Steve Nix is a member of the Society of American Foresters and a former forest resources analyst for the state of Alabama. Leaf shapes play an important role in tree identification, providing key ...

The spiky, iconic Canadian maple leaf. A large, lush Florida palm leaf. Thin aspen leaves rustling in the crisp Colorado air. You can probably recall many different leaf shapes from many different ...

An apple may not fall far from the tree, but for a leaf, it depends on its shape. Elm or apple leaves — oval and symmetrical, with few protruding lobes — fall quickly, making them likely to end up ...

The technique could be used on everything from flowers to cells to examine the factors that influence the shapes of plant parts. The story of a plant is etched in its leaves. A tree growing in a cold ...

The story of a plant is etched in its leaves. A tree growing in a cold environment with plenty of water is more likely to have large leaves with many serrated teeth around the edges. But if the same ...