, best before they bloom, inflorescence will make it easy for you to identify the species.

The inflorescence is the pattern in which the flowers arrange themselves in the stalk. Of course, you also want to pay attention to the flower’s colour, shape, petals, sepals, pollination, etc. By taking all this information in, you’ll be able to narrow down the options successfully.

It’s important to keep in mind that certain species of flowering trees produce female and male flowers simultaneously. Some trees will do this on the same tree or separate ones. For example, Oaks and Birches produce both sexes on the same tree, but there are distinct differences. A River Birch’s male flowers are long and brown, while the female flowers are green and short.

To help you gather some knowledge, here’s a list of common flowering trees and a short description of their flowers to help you identify them:

Pear Tree: The flowers on this tree are cream, white, or pink, and they feature five equal petals. Pear trees bloom in early spring, and the flowers cover the entire tree, which is just beautiful.

Pine Tree: This tree is one of the most popular ornamental trees, and they don’t produce flowers, but they produce pine cones, which grow in the stem. Pine cones are iconic, of course, and they’ve become synonymous with the holidays.

Maple Tree: The maple tree is another popular ornamental tree, thanks to its lovely foliage. Their flowers are red, orange, yellow, and green. They’re small in size, symmetrical, and feature five petals. The flowers grow in clusters, which give the tree a striking look when it’s blooming in the spring or winter.

Oak Tree: This tree is quite popular in gardens, and it’s one of those species that produce female and male flowers in different branches. The male flowers are quite unremarkable when you look at them individually. They have a pendulous and catkin shape. On the other hand, female flowers are individual and erect, producing acorns when fertilized.

Tulip Tree: These trees are well-known, and they produce yellow flowers in the shape of tulips. When you look closely, the flowers’ yellow colour has a greenish tint, and they have a bright orange center. They grow up to 2 and a half inches long, and they grow mostly at the top during the spring, so they’re difficult to see.

Eucalyptus Tree.:This tropical tree produces yellow, pink, white, or red flowers, and they don’t feature any noticeable petals, which makes them easy to identify. Instead of petals, the flowers have fluffy filaments, which give the flower its colour.

Frangipani Tree: This tree produces vibrant and fragrant flowers, which is why it’s so popular in landscaping. The flowers can be yellow, white, pink, or red, and look like a propeller. They grow in the terminal branches, and they do so in clusters.

Hibiscus Tree: This tree produces flowers on a long stalk with a trumpet shape. They feature five equal pedals, and they can be yellow, red, pink, or white. The flowers are quite large, and they’re impossible to miss, making the tree a lot easier to identify when it’s in bloom.

Flowers are a great tale, and they can help you find out how to identify trees a lot faster as long as they’re in bloom. You need to pay attention to the shape of the flowers, their colours, their size, and every other detail so you can determine which species they belong to. Of course, this means you have to study and become familiar with flowers if you’ll be looking for ornamental trees specifically.

The good news is that studying ornamental trees can be a lot of fun because they produce stunning flowers and they’re all different, so it’s a feast for the eyes, and you’ll enjoy it if you’re interested in natural beauty.

True colors of leaves

The high content of chlorophyll in plants is responsible for their green color. In fact, chlorophyll isn’t the only chemical compound in leaves that influences color. Leaves also consist of such pigments as carotenoids, anthocyanins, and xanthophylls, giving rise to orange, red, and yellow colors. However, most of the year, we cannot see them under the dominant green chlorophyll.

In autumn, a tree begins to dispose of the green pigment into nutrients (which have been stored in the leaves so far) and transfers them to the tree’s roots to store until the next spring. When leaves get rid of chlorophyll, the remaining colors start to appear in our eyes which allows other parts of visible light to be used in photosynthesis. Thanks to this, plants can still produce some energy at the end of vegetation. And once the leaf is completely brown, it means all the pigments have been removed from it – the leaves wither.

Leaves are a tiny miracle of hydraulic and biological engineering. If you want to find out more about how they help in the «operations» of a tree, check out our water potential calculator.

Parts of the Trunk:

Inside the trunk of a tree are a number of rings. Each
year of the tree’s life a new ring is added so many people refer
to them as the annual rings. The rings are actually made
up of different parts:

Bark:

The outside layer of the trunk, branches and twigs of trees.
The bark serves as a protective layer for the more delicate
inside wood of the tree. Trees actually have inner bark
and outer bark — the inner layer of bark is made up of living
cells and the outer layer is made of dead cells, sort of like
our fingernails.

The scientific name for the inner layer of bark is Phloem.
The main job of this inner layer is to carry sap full of sugar
from the leaves to the rest of the tree.

A number of handy things are made from bark including latex,
cinnamon and some kinds of poisons. Because bark is a
protective layer for the tree, keeping it safe from insects and
animals, it isn’t surprising the strong flavours, scents and
toxins can often be found in the bark of different types of
trees.

Cambium:

The thin layer of living cells just inside the
bark is called cambium. It is the part of the tree that
makes new cells allowing the tree to grow wider each year.

Sapwood (Xylem):

The scientific name for sapwood is xylem.
It is made up of a network of living cells that bring water and
nutrients up from the roots to the branches, twigs and leaves.
It is the youngest wood of the tree — over the years, the inner
layers of sapwood die and become heartwood.

Heartwood:

The heartwood is dead sapwood in the center of the trunk. It is the
hardest wood of the tree giving it support and strength.
It is usually darker in colour than the sapwood.

Pith:

Pith is the tiny dark spot of spongy living
cells right in the center of the tree trunk. Essential
nutrients are carried up through the pith. It’s placement
right in the center means it is the most protected from damage
by insects, the wind or animals.

How do I identify a tree by its bud?

Buds can be helpful in identifying tree species in winter, when deciduous trees are without foliage. Those at the end of a twig are called terminal buds, while those growing along the twig are lateral buds. The arrangement of these lateral buds can help establish a tree’s identity.

What is the best tree identification app?

#	Name	Download
1	PlantNet Plant Identification	Android/iOS
2	LeafSnap – Plant Identification	Android/iOS
3	iNaturalist	Android/iOS
4	Seek	Android/iOS

Which is the best way to identify a tree?

How to Identify Trees By Leaf Shape The shape of a leaf can also give clues when identifying broadleaf tree species. Common leaf identification shapes include ovate (egg shaped), lanceolate (long and narrow), deltoid (triangular), obicular (round) and cordate (heart shaped).

How are the different types of trees classified?

Identifying the different kinds of trees usually depends on examining their leaves and bark. Some types of trees have wide oval leaves, some have star-shaped ones, and many evergreen trees have needle leaves. All species of trees are classified into two main types: deciduous trees and evergreen trees.

How are the buds on a tree identified?

How to Identify Trees By Leaf Bud Arrangement. Buds can be helpful in identifying tree species in winter, when deciduous trees are without foliage. Those at the end of a twig are called terminal buds, while those growing along the twig are lateral buds. The arrangement of these lateral buds can help establish a tree’s identity.

What kind of trees keep their leaves all year?

Species of evergreen trees such as spruce, pine, and fir trees keep their leaves throughout the year. There are about 14 family groups of evergreen trees, and these trees provide color in gardens and landscapes all year long. Evergreen trees are the reason why forests look so beautiful in winter landscapes. Identifying the Types of Tree Leaves

What are the ways that trees help our planet?

10 Essential Ways. 1 1. Trees provide food. Papaya, mangoes, oranges, limes, lemons, peaches, coconuts, cashews, apples and more come from trees. Beyond these nutritious 2 2. Trees protect the land. 3 3. Trees help us breathe. 4 4. Trees provide shelter and shade. 5 5. Trees are a natural playground.

Simple Leaves

Simple leaves have single leaf blade. In the photo: maple leaf

Another way to identify types of trees by leave is if they have simple leaves or compound leaves. These terms refer to the number of leaves that grow on the petiole. The petiole is the small thin stalk that is attached to the stem and the leaf blade (lamina).

Foliage on trees and plants that is made up of simple leaves only have a single blade growing on the stalk. So, a simple leaf just has one blade on each petiole. Simple leaves can grow in alternate arrangements or opposite arrangements on the stem.

Examples of deciduous trees with simple leaves include maple trees, sycamore trees, elm trees, and oak trees.

Leaves And Leaf Type

Leaves should be your first stop when you are trying to identify a tree. The leaves of trees can be very distinctive. There are several aspects to leaves that need to be considered when identifying them:

Leaf Type

There are three basic types of leaves: a broadleaf, a needle, or a scale. By identifying the leaf, you can identify the family from which your tree comes.

Leaf Shape

Leaf shape is a description of the overall shape of the leaf. The pointed end furthest away from the branch is called the apex, and the point of attachment is called the base. The petiole is the leaf stalk. There are many terms to describe leaf shapes, but we will stay with the terms most commonly used.

Cordate: this is a heart-shaped leaf with the petiole coming out from the rounded ends of the heart and the apex being sharply pointed.
Ovate: an oval-shaped leaf that is widest at the base where it attaches to the tree.
Elliptical: the leaf is longer than it is wide and has tapered ends on both sides.
Linear: a leaf that is the same width though-out.
Lanceolate: this leaf is similar to an elliptical leaf. The length is more than the width, but it tapers sharply at the apex.
Acuminate: this describes a leaf where the leaf tapers to give an elongated thin apex.
Sagittate: the base of this leaf looks like the base of an arrowhead.
Truncate: this leaf has a flat, square base.

Simple And Compound Leaves

Simple leaves have a central vein that bisects the blade forming a single leaf. A compound leaf is made up of a number of leaflets that attach to the midrib via a petiole.

Leaf Attachment

The site where the petiole attaches to the stem is called the node. There may be one or more than one leaf attached at the node. The way leaves are attached at the node helps to identify the trees. For those of you who would like to study further: the study of the arrangement of leaves on a stem is called phyllotaxis.

Alternate: a single leaf is attached at each node. The leaves are placed on alternate sides of the twig or branch.
Opposite: each node carries two leaves arranged directly opposite each other on the twig.
Whorled: this is when there are three or more leaves attached at a single node.
Spiral: the leaves are attached in a spiral pattern around the twig. This is seen in conifers.

Leaf Color

Leaf color is not always reliable as an identifying factor, but some leaves have very distinctive colors. It is worth considering the color, bearing in mind that the color of leaves may vary between individual trees, the composition of the soil they are growing in, and their location. Leaves of deciduous trees change color in the fall.

Some trees can be identified by their fall colors. For example, trees with red leaves in fall could be Sweet Gums, Oaks, Maples, and Sassafras. Orange leaves can be seen in hickory, beech, birch, and sycamore trees.

Leaf Texture

Leaf texture is sometimes more challenging to use as the texture assessment may be subjective, but there are some fundamental differences that can be used in leaf identification.

hairy vs. non-hairy
shiny or matte
smooth or rough ( lumps or protrusions on the leaf).

Leaf Edges

Leaf edges can provide helpful clues when you are trying to identify trees. There are eight basic patterns in leaf edges.

Entire; a leaf with completely smooth edges.
Cleft: this leaf has divisions or notches that cut into the leaf more than halfway to the vein or midrib.
Crenate: the edges of this leaf look like small round teeth.
Dentate: the edges of this leaf also resemble teeth, but the ‘teeth’ are symmetrical, sharper, and point outwards.
Incised: this leaf has irregular cuts with deep notches towards the midrib.
Lobed: this leaf has gently rounded edges with notches that go less than halfway to the midrib giving the impression of several lobes on one leaf. An example is an oak leaf.
Serrate: this leaf looks like the edge of a serrated knife. The tiny teeth all point towards the apex.
Sinuate or Undulate: this leaf has a wavy edge.

Trees With Scaly Leaves

Treehugger / Hilary Allison

Evergreen conifers may also have foliage borne off the twig in the form of scaly leaves. These are cedars and junipers.

Cedar leaves grow on flattened sprays or all around the twig. They’re typically less than a half-inch long and may be prickly. Cedar cones vary in shape from oblong to bell-shaped to rounded but typically are less than 1 inch in size. Cedars are most common in the Northeast and Northwest, and along the Atlantic coast.

Junipers are distinguished by their spiny, needlelike leaves and berrylike, bluish cones at tips of shoots. The two main types are Eastern red cedar and common juniper. Eastern red cedar (which isn’t really cedar) is among the most common trees east of the Mississippi River.

Common juniper is a low shrub that generally grows no more than 3 to 4 feet high but can grow into a 30-foot «tree.» Its leaves are needle-like and slender, clustered in whorls of three, and glossy green. Junipers are found throughout the U.S.

Tree Leaf Identification: Leaf Modification

Apart from photosynthesis, leaves have many other functions that they perform like support, defense, storage of food, etc. To perform these functions, leaves modify themselves in different forms. Knowing these forms is necessary for better tree leaf identification.

Storage Leaves

Plants that require their leaves to store water have thick and succulent leaves. The cells of these leaves are filled with hydrophilic colloids.

Leaf Tendrils

Have you seen a pea plant? It has tendrils as the stems are weak. These tendrils are modified leaves to support the plant. Tendrils wrap around nearby sticks or walls to support the plant.

Leaf Hooks and Roots

Terminal leaves in some plants get modified into hook-like structures that help them in climbing. Leaf roots are present in aquatic plants, where they help them to float in water by getting modified into adventitious roots.

Examining tree leaves to identify them

Once you sit down to eat in the forest, or at home, gather all the leaves to start the entertaining game of guessing which is which. When examining a leaf to identify a tree, consider its shape, size, color and morphology of the rib (the «bones» of the leaves):

The morphology of a leaf can be of very different forms and it is difficult to grasp them the first time, if you are a beginner. For example, we can find it wide and flat, narrow, lobed or webbed. The shape of the leaf will also allow us to classify them into two large groups: perennial or deciduous.

The evergreen trees They can have a flat blade (the most common), acicular (like a point needle), linear (stylish or elongated) or squaliform, that is, with scales.
The deciduous They have leaves in a palmate shape, with tips (the typical autumn leaf that we use for Halloween decoration), oval (wider than linear ones), heart-shaped (the lower part reminds of a heart), rounded (like an apple), compound leaves and many other varieties.

Surely, once its shape is identified, we are forging an idea of what type of tree it can be, recovering the lessons learned previously. In a second, more thorough examination, we will explore whether they have fruits, how are their edges and their ribs to give us more clues.

Some leaves are easier to identify than others, so if on the first trip to the forest we cannot know which one belongs to which tree, we should not be discouraged. That we do not do it is the most normal thing. It will help a lot to create a mural at home where you can stick the leaves identified with the name of the tree below and thus build a graph that will be expanded after each excursion and that will end up making us experts in the flora of our region.

Location, Location, Location

Knowing where you are can also be a valuable clue to identifying the trees around you. For street trees, London planetrees, honeylocusts, and pin oaks are common citywide, but if you’re in Manhattan or Staten Island, you have a good chance of seeing Callery pears as well.

Gingko trees (shown here) are common street trees, especially in Manhattan, because they are well-adapted to handle the challenges of the urban environment, like pollution, road salt, pet waste, soil compaction, etc.

Natural elements around you can also affect the types of trees you’ll see. Near lakes, streams, or low-lying areas, you may see the long, wispy leaves of a weeping willow, as these trees prefer wet soils.

Structure of a leaf

Before getting into the details and all the technical jargon related to leaves and their parts, we must understand the structure of a leaf. Leaves are the kitchen of the plant. A leaf can broadly be divided into two parts: the leaf blade and the petiole.

The leaf blade, also called the lamina is broad and flat. This is where photosynthesis occurs. There is a midrib that goes all the way in the middle through which other branches arise. These are called veins.

Veins can be of different types depending on the number of blades and pattern of veins. The petiole is a stalk-like structure that connects the leaf to the branch. It is composed of tiny tubes that connect the veins to the stem. They also enable water transport to the leaf from the roots.

Some plants may also have stipules, flap-like structures that grow at the base of the petiole. It is helpful in tree leaf identification.

Identifying Conifers From Their Cones

Once you have established that you are looking at trees in the conifer family, you should look at their cones to assist with identification. Conifers are classed as gymnosperms. This term means ‘naked seeds’ and refers to the fact that the seeds are open to the elements and can be blown away by the wind. Cones bear the seeds of conifers, and when they open, the seeds are exposed to the elements.

Tree	Cone Description
Cedar	Barrel-shaped attached pointing upwards
Pine	Classic cone shape
Fir	Long cylindrical-shaped cones that stand erect like candles
Spruce	Cones are similar to Firs, but they droop downwards
Larch	Small oval cones
Cypress	Woody comes with a leathery appearance, shaped like big acorns
Hemlock	Cylindrical cones that range in length
Juniper	Woody, fleshy cones that are oval-shaped
Redwoods and Sequoias	Extremely hard, egg-shaped cones
Yews	No cones in the traditional concept of cones. They have round berries.

Opposite Leaves

Opposite Leaves grow in pairs on either side of the stem

As the name suggests, opposite leaves that grow on stems grow directly opposite each other. Looking at pictures of opposite leaves, you will see that the leaves are in pairs on either side of the stem.

Opposite leaves grow on the same plant node – this is the point on the stem where the stems, buds, or leaves grow from. Many types of trees have stems with opposite leaves and the leaf shape depends on the species of tree. Leaves that grow opposite each other can be simple leaves or compound leaves.

Trees with examples of opposite leaves include maples, ash trees, elders, olive trees, and eucalyptus.

Conclusion

When you are first starting out with tree identification, the process may seem overwhelming and something of a hit-and-miss affair. As you study the identification process and become familiar with the concepts and terminology to describe different parts of the tree, it will become increasingly easier for you to identify trees. Books and apps can be tools that assist you with your search, although both have limitations.

Trees are vitally important in our threatened natural world. Without trees, the world would begin to have life-threatening issues with the air we breathe. It benefits us greatly to have as many people as possible interested in trees, knowing the names of trees, being able to note locations and abnormalities. We commend you for your interest in trees and encourage you to go forth and discover, name, enjoy, and breathe the trees.

How to Identify Trees By Their Leaves

The most common starting point for identifying tree species is the leaves, so that’s where we’ll start today. Three main types of leaves make tree identification possible: needle-shaped leaves, broad leaves, and scales. As we already discussed, most evergreen trees have needle-shaped leaves or scales, while deciduous trees have broad leaves.

However, there are exceptions. For example, evergreen trees like Larch trees have leaves that lose their greenery and drop their leaves. Live Oak is another exception because it doesn’t have needle-shaped leaves but broad, elliptical ones.

Now, leaves come in many shapes and sizes, and they can help us identify tree species easily. For example, when it comes to deciduous trees, the leaves’ shape can tell us their species.

The most common types of leaves are

Ovate: shaped like an egg;
Lanceolate: long and narrow
Deltoid: triangular
Orbicular: round
Cordate: shaped like a heart
Palm-Shaped and Maple: very recognizable

To identify the leaf’s shape, you want to pay attention to its base, margin, veins, and tip or apex. Each aspect of the leaf will help you learn how to identify trees more easily, so you must become a bit more familiar with each aspect of the leaf if you want to use this as your go-to method for tree identification.

Leaves also have different structures; they can be simple and lack extra leaflets or be compound and feature three or more leaflets. Simple leaves are individually attached to twigs or twig stems, and compound leaves are attached to a single leaf stem. There are many variations of compound leaves, so they can be a bit confusing.

To help you out a little bit, here’s a list of the most common types of trees and a description of what their leaves look like:

Oak Tree: Oak leaves have lobed leaves, making them easy to identify. The leaves feature rounded or pointed knobs around them. If you find round-lobed leaves, it means it’s a White Oak. But if the leaves are pointed, it means it’s a Red Oak.

Maple Tree: The maple leaf is also easy to recognize, and it has a pointy, symmetrical shape. If you fold it in half, both sides should align perfectly.

Cherry Blossom or Sakura Tree: The leaves on this tree have an oval shape, and they’re also toothed because they feature jagged points around the edges, which are thin and delicate. They also have a pointed tip resembling a teardrop.

Pine Tree: Pine leaves look like thin needles, and they grow in bunches and produce pine snap, which is very difficult to wash off, so be careful when you touch them.

Yew Tree: They look like small pine trees, and the leaves are also needle-shaped, but they’re shorter, flat, and rounded.

Fir Tree: Fir leaves are also needle-shaped, but they’re flat and thick, and they also grow long and slim. They also grow in bunches, but they have a more cylindrical pattern, and they’re less fanned out.

Dogwood Tree: The leaves on this one are thin and sheer, almost translucent, which causes them to curl inward a bit, and you can hold them up to the light to see their veins. They have an oval shape, but they’re not always perfect; some are bulkier than others and have a more rounded shape.

Sweetgum Tree: These leaves are very familiar to maple leaves. The difference is that they have pointed lobes that resemble stars and the leaves are also thicker. They have a smooth, shiny texture as well, which is something maple leaves lack.

Beech Tree: Beech leaves are curved and toothed, so they curl inward a bit between each tooth. The texture is smooth and almost like paper.

Hickory Tree: The leaves on this tree are long and pointy, but they grow a little wider on the tip, so they resembled a raindrop. The underside is lighter in colour, they’re thick, and they also have protruding veins.

Walnut Tree: Walnut leaves are long, and they have a rounded shape with pointed tips and jagged edges. Their underside is also hairy, and they grow in two neat rows.

Is there an app to identify trees by their leaves?

Leafsnap is a new free app that identifies trees. Go for a walk, take a shot of a leaf and this little wonder will identify its tree and give all kinds of information about it. The app is a result of a collaboration between Columbia University, the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian Institution.

How can you tell what kind of tree you have?

Leaves and needles. Leaf type, shape, appearance, texture and colour are all key characteristics when identifying trees. They are also often the most obvious feature, particularly in spring and summer. The needles and scales of conifers are also considered types of leaves.

What is the most common type of tree in Wisconsin?

Aspen
Aspen is the most common forest type in Wisconsin (18 percent) occupying more than 2.7 million acres of forest land. Sugar maple/beech/birch is the second most common forest type (14 percent, 2.3 million acres). Red pine is the most common coniferous forest type (4 percent, 648,000 acres).

What trees are blooming right now in Wisconsin?

Read on to learn all about Wisconsin’s gorgeous flowering trees!

Northern Catalpa Tree.
Yellowwood.
Pagoda Dogwood.
American Smoke Tree.
Washington Hawthorn.
Amur Maackia.
Oyama Magnolia.
Japanese Stewartia.

What planting zone is Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has three cold hardiness zones – Zone 3 (Northwestern WI), Zone 4 (North, Central, Western WI) and Zone 5 (Southern and eastern WI up past Green Bay and Apostle Islands).