COMPARING LEAVES OF COMMON TREES AND SHRUBS
Although somewhat variable, leaves are probably the most useful features for identifying a tree. Regardless of age or growing position, the leaves of most species have a set of characteristics unique enough to allow separation from even closely related trees. The following leaves from common native and widely naturalised trees and shrubs will allow naturalists to put a name to most species found growing in their local hedgerows and woodlands.
SIMPLE LEAVES, WITH ENTIRE (OR MINUTELY TOOTHED) MARGINS
| BEECH Fagus sylvaticaOval and pointed, to 10cm long, with a wavy margin and a fringe of silky hairs when freshly open. Fresh green when newly emerged, dark green in summer, orange-brown in autumn. |
| ALDER BUCKTHORN Frangula alnusBroadly oval, to 7cm long, with up to 9 pairs of veins, curving towards the margin. Glossy green above and paler below, turning lemon-yellow in autumn, or redder if exposed to bright sunlight. |
| ALDER Alnus glutinosaStalked and noticeably rounded, to 10cm long, usually with a notched apex and a wavy margin; 5–8 pairs of veins with long hairs in axils on underside of leaf. |
| DOGWOOD Cornus sanguineaOval and pointed, with 3–4 pairs of prominent veins. If a leaf is snapped and the 2 halves are gently pulled apart, stringy latex appears where veins were broken and connects 2 halves of leaf. Leaves become a rich, deep red in autumn. |
| WILD PRIVET Ligustrum vulgareShiny, oval and opposite, up to 6cm long. Semi-deciduous. |
| COMMON PEAR Pyrus communisOval to elliptical, to 8cm long; margins with minute teeth, and leaves smooth and almost glossy when mature. |
SIMPLE LEAVES, WITH TOOTHED MARGINS
| BLACKTHORN Prunus spinosaOval and pointed at tip, to 4.5cm long, petiole 1cm long; upper surface smooth and dull green, lower surface downy along the prominent veins. |
| BUCKTHORN Rhamnus catharticaOvate or nearly rounded with a short pointed tip, to 6cm long and 4cm wide, finely toothed around margin, glossy green above and pale below. Conspicuous veins on upper surface converging towards tip of leaf. In autumn leaves turn yellow. |
| SPINDLE Euonymus europaeusOvate, to 10cm long, with a pointed tip and sharply toothed margins. A rich shade of purple-orange in autumn. |
| WILD CRAB Malus sylvestrisOvate to obovate, up to 11cm long, smooth above and below when fully open. |
| CULTIVATED APPLE Malus domesticaElliptical and rounded at the base with a slightly pointed tip, to 13cm long; slightly downy above and normally very downy below. |
| WILD CHERRY Prunus aviumOvate with a long pointed apex and forward-pointing irregular teeth on margins; upper surface smooth and dull, lower surface downy on veins. Petiole 2–5cm long, with 2 glands near leaf junction. |
| BIRD CHERRY Prunus padusElliptical to elongate, to 10cm long, finely toothed on margins and tapering at tip; tough, dark green above and slightly blue-green below. |
| CHERRY PLUM Prunus cerasiferaOvate, tapering at base and tip, to 7cm long; margins with numerous rounded teeth and underside with downy veins. Petiole 1cm long, pinkish, grooved. |
| CHERRY PLUM Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpureaIdentical to ordinary form of Cherry Plum except that leaves are maroon from spring onwards. |
| PLUM Prunus domestica ssp. domesticaOvate, up to 8cm long, with toothed margins, a smooth green upper surface and a downy lower surface. |
| SILVER BIRCH Betula pendulaTriangular and pointed, to 7cm long, with large teeth separated by many smaller teeth; thin and smooth when mature. Petiole hairless. Leaves turn golden yellow in autumn. |
| DOWNY BIRCH Betula pubescensMore rounded at base than those of Silver Birch and more evenly toothed; white hairs in axils of veins on underside, and petiole hairy. |
| SWEET CHESTNUT Castanea sativaGlossy, lanceolate, to 25cm long, margins serrated with spine-tipped teeth, pointed at tip, and sometimes with a slightly heart-shaped base. |
| HORNBEAM Carpinus betulusOval and pointed with a rounded base, short petiole, and double-toothed margin; 15 pairs of veins, hairy below. Leaves turning yellow, through orange to russet-brown in autumn. |
| WHITEBEAM Sorbus ariaOval, to 12cm long, and very hairy, especially on white underside; 10–14 pairs of veins. |
| WAYFARING-TREE Viburnum lantanaOvate, to 14cm long, rough to touch; undersides thickly hairy with more stellate hairs. |
| SMALL-LEAVED ELM Ulmus minor ssp. minorSuperficially Hornbeam-like, leathery, to 15cm long, oval, pointed at tip, with toothed margins; unequal leaf bases, narrowly tapering on short side, and a short petiole. |
| ENGLISH ELM Ulmus proceraRounded or slightly oval with short tapering tip; base unequal, longest side not reaching beyond petiole to twig. Leaf rough to touch; petiole (1–5mm long) and midrib finely downy. |
| WYCH ELM Ulmus glabraRounded or oval, to 18cm long, with a long tapering point at tip. Base of leaf unequal; long side of leaf base extends beyond the petiole (which is 2–5mm long) to twig. Leaves feel rough; upper surface hairy, and lower surface with softer, sparser hairs. |
| HAZEL Corylus avellanaRounded, to 10cm long, with a heart-shaped base and pointed tip; margins double-toothed and upper surface hairy. Undersides of leaf veins with white hairs. Petiole short and hairy, and whole leaf has a bristly, rough feel. |
| GOAT WILLOW Salix capreaOval, to 12cm long, with a short twisted point at tip; dull green and slightly hairy above, grey and woolly below. Leaf margins have small, irregular teeth, and short petiole sometimes has 2 ear-like sinuous stipules at its base. |
| CRACK WILLOW Salix fragilisLong, very narrow and glossy, with toothed margins; lower surface less glossy and slightly paler than upper surface. Petiole short and green. |
| WHITE WILLOW Salix albaLong and very narrow, smaller than similar Crack Willow, bluish grey and silky-hairy above at first. |
| SMALL-LEAVED LIME Tilia cordataRounded, with a pointed tip, heart-shaped base and finely toothed margin, to 9cm long; dark shiny green and smooth above, paler and smooth below but with tufts of darker hairs in vein axils. Petiole smooth and up to 4cm long. |
| LIME Tilia × europaeaBroadly ovate with a short pointed tip, heart-shaped base and toothed margin, to 10cm long. Dull green above and paler below with tufts of white hairs in vein axils. |
| ASPEN Populus tremulaRounded to slightly oval, with shallow marginal teeth. Green on both surfaces, but paler below, on long, flattened petioles. In autumn, leaves may turn golden yellow. |
| BLACK-POPLAR Populus nigra ssp. betulifoliaTriangular and long-stalked with a finely toothed margin; fresh shiny green on both surfaces. |
| GREY POPLAR Populus × canescensRounded to oval with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Glossy grey-green above, lower surface with a greyish-white felt. |
| HOLLY Ilex aquifoliumTough and leathery, to 12cm long, waxy above and paler below; margins variably wavy and spiny; leaves from upper branches of a large tree often flat and mostly spineless. |
LOBED AND PALMATE LEAVES
| SESSILE OAK Quercus petraeaLobed, flattened, dark green and hairless above, paler below with hairs along veins; on yellow stalks, 1–2.5cm long, and lacking auricles at the base, distinguishing them from those of Pedunculate Oak. |
| PEDUNCULATE OAK Quercus roburDeeply lobed, dark green and hairless above, with 2 auricles at the base; on very short stalks (5mm or less). |
| COMMON HAWTHORN Crataegus monogynaRoughly ovate and deeply lobed, to 4.5cm long, usually with 3 segments; lobes pointed with just a few teeth near apex. Leaves feel tough. Dark green above, paler below, with a few tufts of hairs at axils of veins. Petiole about 2cm long and tinged pink. |
| MIDLAND HAWTHORN Crataegus laevigataSuperficially similar to Common Hawthorn, to 6cm long, but not as deeply or conspicuously lobed; lobes more rounded and toothed to the base. |
| GUELDER-ROSE Viburnum opulusTo 8cm long, with 3–5 irregularly toothed lobes and thread-like stipules. Leaves often turn a deep wine-red in autumn. |
| FIELD MAPLE Acer campestreUsually strongly 3-lobed, to 12cm long; lobes themselves often have lobed margins and tufts of hair in axils of veins on underside. Newly opened leaves pinkish, becoming dark green and rather leathery later and bright yellow in autumn. |
| NORWAY MAPLE Acer platanoidesBright green, smooth, to 15cm long with 5–7 toothed and sharply pointed lobes; lowest pair of lobes smaller than others. Note white hairs in axils of veins on paler underside of leaf. |
| SYCAMORE Acer pseudoplatanusTo 15cm long, and divided into 5 toothed lobes. Immature and fast-growing trees have deeply cut leaves and long scarlet petioles, whereas older trees have smaller leaves with shallower lobes and shorter pink or green petioles. |
| WILD SERVICE-TREE Sorbus torminalisTo 10cm long with 3–5 pairs of pointed lobes and a sharply toothed margin; basal lobes projecting at right angles, other lobes pointing forwards. Leaves turn to shades of red and russet in autumn. |
| LONDON PLANE Platanus × hispanicaTo 24cm long and mostly 5-lobed and palmate; very variable, however, and degree of lobing may differ greatly. |
| HORSE-CHESTNUT Aesculus hippocastanumLarge, long-stalked and palmate, with up to 7 leaflets, each to 25cm long (central leaflets longest), sharply toothed and elongate-oval; upper surface mostly smooth, lower surface slightly downy. |
COMPOUND LEAVES
| ROWAN Sorbus aucupariaPinnate, composed of 5–8 pairs of toothed leaflets, each one to 6cm long, ovoid and markedly toothed; central rachis rounded near base, and grooved between leaflets. |
| ELDER Sambucus nigraUsually with 5–7 (occasionally 9) pairs of leaflets, each one to 12cm long, ovate and pointed with a sharply toothed margin and slightly hairy underside; green in summer but sometimes turning deep plum-red before falling in autumn |
| ASH Fraxinus excelsiorPinnate, to 35cm long with a flattened central rachis, which may be hairy, bearing 7–13 ovate-lanceolate, pointed and toothed leaflets, each one up to 12cm long; upper surface usually dark green and lower surface paler with densely hairy midribs. |
NEEDLES AND NEEDLE-LIKE LEAVES
| COMMON YEW Taxus baccataFlattened, needle-like and up to 4cm long and 3mm wide, narrowing to a sharp point. Dark glossy green above and paler below with 2 pale yellowish bands. Leaves arising spirally around twig but flattened to lie in a row on either side of twig. |
| DOUGLAS-FIR Pseudotsuga menziesiiNeedles, to 3.5cm long, blunt or slightly pointed, dark green and grooved above, with 2 white bands below. |
| LAWSON’S CYPRESS Chamaecyparis lawsonianaSmall and scale-like, up to 2mm long and flattened along shoot, in opposite pairs, and showing paler colours on underside of shoot. Crushed leaves smell of parsley. |
| LEYLAND CYPRESS × Cupressocyparis leylandiiPointed, scale-like and about 2mm long. |
| SCOTS PINE Pinus sylvestrisNeedles, in bunches of 2, grey-green or blue-green, up to 7cm long, usually twisted with a short point at the tip. |
| CORSICAN PINE Pinus nigra ssp. maritimaSoft, narrow needles, pale green, to 15cm long, often twisted in young trees. |
