There are thousands of different tree species in the world, but they can be categorized into several types.
Here are the types of trees and their distinctive features.
In this article
Category of trees
1.
Coniferous trees
In common terms, this category would refer to evergreens.
This means that the foliage of these types of trees will remain green all year round.
Their most distinct characteristic is their needle-like leaves.
Coniferous trees would be the likes ofpines,cedarsandChristmas trees.
Deciduous trees
This category refers to hardwoods.
Their most common characteristic is annual foliage shedding during fall.
Hardwoods have more varieties to note.
They have unique appearances and characteristics particularly in terms of shapes of leaves.
They are drought tolerant and hardy being able to retain their foliage all year long.
Its leaves will turn yellow and burgundy during fall.
Females produce winged fruits while males dont.
Diamond-shaped ridges will appear in the bark when they reach maturity.
2.Aspen trees
It is considered as the most widespread tree in North America.
It is distinguishable for its tube-like overall appearance, white, soft trunks and yellow foliage in the fall.
They have distinguishable papery white bark with irregular shaped black-brown furrows.
They are considered as rare deciduous that are popular in winter landscapes.
It is native to the Himalayas and around the Mediterranean.
They retain their green foliage year-round and have a distinct holidays spice scent.
It is commonly associated with spring as its first blooms appear in the first week of spring.
A lot of spring events are dedicated to it especially in the US and Japan.
Some cherry trees produce edible fruits while others are grown solely as ornamentals like the cherry blossoms.
Nonetheless, all cherry blossoms are edible and are dried for tea.
They can grow huge (up to 80ft in the wild) and their black-brown trunks are sturdy.
Related:Types of Cherry Trees
6.
They dont produce flowers and fruits.
It is one of the tallest growing trees and includes the Giant Sequoias of North America.
They are economically valuable as they produce a steady supply of good quality timber and in paper production.
It is native to Canada, Mexico and the US.
It niches alongside streams and lakes but can be cultivated anywhere in high altitude places.
It has smooth, yellow green bark that will turn ash gray when mature.
It has long, triangular leaves that are toothed in the edge.
It is considered as an ornamental tree but it is also used to manufacture boxes.
It produces a multicolor facade in the summer with its dark-colored buds and lively colored flowers.
Its fruits are used in tarts, jams, ciders and other preserves.
It is native to Asia, particularly in Kazakhstan and has existed for 6,000 years.
They can be cultivated as garden shrubs in gardens but full-blown trees are usually seen in parks and streets.
The more sun it receives, the more blooms it will produce.
It is drought-tolerant and can thrive in a wide range of growing conditions.
Most cypresses look like open umbrellas including the Monterey cypress which grows at 70ft tall.
Christmas cypress would include the Arizona cypress while the smallest growing cypress is the Gowen cypress.
It has green-blue leaves that overlap like braids.
The most popular is the Lone cypress covering a 17-mile drive in California.
11.Dogwood trees
They may be small-sized ornamentals but aesthetically, they will never disappoint.
It produces masses of tiny, white/yellow flowers in spring contrasting in an acid gray-brown bark.
Elm trees
This semi-deciduous/deciduous tree is found deep in forests around the world.
The most famous of these would be the American, English and Slippery elm.
Its leaves are yellow green but will turn darker as they mature.
Its leaves are notable for having a rough underside.
It also has unique gray bark with odd furrows in it.
As it grows older, the bark will flake and inside it will be white and brown wood.
It is used to make boxes, crates and barrels.
They are also notable for their longevity either as houseplant or in the wild.
They have minimum care requirements and are low growers making them easy to naturalize in home gardens.
14.Fig trees
These trees are known to thrive in warmer climates.
They grow delectable fruits with nutty taste, significantly referenced in the Judeo-Christian traditions.
Other fig cultivars are harder to grow since they need specific pollinators which are wasps.
Its fruits are preserved and are used as ingredients for cooking.
Related:17 Best Plants That Repel Wasps And Bees
15.
Fir trees
Fir trees are very popular in North America because they are commercially sold as Christmas trees.
There are more than 55 species of this tree but the famous species are the Balsam and Fraser fir.
No fir tree could be grown as shrubs.
They have a pyramid shape appearance and they are distinguished from pines for their winged seeds and erect cones.
Flowering trees that will bloom year-round would be Dogwoods, Redbuds, Cherries and Fringes.
Forsythia, magnolias and flowering crabapples are also included in the list of flowering trees.
All fruit trees are considered flowering trees too because their flowers will turn into fruits as they mature.
But it has to be clarified that fruit trees are limited to trees that bear fruits for human consumption.
Hardwood trees
The term hardwood botanically refers to trees but astoundingly with no similar characteristics.
Instead of needle-like leaves, hardwoods have large leaves.
They are also distinguishable because they produce fruits that are most of the time referred to as nuts.
Most importantly, they grow dormant during the winter and come back when temperatures stabilize.
It is interesting to note that 40% of all trees in North America are considered hardwoods.
All Hawthorn trees have recognizable scaly brown or gray barks and small, simple leaves.
It is mostly used as a shrub in landscaping and for other commercial uses.
It is divided into two major divisions: common/true hickories or pecan hickories.
The pecan hickory is the sole species in this group that have commercial value because it produces good timber.
All hickories have distinct oblong-shaped leaves that will change from deep green into yellow during fall.
They have gray-brown barks that peel as they mature.
They are also known for their longevity as they could reach 300 years of age.
Related:Types of Hickory Trees
21.
Junipers have two types of leaves: awl-like and scale-like.
Most bear two types of leaves while some features only one jot down of leaf.
Because they produce small tree rings, they are valuable for timber production.
They are also known for their longevity.
Rocky Mountain junipers are documented to have existed from 2,000 years ago.
Upright lilacs are also called common lilacs and are known for their wide color selection and fragrance types.
The most popular densely branched lilacs are the Manchurian and Meyer lilac.
Lime trees
This punch in has more than 80 cultivars and hybrids in its cluster.
They are popular trees because they produce edible, sweet, acidic fruits.
Its most popular species is the Mexican lime because of its economic value.
It is used in culinary purposes and common in the beverage and confectionery industry.
Its peels are also processed and dried for many functions in Asia and the Americas.
Because of their white, cascading flowers, they are also cultivated as ornamentals.
The most popular locust is the black locust tree.
Mahogany trees
This medium-size evergreen has small pointy leaves and hard fruits.
It is native to southeast Asia, the Caribbean and south Florida.
It has a sturdy, thin trunk and gray bark that will turn darker as it gets old.
It is one of the most popular industrial trees because of its rich brown color.
It is used to manufacture musical instruments, boats, caskets and furniture.
Its bark is also scrubbed for its potency as astringent.
It can grow very tall at 100ft and can provide a wide foliage canopy at 35ft.
27.Maple trees
It is dubbed as the most important North American forest tree group.
They are known for being valuable woods in wildlife conservation and as highly aesthetic forest trees.
Its most popular species is the sugar maple as it is the source of maple syrup.
The most famous mulberries are the black and red species.
Oak trees
These trees are found almost everywhere in New York City.
There are at least 300 knownoak speciesand 55 of them come from North America.
Oaks are divided between black and white oaks.
White oaks have sweet tasting acorns while black oaks have bitter acorns and bristled leaves.
They niche in forests and valleys.
Palm trees
This is another tropical tree with more than 2600 species.
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31.
Its fleshy fruits can be eaten raw or can be added in pastries, ciders and in savory dishes.
Its sturdy, fine wood is also used in woodworks, in timber production and in furniture making.
The most commercially sold varieties are the Bartlett, Comice, Concorde, DAnjou and Seckel.
In colder regions, they are used as alternative Christmas trees.
They have a cone-shaped appearance and have fine, needle-like leaves.
Pines have more than 250 types in its cluster with huge economic value especially in timber production.
They require low care requirements (even in acidic and low-nutrient soils).
At their mature phase, they can provide good canopy making them a famous evergreen.
These are ornamental plums.
It is also fermented as cider or wine.
These are fruiting plums.
They make beautiful ornamental trees because of their explosive papery lavender and white flowers in the spring.
They have distinct heart-shaped leaves and long stems but their bloom time is relatively short compared to other ornamentals.
They are not large trees though, only achieving a maximum height of 30ft and 20ft in width.
It has brown, soft bark and a divided trunk.
They can reach a mature height of more than 250ft and 30ft diameter.
These very tall-growing trees are extensively seen in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.
They have distinctive characteristics including the proverbial cinnamon-red bark.
They also live very long.
The Giant Sequoias in the Sequoia National Park is recorded to be more than 3,500 years old.
They are used as an alternative forChristmas treesand winter landscapes.
Spruces also have high economic value as they are the main sources of paper and timber production.
They are also used in manufacturing musical instruments including sounding boards for violins and pianos.
They are also used in industry level manufacture especially for boats, barrels and in aircraft.
It has a lush, curved form and whimsical cascading leaves.
They get their name from their cascading foliage that looks like tear drops.
Their strong presence is well-referenced in Psalms as they are said to be found in the rivers of Babylon.
They are also featured in Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and in Pocahontas, among others.
Sycamore trees
These tall deciduous can be found streams, river bottoms and damp woodlands.
It is tough and relatively hard but not that strong.
It is also grained and coarse, making it a tough wood to work with.
It is used in woodwork specifically in making crates, tobacco boxes and butchers blocks.
It is also significant in Judeo-Christian traditions.
Teak trees
This tall evergreen could reach to up to 30ft.
Its large leaves resemble tobacco but with white-blue color.
It also bears small, brown fruits with papery texture.
Its light brown bark with white-gray furrows are used traditionally in treating fever and headache.
Its wood is also used in woodwork particularly in making boats, windows and doors.
41.Walnut trees
It is a popular deciduous because of well, the loved walnuts.
Aside from its culinary significance, it also makes good timber.
It is sturdy, durable and heavy.
It is easy to work with when it comes to woodworks.
Its rich brown color is popular for high end furniture including interior fixtures, cabinets and even gunstocks.
It has an outer black bark with gray furrows and an inner dark brown bark.
It is known for its black/brown bark with thick, rough scales all over it.
It also has an eerie vibe to it thanks to its cascading leaves.
Its uses are not for timber production because its trunk is soft and crooked.
As such, the willow tree is used for making boxes and pulps.
It is also a famous tree due to successful movies such as the Lord of the Rings and Pocahontas.
Related:A Homeowners Guide To Proper Tree Care And Maintenance
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