Identify by feature
Tree or shrub with leaves that are white underneath: which one is it?
A tree whose leaves are white or silvery underneath is usually a white poplar or grey poplar, a silver maple, a whitebeam or a willow such as white willow; among shrubs, think of oleaster, raspberry or butterfly bush.
18 species with this feature
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White poplar Populus alba
Broadleaf tree
Alternate; on long shoots palmate with 3–5 lobes, on short shoots oval with wavy teeth. Underside and young twigs white-felted.
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Grey poplar Populus × canescens
Broadleaf tree
Alternate; on short shoots roundish to oval, 4–8 cm, irregularly and coarsely toothed; on long shoots larger and slightly lobed. Underside grey-felted, often becoming almost hairless later.
Native
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Silver maple Acer saccharinum
Broadleaf tree
Opposite, 10–15 cm, with 5 very deeply cut, finely toothed lobes; underside silvery white. No milky sap.
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Whitebeam Sorbus aria
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, 6–12 cm, oval, irregularly double-toothed, with 10–14 pairs of parallel veins. Dark green above, white-felted below: in the wind the tree looks silvery.
Native
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Swedish whitebeam Sorbus intermedia
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, 7–12 cm, oval; lower half shallowly lobed, upper part toothed. Underside greyish-yellow felted.
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Silver lime Tilia tomentosa
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, 8–12 cm, rounded heart-shaped with a short pointed tip, sharply toothed; dark green above, silvery-white felted below with star-shaped hairs. Leaf stalk shorter than half the blade.
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White willow Salix alba
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, lance-shaped, 5–10 cm, finely toothed; both sides (especially the underside) silky and silvery-hairy.
Native
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Goat willow Salix caprea
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, broadly oval, 5–10 cm, with a short tip that is often bent to one side; edge wavy and irregularly toothed. Underside grey-felted, upper side dull and slightly wrinkled.
Native
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Osier Salix viminalis
Shrub
Alternate, 10–20 cm long and 1–2 cm wide, untoothed with a slightly rolled-under edge; underside covered in silky, silver-grey hairs.
Native
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Grey willow Salix cinerea
Shrub
Alternate, 4–10 cm, obovate to lanceolate with a short, often bent tip and a wavy, irregularly toothed edge; upper side dull grey-green, underside grey-felted, sometimes with rusty hairs.
Native
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Oleaster Elaeagnus
Shrub
Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, untoothed; dark green above, silvery white below with rust-brown scales.
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Quince Cydonia oblonga
Fruit tree
Alternate, 5–10 cm, oval, untoothed; dark green above, grey- to white-felted below.
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Apple Malus
Fruit tree
Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, toothed; grey-felted underneath (almost hairless in the wild crab apple).
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Raspberry Rubus idaeus
Shrub
Alternate, pinnate with 3–5 (7) toothed leaflets; white-felted underneath.
Native
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Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii
Shrub
Opposite, lance-shaped, 10–25 cm, finely toothed; white-felted underneath.
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Wayfaring-tree Viburnum lantana
Shrub
Opposite, 5–10 cm, oval, finely toothed, thick and wrinkled; underside grey-felted with star-shaped hairs.
NativePoisonous
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Red maple Acer rubrum
Broadleaf tree
Opposite, 6–10 cm, with 3 (sometimes 5) shallow, irregularly toothed lobes; green above, blue-white below. Leaf stalk often red, without milky sap.
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Olive tree Olea europaea
Fruit tree
Opposite, 4–8 cm, narrowly lance-shaped, untoothed and leathery; grey-green above, silvery below from tiny scales.
Tip: Check whether the white comes from felt (rub it) or from fine silvery hairs. On a windy day such trees stand out from afar: the crown shimmers as the leaves turn over.