Tree Leaves Identification Quiz

The red maple leaf is perhaps the most recognizable leaf shape in the entire world, simply because it's the emblem of Canada, and this tree grows widely within North America. It's actually considered as the number one most common tree that grows in the U.S., as it thrives in many areas around the country.

The unmistakable shape of the American holly won't escape Americans, and it's perhaps the most recognizable leaf come Christmastime in North America. Houses and different commercial establishments make decorations out of holly boughs and leaves, so it's hard not to recognize!

Perhaps the most recognizable willow species of all, the weeping willow is actually a hybrid of two variants of willow, which are easy to grow as hybrids actually. There's even a legend that the English poet Alexander Pope made the very first weeping willow in England from mixed twigs that he planted together.

The red oak leaf's very interesting shape makes it a nice leaf to collect, press onto paper notebooks, and preserve for arts and crafts use. It's also beautiful to see especially during autumn because its red color comes out beautifully by that season.

A deltoid-shaped leaf means it's a bit triangular in appearance, just like this birch tree leaf. But it's also a bit heart-shaped, which could also classify it as a cordate-shaped leaf.

Pines are more easily identifiable through their hard cones, but the leaves are also useful in identifying them. These leaves appear as needle clusters, and can actually be steeped to become tea.

To differentiate this white ash leaf from the green ash kind, look at the underside and see if it's a bit lighter in color and texture. If it is, then it's definitely white ash, the most common hardwood which most baseball bats are made of.

This fuzzy-looking leaf is from the mulberry tree, recognizable for its fruit, first and foremost. When picking the fruits, be careful of these leaves, because they are saw-toothed at the edges.

This familiar needle leaf style is from the Douglas fir, perhaps the most recognizable tree in the U.S. because it's always sold and used as a Christmas tree during the yuletide season. This fact is not a surprise, since the Douglas fir is considered as one of the most common tree species native to America, and you can see a lot of it at the Rocky Mountains and many other places.

This light-looking leaf is from the peach tree, which we all know produces deliciously yummy fruits. The fruits usually grow in closer clumps on a branch, and you will also see how the leaves will be protecting these peach clumps all around, and even in between.

This leaf with the long stalk is from a cottonwood tree, which is commonly used as firewood. This tree is very common within North America and also in the Asian region.

The American sycamore tree's leaf looks like a maple tree leaf at first glance, but it's less "pointy" in appearance if you take a closer look at it. But most Americans might recognize the sycamore better for its rather huge trunk since its size is legendary, especially with that story about a Virginia Colony settler that purportedly lived inside a very huge but hollow sycamore back in the day.

The southern magnolia is indeed popularly grown all over southern U.S., because it has nice foliage and the flowers are also nice to look at, which is complemented by the shiny look of the leaves. Mississippi actually named the southern magnolia as their official state tree, and its flower their official state flower, as does Louisiana.

The black hickory may be one of the most common hardwood trees in the U.S., but woodworkers need to be smarter on its application, and where it should be used best. While it's hardwood, experts say it's not recommended for flooring, but it's great for building canes, spokes of wooden wheels, and even bows.

You can recognize an elm tree leaf by the double toothed design of its edges, and its asymmetrical design at its base. And you can find the site of America's most famous elm tree in Boston, known as the Tree of Liberty, which is now also known as the Liberty Stump.

This elongated leaf is from the paper birch tree, though most people might recognize the tree more for its very distinct-looking bark (and the "easy peeling" it does!). Its rather white bark is noticeable, that's why it's also called white birch sometimes, and even canoe birch.

This leaf is from a Monterey cypress, which usually grows in Central California, particularly in Monterey. There's even a very popular Monterey cypress tree that you can pass by when driving to Pebble Beach, aptly called the Lone Cypress.

We all know what an apple looks like, but can we also spot what its leaf looks like? Generally, the leaf comes in an elliptic shape, meaning it's oval and usually small.

This four-lobed leaf that appears shiny in texture is from the yellow poplar tree, which is also known as the tulip poplar. Experts say that this is the tallest hardwood type of tree found in North America, and you can see that from its very straight-looking trunk that just grows way, way up there towards the sky.

People with big enough yards can easily grow an orange tree, especially if they live in a place with warmer weather, since they don't grow very tall, and they're very easy to maintain. That's why California and other west coast places have so many orange trees in many places there, easily spottable when you take a ride through suburban areas.

The black walnut tree leaf's shape can be described as "even pinnate," where alternate compound smaller leaves grow in a stalk, lined up in a row. This hardwood is commonly used as the wooden handles for knives, and of course the nuts are deliciously consumed by many.

If you see these very short and rather sharp-looking needles, then chances are they're from a cedar tree. You can usually spot them as those "Christmas tree-looking" trees, and they also appear as low-spreading kind of shrubs sometimes, depending on the kind.

The flowering dogwood is a deciduous tree, which means you will see their leaves being shed yearly, which grows back again later on. You can see its beautiful leaves turn reddish in autumn, and you can see it all over eastern North America and even in the northern parts of Mexico.

This leaf arrangement of the pecan tree is called odd-pinnate, meaning the leaves grow in pairs on a small stalk, and there's one odd-leaf-out without a partner at the end. But North American people might recognize its nuts more since the pecan is considered as one of the most popularly consumed nuts in the continent.

This oval-shaped light green leaf is a lemon tree leaf. These trees are actually easy to grow in warmer climates, and they can also be dwarfed for growing in smaller areas.

The inverted shape of the fig leaf is a very recognizable image for art lovers and art students, especially those who studied how the fig leaf became the symbol of artistic censorship as the poor leaf got slapped onto the genitalia of classical nude sculptures. But as a tree, people grow it for its fruits, since the trees are very manageable to keep in a typical lawn.

If you touch a black cherry tree's leaf, it's a bit smooth to the touch. People from Oregon, California, and Washington states will vouch for that, since this tree grows in these places.

This rather ovate or egg-shaped leaf with the jagged edges is from the red alder tree, a kind of hardwood found in many west coast areas of the U.S. Many electric guitars use this wood for its body, and cabinet-makers also like working with this wood.

The very linear and elongated shape of the olive tree leaf is unmistakable, and you might find this image familiar since there are many logos featuring olive wreaths or crowns out there. But of course, martini drinkers would be closely familiar with its olive fruit, so cheers to this happily flexible tree!

The very long and a little wide-sized leaf of the mahogany tree can also be mistaken for the leaf of a mango tree since they appear the same. The mahogany is a tropical hardwood kind of tree, but it's also grown in America.

This star-shaped tree will be recognizable for people in the Southern U.S. because the tree where it came from, the sweet gum tree, grows a lot there. The leaves turn into colorful reds during autumn, and it's a beautiful sight to see, all around this region.

Did you know that the very wide, huge, and versatile banana leaf is waterproof? That's why it has a very diverse application in many culinary preparations and even in religious rituals and offerings, especially in the cultures of Asia, Central America, Mexico, and the Polynesian Islands.

Digitate-shaped leaves appear like five extended human fingers, just like this leaf from a horse chestnut tree. This flowering tree is grown in many parts of the world, and different regions even have specific species or hybrids found in their respective areas.

The quaking aspen is one of the most common tree species native to the U.S., distinguishable by their cordate-shaped leaf. The hardwood is mainly used to make chopsticks, matchsticks, doors, and other small kitchen utensils.

This leaf from an American basswood tree tends to appear dull, in a matte-finish kind of surface. Careful of the saw-toothed edges, for they are so coarse that our hands could easily get cut when handling it.

The pear-shaped avocado fruit is the one we're all familiar with, especially when it comes to consuming it, but did you know that some cuisines also use the slightly leathery-feeling leaf of the avocado for cooking, flavoring, and even converted into tea? Thank the cultures of ancient South Central Mexico for that, which is said to be the place where this fancy fruit-tree is said to have come from.

No matter what the variety, the pear tree's leaves always look a bit shiny on the surface. Because of its size, it's also easy to rake off when they dry off and fall off the branches, especially when you try to harvest the pear fruits if you grow them in your yard.

When you see beech trees with green leaves, that means you're in North America. But if you see beech trees that have purple or yellowish leaves, that means you're in Europe, for such colorful varieties exist on that continent.

Perhaps the most familiar palm tree in the world is the coconut tree, as it is always seen depicted in drawings featuring deserted small islands with a singular tree on it, with those long and extended branches with leaves, and of course dotted by a few fruits. In many Asian cultures, the long and narrow leaf is stripped and used as raw materials for making woven baskets, brooms, roofs of huts, and other kinds of products.

This beautifully shaped leaf is from the sourwood tree, which you can easily spot during the start of autumn. That's because out of all the trees in North America, the sourwood leaves are the very first ones to turn into bright red and orange color when autumn arrives, so look for that fact during late August!