BE A NATURE DETECTIVE
Identifying Leaves from Trees
By Brian Ecott
Simple Pinnate Leaves
Where stated, the length of the leaf includes the stalk and is very approximate.
ENGLISH or PEDUNCULATE OAK
Quercus robur
Common in hainault. 10cm.
EVERGREEN or HOLM OAK
Quercus ilex.
Leaf grey on underside. Younger
leaves may be "holly like". 10cm.
TURKEY OAK
Quercus cerris
Frequent in the forest. 12cm.
RED OAK
Quercus rubra
Near the heathland
BEECH
Fagus sylvatica
Planted in Hainault in 1900's 10cm.
COPPER BEECH
Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea'
Near the car park. 10cm.
CHERRY PLUM
Prunus cerasifera
A species of wild plum in the hedges.
8cm.
BLACKTHORN or SLOE
Prunus spinosa.
Forms thickets and scrub in Hainault. Flowers appear before the leaf. 4.5cm.
BIRD CHERRY
Prunus padus.
There are two tiny yellow glands at the base of the leaf blade 12cm.
BIRD CHERRY
Prunus padus.
Close up of two tiny yellow glands at the base of the leaf blade
WILD CHERRY or GEAN
Prunus avium.
There are two tiny red glands at the base of the leaf blade. 14cm.
HAZEL
Corylus avellana
Few trees, some saplings planted.
12cm.
WHITEBEAM
Sorbus aria.
Underside of leaf covered in white hair. Planted and naturalized.
ROWAN x WHITEBEAM HYBRID.
Sorbus x thuringiaca.
Underside of leaf downy. Some free leaflets at base of leaf. Planted. 21cm.
SWEDISH WHITEBEAM
Sorbus intermedia
10cm.
WILD SERVICE TREE
Sorbus torminalis
Uncommon. An indicator tree of ancient woodland. 14cm.
BROAD-LEAVED WHITEBEAM
Sorbus latifolia agg.
HORNBEAM
Carpinus betulus
A southern English species.
Many fine pollards in Hainault. 8cm.
ASPEN
Populus tremula
A common coloniser in the forest.
11cm.
WHITE POPLAR
Populus alba
A simple palmate leaf. Underside remains downy.
GREY POPLAR
Populus x canescens
Underside of leaf downy at first.
Hybrid of white poplar and aspen. 11cm.
BERLIN POPLAR
Populus x berolinensis.
Several planted in Hainault.
WESTERN BALSAM POPLAR
Populus trichocarpa
Leaf edges sticky with 'balsam scented' secretion in the spring.
BLACK POPLAR
Populus nigra betulifolia
Several old trees near the lake.
Leaf stalk flattened. 19cm.
ALMOND LEAVED WILLOW
Salix triandra
Found in the plantation
COMMON SALLOW
Salix cinerea.
In the wetter parts of the forest.
GOAT or PUSSY WILLOW
Salix caprea.
Leaf and stems hairy in the spring. 8cm.
CRACK or BRITTLE WILLOW
Salix fragilis
14cm.
COMMON ALDER
Alnus glutinosa
Found on the farmland. 11cm.
GREY ALDER
Alnus incana
Planted both ends of the lake 12cm.
SINGLE-LEAVED ASH
Fraxinus angustifolia 'Veltheimii'
In the plantation.
HOLLY
Ilex aquifolium
Common in the forest. Not all leaves have prickles. 10cm.
SWEET or SPANISH CHESTNUT
Castanea sativa.
In Hainault Lodge and rest of forest. 30cm.
SPINDLE
Euonymus europaeus
A small shrub found in the woodland and Common area
DOGWOOD
Cornus sanguinea
Shrub found in the woodland and woodland edges
YEW
Taxus baccata
Young trees and saplings. Possibly from seeds dropped in the forest.
HAWTHORN or MAY
Crataegus monogyna
A common hedgerow or scrub bush.
Freely hybridizes with Midland. 8cm.
MIDLAND HAWTHORN
Crataegus laevigata
Leaves more rounded than May. Woodland sp. Flowers have 2-3 styles.
BROAD-LEAVED COCKSPUR THORN
Crataegus prunifolia
In the plantation. Note the long thorns about 3cm.
CRAB APPLE
Malus sylvestris.
A native of Oak woods
COMMON LIME
Tilia x europaea.
Heart shaped with unequal sides. Tufts of whitish hairs in vein axils on underside of leaf. 15cm.
SMALL LEAVED LIME
Tilia cordata
Heart shaped, underside matt. Tufts of brown hairs between vein angles. 9cm.
SILVER BIRCH
Betula pendula
A short lived, rapid colonizer. 8cm.
PURGING BUCKTHORN
Rhamnus cathartica
In scrub near the Common
Simple and Compound Palmate Leaves
FIELD MAPLE
Acer campestre
Common throughout the forest. 12cm.
SYCAMORE
Acer pseudoplatanus
Common throughout the forest.
30-40cm
NORWAY MAPLE
Acer platanoides
Planted in the forest and naturalised.
29cm.
SILVER MAPLE
Acer saccharinum
Many in the plantation and a few lining the Foxburrows Farm road.
LONDON PLANE
Platanus x hispanica
By visitors centre and in plantation.
HORSE CHESTNUT
Aesculus hippocastanum.
Planted and naturalised in the forest. 5-7 leaflets. 50-80cm.
Compound Pinnate Leaves
ASH
Fraxinus excelsior.
3-6 pairs of leaflets.
Occurs mainly on the wetter boulder clay.
ELDER
Sambucus nigra.
A tree, bush or scrub. Native in the forest. 5-7 leaflets. 18cm.
ROWAN or MOUNTAIN ASH
Sorbus aucuparia.
5-7 pairs of leaflets. Planted and naturalised. 20cm.
ROBINIA or FALSE ACACIA
Robinia pseudoacacia
In Hainault Lodge Nature Reserve, and Heathland.
HYBRID WING-NUT
Pterocarya x rehderiana
Cut down in the heathland area but now growing from stump. Length of leaf 40cm.
TREE OF HEAVEN
Ailanthus altissimo
Length of leaf 40cm. In the secondary woodland.
(Reported up to 90cm with up to 41 leaflets)
BOX ELDER or ASH-LEAF MAPLE
Acer negundo
3 or 5 leaflets. On Hog Hill and in Hainault Lodge. 14cm.