By Lymi

Trees of Europe

Name 30 common European trees from photos of their leaves, with where each one grows and a feature to recognise it by.

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  • A flat branch with soft, blunt green needles lined up in two rows on either side of each twig.

    Silver fir

  • Tufts of soft light green needles on drooping twigs, with three small, egg-shaped brown cones.

    European larch

  • Flat, dark green needles in two rows, with bright red, fleshy cups each holding a dark seed.

    Yew

  • Prickly, narrow blue-green needles on a shrubby branch, with round blue-black fruits.

    Common juniper

  • A leafy twig with wavy, deeply lobed leaves and two green egg-shaped nuts in scaly cups, hanging on long stalks.

    English oak

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English oakA leafy twig with wavy, deeply lobed leaves and two green egg-shaped nuts in scaly cups, hanging on long stalks.
Woods, parks and hedgerows across most of Europe. Lobed leaves on very short stalks; the acorns hang on long stalks.
Silver birchA single small triangular leaf with a pointed tip and double-toothed edges, on a thin reddish twig.
Heaths, light woods and parks across Europe. White bark with black cracks; small triangular leaves with double teeth.
European beechA twig on the forest floor with glossy oval leaves with wavy edges and several small bristly brown husks.
Forests of western and central Europe. Oval leaves with wavy edges; three-sided nuts in a bristly husk.
Horse chestnutRound green husks covered in stout spikes hang from a branch above large leaves made of long leaflets spread like fingers.
Native to the mountains of the Balkans; planted in parks and streets across Europe. Leaves of five to seven leaflets spread like fingers; shiny brown seeds in a spiny husk.
SycamoreA large five-lobed leaf with coarse teeth under a cluster of paired winged seeds tinged orange-red.
Mountain woods of central and southern Europe; planted and spreading elsewhere. Five-lobed leaves with coarse, blunt teeth; paired winged seeds meet in a V.
Norway mapleBroad lobed leaves with a few long, sharp points, and pale green paired winged seeds spread wide apart.
Woods across most of Europe and a common street tree. Five-lobed leaves with long, sharp points; the paired seed wings spread wide apart.
Field mapleSmall leaves with three to five rounded, blunt lobes, some turning yellow, above a cluster of dry brown winged seeds.
Hedgerows and woodland edges in most of Europe. Small leaves with three to five rounded lobes; the seed wings spread in a straight line.
Common ashA compound leaf with pairs of narrow, pointed, finely toothed leaflets along a central stalk, seen from above.
Damp woods and valleys across most of Europe. Leaves of 7 to 13 toothed leaflets; black buds in winter.
Small-leaved limeHeart-shaped leaves with fine teeth, and clusters of small round green fruits hanging from a pale, strap-like wing.
Woods across most of Europe, and planted in towns. Heart-shaped leaves with tufts of rusty hairs underneath; round fruits hang from a pale leafy wing.
HornbeamA hanging cluster of small nutlets, each held by a pale green three-lobed wing, among oval leaves with deep parallel veins.
Woods across much of Europe, and clipped into hedges. Oval, double-toothed leaves with deep parallel veins; each nutlet sits on a three-lobed wing.
Common hazelRound fruits wrapped in frilly green husks among broad, rounded, toothed leaves.
Woodland undergrowth and hedgerows across Europe, usually with many stems. Round, soft-haired leaves; nuts in a frilly husk.
Black alderRounded leaves with a blunt tip and a cluster of small green cone-like fruits on stalks, against a dark background.
Riverbanks, lakesides and wet woods across Europe. Rounded leaves with a blunt or notched tip; small woody cones stay on the twigs through winter.
RowanA dense bunch of bright orange-red berries among leaves made of many small toothed leaflets.
Woods, mountains and towns across Europe, far into the north. Leaves of many small toothed leaflets; bunches of orange-red berries in autumn.
White willowLong, narrow, finely toothed leaves with a silvery sheen, growing close together along a twig.
Riverbanks and wet ground across Europe. Long, narrow, finely toothed leaves, silvery underneath.
AspenAlmost round leaves with wavy, blunt teeth on long thin stalks, on a branch over a forest path.
Woods and clearings across Europe, far into the north. Almost round leaves with wavy teeth on flattened stalks, so they tremble in the lightest breeze.
White poplarThe underside of a single leaf with a few irregular lobes, covered in pale felt, on a grey background.
Riversides of central and southern Europe, and planted widely. Lobed leaves, dark green above and white-felted below; pale grey-white bark.
Wych elmA large oval leaf with sharp double teeth and many straight parallel veins, its base lopsided where it meets the twig.
Woods across much of Europe, often in hills and by streams. Large leaves, rough on top, with a lopsided base.
London planeTwo round, bristly green balls hanging on a long stalk among large, broad leaves with pointed lobes.
Streets and parks of European cities. Broad leaves with pointed lobes; bark flakes off in patches; bristly seed balls hang through winter.
Sweet chestnutGlossy, long, narrow leaves with sharply saw-toothed edges, and a round yellow-green husk covered in fine needle-like spines.
Native to southern Europe; planted further north. Long, glossy leaves with sharp saw teeth; edible nuts in a very spiny husk.
Common walnutRound green fruits among large compound leaves with broad, smooth-edged leaflets.
Grown across southern and central Europe for its nuts. Leaves of 5 to 9 smooth-edged leaflets that smell when crushed.
Wild cherryClusters of shiny dark red fruits on long stalks hang among long, pointed, toothed leaves.
Woodland edges across Europe; the ancestor of garden sweet cherries. Long, toothed leaves with two small glands on the stalk; shiny bark with horizontal bands.
Apple treeThree round red fruits with dew drops hang on a branch between oval green leaves.
Orchards and gardens across Europe. Oval, finely toothed leaves, downy underneath; pink-white blossom in spring.
Pear treeA large yellow-green fruit, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, hangs on a stalk below glossy oval leaves.
Orchards and gardens across Europe. Glossy, oval leaves on long stalks; white blossom in early spring.
HollyA cluster of shiny red berries among dark green, glossy leaves with spiny, wavy edges.
Woods and gardens of western and southern Europe. Glossy evergreen leaves with spiny edges; red berries on female trees in winter.
Scots pineLong blue-green needles in pairs around a twig, with a small brown woody cone.
Forests and heaths from Scotland and Spain to Siberia. Blue-green needles in pairs; orange bark high on the trunk.
Norway spruceLong, cylindrical brown cones hanging from branches covered in short, stiff green needles.
Mountain and northern forests of Europe. Short, sharp needles all round the twig; long cones hang down.
Silver firA flat branch with soft, blunt green needles lined up in two rows on either side of each twig.
Mountain forests of central and southern Europe. Flat, blunt needles with two white stripes underneath; cones stand upright and fall apart on the branch.
European larchTufts of soft light green needles on drooping twigs, with three small, egg-shaped brown cones.
Mountains of central Europe, and planted widely. Soft needles in tufts; small egg-shaped cones.
YewFlat, dark green needles in two rows, with bright red, fleshy cups each holding a dark seed.
Woods, churchyards and gardens across most of Europe. Flat, dark needles in two rows; each seed sits in a red fleshy cup.
Common juniperPrickly, narrow blue-green needles on a shrubby branch, with round blue-black fruits.
Heaths, mountains and pine woods across Europe; often a shrub. Sharp needles in threes; blue-black berry-like cones.

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A single small triangular leaf with a pointed tip and double-toothed edges, on a thin reddish twig.

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Published September 28, 2026