Overview

This glossary summarizes the most common leaf shapes you’ll encounter in indoor plants. Learning these terms will make your identification process faster and more precise.

Common Shapes

  • Cordate: Heart-shaped with a distinct notch at the base (Philodendron hederaceum).
  • Ovate: Oval or egg-like, broadest near the base (Ficus elastica).
  • Lanceolate: Long and narrow with tapering ends (Dracaena).
  • Pinnatifid: Deeply lobed or split (Monstera deliciosa).
  • Palmatifid: Lobes radiating from a central point (Fatsia japonica).

Photography Tip

Photograph leaves next to a ruler or coin for scale, and note whether the shape changes as the plant matures.