In season · May

What’s out on the trees in May

Horse chestnut candles, hawthorn’s white may blossom, rowan and elder starting to flower, and every leaf at its freshest green. Oaks hang their catkins, and ash comes into leaf.

The whole year on one chart · Spotter sheets to print

New in May

Hawthorn: may blossom. Flat white heads with red-tipped threads, over green leaves.HawthornMay blossom Flat white heads with red-tipped threads, over green leaves.MayHow to identify it → Wild cherry: oval leaves. Oval leaves with small red bumps at the top of the stalk.Wild cherryOval leaves Oval leaves with small red bumps at the top of the stalk.May to AugustHow to identify it → Hazel: round leaves. Round, soft leaves held out flat.HazelRound leaves Round, soft leaves held out flat.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Rowan: cream heads. Big flat heads of small cream flowers.Barry Walter, CC BY 4.0RowanCream heads Big flat heads of small cream flowers.May to JuneHow to identify it → Elder: elderflower. Flat cream plates of tiny flowers, all open together.kitbeard, CC BY 4.0ElderElderflower Flat cream plates of tiny flowers, all open together.May to JuneHow to identify it → Alder: notched tips. Dark round leaves that look bitten off at the tip.AlderNotched tips Dark round leaves that look bitten off at the tip.May to AugustHow to identify it → European larch: needles. Soft needles in tufts, bright green all over.European larchNeedles Soft needles in tufts, bright green all over.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: flat flowers. Flat heads of white flowers over dark green leaves.Common whitebeamFlat flowers Flat heads of white flowers over dark green leaves.May to JuneHow to identify it → Aspen: trembling leaf. Round leaves shivering in the faintest breeze.AspenTrembling leaf Round leaves shivering in the faintest breeze.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Weeping willow: narrow leaves. Long narrow leaves on hanging shoots.machaut2, CC BY 4.0Weeping willowNarrow leaves Long narrow leaves on hanging shoots.May to AugustHow to identify it → Hornbeam: creased leaves. Neat leaves with deep veins and toothed edges.Lauren Ware, CC BY 4.0HornbeamCreased leaves Neat leaves with deep veins and toothed edges.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Norway spruce: red cones. Small crimson cones standing upright on the branches.Norway spruceRed cones Small crimson cones standing upright on the branches.MayHow to identify it → Norway spruce: bright tips. Light green new tips against dark old needles.Alex Ashworth-Smith, CC BY 4.0Norway spruceBright tips Light green new tips against dark old needles.May to JuneHow to identify it →

Flowers and catkins

Horse chestnut: candles. White flower spikes standing upright above the leaves.rmjb, CC BY 4.0Horse chestnutCandles White flower spikes standing upright above the leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → English oak: tassels. Yellow tassels hanging loose among small new leaves.English oakTassels Yellow tassels hanging loose among small new leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → Silver birch: long catkins. Long yellow catkins hanging from the twigs.Daniel Greenwood, CC BY 4.0Silver birchLong catkins Long yellow catkins hanging from the twigs.April to MayHow to identify it → Wild cherry: blossom. White flowers in loose bunches on long stalks.David Pereira, CC BY 4.0Wild cherryBlossom White flowers in loose bunches on long stalks.April to MayHow to identify it → Sycamore: flower tails. Narrow greenish yellow tails hanging among the leaves.Liam Maguire, CC BY 4.0SycamoreFlower tails Narrow greenish yellow tails hanging among the leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → Holly: white flowers. Small white four-petalled flowers where the leaves join.HollyWhite flowers Small white four-petalled flowers where the leaves join.April to MayHow to identify it → Scots pine: pollen cones. Clusters of small yellow cones on the new shoots.Anne Thomson, CC BY 4.0Scots pinePollen cones Clusters of small yellow cones on the new shoots.April to JuneHow to identify it → Hornbeam: leafy catkins. Yellow catkins hanging with the new leaves, not before them.HornbeamLeafy catkins Yellow catkins hanging with the new leaves, not before them.April to MayHow to identify it →

New leaves

Sweet chestnut: unrolling leaves. Long narrow new leaves with sharp teeth.chrisdt, CC BY 4.0Sweet chestnutUnrolling leaves Long narrow new leaves with sharp teeth.April to MayHow to identify it → Field maple: pink leaves. Small new leaves with a pink tint.Joss Carr, CC BY 4.0Field maplePink leaves Small new leaves with a pink tint.April to MayHow to identify it → Silver birch: green haze. A thin green haze of small new leaves.Silver birchGreen haze A thin green haze of small new leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → Common beech: silky leaves. New leaves thin enough for light to come through.Aaron Wallace, CC BY 4.0Common beechSilky leaves New leaves thin enough for light to come through.April to MayHow to identify it → Holly: soft new leaves. Pale, soft new leaves at the ends of the branches.Jerry Lanfear, CC BY 4.0HollySoft new leaves Pale, soft new leaves at the ends of the branches.April to MayHow to identify it → Yew: fresh needles. Bright new tips against needles that are almost black.YewFresh needles Bright new tips against needles that are almost black.April to MayHow to identify it → Alder: sticky leaves. Round new leaves, sticky to the touch.AlderSticky leaves Round new leaves, sticky to the touch.April to MayHow to identify it → London plane: woolly leaves. New leaves over a trunk flaking in pale plates.London planeWoolly leaves New leaves over a trunk flaking in pale plates.April to MayHow to identify it → European larch: green tufts. Soft new needles opening in tufts.Don Loarie, CC BY 4.0European larchGreen tufts Soft new needles opening in tufts.March to MayHow to identify it → Common lime: pale hearts. Pale heart-shaped leaves on red shoots.Common limePale hearts Pale heart-shaped leaves on red shoots.April to MayHow to identify it →

Fruit, nuts and cones

Wych elm: seed discs. Pale papery discs in clusters, seed in the middle.Wych elmSeed discs Pale papery discs in clusters, seed in the middle.April to MayHow to identify it →

Coming in June

Horse chestnut: seven leaflets. Huge leaves of five to seven parts spreading from one point.Horse chestnutSeven leaflets Huge leaves of five to seven parts spreading from one point.June to JulyHow to identify it → English oak: lobed leaves. Dark green leaves with deep, rounded lobes.Victor Heng, CC BY 4.0English oakLobed leaves Dark green leaves with deep, rounded lobes.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Hawthorn: cut leaves. Small leaves deeply cut into three to seven lobes.HawthornCut leaves Small leaves deeply cut into three to seven lobes.June to AugustHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: glossy leaves. Long glossy leaves with spiky teeth down both edges.Sweet chestnutGlossy leaves Long glossy leaves with spiky teeth down both edges.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: cream catkins. Long pale catkins sticking out all over the tree.Sweet chestnutCream catkins Long pale catkins sticking out all over the tree.June to JulyHow to identify it → Field maple: blunt lobes. Small leaves with five rounded, blunt points.Field mapleBlunt lobes Small leaves with five rounded, blunt points.June to OctoberHow to identify it → Field maple: straight keys. Pairs of winged seeds spread almost in a line.Field mapleStraight keys Pairs of winged seeds spread almost in a line.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Silver birch: small leaves. Small triangular leaves with toothed edges.Silver birchSmall leaves Small triangular leaves with toothed edges.June to AugustHow to identify it → Wild cherry: cherries. Small red cherries darkening to purple, on long stalks.Wild cherryCherries Small red cherries darkening to purple, on long stalks.June to JulyHow to identify it → Common beech: wavy leaves. Oval leaves with a wavy edge, fringed with hairs.Common beechWavy leaves Oval leaves with a wavy edge, fringed with hairs.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Rowan: fine leaflets. Feathery leaves made of many small toothed leaflets.RowanFine leaflets Feathery leaves made of many small toothed leaflets.June to AugustHow to identify it → Elder: five leaflets. Leaves of five or seven toothed leaflets, in pairs.Kieran Roy Powell, CC BY 4.0ElderFive leaflets Leaves of five or seven toothed leaflets, in pairs.June to AugustHow to identify it → Sycamore: dark leaves. Big dark leaves with five points, on red stalks.Nick Butcher, CC BY 4.0SycamoreDark leaves Big dark leaves with five points, on red stalks.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Sycamore: green keys. Green winged keys hanging in bunches.Emily K, CC BY 4.0SycamoreGreen keys Green winged keys hanging in bunches.June to AugustHow to identify it → Common ash: leaflets. Long leaves made of leaflets in pairs.Common ashLeaflets Long leaves made of leaflets in pairs.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Alder: green cones. Small green cones in bunches on the twigs.AlderGreen cones Small green cones in bunches on the twigs.June to OctoberHow to identify it → London plane: big leaves. Big stiff leaves with three to five points.London planeBig leaves Big stiff leaves with three to five points.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Scots pine: green cones. Green cones swelling beside tiny brown ones.Scots pineGreen cones Green cones swelling beside tiny brown ones.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: white backs. Oval leaves, dark on top and white underneath.Common whitebeamWhite backs Oval leaves, dark on top and white underneath.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common lime: heart leaves. Dark green heart-shaped leaves.Common limeHeart leaves Dark green heart-shaped leaves.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Wych elm: rough leaves. Big rough leaves, lopsided at the base.Wych elmRough leaves Big rough leaves, lopsided at the base.June to AugustHow to identify it → Norway spruce: young cones. Young cones turning over to hang down.Jason Grant, CC BY 4.0Norway spruceYoung cones Young cones turning over to hang down.June to SeptemberHow to identify it →
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Photographs: jmark (CC0), steve_mcwilliam (CC0), Barry Walter (CC BY 4.0), kitbeard (CC BY 4.0), parasksb (CC0), machaut2 (CC BY 4.0), Lauren Ware (CC BY 4.0), Alex Ashworth-Smith (CC BY 4.0), rmjb (CC BY 4.0), Daniel Greenwood (CC BY 4.0), David Pereira (CC BY 4.0), Liam Maguire (CC BY 4.0), peter_reynolds (CC0), Anne Thomson (CC BY 4.0), cjoynson (CC0), chrisdt (CC BY 4.0), Joss Carr (CC BY 4.0), Aaron Wallace (CC BY 4.0), Jerry Lanfear (CC BY 4.0), Don Loarie (CC BY 4.0), redshank (CC0), Victor Heng (CC BY 4.0), Leon Cross (CC BY 4.0), ben_deed (CC0), samira_h (CC0), bobwardell (CC0), Kieran Roy Powell (CC BY 4.0), Nick Butcher (CC BY 4.0), Emily K (CC BY 4.0), foott1 (CC0), Jason Grant (CC BY 4.0). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.