leaf margin

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Double Dentate: The Shape of Leaves to Come

Flowers and fruit are the garden darlings, but where would they be without leaves?  As a seed set roots, tiny leaves quickly follow, the building blocks of things to come.  Leaves are:

“a plant’s principal organ of photosynthesis, the process by which sunlight is used to form foods from carbon dioxide and water. Leaves also help in the process of transpiration, or the loss of water vapor from a plant.”

The shape of a leaf, known as the leaf margin, helps to determine the type of plant.  Leaf margins, or edges, include dentate, double dentate, crenate, ciliante, entire and lobate.  I traveled the garden with my camera this week, so I could get up close and personal with the powerhouse leaf.

The Shape of Leaves to Come

I enjoyed studying the different leaves in my garden, viewed with a more observant eye. Each plant has leaves that are fully formed, but it was also fun to observe the shape of leaves to come.  Some leaves stack in pairs, in alternating patterns, while others climb up the plants stem. My garden favorites:

Inky Leaf Coleus

Inky Leaf Coleus: Lobed

Lemon leaf

Dwarf Lemon: Entire Leaf

Scented Geranium Leaf

Scented Geranium Leaf: Dentate (or Serate)

Star Jasmin Leaf

Star Jasmin Leaf: Lobate

Clover Leaves

Clover Leaves: Entire

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