Trees · Leafr
What tree is this? Identify any tree from one leaf
One leaf carries enough information to name most trees: its overall shape (lobed, oval, needle), its margin (smooth, toothed, spiny), and its vein pattern (parallel, pinnate, palmate). Lay the leaf flat on a plain background — your palm works — photograph it top-down, and Leafr reads those features and names the tree, with its look-alikes and how to tell them apart.
No leaves? Trees identify year-round: bark texture, branching pattern, buds, and fruit each work. Winter identification is slower but entirely possible — photograph the bark at chest height and the tree's overall silhouette.
The leaf photo that reads best
Flat, top-down, plain background, natural light — the vein network is the fingerprint, and it needs to be in focus. Include the stalk (petiole): its length and whether it's flattened separates species that leaves alone can't (poplars are the classic case). If the leaves are compound — many leaflets on one stalk — photograph the whole compound leaf, not one leaflet; mistaking a leaflet for a leaf is the most common tree-ID error there is.
Beyond the leaf: season-proof identification
Spring flowers, summer leaves, autumn fruit, winter bark — every season offers a feature set. Acorns, samaras (the helicopter seeds), cones, and berries are often more diagnostic than foliage. Bark identifies mature trees at a glance once you know the patterns: beech's smooth gray, birch's paper, pine's plates. Leafr accepts all of them; photograph whichever feature the season gives you.
Leafr AI: Tree Identifier
One leaf is enough. Leafr reads its shape and veins and tells you which tree you're under.