BEECH Fagus sylvatica
Oval 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.
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.
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BEECH Fagus sylvatica Oval 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. |
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ALDER BUCKTHORN Frangula alnus Broadly 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. |
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ALDER Alnus glutinosa Stalked 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. |
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DOGWOOD Cornus sanguinea Oval 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. |
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WILD PRIVET Ligustrum vulgare Shiny, oval and opposite, up to 6cm long. Semi-deciduous. |
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COMMON PEAR Pyrus communis Oval to elliptical, to 8cm long; margins with minute teeth, and leaves smooth and almost glossy when mature. |
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BLACKTHORN Prunus spinosa Oval and pointed at tip, to 4.5cm long, petiole 1cm long; upper surface smooth and dull green, lower surface downy along the prominent veins. |
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BUCKTHORN Rhamnus cathartica Ovate 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. |
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SPINDLE Euonymus europaeus Ovate, to 10cm long, with a pointed tip and sharply toothed margins. A rich shade of purple-orange in autumn. |
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WILD CRAB Malus sylvestris Ovate to obovate, up to 11cm long, smooth above and below when fully open. |
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CULTIVATED APPLE Malus domestica Elliptical and rounded at the base with a slightly pointed tip, to 13cm long; slightly downy above and normally very downy below. |
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WILD CHERRY Prunus avium Ovate 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 padus Elliptical to elongate, to 10cm long, finely toothed on margins and tapering at tip; tough, dark green above and slightly blue-green below. |
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CHERRY PLUM Prunus cerasifera Ovate, tapering at base and tip, to 7cm long; margins with numerous rounded teeth and underside with downy veins. Petiole 1cm long, pinkish, grooved. |
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CHERRY PLUM Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea Identical to ordinary form of Cherry Plum except that leaves are maroon from spring onwards. |
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PLUM Prunus domestica ssp. domestica Ovate, up to 8cm long, with toothed margins, a smooth green upper surface and a downy lower surface. |
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SILVER BIRCH Betula pendula Triangular 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. |
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DOWNY BIRCH Betula pubescens More rounded at base than those of Silver Birch and more evenly toothed; white hairs in axils of veins on underside, and petiole hairy. |
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SWEET CHESTNUT Castanea sativa Glossy, lanceolate, to 25cm long, margins serrated with spine-tipped teeth, pointed at tip, and sometimes with a slightly heart-shaped base. |
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HORNBEAM Carpinus betulus Oval 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. |
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WHITEBEAM Sorbus aria Oval, to 12cm long, and very hairy, especially on white underside; 10–14 pairs of veins. |
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WAYFARING-TREE Viburnum lantana Ovate, to 14cm long, rough to touch; undersides thickly hairy with more stellate hairs. |
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SMALL-LEAVED ELM Ulmus minor ssp. minor Superficially 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. |
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ENGLISH ELM Ulmus procera Rounded 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. |
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WYCH ELM Ulmus glabra Rounded 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. |
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HAZEL Corylus avellana Rounded, 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. |
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GOAT WILLOW Salix caprea Oval, 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 fragilis Long, very narrow and glossy, with toothed margins; lower surface less glossy and slightly paler than upper surface. Petiole short and green. |
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WHITE WILLOW Salix alba Long and very narrow, smaller than similar Crack Willow, bluish grey and silky-hairy above at first. |
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SMALL-LEAVED LIME Tilia cordata Rounded, 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. |
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LIME Tilia × europaea Broadly 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. |
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ASPEN Populus tremula Rounded 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. |
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BLACK-POPLAR Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia Triangular and long-stalked with a finely toothed margin; fresh shiny green on both surfaces. |
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GREY POPLAR Populus × canescens Rounded to oval with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Glossy grey-green above, lower surface with a greyish-white felt. |
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HOLLY Ilex aquifolium Tough 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. |
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SESSILE OAK Quercus petraea Lobed, 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. |
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PEDUNCULATE OAK Quercus robur Deeply lobed, dark green and hairless above, with 2 auricles at the base; on very short stalks (5mm or less). |
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COMMON HAWTHORN Crataegus monogyna Roughly 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. |
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MIDLAND HAWTHORN Crataegus laevigata Superficially similar to Common Hawthorn, to 6cm long, but not as deeply or conspicuously lobed; lobes more rounded and toothed to the base. |
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GUELDER-ROSE Viburnum opulus To 8cm long, with 3–5 irregularly toothed lobes and thread-like stipules. Leaves often turn a deep wine-red in autumn. |
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FIELD MAPLE Acer campestre Usually 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 platanoides Bright 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. |
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SYCAMORE Acer pseudoplatanus To 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. |
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WILD SERVICE-TREE Sorbus torminalis To 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. |
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LONDON PLANE Platanus × hispanica To 24cm long and mostly 5-lobed and palmate; very variable, however, and degree of lobing may differ greatly. |
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HORSE-CHESTNUT Aesculus hippocastanum Large, 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. |
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ROWAN Sorbus aucuparia Pinnate, 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. |
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ELDER Sambucus nigra Usually 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 |
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ASH Fraxinus excelsior Pinnate, 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. |
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COMMON YEW Taxus baccata Flattened, 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. |
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DOUGLAS-FIR Pseudotsuga menziesii Needles, to 3.5cm long, blunt or slightly pointed, dark green and grooved above, with 2 white bands below. |
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LAWSON’S CYPRESS Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Small 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. |
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LEYLAND CYPRESS × Cupressocyparis leylandii Pointed, scale-like and about 2mm long. |
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SCOTS PINE Pinus sylvestris Needles, in bunches of 2, grey-green or blue-green, up to 7cm long, usually twisted with a short point at the tip. |
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CORSICAN PINE Pinus nigra ssp. maritima Soft, narrow needles, pale green, to 15cm long, often twisted in young trees. |
