Beech, birch, hornbeam, alder, juneberry (shadbush), elm, witch hazel, dogwood: these are among the most prominent tree species of eastern North America possessing simple leaves (one leaflet per leaf stem) that are roughly oval in shape, often with pointed tips, but lacking prominent lobes or bulges. The following list covers only trees, which usually grow with a single or few large trunks, as opposed to shrubs, which sprout multiple slender trunks. However, alder, dogwood, witch hazel, and juneberry, which are often shrubby, may also grow as trees and are therefore included.
Let’s look at their distinguishing characteristics.
- Beech – Leaf is stiff and papery, with one nipple-like tooth at the end of each major vein.
- Birch – Small, jagged sawteeth occur all along the edge of the leaf, including the areas between the major vein endings. Bark is distinctive, either white (paper and gray birches), peeling (white, silver, river birches) or with fragrant inner bark, reminiscent of wintergreen (sweet/black and silver birches).
- Hornbeam (Ironwood) – Small, jagged sawteeth as in birch, but bark is never white or fragrant. American hornbeam has smooth, sinewy bark; hop hornbeam bark peels in narrow, vertical strips.
- Elm – Leaves are irregularly sawtoothed, with small teeth sometimes occurring along the edges of large teeth. Leaf bases do not meet at the stem. Slippery elm has rough-textured leaves.
- Alder – Small, jagged sawteeth as in birch. Inner bark not fragrant. Grows along streams and swamps. Sometimes shrubby. Tiny, hard, pine-cone-like seed cases usually present on twigs.
- Juneberry (Shadbush, Serviceberry) – Teeth are fine and regular. Trees are rarely tall. Some juneberry species grow as shrubs. Smooth juneberry has gray, striped bark and sweet, edible berries that mature in June.
- Dogwood – Leaf arrangement is opposite, unlike all the other trees listed. Leaves are not toothed. Leaves have distinctive curving vein pattern in which veins follow the leaf edges toward the tips of the leaves. Often shrubby.
- Witch hazel – Leaves are more nearly round than in other species listed. Leaves have scalloped edges, with leaf bases not meeting at the stem. Often shrubby.
There are also a number of fruit trees with oval leaves, including apple, pear, crabapple, plum, and some species of hawthorn. Their distinguishing features are fine and variable, beyond the scope of this article. Trees with oval leaves and thorns or spur branches, that is, stubby, non-branching twigs occurring occasionally among the regular branches, are usually fruit trees. The fruits, which appear in summer or fall, are the most reliable way to tell them apart. When not in fruit, they can best be distinguished with the help of a field guide.
For more information on tree identification, see Identifying Features of Trees.
For trees with simple leaves that are NOT oval, see Trees with Simple Leaves.
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