What Tree is That? Is a website that presents you with a series of questions to help you narrow down what kind of leaf you have found. The most common leaf type is a broadleaf, which is wide and flat. In the Autumn they turn very bright colours like golden yellow and deep red Some elm leaves are smooth on one side and fuzzy on the otherīirch: look for heart shaped leave that have serrated edges that meet symmetrically at the base of the stem. They have toothy, serrated edges and are asymmetrical at the base of the stem. ScienceDirect is a leading platform for peer-reviewed scientific research, covering a wide range of disciplines and topics. The leaves are mostly green but sometimes they can be a mix of shades of white, pink and green depending on the species.Įlm: these are simple shaped leaves and are oval shaped with a point at one end. Willow: look for long, narrow leaves with tiny serrated edges. It is known for having multiple pointy lobes, or projections. Maple: these leaves grow in pairs, meaning there is one leaf coming out of the same spot on a branch on either side. If you are just looking at the trees look for lobed leafs – leafs that have a bunch of round protrusions at the end.
Oaks: the easiest way to spot an oak is to find the acorns. Many broadleaf trees are Deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in the Autumn. These trees also have a seed in the form of a fruit or a nut, instead of cones. If it has a leaf and not a needle it is a broadleaf tree. Spruce: if you pluck a needle from a tree and it spins easily between your fingers it’s probably a Spruce! Pine: the needles of the pine tree are bundled together Many Coniferous trees are evergreen and keep their needles year-round.įir: these needles only have two sides and are flat, so unlike a spruce tree it won’t spin in your fingers.
These trees tend to have needles and are the only trees that bear cones. Although its definitely not an exhausted list, we think it’s a great place to start! We also have a list of great resources for you at the end. We have a quick run-down of some species here. Start by choosing one of the three categories below. If you would like to know the common name, scientific name, or characteristics of a tree at the Arboretum but you only know the shape of the leaf, perhaps this guide will help identify it. Here in Canada it’s hard not to know what a maple leaf looks like, seeing as it has a fairly prominent place on our flag, but what other leaves can you identify? On your next walk with the kids see if you can name the trees along the way by looking at the shape of the leaves. For this guide, we have chosen some of the trees commonly found on the trails at the Arboretum.