Leaf Identification	Introduction

Introduction

Welcome!

This is an instructional unit developed at the Department of Horticulture, Penn State University

In this module you will learn:
to identify broad and narrow shaped leaves to identify simple and compound leaf groupings to identify leaf arrangement to identify leaf margin characteristics to identify leaf venation to identify leaf structure

Why Learn to Identify Plants?

It wouldn't be surprising if you were asking yourself now, "Why would I want to learn how to identify plants?" That is certainly a reasonable question. Let's take a minute to explore some answers.

Recreation

Many people enjoy gardening or home landscape work. They need to identify which plants are useful and which ones are weeds. Other people simply like being able to name the plants they see when they walk through a city park or down a country road.

Food and Fiber

It is useful to be able to recognize plants which are sources of food (fruits, vegetables, spices, etc.) and fiber (lumber, firewood, paper pulp, etc.). This ability can also be profitable!

Career Skill

The ability to identify plant materials is an important skill for people who are interested in horticulture, forestry, landscape architecture, parks and recreation, botany, and a number of other career areas.

These are just a few of the reasons people find it advantageous to learn to identify plants!

So, Let's Get Started

The recommended order of the topics is:

1. Leaf Structure
2. Leaf Blade Shape
3. Leaf Grouping
4. Leaf Arrangement, and Venation
5. Leaf Margins

You will have opportunities to practice identifying each characteristic as you learn about it.