Shrub Identification by Leaf

People who have avid interest for gardening have an in depth knowledge about the flowering bushes, shrubs and trees. They can easily differentiate between the species, by observing the anatomy. A bookish knowledge on plant physiology is not the sole way to understand the different types of plant species. You can also master the art through experience in gardening and by developing a keen interest towards identification of trees, shrubs and bushes. Thus, you can pick up the selected plants for the landscape in your house and ornament your garden with beautiful plants.

The theory of classification of plant kingdom has divided shrubs and trees separately. Shrubs are also known as bushes. Shrubs are much shorter than trees. Their height ranges from 15-20 ft, having multiple stems with bushy appearance. Their height depends on growing conditions and shrubs lower than 5 meters are also known as subshrubs. They develop dense leafy foliage clipped as topiary and their branches and stems tend to grow very close to each other. Different types of shrubs can be classified on the basis of the leaves, stems, fruits, barks and branches. A few shrubs respond well when pruned regularly. The foliage density ranges from mild to dense. Shrubs are also classified into two types, evergreen and deciduous.

Identifying Shrubs by Their Leaves

So how do you identify shrubs by their leaves? Shrub leaf identification is simple if you are acquainted with the basic anatomy of leaves. The factors that help in shrub identification are:

• Shape of the leaf
• Leaf texture and color
• Leaf bases and tops
• Margin of the leaf
• Arrangement of the leaf

Leaf shapes are of different types. They can be narrow and long, while others can be palmate shaped or like an open hand. Japanese maple has palmate shaped leaves and willow trees have long and narrow leaves. The different shapes for the apex of leaves are acuminate, acute, emarginate, bristle, obtuse, mucronate and truncate. However, before understanding the anatomy of leaves you should have a sound knowledge on the different types of shrubs and bushes. Leaf margins are classified as crenate, dentate, entire, serrulate, lobed, undulate, spined, serrate and doubly serrate. Identification of shrubs by leaves is also carried out by the shape of the leaf base. Leaf bases can be obtuse, cordate, rounded, cuneate, unequal or truncate. You have to also observe the attachment point of the stem with the base to figure out the actual shape of the leaf base. The edges of the leaves could be smooth or bumpy. Understanding the arrangement of the leaves is also an important aspect for identifying shrubs. The common types of leaf arrangement for shrubs and bushes are alternate, opposite, spiral or whorled. Most importantly you must possess the ability to distinguish the types on the basis of leaf shape. Shapes vary from lanceolate, obcordate, oblanceolate, tulip, ovate and obovate. Leaf type is also one of the anatomical features that help in identification of shrubs and they are of the following types. Needled, palmate, pinnate, scaled, double pinnate and simple. The table below shall let you the most common types of shrubs that people usually plant in their garden.

Common Types of Shrubs and Their Identification

*You can click on the image to enlarge and preview them better.

Examples of Shrubs	Anatomy of Leaves	Leaf Sample Image
Scots Pine, European Larch	Long, thin, paired, clusters
Dog Rose, Elder, Rowen, Ash	Separate leaflets, compound leaves
Sycamore, Field Maple, Hawthorn, London Plane, Guelder Rose, Ivy	Hand shaped, lobed
Lombardy, Poplar, Silver Birch	Triangular shaped, oval
Alder	Oval, blunt tip
Holly	Rigid spines, oval
Yew	Flat, long, spread out
Hazel, Goat Willow, Aspen, Wayfaring Tree	Rounded, oval
Common Lime	Heart shaped, oval
Buckthorn, Dogwood	Oval, curved veins
Horse Chestnut	Compound, hand shaped
Oak	Lobed edges, blunt, oval
Crack Willow, Almond, Wild Cherry	Long, oval

That was a simple guideline for shrub identification by leaf. Observe the plants in nursery or search for images from Internet before planting them in your garden.