Reading Your Tree Leaves Trivia Quiz

Answer: Apple

Malus domestica is the scientific name of the most commonly cultivated apple tree. These trees have been cultivated by humans for their tasty fruit for thousands of years and the domestic species is a descendent of the wild Malus sieversii that grows in areas of Central Asia. Over the centuries thousands of different cultivars of Malus domestica have been developed to produce fruit suited to different purposes, including ones that taste best raw, others that are ideal for baking into pies and some destined to be turned into cider.

Aside from the obvious clue given by the apples hanging from its branches, apple trees can be identified by their dark, slightly serrated, oval-shaped leaves, the undersides of which are slightly soft to the touch.

Answer: Crape myrtle

Crape (or crepe) myrtle can be considered a tree or a shrub depending on the specific cultivar and how big a gardener allows it to get! They are native to China and the far east but were introduced to the United States in around 1790 by the noted botanist Andre Michaux. They like hot, sunny conditions so are a common sight in gardens in southern Europe, the southern United States and parts of Australia.

While they are primarily grown for their colourful flowers, crape myrtles also have decorative foliage. Some species are evergreen, but Lagerstroemia indica (the common crape myrtle) is a deciduous variety whose leaves - that grow up to around three inches long - turn from reddish-green to dark green by summer and then go a range of autumnal yellows, oranges and reds before winter.

Answer: Laburnum

There are two main species of laburnum trees, the common laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides) and the alpine or Scotch laburnum (Laburnum alpinum). Both produce beautiful yellow flowers and both produce the toxin cystine, which is present in the leaves, bark, seeds and berries, and dangerous for both humans and animals to consume. However, while eating laburnum is likely to produce unpleasant effects such as vomiting and diarrhoea, it is rarely fatal.

Obviously though it can be a good idea to keep young children and pets away from any laburnums in your garden. If you need to identify a laburnum tree that isn't in flower, then look out for its trifoliate leaves with oval leaflets.

Answer: Southern magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora is more commonly known as southern magnolia after the region where it is typically found growing in the wild. Its range covers a portion of US states from the eastern edges of Texas in the west to the Atlantic coastlines of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. It is grown as an ornamental tree in (large) gardens because of its year-round large shiny green leaves and for the fragrant white flowers that it produces in early summer.

Southern magnolia became the official state tree of Mississippi in 1938. Sadly the famous example at the White House, planted by President Andrew Jackson, had to be felled in December 2017 due to its dangerous and decayed condition.

Answer: Japanese maple

Japanese maple trees can grow to up to around 15 metres (50 feet) in height, but most examples seen in gardens are much smaller and cultivated into ornamental shapes or even used for Bonsai. There are hundreds of different cultivars of Acer palmatum which have a wide variety of leaf shapes and colour, but common characteristics include their delicate palmate structure (splitting out from a central point) and pointed lobes. Colours range from bright greens, through yellows, oranges and pinks to deep reds or purples; many varieties also change colour through the seasons.

Answer: Weeping willow

Weeping willow is the common name given to Salix babylonica, a species of willow native to China but that is now cultivated and grown in many areas around the world. While it doesn't have to be located near a river or lake, they do tend to grow well in that type of environment and the image of a weeping willow growing from a riverbank with branches stretching out and drooping down into the water is a common one.

These trees are instantly recognisable by their long, green leaves hanging in a spiral-like pattern from thin branchlets, but being deciduous these do tend to turn yellow in autumn and fall off prior to the winter months.

Answer: Common hawthorn

Since it is a popular plant used for laying hedges, in rural areas of the UK the common hawthorn is probably most likely to be found separating a garden from the outside world, or one field from another. However, these trees can grow up to around 10 metres (33 feet) in height and therefore make an ornamental talking point for a keen gardener.

It has distinctive dark-green leaves with multiple lobes. The plant also produces oval red berries known as haws that can be used to make jam, chutney and wine.

Answer: Leylandii

The leylandii is also known as the Leyland cypress or by its scientific name Cupressus × leylandii, which denotes its status as a hybrid of two North American conifers - the Monterey cypress and the Nootka cypress. These species, that are not normally found growing together in the same environment, were both planted at Christopher Leyland's Leighton Hall estate in Wales in the 1840s and the leylandii hybrid of the two was first recorded in the 1880s.

The fact that it has a dense growth of thick dark-green leaves and grows quickly (by about one metre a year) led to it becoming a popular choice for gardeners looking to create a bit of privacy between them and their neighbours. Unfortunately though that same characteristic for quick growth is also the reason why they are often considered a nuisance ,as without regular trimming they can commonly reach 20 to 25 metres (65 to 80 feet) in height. Thousands of disputes between neighbours have been recorded as they can easily create massive areas of shade and block natural light from nearby homes and buildings.

Answer: Orange

Citrus x sinensis, often just referred to as Citrus sinensis, is an orange (or sweet orange) tree and a hybrid of a pomelo and a mandarin tree. It has a variety of cultivars and the types of oranges it produces include the navel orange, Valencia orange and blood orange. It has large shiny green leaves that themselves can be infused in boiling water to make an orange tea, while the rind and fruit is also commonly used to make orange fruit teas. Given all the tea-making opportunities that this tree provides, it may be worth noting that it should not be confused with the tea plant known as Camellia sinensis.

Orange trees need hot sun and warm weather and are not hardy to frost, so if you live in a colder climate then you should probably keep it in a pot so it can be moved indoors or into a greenhouse during the winter.

Answer: Bay laurel

Bay laurel trees, also known simply as laurel, true laurel or sweet bay, can provide some winter colour in your garden as their bright green leaves remain all year round. They can be grown as bushy shrubs but many of these trees are trained into ornamental shapes, commonly a round ball of leaves at the top of a short trunk or to look like a pyramid.

The leaves are usually 6 to 12 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) long and have a glossy sheen. They are generally added whole to dishes during the cooking stage to give flavour before being removed before serving or are placed as a garnish. While they are technically edible, they are usually removed from the dish because they tend to remain quite tough even after being cooked.