How to identify common tree leaves

Leaf shapes and characteristics of five common types of trees

In human families, the members often resemble each other. Trees are much the same. When you learn the general appearance of one tree's leaf, you can often recognize its relatives.  You can say, "That leaf looks like a willow," just as you might say, "That boy looks like a Johnson."

And keep in mind that there are always exceptions -- some leaves don't look exactly like their relatives in every detail.

Here are some generalizations that will help you recognize five common tree families:

Maples

Long-stalked, toothed, broad leaves, shaped somewhat like a hand with the fingers spread ("palmate lobes").

Left: Sugar maple
Right: Red maple

Willows

Long, slender leaves, arranged alternately on long thin branches. The trees are usually found in wet areas.

Left:  Black willow

Right: Pussy willow

Poplars

Broad, shiny leaves with a heart shape, toothed edge, and bright green color. Long slender stems allow the leaves to dance in a breeze.

Left: (Bigtooth aspen)

Right: (Plains cottonwood)

Image credit for Plains cottonwood: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 591.

Oaks

Oak leaves vary greatly in shape from one species to the next. Even a single oak tree may show a lot of variation in leaf shape! Some species of oaks have bristles at the ends of the leaf lobes; some do not. However, one thing that can be said about most oak leaves is that they are leathery in texture. Also, many of them are a little lighter and duller in color on the underside. Look on the ground under the tree for evidence of acorns.

Left: Pin oak

Right: Bur oak

Elms

Elms usually have oval leaves up to 3 inches in length, pointed on one end, with a sawtooth edge and a short stem. The veins are V-shaped and regularly spaced, almost like a feather, and the leaves are rough on the underside. The bottom of the leaf is usually uneven or unequal where it joins the stem.

Left: American elm

Right: Winged elm