Common Trees of Pennsylvania

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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Forests have always been important to the inhabitants of the area we now call "Pennsylvania" (Latin for "Penn's Woods"). Pennsylvania's location spanning 40 degrees - 42 degrees north latitude and its varied terrain support 108 species of native trees and many other introduced from Europe and Asia. Trees provide a renewable source of lumber, paper, nuts and chemicals. But they are also essential as living filters, removing pollution from the air we breath and the water we drink. Trees provide homes and food for wildlife, and beautify our homes with comforting shade in summer and shelter from winter winds. With wise management, forests can produce these benefits for future generations as they have in the past.

This selection of 57 native, and 5 introduced trees is organized according to leaf shape and arrangement. Each tree is identified by popular name familiar to Pennsylvanians and its complete scientific name. To use this site, first study the drawings on the Leaf Parts Page, the Tree Parts Page, then look at the Glossary until you understand Needle-like, simple and compound leaf shapes and alternate and opposite leaf arrangements. Then compare the tree you wish to identify with the trees in the appropriate section listed below.

Leaves:

Wide and Flat: Alternate Arrangement	Wide and Flat: Opposite Arrangement	Needle-shaped or Linear
Cucumbertree Magnolia Black Gum RedBud Common Sassafras Bigtooth Aspen Quaking Aspen American Beech Paper Birch Sweet Birch Yellow Birch Black Cherry Choke Cherry Fire Cherry Serviceberries American Elm Slippery Elm Common Hackberry American Linden Red Mulberry Black Oak Northern Red Oak Pin Oak Scarlet Oak Chestnut Oak White Oak American Chestnut Sycamore Tulip Tree Black Willow Witch Hazel Black Locust Common Honeylocust Bitternut Hickory Mockernut Hickory Pignut Hickory Shagbark Hickory Shellbark Hickory Tree Of Heaven Butternut Black Walnut	Flowering Dogwood Catalpa Norway Maple Red Maple Silver Maple Striped Maple Sugar Maple Box Elder White Ash Black Ash Buckeyes	Eastern Hemlock Eastern RedCedar Colorado Blue Spruce Norway Spruce Red Pine Scots Pine Table Mountain Pine Virginia Pine Pitch Pine Eastern White Pine American Larch

Common Trees of Pennsylvania - Book - Adobe PDF (3,031 kb)

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