Identify trees by their leaves

Needles

Narrow needles, set singly along the shoot or in bunches.

• Scots pineIn pairs, short and twisted
• Corsican pineIn pairs, long and soft, 12 to 18 cm
• A larch, such as European larchSoft tufts, shed in autumn
• A cedar, such as cedar of LebanonStiff tufts on short spurs
• Norway spruceFour-sided, on short woody pegs
• YewFlat, in two rows, dull yellowish green beneath
• Grand firFlat, in two rows, narrow white bands beneath
• JuniperSharp, in threes, one white band

Scots pineShort greyish green needles in twisted pairs Corsican pinePaired needles, 12 to 18 cm, twisted Jarro Nevsbaru, CC BY 4.0European larchSoft needle tufts on woody knobs, shed in autumn Louis Aureglia, CC BY 4.0Cedar of LebanonStiff needles in tufts on short spurs dawn2022, CC BY 4.0Norway spruceSingle four-sided needles on woody pegs Ewan Shilland, CC BY 4.0YewFlat dark needles in two rows Grand firFlat needles combed into two rows Zeke Marshall, CC BY 4.0JuniperSharp needles in threes, one white band Atlas cedarShort stiff needles in dense tufts, tipped with spines jamie-aa, CC BY 4.0Douglas firSoft needles standing all round the shoot Simon Colenutt, CC BY 4.0Japanese larchDark greyish green needles in tufts, shed in autumn David Anderson, CC BY 4.0Noble firBluish grey both sides, swept up off the shoot Caroline Kane, CC BY 4.0Sitka spruceFlat sharp needles, bluish white beneath Western hemlockTwo needle lengths, blunt tips, white beneath

Scales

Tiny scales pressed flat along flat, fern-like sprays.

• Lawson cypressFlat sprays, smelling of parsley
• Western red cedarGlossy sprays, smelling of pineapple
• Giant redwoodSharp scales all round the shoot, smelling of aniseed

Lawson cypressFlat fern-like sprays smelling of parsley Western red cedarFlat glossy sprays, pineapple when crushed Ben Hayden, CC BY 4.0Giant redwoodHard scales clasping the shoot, smelling of aniseed

Leaves made of leaflets

One leaf made of several leaflets on a shared stalk.

• Horse chestnutLeaflets spread from one point, like fingers
• AshIn facing pairs, 9 to 13 leaflets, black buds
• ElderIn facing pairs, 5 or 7 leaflets, an unpleasant smell when crushed
• RowanUsually 15 toothed leaflets
• WalnutSmooth-edged leaflets, usually 7, smelling of shoe polish
• Honey locustSmall glossy leaflets, some leaves divided twice

Horse chestnutFive to seven leaflets, fanned like fingers Common ashNine to thirteen leaflets, the leaves in opposite pairs Kieran Roy Powell, CC BY 4.0ElderFive or seven leaflets, in opposite pairs 呂一起(Lyu yi-chi), CC BY 4.0RowanFeathered into 13 to 15 toothed leaflets Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, CC BY 4.0WalnutUsually seven leaflets, smooth round the edge cigazze, CC BY 4.0Honey locustSmall leaflets in pairs, the stalk often branched Tree of heavenHuge and feathered, big teeth at each leaflet base

Lobed

The edge cut into rounded or pointed lobes.

• English oakDeep rounded lobes, two tiny lobes beside a short stalk
• Sessile oakRegular shallow lobes, not toothed
• Red oakBig, the lobes tipped with bristles
• HawthornSmall, cut at least halfway in
• Swedish whitebeamLobed near the base, grey wool beneath

English oakRounded lobes, ear-like flaps, a very short stalk Sessile oakShallow regular lobes on a long stalk Jarro Nevsbaru, CC BY 4.0Red oakBig and matt, each tooth ending in a bristle HawthornSmall, cut at least halfway to the centre line Swedish whitebeamLobed oval leaf, a coat of grey hairs beneath Midland hawthornShallow lobes, toothed nearly to the base jamie-aa, CC BY 4.0Turkey oakRough jagged leaves, grey with fine hairs beneath

Star, hand or fan-shaped

Lobes or a fan spreading from one point, like a hand.

• GinkgoA fan with forking veins
• SycamoreLarge, with coarse round-tipped teeth
• Norway mapleA few long teeth with fine whisker tips
• Field mapleSmall, five neat lobes
• White poplarWhite fur underneath all season
• London planeThick and hard, set one at a time, not in pairs

jamie-aa, CC BY 4.0GinkgoFlat fans with forking veins, tufted on spurs Kieran Roy Powell, CC BY 4.0SycamoreFive lobes, with coarse blunt teeth Norway mapleFive lobes, few long teeth, hair-tipped Field mapleSmall, five rounded lobes, few blunt teeth hjcjim, CC BY 4.0White poplarFive lobes, thick white hairs beneath all season oliverc29, CC BY 4.0London planeBroad, with three to five pointed lobes Marco Mussita, CC BY 4.0Japanese mapleNarrow pointed lobes, cut two-thirds of the way in

Heart-shaped

A broad blade, rounded or heart-shaped where it meets the stalk.

• Common limeThin, buff tufts under the vein joints
• Large-leaved limeSoftly furry all over beneath
• Judas treeGreyish green, the tip sometimes notched
• Indian bean treeHuge, 15 to 30 cm, foul-smelling when bruised

Common limeHeart-shaped and lopsided, buff tufts underneath rmjb, CC BY 4.0Large-leaved limeSoft fur all over beneath, up to 15 cm Franco Folini, CC BY 4.0Judas treeRound and greyish green, the tip blunt or notched portioid, CC BY 4.0Indian bean treeHuge broad leaves, often three at one spot chrisdt, CC BY 4.0Small-leaved limeRusty tufts where the veins meet underneath

Triangular

A blade that widens to a straight base, like a triangle.

• Silver birchBig and small teeth, on a white-barked tree
• Black poplarShiny both sides, on a broad leaning tree
• Lombardy poplarOn a tall, narrow column of a tree

Silver birchTriangular, straight-sided, big and small teeth Black poplarSmall, shiny green, with a long fine tip Andrew Skotnicki, CC BY 4.0Lombardy poplarSmall, long-tipped, hairless, in dense masses

Long and narrow

Many times longer than wide.

• White willowSilvery hairs beneath all season
• Weeping willowOn long, straight hanging shoots
• Sweet chestnutBig, with spine-tipped teeth
• EucalyptusDull grey, both faces the same

yvesbas, CC BY 4.0White willowNarrow, finely toothed, silvery white beneath Weeping willowLong and narrow, finely toothed, pale beneath Sweet chestnutLong leaves edged with coarse spine-teeth Татьяна Максимова, CC BY 4.0EucalyptusTwo kinds: round silver pairs, long grey leaves

Oval

A simple oval blade, toothed or smooth at the edge.

• Wych elmRough as sandpaper, lopsided at the base
• AspenRound, fluttering on a flattened stalk
• BeechA wavy edge fringed with hairs
• HornbeamCreased by deep-set veins, big and small teeth
• WhitebeamWhite and woolly underneath
• HollyGlossy and evergreen, spiny on young plants
• AlderDark and leathery, the tip never pointed
• HazelSoft and nearly round, with a sudden point

Rosy Thomson, CC BY 4.0Wych elmRough as sandpaper, with a lopsided base Dan McLaughlan, CC BY 4.0AspenNearly round, trembling on a flattened stalk Kieran Roy Powell, CC BY 4.0Common beechOval, wavy-edged, fringed with fine hairs Joss Carr, CC BY 4.0HornbeamOval, big and small teeth, creased by deep veins Common whitebeamOne oval leaf, white and fuzzy underneath HollyGlossy and hard, spiny low down, smooth higher up AlderRacquet-shaped, dark and leathery, tip rounded or notched HazelNearly round, soft and floppy, tip suddenly pointed AppleOval, to 12 cm, softly hairy beneath Helen Waterman, CC BY 4.0Bay willowThick glossy ovals, finely toothed, bluish beneath BlackthornSmall and wrinkled, widest at or above the middle Erin Lalime, CC BY 4.0Cherry laurelBig, thick and glossy, tiny dark spots beneath Henry Miller, CC BY 4.0Cherry plumFresh green, glossy, rounded teeth Copper beechOval and wavy-edged, wine-red to near-black Crab appleGlossy oval leaves, smooth beneath once grown DogwoodOpposite pairs, smooth edges, veins curving to the tip Barry Walter, CC BY 4.0Downy birchRounded triangles, single teeth, a hairy stalk Field elmSmooth and glossy, on a stalk about 1 cm Louis Aureglia, CC BY 4.0Holm oakDark evergreen ovals, greyish fawn beneath Татьяна Максимова, CC BY 4.0MagnoliaOval and smooth-edged, widest above the middle wild_wind, CC BY 4.0Ornamental cherryLarge, a fine whisker on each tooth Purple-leaved plumMaroon from spring, near black by late summer Wild cherryDeep blunt teeth and a long pointed tip

Other shapes

Tulip treeFour lobes and a tip cut off square