Agathis Australis So far in our series of 101 Types of Trees from around the world, we haven’t covered any trees that are native to New Zealand, and we figured that talking about the kauri tree would be a good place to start. Kauri is the Maori name (indigenous Polynesian peoples) for the coniferous, evergreen …
Notholithocarpus Densiflorus The tanoak is a large broadleaf tree that is part of the beech family (fagaceae) which may be confusing, considering that they have “oak” in their name. They are not true oaks, though they are closely related and have similar acorns to oak trees. They are closely related to the northern temperate region …
Pseudotsuga Menziesii The Douglas fir tree is a coniferous evergreen tree that is part of the pine family (Pinaceae). This is one of those trees where its name can be a bit confusing, because Douglas firs are not actually true fir trees, nor are they part of the fir family (genus abies). They are technically …
Pinus Longaeva It is almost certain that as soon as you learn about the bristlecone pine tree, it will become your favorite tree. This tree is one of the most incredible coniferous evergreen trees on the planet. Not because it’s the most beautiful, or resilient, or large, but because it is the oldest living specimen …
Pinus Ponderosa The ponderosa pine is a tree native to the most mountainous regions of North America. They are also the most widely distributed tree species in North America. This tree is both the city tree of Spokane, Washington, and the state tree of Montana. This very large pine tree is also sometimes referred to …
Sequoia Sempervirens Out of all of the 101 Types of Trees that we have been describing in this article series, there is no other tree more impressive than the redwood. This is a tree that is famous all over the planet because of its uncontested height and incredibly long life expectancy. Redwoods are coniferous evergreen …
Picea Glauca White spruce trees go by many different names. They may be heard of casually as Canadian spruce, skunk spruce, cat spruce, Black Hills spruce (because of their successful ranges in the Black Hills of South Dakota), western white spruce, Alberta white spruce, or Porsild spruce. Though these trees are some of the slowest …
Picea Mariana The black spruce tree is a tree native to North America, and they have ranged in all ten provinces of Canada and three territories. They are the official provincial tree of Newfoundland and Labrador and are the most prevalent tree in that province. Part of the pine family, black spruces are a small …
Picea Rubens Red spruce trees are also commonly referred to as the yellow spruce, the West Virginia spruce, the eastern spruce, or the he-balsam spruce. They are a late-successional coniferous tree that grows very slowly. Coniferous trees possess cones and needles instead of flowers and leaves, and the foliage does not drop seasonally, making them …
Not a particularly large tree, the chestnut oak is one of the lesser-known varieties within the oak family. They are known for their inner bark that contains ample amounts of tannic acid, their ability to grow stump sprouts, and their likeness to black oak. A plant that is not commonly found on city streets, it …
Juniperus Virginiana Terminology Trying to decipher the world of dendrology (tree science) can be difficult. Trees go by many names, and it is easy to mix them up. Juniperus virginiana is part of the genus juniperus and part of the supressaceae family (cypress). However, eastern juniper trees also go by the names red juniper, and …
Pinus Resinosa The red pine is an evergreen conifer tree that is native to northeastern North America. They are usually a dominant overstory species, though they sometimes occur as an understory species when they grow in congruence with the white pine (pinus strobus) and jack pine (pinus banksiana). Sometimes referred to as the northern pine …
Pinus Rigida The pitch pine tree is an evergreen conifer that is native to eastern North America. These trees are unique in the way that they can grow in some of the most desolate and low-nutrient soils around. They are semi-fast growing, and medium-sized. They have a lifespan of around 200 years. Pitch pines are …
Pinus Sylvestris The scotch pine was previously the scots fir or the European redwood before the 18th century. Today, the tree is known as the scotch pine to those in the United States, and as the scots pine tree to those in the United Kingdom. Pollen records show that this pine species were present in …
Tsuga Canadensis The eastern hemlock tree is a staple in the eastern North America mixed-hardwood forest. Often growing in hemlock-spruce groves, this is an evergreen tree that is native to the majority of the eastern side of Canada and the United States. Mostly referred to as the Canadian hemlock, or “pruche du Canada” by francophones, …
If you’re feeling curious about trees, you’ve come to the right place. Here we go into depth on abies balsamea, but we’ve also got some great articles about 101 Types of Trees if you’d like to deepen your learning! Related: Fraser Fir Tree | Douglas Fir Tree Abies Balsamea Balsam fir trees are part of the …
Tilia Americana The American basswood tree is a proud member of the Malvaceae family, and it is the only representative of this genus within the western hemisphere. All other members occur in Europe, Asia, and Russia. The American basswood is sometimes referred to as the American linden tree, and it grows faster than almost all …
Curious about other types of trees? We’ve got you covered with 101 Types of Trees, and 11 Types of Eucalyptus Trees. Related: Black Ash Tree | Red Flowering Gum Tree | Water Gum Tree | River Red Gum Tree Eucalyptus Regnans The mountain ash tree is an evergreen that is part of the genus eucalyptus that …
We love trees! We are obsessed with them! This is the last member of the deciduous variety in our article series; 101 Types of Trees. We’re moving onto evergreen trees next, so head on over to check out what we have learned about our woody neighbors! Related: Acacia Flowers | Berry Flowers | Spring Flowers Cornus …
We really love trees around here. We’ve been going through a long list of 101 Types of Trees not only to educate the masses but because it is just super interesting stuff to learn about yourself! The black willow is no exception. Part of genus Salix, these trees are a long-time beloved tree. Gazing upon …
Juglans Nigra Known as the eastern black walnut, this tree is part of the walnut family (juglandaeceae). It is a deciduous tree native to the eastern side of North America, though they have also been cultivated on the western side, as well as in Hawaii and parts of Europe. The black walnut is a very …
Part of the genus Amelanchier, the serviceberry tree is well known for many reasons. This small tree is a beautiful and easy cultivar tree, it has edible fruit, beautiful flowers, and is very easy to care for. A native plant to all of Canada and the United States, it makes an incredible addition to all …
There’s a chance that you’ve had a traditional root beer that is flavored with sassafras root bark. The sassafras plant is incredible, growing anywhere from a small shrub or thicket to an impressive tree, this woody creature gives so much more to humans and animals than just shade. Sassafras has been used traditionally for cosmetic …
Possibly the most important tree of eastern North America, the eastern white pine tree is unparalleled in its impressiveness. Planting this tree in any space will bring beauty, and sprout conversations of old-growth groves. They are resistant to the windbreak, resistant to forest fires, and are the tallest tree in all of America and Canada. …
White oaks are an incredibly important species of the North American hardwood forest. Their name is derived from the color of its finished wood, which is also a highly coveted material. The white oak is the state tree of Illinois, and the tallest one known today was first planted in 1938 and is 44 meters …
The scarlet oak is one of the best-known species of an oak tree, thanks to its stunning fall color. The northern red oak has no comparison to this species, and the chestnut oak wishes it wasn’t one of the coarser trees. Important to wildlife and to the beauty of our gardens, the scarlet oak is …
A very popular shade tree and street tree in both Europe and North America, the northern red oak is a very important member of the oak-heath forest family. Planting a northern red oak is not only a wonderful contribution to urban landscapes but also a vital resource for wildlife. Quercus rubra is a super interesting …
Black oaks are one of the lesser-known trees of the oak family. However, just because a tree isn’t particularly valuable in the lumber industry, doesn’t mean it is not integral to wildlife. The black oak is a tree (sometimes shrub) in the oak species with much darker bark. Though most oaks are fairly easy to …
The sugar maple is part of the same flowering plant species as both the soapberry and lychee — the Sapindaceae family — through lychees and sugar maples don’t have all that much in common. Sugar maples are cold-loving trees (hence why their sugar maple’s leaf is on the flag of the cold white north). This …
We are so incredibly lucky in North America for all the incredible native plants that occur here. Although this does occur everywhere on the planet, there is something special about walking down the street and recognizing a vast number of plant and tree species in the area. Are you interested in becoming a plant and …
It may be strange to say, but the silver maple is kind of the underdog of the maple family. Not as beautifully colored as the Japanese maple or red maple, doesn’t produce sweet sap like the sugar maple, and it has some of the lowest quality of wood. But if we stop comparing the silver …
Isn’t it just so delightful that we live in a world that grows so many kinds of nut trees? The shagbark hickory (sometimes confused with the black walnut) is a very large tree that grows naturally in eastern North America. Though not a superbly common plant, they are very important to the ecosystem of eastern …
The red maple has the perfect name for itself. With red flowers, red leaves, red stems, red stalks, and redbuds, there is no wonder that this tree represents Canada. There are some that even nickname this tree “the red sunset”, as a forest of red maples will make any time of day look like a …
The pignut hickory is a medium to large tree, that is part of the genus Carya. One of the lesser prevalent of the hickory species, the pignut produces one of the best-tasting hickory nuts. The pignut hickory nut is said to taste and smell like maple syrup and is nibbled on by a ton of …
Being part of the genus carya is a privilege indeed. Carya cordiformis, or the bitternut hickory, is one of the least impressive trees relative to its botanical family, but it remains to be highly impressive all on its own, showing how incredible this entire genus is. The bitternut hickory has valuable wood, a huge and …
The honey locust tree is simply beautiful. It comes equipped with amazing compound leaves that resemble those of a fern plant. This unique shaping of leaves makes for a very majestic shade tree. Their leaves are very similar to the Kentucky coffeetree. These trees produce long leathery pods that encompass a sweet and delicious pulp …
The more I learn about the black locust tree, the more I am impressed by it. They grow stunning looking and smelling flowers, and can populate natural areas that have suffered a natural disaster. They can grow in horribly poor soil but are able to make that soil more nutrient-rich for other species. I don’t want …
The European larch is siblings with the tamarack tree (Larix laricina) and they are both members of the genus Larix. Both are remarkably impressive trees, but the European larch is the far taller and longer-lived tree. Larix decidua possesses needles instead of leaves, has a very prosperous juvenile growing season, and is very helpful in …
Out of all the types of field elms out there, the slippery elm is one of the weirdest. This unique tree has a goopy inner bark, can grow in almost any kind of soil and is significantly more resistant to diseases than its cousins. Slippery elm bark also has several medicinal properties that other members …
The hawthorn tree is a very unique variety. It possesses thorny branches but stunning hawthorn flowers. It grows everywhere and can tolerate any soil type. A hawthorn leaf is beautiful, and when young it can be incorporated into a spring salad. Planting hawthorn trees in a garden will bring nothing but color to your property, …
The tamarack is a truly remarkable tree. A tree species that will only grow in wet soil, with deciduous needles and bark that really resembles birch bark, it is truly something to behold. Tamaracks are able to withstand temperatures as long as -85 degrees Fahrenheit. They are relatives of the European larch, and their wood …
The English elm is an absolute monster. All elms are considered to be a good shade tree, but ulmis minor ‘atinia’ definitely takes the cake on this one. This hardy plant is a tough one and is one of the only elm species that has stood a chance against Dutch Elm Disease. There are many …
The art of tree identification is a wonderful skill to have. Walking through your neighborhood and observing the native plants brings about a sincere connection to nature. Woody plants can be a little bit more difficult to identify, but right here is a good place to start learning! Whether they are part of the elm …
The American elm tree is truly something to behold — pendulous stalks create an enchanting umbrella canopy, older trees sporting characteristically fissured gray bark, soft elm leaves blowing in the breeze. This tree species is truly a fighter and survivor — it has been attacked by Dutch Elm Disease, and many members of the American …
The American elm tree is truly something to behold — pendulous stalks create an enchanting umbrella canopy, older trees sporting characteristically fissured gray bark, soft elm leaves blowing in the breeze. This tree species is truly a fighter and survivor — it has been attacked by Dutch Elm Disease, and many members of the American …
Let’s paint a picture: an enormous shade tree that dwells in lowland areas. A forest of woody plants that rustle in the slightest breeze, almost like an enormous wind chime, that sheds warm to snow in the summer months. Sounds pretty magical, doesn’t it? But we are not in a fairy tale. The eastern cottonwood …
The eastern forest in North America is missing a vital component of its forest ecosystem. Native plants and animals of North America suffer from the horrific loss of the American chestnut tree. This superstar of a tree didn’t just grow a delicious, classic, and wonderfully edible nut, it was once the most important tree species …
We’ve all been there when we’ve eaten so many cherries that our stomachs ache. Turns out, this is exactly what the cherry tree had in mind. Their fruits are designed to entice all sorts of creatures, from bugs to birds, to boys. A lesser-known and far shorty variety of cherry tree species, the pin cherry …
I once heard that the easiest way to identify a black cherry tree is not by its incredible smelling and tasting fruit, but by its bark that resembles burnt potato chips (???) This was something rather difficult to believe, and so I had to do the research myself to find out what the deal was! Closely related …
There’s something particularly special about walking through a forest and being able to recognize all of the silent and giant neighbors that surround you. We have a list of 101 Types of Trees from around the world that can help you learn more about your local forest community. But for today we’re going to focus …