Maple Tree Leaf
Tips on Maple Tree Leaf Identification
Even experts can have a difficult time identifying a tree when they have only a maple tree leaf with which to work. The reason is that there are thousands of species of maple trees throughout the world, many having multiple similarities.
In North America alone, it is thought that there are at least thirteen native maple species. From these emerge five maples ranked as the most common and most popular. A few are quite similar to others, making maple tree leaf identification trickier. For most maples, leaves have similarly shaped leaves, resembling an outspread human hand with either three or five lobes.
The Sugar maple tree leaf is a 5 lobed leaf that can measure up to 5” wide. The top of the leaf will generally be a bright green, with the underside slighter lighter in color. Edges of the leaf are smooth; lacking any real “teeth”.
A similar specimen to the sugar maple is the black maple tree leaf. The exception is that the black maple’s leaves are usually 3 lobed, although 5 lobed leaves have been noted. These leaves are also thicker than those of the sugar.
A very popular tree because of the dense shade it casts, the silver maple tree leaf is usually a large one; measuring up to 7 inches. The five lobed leaf has very fine teeth along the borders, with a diverse coloration of a green upper and silvery white underside; lending the tree its descriptive moniker.
A resemblance to the silver maple in terms of coloration is had by the red maple tree leaf, with a white underside. That is about the only similarity, however; the red maple tree leaf is generally a three lobed one, with tiny hairs between each finger, and measures at the largest at about 6 inches.
An easy identification is that of the Japanese maple tree leaf. A delicate, almost petal like shape is its trademark, as well as the deep burgundy color that is almost exclusive to some of the Japanese maple varieties during the spring and summer. Some have compared the green Japanese maple tree leaf to that of a marijuana leaf, to which it is somewhat similar.
One way to accurately identify which tree a maple tree leaf originated from is by looking around the area where the leaf is found. There will generally be several specimens of the trees nearby which will have existing leaves that can be compared against. There are numerous pictures of different maple tree leaf examples on line for one to compare, as well.
Experts have the advantage of dealing with maple tree leaf specimens on a regular basis, and therefore are able most times to identify a leaf to its tree simply by examining its shape and size. From time to time, one must come along that is less well known and causes some head scratching, but the native trees to the North American region have distinctive characteristics that make them relatively easy to identify.