Be careful not to mistake Acer species such as sycamore and field maple as having palmately compound leaves - they are actually simple with a lobed margin. In autumn, some species have leaves that turn spectacular autumn colours. Guelder rose and field maple often turn a vivid orange or red. Trees that are closely related often share similar features.
All elm species have unequal leaf bases - take a look at the bottom of the leaf where it meets the leaf stem known as a petiole.. The leaves of downy birch are triangular deltoid. Other birches, like silver birch, also have leaves that are this shape. Several willows, like this white willow, have long, thin lanceolate leaves.
Look out for leaf edges that are lobed like this hawthorn. Oaks, sycamore and maples also have lobed leaves. The leaf edges of beech are wavy. This is one way to tell the difference between beech and hornbeam which have serrated leaf edges.
If the foliage on the tree is needles or scales then you are probably looking at a conifer. These include trees in the pine, fir, cypress, larch and spruce families. Most conifer trees have needles or scales present all year that can be used for identification. One of the few exceptions is European larch which loses its needles in winter.
Pines, spruces, firs, cedars and larches have needles. They can be different shapes, sizes and be arranged differently on twigs. Flattened needles could mean a yew or whorls of three needles juniper.
Species of the cypress family have scales. These are flattened and shield-shaped that overlap on the twig. Leaves and needles are often the most useful clues for identifying trees. Look closely at the type, shape, edges and arrangement of them.
Many trees only bloom at a particular time during the year but if you can see flowers, usually in the spring, it can be another helpful to help with tree identification. Broadleaf trees have flowers that contain the reproductive organs, and most conifers have cones for reproduction. Here are some basic types. What time of year is the tree flowering? Blackthorn blooms in late winter, before the leaves have come out.
But hawthorn flowers much later on in May, once its leaves are out. Ash flowers are by no means showy, but they are an unmistakable deep purple colour. The flowers appear before the leaves have emerged. Bird cherry flowers are clustered together in spikes known as racemes at the ends of the shoots. Male and female flowers can look very different.
The make flowers of hazel hang in long catkins, but the female flowers are tiny with their shocking pink stigmas peeping out of the top like tiny sea anemones.
Cherry plum tends to flower very early - before the winter is out. Its flowers grow singly, rather than in clusters. Another early flowering tree. Blackthorn blossom appears in late winter or early spring, long before its leaves unfold. Its frothy white blooms stand out against the wintry hedgerow.
Male alder catkins are long and dark green whereas female catkins are small and egg-shaped. You may also find other signs that can confirm the species of the tree in question in the form of seeds or clippings of entire branches delivered by squirrels for your use in identification.
Most tree identification resources start with asking if the tree has opposite or alternate branching. This refers to the orientation of the twigs with the branches. Opposite branching refers to a branching pattern where side branches, leaves and leaf scars grow from the stem directly across from each other. Examples of trees that grow with this pattern include maples, ash and buckeye trees.
Alternate branching refers to a pattern where side branches, leaves and leaf scars do not grow directly across from each other. Alternate branching is much more common than opposite.
Identifying a tree by its bark requires practice. Bark characteristics can change drastically as the tree ages. Bark differs from species to species by color, texture, and pattern. The bark for some species may be more distinct than others, so start with taking serious note of the bark on the trees that are in your immediate surroundings. It can be tricky to know if the leaf you have in your hand is a simple leaf or compound leaf.
If there is a node, then you have a simple leaf, whereas a lack of node indicates it is a compound leaf. Examples of trees with compound leaves include ash trees, walnut trees , hickory trees , and horse chestnut trees. There are a number of types of compound leaves, and knowing about them can help make tree identification easier.
Types of compound leaves. From left to right: pinnate leaves, palmate leaves and double pinnate leaves. Trees that have pinnate leaves mean that the leaflets on the compound leaf grow in each side along the length of the petiole like a feather arrangement.
Sometimes these types of leaves called pinnately compound leaves. Palmate leaves have a number of leaflets growing at the end of the leaf stalk. These compound leaves usually look like the shape of a hand with a palm and fingers. That is why they are called palmate leaves. Trees that grow palmate leaves include horse chestnut and buckeye trees.
Trees with bipinnate leaves have leaves that resemble fern leaves. You will notice in pictures of double pinnate leaves that the compound leaves are made up of a number of secondary stems that have leaflets growing in an opposite arrangement.
Some examples of trees with bipinnate leaves are honey locust trees, the Texas redbud, and Kentucky Coffee trees. You can identify a tree by its leaf shape. From left to right: unlobed leaf, lobed leaf and toothed leaf. One very important way to identify types of tree leaves is by the overall shape of the leaf around its edges. The edges of leaves create patterns that are often unique to the species of tree and help with identification. Later in the article, you will learn more about the specific shapes of entire leaves.
These types of leaves can also be called unlobed leaves. Lobed leaves can have rounded tips like the white oak leaf left or pointed tips like maple leaf right. The most easily identifiable type of tree leaf is the lobed variety. These leaf blades are made up of earlobe-like shapes, but they form a single leaf. The clefts or indentations between the lobes can be deep or shallow depending on the type of tree.
The space or indentation between two lobes is called sinus. Palmately compound leaves have leaflets that extend directly from the end of the petiole. They spread out, in sets of three or more, like fingers from the palm of the hand. Pinnately compound leaves have leaflets that extend from a vein that connects to the petiole.
Bipinnately compound leaves extend from secondary veins that connect to the main vein. Once you have narrowed down the type of leaf, you should examine the tree's other features, including its size and shape, its flowers if it has any , and its bark. Together, this information should allow you to make an identification of the tree. Opposite leaves are just what they sound like: the leaves, whether simple or compound, are located directly across from each other on the same leaf stem.
They grow in pairs along the stem. Examples: Ash, Maple, and Olive. Alternate leaves do not sit directly across from each other on the stem but rather are located in between each other on opposite sides; they grow in a staggered, alternating pattern.
A simple tree leaf has one blade attached to the stalk. In a compound leaf , the leaf is divided into leaflets that are attached to a middle vein by their own stalks. If you are not sure if you are looking at a leaf or a leaflet, run your finger down the stalk until you reach the adjoining shoot. The stalk of a simple leaf will end at the point where the petiole joins the stem of the plant. There will be a small bud at this joint.
However, there will not be a bud at the base of a leaflet.
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