It doesn’t take an expert to be able to identify trees but it does take a bit of knowledge. With some education and practice it will become easy to identify different trees just by their leaves. There are hundreds of species of trees and there are a few tips that will help anyone interested in learning more about these trees or how to tell them apart.
The dichotomous key or leaf key is the main tool that is used to identify trees. This key contains a series of different choices and allows the user to determine the identity of items – in this case trees. The key can be used for a variety of other items as well including wildflowers and mammals.
There are a few different factors that need to be considered when studying leaves. Remember that there are always going to be certain distinguishing features that will set one leaf apart from the next. The leaves will be of a certain size and may have spots or holes on them. They can be of different colors and may even be sharp and have points such as needles on a pine tree.
Scale-like leaves are found on a few different species of trees including evergreens, cedars and junipers. Then there are the trees that have simpler looking leaves such as the Quaking Aspen. This is a tree which features roundish leaves that are relatively small and have fine teeth. The leaf stems are flat and make a rattling noise when they tremble in the wind. This is actually where the tree got its name.
The Paulownia trees or Princess trees as they are also known are very beautiful and have heart shaped leaves. The leaves are quite large and are usually about the size of an adult’s hand. Clusters of purple flowers appear in mid-spring. These trees are very easy to identify and are populous around North America but are actually an Asian import.
Another very common tree is the Mulberry tree. The species of tree itself is common but the leaves and other features are quite strange. The leaves are particularly unusual and are almost a rectangular shape with four flaring lobes. The tree grows tall and bears large tulip-shaped flowers with orange parts.
It can often be tricky to identify trees by their leaves alone and for any situations where there is a question the other features of the tree can be used as well to determine the species. This includes bark on the tree, twigs, and fruits that are bore by the tree. Even the form of the tree itself can be helpful for identification purposes.
Leaves provide the easiest clues to concluding a tree’s identity and even when there is not much to go on the leaves will almost always make it easy to tell which species a tree is. Look for all the details in a leaf even the smallest ones because this is what will provide the answer. See if the leaves are smaller or larger, if they are oval shaped or rectangular and check to see if the leaves are entire or toothed. Always look for patterns on the leaves.
In a lot of cases it can be confusing to differentiate leaves as there are so many species of trees that feature similar looking leaves. Over time however it becomes much easier to notice the small details that can be used to tell them apart.
For anyone who appreciates nature and is interested in learning more about trees and how to identify them, these are just a few of the basic tips on how to get started. There are some fantastic classes and courses that are available and which focus on this topic. Considering that there are hundreds of different species of trees, it certainly makes sense to get educated and understand how to use the leaves and other features on trees to identify them.
