How Do You Identify Shrubs By The Leaves?
As with trees, leaves provide an easy way to identify shrubs. Even in cultivars, or cultivated species, leaves can be used to, at the very least, identify a family to which the shrub belongs. Field guides can provide plant keys to facilitate identification. A plant key guides you through a series of steps that lead to identification. The key focuses on one characteristic at a time to avoid confusion. A magnifying glass will be necessary to examine more minute traits. Determine if the shrub is an evergreen or a broad-leaf plant. Evergreens will have needle leaves; a broad-leaf shrub will have a leaf that has a flat surface. Count the number of needles in a cluster if the shrub has needles. Evergreens with more than one will be bundles in a sheath at their bases. Follow the path of the needle down to its source to make sure you’ve counted all the needles in a bundle. Look at the shape of the needles. Notice if they are scale-like, needle-like or awl shaped. This will determine what broad
