Regional Guide to Native Trees
By Guy Sternberg
Common Name Botanical Name Relative
NORTHEAST Birch, yellow Betula alleghaniensis Large Birch, sweet B. lenta Medium Hawthorn, dotted Crataegus punctata Small Hawthorn, Washington C. phaenopyrum Small Maple, mountain Acer spicatum Small Maple, red A. rubrum Large Maple, striped A. pensylvanicum Small Maple, sugar A. saccharum Large Oak, black Quercus velutina Large Oak, northern red Q. rubra Large Oak, white Q. alba Large Pine, eastern white* Pinus strobus Large Pine, pitch* P. rigida Medium Pine, red* P. resinosa Large Sumac, smooth Rhus glabra Very small Sumac, staghorn R. typhina Small
SOUTHEAST Birch, river Betula nigra Large Birch, roundleaf B. uber Medium Hawthorn, green Crataegus viridis Small Hawthorn, mayhaw C. aestivalis Small Hawthorn, parsley C. marshallii Small Maple, chalk Acer leucoderme Small Maple, Florida A. barbatum Large Oak, live (subevergreen) Quercus virginiana Large Oak, scarlet Q. coccinea Large Oak, swamp chestnut Q. michauxii Large Oak, willow Q. phellos Large Pine, longleaf* Pinus palustri Large Pine, table mountain* P. pungens Medium Pine, Virginia* P. virginiana Medium Sumac, winged Rhus copallina Small Sumac, smooth Rhus glabra Very small
MIDWEST Birch, gray Betula populifolia Medium Birch, river B. nigra Large Hawthorn, cockspur Crataegus crus-galli Small Hawthorn, frosted C. pruinosa Small Maple, black Acer nigrum Large Maple, red A. rubrum Large Oak, bur Quercus macrocarpa Large Oak, chinkapin Q. muehlenbergii Large Oak, northern pin Q. ellipsoidalis Large Oak, swamp white Q. bicolor Large Pine, red* Pinus resinosa Large Pine, shortleaf* P. echinata Large Pine, white* P. strobus Large Sumac, smooth Rhus glabra Very small Sumac, staghorn R. typhina Small Sumac, winged R. copallina Small
SOUTHWEST Birch, water Betula fontinalis (syn. B. occidentalis) Small Hawthorn, Cerro Crataegus erythropoda Small Hawthorn, river C. rivularis Small Oak, Buckley's Quercus buckleyi Small Oak, Emory Q. emoryi Large Oak, Rocky Mountain Q. gambelii Medium Oak, silverleaf Q. hypoleucoides Medium Pine, Apache* Pinus engelmannii Large Pine, limber* P. flexilis Large Pine, piñon* P. edulis Small Pine, ponderosa* P. ponderosa var. scopulorum Large Maple, ash-leaved (box elder) Acer negundo Medium Maple, canyon A. grandidentatum Medium Maple, Rocky Mountain A. glabrum Small Sumac, evergreen Rhus virens Very small Sumac, prairie R. lanceolata Very small
FAR WEST Birch, western paper Betula papyrifera var. commutata Medium Hawthorn, black Crataegus douglasii Small Maple, bigleaf Acer macrophyllum Large Maple, sierra A. glabrum var. douglasii Small Maple, vine A. circinatum Small Oak, blue Quercus douglasii Large Oak, California black Quercus kelloggii Large Oak, canyon* Quercus chrysolepis Large Oak, coast live* Quercus agrifolia Large Oak, garry Quercus garryana Large Oak, valley Quercus lobata Large Pine, gray* Pinus sabiniana Medium Pine, Jeffrey* P. jeffreyi Large Pine, shore* P. contorta Small Pine, western white* P. monticola Large Sumac, smooth Rhus glabra Very small
