What is the name of that tree?
There is only one BOTANICAL name for each species. This aids us significantly in accurately communicating with others about a tree. The COMMON name of a tree can sometimes be helpful or confusing. When trying to find out specific information about a tree, the botanical name is the one to discover.
For example:
Two of the common tree names for Acer negundo are boxelder and black ash. These names might be misleading, since it is neither an elder nor an ash. On the other hand, it is also commonly known as an ash leaf maple which could be helpful when identifying the tree by it’s leaf, because the leaves do look more like an ash leaf than a maple leaf.
It’s scientific name is Acer negundo and therefore, with a quick search, we are able to identify the tree as a maple (Acer is a genus of trees we call maple). Now that we know the “universal” name we are able to communicate with others about a tree’s unique characteristics.
*AKA: Ash Maple, Ash-leaf Maple, Black Ash, Cutleaf Maple, Cut-leaved Maple, Stinking Ash, Red River Maple, California Boxelder, Sugar Ash, Three-leaved Maple, and Western Boxelder.
BOTANICAL (SCIENTIFIC) TREE NAMES
- Abies concolor ~ White Fir or Concolor Fir
- Abies lasiocarpa ~ Subalpine Fir
- Acer glabrum ~ Rocky Mountain Maple
- Acer ginnala ~ Amur Maple
- Acer negundo ~ Boxelder
- Acer rubrum ~ Red Maple
- Acer saccharinum ~ Silver Maple
- Acer saccharum ~ Sugar Maple
- Aesculus hippocastanum ~ Horsechestnut
- Aesculus glabra ~ Ohio Buckeye
- Ailanthus altissima ~ Tree of Heaven
- Alnus tenuifolia ~ Thinleaf Alder
B-C
- Betula nigra ~ River Birch
- Betula occidentalis ~ Western Water Birch
- Betula pendula (Bentula verrucosa) ~ European White Birch
- Catalpa speciosa ~ Western Catalpa
- Celtis occidentalis ~ Common Hackberry
- Cercis canadensis ~ Eastern Redbud
- Crataegus ~ Hawthorn
E-G
- Elaeagnus angustifolia ~ Russian Olive
- Fraxinus americana ~ White Ash
- Fraxinus pennsylvanica ~ Green Ash
- Ginkgo biloba ~ Ginkgo
- Gleditsia triacanthos ~ Honeylocust
- Gymnocladus dioica ~ Kentucky Coffeetree
J
- Julans nigra ~ Black Walnut
- Juniperus chinensis ~ Upright Juniper
- Juniperus osteosperma ~ Utah Juniper
- Juniperus scopulorum ~ Rocky Mountain Juniper
- Juniperus virginiana ~ Eastern Red Cedar
K-M
- Koelreuteria paniculata ~ Goldenraintree
- Malus ~ Apple
- Malus ~ Crabapple
- Morus species ~ Mulberry
P
- Picea abies ~ Norway Spruce
- Picea engelmannii ~ Engelmann Spruce
- Picea pungens ~ Colorado Blue Spruce
- Pinus aristata ~ Bristlecone Pine
- Pinus contorta ~ Lodgepole Pine
- Pinus edulus ~ Pinyon Pine
- Pinus flexilis ~ Limber Pine
- Pinus nigra ~ Austrian Pine
- Pinus ponderosa ~ Ponderosa Pine
- Pinus strobus ~ Eastern White Pine
- Pinus sylvestris ~ Scotch Pine
- Platanus occidentalis ~ American Sycamore
- Platanus x acerifolia ~ London Plane
- Populus alba ~ White Poplar
- Populus alba ‘Pyramidalis’ ~ Bolleana Poplar
- Populus angustifolia ~ Narrowleaf Cottonwood
- Populus nigra ‘Italica’ ~ Lombardy Poplar
- Populus sargentii ~ Plains Cottonwood
- Populus tremuloides ~ Quaking Aspen
- Prunus americana ~ American Plum
- Prunus cerasifera ‘Newport’ ~ Newport Plum
- Prunus persica ~ Peach
- Prunus virginiana ~ Chokecherry
- Pseudotsuga menziesii ~ Douglas Fir
- Pyrus calleryana ~ Callery Pear
Q
- Quercus bicolor ~ Swamp White Oak
- Quercus gambelii ~ Gambel Oak
- Quercus macrocarpa ~ Bur Oak
- Quercus palustris ~ Pin Oak
- Quercus rubra ~ Northern Red Oak
R
- Rhus glabra ~ Smooth Sumac
- Rhus typhina ~ Staghorn Sumac
- Robinia x ambigua ‘Idahoensis
- Robinia neomexicana ~ New Mexico Locust
- Robinia pseudoacacia ~ Black Locust
S
- Salix amygdaloides ~ Peach Leaf Willow
- Salix babylonica ~ Weeping Willow
- Salix matsudana ~ Globe Willow
- Sophora japonica ~ Japanese Pagodatree
- Sorbus aucuparia ~ European Mountainash
- Syringa vulgaris ~ Common Lilac
T
- Thuja occidentalis ~ American Arborvitae
- Tilia americana ~ American Linden
- Tilia cordata ~ Littleleaf Linden
U
- Ulmus americana ~ American Elm
- Ulmus procera ~ English Elm
- Ulmus pumila ~ Siberian Elm
A
- Alder, Thinleaf
- Apple
- Apple, Crabapple
- Arborvitae, American
- Ash, Green
- Ash, White
- Aspen, Quaking
B
- Birch, European White
- Birch, River
- Birch, Western Water
- Boxelder
- Bristlecone Pine
- Buckeye, Ohio
- Bur oak
C
- Catalpa, Western
- Cedar, Eastern Red
- Cottonwood, Narrowleaf
- Cottonwood, Plains
- Chokecherry
- Coffeetree, Kentucky
D
E-F
- Elm, American
- Elm, English
- Elm, Siberian
- Fir, Subalpine
- Fir, Concolor or White
G-H
- Ginkgo
- Globe Willow
- Goldenraintree
- Hawthorn
- Horsechestnut
- Hackberry, Common
L-J
- Lilac, Common
- Linden, American
- Linden, Littleleaf
- Locust, Black
- Locust, Honey
- Locust, Idaho Flowering
- Locust, New Mexico
- London Plane
- Juniper, Rocky Mountain
- Juniper, Upright
- Juniper, Utah
M-O
- Mulberry
- Maple, Amur
- Maple, Norway
- Maple, Red
- Maple, Rocky Mountain
- Maple, Silver
- Maple, Sugar
- Mountainash, European
- Oak, Gambel
- Oak, Northern Red
- Oak, Swamp White
- Oak, Pin
P
- Pagodatree, Japanese
- Peach
- Pear, Callery
- Pine, Austrian
- Pine, Eastern White
- Pine, Limber
- Pine, Lodgepole
- Pine, Pinyon
- Pine, Ponderosa
- Pine, Scotch
- Plum, American
- Plum, Newport
- Poplar, Bolleana (White)
- Poplar, Lombardy
R
S
- Spruce, Colorado Blue
- Spruce, Engelmann
- Spruce, Norway
- Sumac, Smooth
- Sumac, Staghorn
- Sycamore, American
T
W
- Walnut, Black
- Willow, Peach Leaf
- Willow, Weeping
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