How Do You Identify Tree Leaf Patterns?
Trees shade your picnic, purify your air and produce your food. These life-giving organisms come great and small, beautiful and homely, evergreen and seasonal. With thousands of tree species throughout the world, identifying these verdantly versatile life forms can be difficult. Fortunately, tree lovers and researchers have produced detailed, illustrated identification guides that enable you to identify a tree from just a single leaf. Buy a leaf identification guide for your region. You can get these handbooks from most large bookstores and from online retailers. Obtain a leaf sample from the tree in question. The leaf must be intact, without missing pieces or other signs of damage. An incomplete leaf can lead to an inaccurate identification. Classify the leaf using the guide. Most guides will start with basic categories, such as needle leaves and broad leaves, and will gradually grow more specific as different distinctions are made. Hold the leaf up to the page and compare with any il