Environment Planet Earth

Identify a Tree With Leaf Silhouettes

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Updated May 7, 2021

Oak Leaf silhouette hanging off a branch. — Terryfic3D / Getty Images

In his publication, Deciduous Trees & Shrubs of Central Minnesota, Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D., biology professor, has offered silhouettes of some of the common species in Minnesota as well as throughout North America. These diagrams were designed to help his students study leaf form.

Here are some leaf silhouettes inspired by Dr. Saupe's collection. One caution: these images are not to scale, so refer to the leaf size description.

1

of 28

Green Ash Leaf

Silhouettes Green Ash Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Ash (Fraxinus spp.)

Leaf opposite ranked
Leaf pinnately compound
Leaf 8 to 12 inches long

2

of 28

Horse Chestnut/Buckeye Leaf

Silhouettes Buckeye Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Horse Chestnut/Buckeye (Aesculus spp.)

Leaf opposite ranked
Leaf palmately compound
Leaf 4 to 7 inches long

3

of 28

Maple Leaf

Silhouettes Maple Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Sugar Maple (Acer spp.)

Leaf opposite ranked
Leaf simple, lobed
Leaf 3 to 6 inches long

4

of 28

Basswood Leaf

Silhouettes Basswood Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Basswood or Linden (Tilia spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple
Leaf 4 to 10 inches long

5

of 28

Ironwood Leaf

Silhouettes Ironwood Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Ironwood (Carpinus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, toothed, pointed
Leaf 1 to 5 inches long

6

of 28

Hackberry Leaf

Silhouettes Hackberry Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Hackberry (Celtis spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, toothed, 3-veined at base
Leaf 2 to 5 inches long

7

of 28

Cottonwood Leaf

Silhouettes Cottonwood Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Cottonwood (Populus)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, pinnately veined, flat based
Leaf 3 to 5 inches long

8

of 28

Catalpa Leaf

Silhouettes Catalpa Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Catalpa (Catalpa spp.)

Leaf whorled ranked
Leaf simple
Leaf 7 to 12 inches long

9

of 28

Honey Locust Leaf

Silhouettes Honey Locust Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Honey Locust (Gleditsia spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf compound to doubly compound
Leaf 4 to 8 inches long

10

of 28

Red Oak Leaf

Silhouettes Red Oak Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Red Oak (Quercus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, bristle-tipped lobes
Leaf 5 to 9 inches long

11

of 28

Prickly Ash Leaf

Silhouettes Prickly Ash Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Prickly Ash (Xanthoxylum spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf once compound
Leaf 3 to 10 inches long

12

of 28

Quaking Aspen Leaf

Silhouettes Quaking Aspen Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Quaking Aspen (Populus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, heart-shaped to nearly round
Leaf 1 to 3 inches long

13

of 28

Birch Leaf

Silhouettes Birch Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

Birch (Betula)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple
Leaf 1 to 3 inches long

14

of 28

White Oak Leaf

Silhouettes White Oak Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

White Oak (Quercus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, finger-like lobes
Leaf 2 to 9 inches long

15

of 28

American Elm Leaf

Silhouettes American Elm Leaf — Stephen G. Saupe

American Elm (Ulmus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, doubly serrated, base inequilateral
Leaf 3 to 6 inches long

16

of 28

Dogwood Leaf

Silhouettes Dogwood Leaf — Steve Nix

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus spp.)

Leaf opposite ranked
Leaf simple, entire or slightly wavy margin, arc-veined
Leaf 2 to 4 inches long

17

of 28

Redbud Leaf

Silhouettes Redbud Leaf — Steve Nix

Redbud (Cercis spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, heart-shaped
Leaf 2 to 5 inches long

18

of 28

Sawtooth Oak Leaf

Silhouettes Sawtooth Oak Leaf — Steve Nix

Sawtooth Oak (Quercus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, toothed
Leaf 3 to 7 inches long

19

of 28

Sycamore Leaf

Silhouettes Sycamore Leaf — Steve Nix

American Sycamore (Platanus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, palmately lobed
Leaf 4 to 8 inches long

20

of 28

Yellow Poplar Leaf

Silhouettes Yellow Poplar Leaf — Steve Nix

Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, two-lobed tip, two side lobes
Leaf 3 to 8 inches long

21

of 28

Willow Oak Leaf

Silhouettes Willow Oak Leaf — Steve Nix

Willow Oak (Quercus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, willow-like, narrow
Leaf 2 to 5.5 inches long

22

of 28

Water Oak Leaf

Silhouettes Water Oak Leaf — Steve Nix

Water Oak (Quercus spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, extremely variable in shape
Leaf 2 to 5 inches long

23

of 28

Southern Magnolia Leaf

Silhouettes Southern Magnolia Leaf — Steve Nix

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, evergreen, plastic-like, fuzzy underneath
Leaf 5 to 10 inches long

24

of 28

Chinese Tallow Tree Leaf

Silhouettes Chinese Tallow Tree Leaf — Steve Nix

Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple
Leaf 1 to 2 inches long plus petiole length

25

of 28

Persimmon Leaf

Silhouettes Persimmon Leaf — Steve Nix

Basswood or Linden (Diospyros spp.)

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, margin serrate, venation pinnate
Leaf 2 to 8 inches long

26

of 28

Sweetgum Leaf

Silhouettes Sweetgum Leaf — Steve Nix

Sweetgum

Leaf palmately lobed and alternate ranked
Leaf simple
Leaf 4 to 6 inches long

27

of 28

Sassafras Leaves

Silhouettes Sassafras Leaves — Steve Nix

Sasssafras

Leaf alternate ranked
Leaf simple, unlobed, one lobe and two-lobed (tri-shaped)
Leaf 3 to 6 inches long

28

of 28

Redcedar Leaf

Silhouettes Redcedar Leaf — Steve Nix

Redcedar

Leaf scale-like and evergreen
Leaf often paired on stem
Leaf to one-quarter inches long