ID Keys

Dichotomous Leaf Key

Back to the keys

Restart from the beginning

Reset these variables

If you find an error, please report it.

So far you have made the following choices...

tree

A tree generally has a single upright stem and reaches a height of 20 feet.

Some species are shrubs in harsh climates and trees in moderate climates.

shrub Shrubs are low branching, suckering, or have multiple stems and do not reach 20 feet in height.
bramble Most people recognize brambles, which include roses and blackberries.
vine Vines require some extra help for support. They hold on to the support by twining, growing tendrils, or aerial roots.
My leaf is from a tree
My leaf is from a shrub
My leaf is from a bramble, rose, or soft-wooded shrub with arching canes
My leaf is from a climbing or scrambling vine
cactus

Cacti do have leaves - they are reduced to spines.
palm Palms are common in warm regions.
yucca Yuccas can be found in many loacations but are more common is deserts.
slender or scaly vine Slender or Scaly leaves can be found on pines, junipers, and other genera.
broadleaf Broadleaf includes genera with narrow leaves, such as the willows.
Broad leaves
Slender or scaly leaves
My leaf is palm-like
My leaf is slender and strap-like (the yuccas)
I have a cactus, with leaves that are reduced to spines

Broadleaf Arrangement, or phyllotaxy, is a very important id clue. To determine phyllotaxy, look to see how many leaves are attached to the twig at each node. If there are no leaves, look for the arrangement of the buds that can be found at the base of each leaf. If you can not reach the twigs, remember that twigs grow from buds... and they will have the same arrangement as the leaves.

alternate

Most woody plants are alternately arranged. The leaves and buds alternate along the stem.
opposite These leaves are oppositely arranged, as are the buds that grow at the base of the leaves.
whorled A few species have whorled leaves, with (usually) 3 leaves and buds at each node.
My leaves are arranged opposite each other, in pairs or in threes
My leaves alternate on the stem - they are not whorled or in pairs

Broadleaves can be simple or compound. Simple leaves have a single blade, compound leaves have several leaflets attached to a common stalk. It can be difficult to distinguish between these two leaf types. It may help to determine what, exactly, is the deciduous unit. Leaves are attached directly to twigs; leaflets are attached to a common stalk that is attached to the twig. Another clue... in late summer, buds can be found on the twig at the base of the leaf. There are never buds on leaf stalks.

simple leaf

A leaf with a single blade is a simple leaf. The leaf stalk is attached directly to a woody twig.

bifoliate leaf The simplest type of compound leaf is a bifoliate leaf, which has two leaflets attached to a common stalk.
trifoliate leaf Trifoliate leaves have three leaflets attached to a common stalk.
palmate leaf Palmate leaves have leaflets that radiate from the end of the central stalk.
pinnate leaf Pinnate leaves have leaflets attached laterally to the central stalk.
bipinnate leaf Bipinnate leaves have pinnate leaflets attached to pinnate leaflets. The whole structure is shed in the fall.
My leaves are simple - they have a petiole that bears a single leaf
My leaves are compound - they have a central stalk with several leaflets

Possible matches:

There were 144 matches to your search.

print this native? Acer campestre - hedge maple

print this native? Acer grandidentatum - bigtooth maple

print this native? Acer pensylvanicum - striped maple

print this native? Acer spicatum - mountain maple

print this native? Aesculus parviflora - bottlebrush buckeye

print this native? Aesculus pavia - red buckeye

print this native? Aesculus sylvatica - painted buckeye

print this native? Anisacanthus quadrifidus - desert honeysuckle

print this native? Borrichia arborescens - tree seaside tansy

print this native? Broussonetia papyrifera - paper mulberry

print this native? Bucida buceras - black olive

print this native? Buckleya distichophylla - piratebush

print this native? Callicarpa americana - American beautyberry

print this native? Calycanthus floridus - common sweetshrub

print this native? Calycanthus occidentalis - sweet shrub

print this native? Cassiope mertensiana - white mountain heather

print this native? Ceanothus cuneatus - narrowleaf buckbrush

print this native? Ceanothus gloriosus - Point Reyes ceanothus

print this native? Ceanothus greggii - desert ceanothus

print this native? Ceanothus prostratus - mahala mat

print this native? Cephalotaxus fortunei - Chinese plum-yew

print this native? Chilopsis linearis - desert-willow

print this native? Chionanthus virginicus - fringetree

print this native? Cistus spp. - rockrose

print this native? Cornus alba - Tatarian dogwood

print this native? Cornus amomum - silky dogwood

print this native? Cornus canadensis - bunchberry

print this native? Cornus drummondii - roughleaf dogwood

print this native? Cornus racemosa - gray dogwood

print this native? Cornus sericea - red-osier dogwood

print this native? Cornus unalaschkensis - Alaskan bunchberry

print this native? Deutzia scabra - fuzzy deutzia

print this native? Diervilla lonicera - northern bush-honeysuckle

print this native? Diervilla rivularis - mountain bush-honeysuckle

print this native? Diervilla sessilifolia - southern bush-honeysuckle

print this native? Diplacus puniceus - red bush monkeyflower

print this native? Ephedra spp. - Mormon-tea

print this native? Ericameria laricifolia - turpentine bush

print this native? Euonymus alatus - winged euonymus

print this native? Euonymus americanus - strawberry bush

print this native? Euonymus atropurpureus - eastern wahoo

print this native? Euonymus europaeus - spindletree

print this native? Euonymus fortunei - wintercreeper

print this native? Euonymus occidentalis - western burning bush

print this native? Fendlera rupicola - cliff fendlerbush

print this native? Forestiera acuminata - eastern swampprivet

print this native? Forestiera pubescens - desert-olive

print this native? Forsythia spp. - forsythia

print this native? Fraxinus anomala - singleleaf ash

print this native? Fraxinus gooddingii - Gooding ash

print this native? Fremontodendron californicum - California fremontia

print this native? Fremontodendron mexicanum - Mexican fremontia

print this native? Gambelia juncea - Baja bush snapdragon

print this native? Garrya elliptica - wavyleaf silktassel

print this native? Garrya flavescens - ashy silktassel

print this native? Garrya fremontii - bearbrush

print this native? Garrya wrightii - Wright silktassel

print this native? Guaiacum angustifolium - soapbush

print this native? Guaiacum coulteri - guayacan

print this native? Guaiacum officinale - lignum-vitae

print this native? Helianthus gracilentus - slender sunflower

print this native? Heptacodium miconioides - seven sons flower

print this native? Hydrangea arborescens - wild hydrangea

print this native? Hydrangea macrophylla - bigleaf hydrangea

print this native? Hydrangea paniculata - panicle hydrangea

print this native? Hydrangea quercifolia - oakleaf hydrangea

print this native? Hypericum spp. - Saint Johnswort

print this native? Hyptis emoryi - desert lavender

print this native? Iva frutescens - marsh-elder

print this native? Jamesia americana - fivepetal cliffbush

print this native? Jatropha cuneata - limberbush

print this native? Justicia californica - beloperone

print this native? Kalmia microphylla - alpine laurel

print this native? Kalmia polifolia - bog laurel

print this native? Lagerstroemia indica - crapemyrtle

print this native? Lantana carnara - lantana

print this native? Larrea tridentata - creosote bush

print this native? Ligustrum amurense - Amur privet

print this native? Ligustrum japonicum - Japanese privet

print this native? Ligustrum obtusifolium - border privet

print this native? Ligustrum sinense - Chinese privet

print this native? Ligustrum vulgare - common privet

print this native? Linnaea borealis - twinflower

print this native? Lippia alba - verbena

print this native? Lonicera canadensis - American fly honeysuckle

print this native? Lonicera conjugialis - purpleflower honeysuckle

print this native? Lonicera involucrata - twinberry

print this native? Lonicera maackii - Amur honeysuckle

print this native? Lonicera morrowii - Morrow honeysuckle

print this native? Lonicera tatarica - Tatarian honeysuckle

print this native? Lonicera utahensis - red twinberry

print this native? Lonicera xbella - Belle's honeysuckle

print this native? Metrosideros polymorpha - 'ohi'a lehua

print this native? Mitchella repens - partridgeberry

print this native? Myrtus communis - myrtle

print this native? Nerium oleander - oleander

print this native? Osmanthus americanus - devilwood

print this native? Paulownia fortunei - dragon tree

print this native? Paxistima myrsinites - false box

print this native? Penstemon ellipticus - rocky ledge penstemon

print this native? Philadelphus coronarius - European mockorange

print this native? Philadelphus inodorus - scentless mockorange

print this native? Philadelphus lewisii - mockorange

print this native? Philadelphus pubescens - hoary mockorange

print this native? Pinckneya bracteata - fevertree

print this native? Poliomintha incana - rosemary mint

print this native? Rhamnus cathartica - common buckthorn

print this native? Rhodotypos scandens - jet blackbead

print this native? Salvia apiana - white sage

print this native? Salvia clevelandii - fragrant sage

print this native? Salvia leucophylla - purple sage

print this native? Salvia mellifera - black sage

print this native? Salvia officinalis - common sage

print this native? Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis - American elderberry

print this native? Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea - blue elderberry

print this native? Sambucus racemosa - red elderberry

print this native? Shepherdia argentea - silver buffaloberry

print this native? Shepherdia canadensis - buffaloberry

print this native? Shepherdia rotundifolia - roundleaf buffaloberry

print this native? Simmondsia chinensis - jojoba

print this native? Staphylea trifolia - bladdernut

print this native? Symphoricarpos albus - snowberry

print this native? Symphoricarpos mollis - creeping snowberry

print this native? Symphoricarpos orbiculatus - coralberry

print this native? Syringa vulgaris - common lilac

print this native? Ulex europaeus - common gorse

print this native? Viburnum acerifolium - mapleleaf viburnum

print this native? Viburnum dentatum - arrowwood

print this native? Viburnum dilatatum - linden viburnum

print this native? Viburnum edule - squashberry

print this native? Viburnum ellipticum - western viburnum

print this native? Viburnum lantana - wayfaringtree viburnum

print this native? Viburnum lantanoides - hobblebush

print this native? Viburnum lentago - nannyberry

print this native? Viburnum nudum - possumhaw viburnum

print this native? Viburnum opulus var. americanum - highbush-cranberry

print this native? Viburnum opulus var. opulus - European cranberrybush viburnum

print this native? Viburnum prunifolium - blackhaw

print this native? Viburnum recognitum - smooth arrowwood

print this native? Viburnum rhytidophyllum - leatherleaf viburnum

print this native? Viburnum rufidulum - rusty blackhaw

print this native? Viburnum xburkwoodii - Burkwood viburnum

print this native? Vitex agnus-castus - lilac chastetree

print this native? Vitex rotundifolia - beach vitex