Flashcards

French tree vocabulary: recognise 20 trees by leaves and fruit

Learn twenty French tree names and four useful tree-part words in 24 flashcards, with leaf, fruit and whole-tree pictures and a visual-clue quiz.

In short

Most tree names here are masculine: le chêne, le bouleau, le pommier. Learn twenty trees through their leaves, fruit and outlines, then use four extra cards for the parts you can point to: leaf, trunk, bark and branch.

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An apple tree grows near an oak and a white-barked birch.
The fruit helps identify le pommier. Illustration: Atelier

The whole deck

All 24 cards, with an example each

Broad leaves and distinctive fruit

  • le chêneoakCe chêne porte des glands.
  • l’érable (m.)mapleLa feuille de cet érable a cinq lobes.
  • le bouleaubirchLe tronc de ce bouleau est blanc.
  • le hêtrebeechCe hêtre a un tronc gris et lisse.
  • le châtaigniersweet chestnut treeCe châtaignier porte des châtaignes.
  • le marronnierhorse chestnut treeLe marronnier a de grandes feuilles.
  • le plataneplane treeLes platanes bordent cette avenue.
  • le tilleullime tree; lindenOn s’assoit à l’ombre du tilleul.

Fruit trees and familiar silhouettes

  • le saule pleureurweeping willowLes branches du saule pleureur touchent l’eau.
  • le peuplierpoplarLes peupliers sont alignés près du canal.
  • l’olivier (m.)olive treeCet olivier porte des olives vertes.
  • le pommierapple treeLe pommier est au fond du jardin.
  • le poirierpear treeCe poirier donne de petites poires.
  • le cerisiercherry treeLes cerises de ce cerisier sont rouges.
  • le noyerwalnut treeLe noyer est près du portail.
  • le figuierfig treeLe figuier pousse contre le mur.

Needles, cones and tree parts

  • le pinpineLes aiguilles de ce pin sont longues.
  • le sapinfirLe sapin a une forme conique.
  • l’épicéa (m.)spruceLes cônes de cet épicéa pendent.
  • le cyprèscypressLe cyprès est haut et étroit.
  • la feuilleleafCette feuille est tombée du chêne.
  • le tronctrunkLe tronc du bouleau est blanc.
  • l’écorce (f.)barkL’écorce du platane se détache par plaques.
  • la branchebranchUne branche du cerisier passe au-dessus du mur.

Leaves, fruit and outlines: picture set 1

le châtaigniersweet chestnut tree

Focus: the card has long toothed leaves and a densely spiny fruit husk

Le châtaignier porte des châtaignes.
The sweet chestnut tree bears sweet chestnuts.

le marronnierhorse chestnut tree

Focus: the card has a hand-shaped leaf and a thick green husk

Le marronnier porte des marrons.
The horse chestnut tree bears conkers.

Tree silhouettes and four useful parts

A tree is un arbre; its fruit has its own name. Compare le pommier → la pomme, le poirier → la poire and le cerisier → la cerise. Here, each tree picture includes a close view so you can connect a small detail with the whole tree.

Question 1No account needed
Which French name matches white bark and small triangular leaves?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

le bouleau. The bouleau card shows white bark and triangular leaves.

Question 2No account needed
Which picture has a leaf made of several leaflets spread like a hand?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

le marronnier. The marronnier card has a hand-shaped compound leaf.

Question 3No account needed
Choose the tree with paired red cherries.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

le cerisier. Le cerisier bears des cerises, the paired red fruit pictured.

Question 4No account needed
In these cards, which tree has upright cones?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

le sapin. The sapin picture has upright cones; the spruce cones hang down.

Question 5No account needed
Which word names the outside covering of a trunk?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

l’écorce. L’écorce is bark, the outer covering shown on the trunk.