Trees & Shrubs

Woody Trees, Shrubs & Climbers

Identifying woody plants simply from their leaves is not always possible, but it is a good starting point. In this section, woody trees, shrubs and climbers are grouped according to their basic leaf shape. In some cases, this means that you may have to follow more than one lead, returning to this page if the leaf you try doesn't lead you to your plant.

Within the leaf sections, the pictures are grouped so that similar-looking (though not necessarily closely-related) plants will be near each other. This should help to reduce your search time. Also, in cases where there are a number of very similar species, a representative species is shown here; clicking on it will take you to a page that tells you how to tell the more difficult species apart.

Probably the hardest is the section of alternate, simple leaves with toothed margins, as there are so many species here. You are likely to have greater success if your plant is flowering or in fruit, but if it is not, you should still be able to work out most species by looking at details of bark, twigs and the hairiness or otherwise of the leaves.

Some useful things to know: the words 'opposite' and 'alternate' as used here, refer to the arrangement of the leaves on the stem. The leaves will either be paired, opposite each other, or will be arranged singly, alternating from one side of the branch to the other. Compound leaves consist of a central stem or rachis with leaflets arranged along it and either with or without a single, terminal leaflet. Telling leaves from leaflets is usually pretty easy - where the stem of a leaf joins the twig, there will usually be a bud (often rather small). Leaflets do not have a bud at their base.

If you still can't find your plant, you either have something very interesting that you may wish to tell us about, or we just haven't got a picture of it yet - we're still working on the latter!!

Click on the pictures below to go to the species pages.

Needle-like Leaves


pines	Eastern Hemlock	Bald Cypress	yews


spruces	Douglas Fir	true cedars	Broom-crowberry

Scale-like Leaves


junipers & cypresses	tamarisks

Opposite Simple Leaves - Untoothed


catalpas	dogwoods	viburnums	honeysuckles

Common Lilac	Common Box

honeysuckles	Coralberry	privets	privets

Opposite Simple Leaves - Toothed


evergreen spindles	deciduous spindles	Chinese Beautyberry	forsythias

Foxglove-tree	Rose Glorybower	arrowwoods	evergreen spindles

Opposite Simple Leaves - Lobed

Japanese
Honeysuckle

Opposite Simple Leaves - Palmate


maples	maples	Guelder-rose

Alternate Simple Leaves - Untoothed


Buttonbush	Common Persimmon	Blackgum	dogwoods


Autumn-olive	ericaceous shrubs	ericaceous shrubs	ericaceous shrubs

Bearberry	Sweetbay Magnolia	Willow Oak	Duke of Argyll's Teaplant

Northern Spicebush	Osage-orange	poplars	greenbriers

Alternate Simple Leaves - Toothed


American Hornbeam	American Beech	alders	Intermediate Witch-hazel


Common Sweet Pepperbush	American Chestnut

River Birch	Gray Birch	poplars	cottonwoods

elms	hackberries	mulberries	bittersweet-vines

ericaceous shrubs	winterberries	Virginia Sweetspire	bittersweet-vines

Sweetfern	Steeplebush	Eastern Baccharis	hollies

pears	rose family	rose family

willows	myrtles & bayberries	Inkberry