Japanese Larch / Larix kaempferi

HEIGHT up to 115 ft (35 m)
TYPE Deciduous
OCCURRENCE Jap

Also known as the money pine, this tree is used in Japan for bonsai. It is a popular species for timber because it grows faster than other larches and is more disease-resistant. BARK Red-brown, cracking with age. LEAF Flat, soft needles with blunt or short-pointed tips, bluegreen with two gray-white bands on underside, mostly in rosettes of 30–40. FLOWER In clusters. Males yellow; females green-yellow. FRUIT Small brown cones, with hidden bracts.

Iroko / Milicia excelsa

HEIGHT up to 165 ft (50 m )

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE Tropical Africa

Also known as the African teak, the iroko has a straight and cylindrical trunk, usually with short buttresses. It is one of the most important timber trees of Africa, often used as a teak substitute. East Africa once was a major source, but the tree has been logged out in the region. West Africa, despite overexploitation, remains an important supplier. The timber is used mainly for construction. BARK Gray to brown-black, rough; exudes white latex. LEAF Alternate, elliptic, 4–8 in (10–20 cm) long. FLOWER Males and females on separate trees; males: white, borne on slender, pendent, catkinlike spikes; females: greenish, in short cylindrical spikes. FRUIT Wrinkled, fleshy, caterpillarlike syncarp, green, 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) long, 1 in (2.5 cm) thick.

Osage Orange / Maclura pomifera

HEIGHT up to 65 ft (20 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE S. and C. United States

Often used as a hedge plant outside its native habitat, this tree was cultivated extensively by American Indians for its roots and durable wood, which was used for making weapons and a yellow dye. It has a short trunk and an irregular to rounded crown. BARK Orange-brown, scaly ridges with irregular furrows, with milky sap. LEAF Alternate, ovate to oblonglanceolate, smooth surface, glossy dark green above, turning yellow in fall. FLOWER Males and females on separate trees, both small and inconspicuous; males: in short, terminal racemes; females: in flower heads. FRUIT Cluster of green to orange syncarps.

Common Fig / Ficus carica

HEIGHT up to 33 ft (10 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE W. Asia, introduced in Mediterranean region

This tree has been cultivated for thousands of years for its edible fruit. Its remains have been found at Neolithic sites dating back to 5000 BCE. The Arab expansion in the 6th–8th centuries brought new and better cultivars to the Mediterranean region. Today, there are about 700 known cultivars. BARK Grayish brown, smooth and porous. LEAF Alternate, ovate to round with heartshaped base, 3–5 deep lobes, toothed or wavy margins, rough above, softly hairy beneath. FLOWER Tiny, fleshy, numerous, enclosed in a hollow fig receptacle; males on the inner walls near the small opening at the top, females beneath. FRUIT Reddish purple, pearshaped to globose fig.

Breadfruit / Artocarpus altilis

HEIGHT up to 100 ft (30 m)

TYPE Evergreen/Deciduous

OCCURRENCE New Guinea, Pacific Islands

Widely cultivated for its edible fruit, the breadfruit tree has a straight trunk and a wide crown with large, spreading branches. BARK Gray, smooth; exudes sticky white latex. LEAF Alternate, large, with 5–11 lobes, pointed tips, glossy bright green above, stiff hairs beneath, with prominent yellowish nerves; stipules are large and conical, leaving scars encircling the stem at the nodes when they fall off. FLOWER Males and females borne on the same tree, inconspicuous, grouped in fleshy inflorescences; males: yellowish brown, densely set on a drooping, cylindrical to clubshaped spike; females: upright, in a rounded to oval prickly head which develops into a compound fruit. FRUIT Spherical to oblong syncarp, often with a warty or spiny surface, 4–12 in (10–30 cm) wide, borne singly or in clusters of two or three at the ends of branches; white, starchy when unripe, usually fragrant when ripe, few seeds,sometimes seedless.

Common Hackberry / Celtis occidentalis

HEIGHT up to 130 ft (40 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE N.E. and N.C. United States

Although the fruit of this tree is not very fleshy, it was used by American Indians to flavor food. BARK Smooth, dark brown, scaly with age. LEAF Alternate, ovate to ovate-oblong, sharply toothed near the tip. FLOWER Greenish, small, petalless, singly or in small clusters. FRUIT Berrylike, orangered to purple, edible drupe.

Nettle Tree / Celtis australis

HEIGHT up to 80 ft (25 m)
TYPE Deciduous
OCCURRENCE S. Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa

This tree has a broadly columnar to spreading crown. BARK Gray, smooth. LEAF Alternate, narrowly oval, sharply toothed, dark green and scaly above, gray-green and softly hairy beneath. FLOWER Greenish, tiny, petalless, longstalked, open singly or in small clusters. FRUIT Ovoid purple-brown to blackish drupe

Japanese Zelkova / Zelkova serrata

HEIGHT up to 100 ft (30 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE China, Korea, Japan

The wood of this tree is valued for making furniture, lacquer-ware, and trays. It grows on moist soil near streams. BARK Smooth, gray, flaking with age. LEAF Alternate, ovate to ovateoblong or elliptic, dark green with scattered hairs above, smooth or slightly hairy below, sharply toothed. FLOWER Green, small, petalless; males and females in separate clusters. FRUIT Small spherical drupe.

Siberian Elm / Ulmus pumila

HEIGHT up to 80 ft (25 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE N. China, E. Siberia, Korea

Broadly columnar in shape, this fastgrowing tree is sometimes planted as a windbreak in North America. BARK Grayish brown, deeply furrowed. LEAF Alternate, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate. FLOWER Red, very small, petalless, in dense clusters. FRUIT Winged, slightly notched nutlet.

American Elm / Ulmus americana

HEIGHT 100–120 ft (30–36 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE E. US, S.E. Canada

This tree’s wood, as with other elms, is hard to split and was used for wheel hubs. American Indians used a decoction of the bark medicinally. BARK Ash gray, deeply fissured, with scaly ridges. LEAF Alternate, ovateoblong to elliptic, downy beneath. FLOWER Reddish, tiny, petalless, in axillary clusters on long, drooping stalks. FRUIT Nutlet, notched at top, with hairy margin.

Wych Elm / Ulmus glabra

HEIGHT up to 130 ft (40 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE N. and C. Europe, W. Asia

The wych elm has a broad crown and short trunk. Its wood is very durable in wet conditions and was popular for troughs, cribs, and coffins. It is still used for the construction of breakwaters for coastal defenses and harbors. BARK Gray, smooth. LEAF Alternate, elliptic to oblong-obovate, coarse and uneven at bases, double-toothed margins, dark green and roughly hairy above, usually downy beneath. FLOWER Tiny, with reddish anthers, petalless, in dense, axillary clusters. FRUIT Smooth nutlet surrounded by a membranous wing.

Raisin Tree / Hovenia dulcis

HEIGHT up to 33 ft (10 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE China, Japan, Korea

The fruit stalks of this tree are edible while the fruit itself is not. BARK Smooth, gray when young, paler and furrowing with age. LEAF Alternate, toothed, longstalked. FLOWER Cream to greenish white, small. FRUIT Purple-black, fleshy drupe.

Jujube / Ziziphus jujuba

HEIGHT up to 33 ft (10 m)
TYPE Deciduous
OCCURRENCE S. Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia, China, S. United States

This tree has been cultivated in China for more than 4,000 years. It has a broad crown and drooping branches. The sweet fruit can be dried or candied. BARK Gray to dull black, rough. LEAF Alternate, smooth or slightly hairy on the veins below. FLOWER Yellowish green, small, in axillary cymes. FRUIT Purple-red, eggshaped, fleshy drupe.

Wild Service Tree / Sorbus torminalis

HEIGHT up to 80 ft (25 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE Europe, N. Africa, S.W. Asia

The wood, used in carpentry, of this broadly columnar tree is quite dense due to its slow-growing nature. BARK Dark brown, scaly. LEAF Alternate, deeply lobed at base. FLOWER White, in flattened clusters. FRUIT Small, brown, rounded pome.

Whitty Pear / Sorbus domestica

HEIGHT up to 65 ft (20 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE S. Europe, N. Africa, S.W. Asia

This broadly columnar tree, once grown for its fruit, is now becoming rare. BARK Dark brown, scaly. LEAF Alternate, pinnate; oblong to lanceolate leaflets, smooth above, hairy beneath. FLOWER White, in large clusters. FRUIT Yellowgreen pome.

European Mountain Ash / Sorbus aucuparia

HEIGHT up to 50 ft (15 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE N. Africa, W. Asia

The dried berries of this tree are used mainly in the food and beverage industries. BARK Gray, smooth. LEAF Alternate, pinnate, with 9–15 elliptic to lanceolate leaflets. FLOWER White, in flat clusters. FRUIT Orange-red pome.

Willow Pear / Pyrus salicifolia

HEIGHT up to 33 ft (10 m)
TYPE Deciduous
OCCURRENCE W. Asia

This spreading tree has slender, pendent shoots and willow-like leaves. It is considered one of the best cultivated ornamental pears. BARK Pale gray-brown. LEAF Alternate, lanceolate. FLOWER Large, white, on short shoots. FRUIT Yellowbrown pome, hairy; later smooth.

Chinese Pear / Pyrus pyrifolia

HEIGHT up to 40 ft (12 m)

TYPE Deciduous

OCCURRENCE C. and W. China

This tree was brought into cultivation in China 3,000 years ago. BARK Dark gray to purplish brown. LEAF Alternate, ovate to ovate-oblong, bristle-toothed margins. FLOWER White, borne in clusters of 6–9. FRUIT Brown to yellow, rounded pome.

River Redgum / Eucalyptus camaldulensis

HEIGHT up to 130 ft (40 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE Australia

This tree, with its broadly columnar or spreading crown, is widespread in its native range. Its timber is hard, durable, and termite-resistant. Its pollen and nectar make high-quality honey. BARK Smooth, mottled white, gray, brown, or red. LEAF Alternate, gray-green, quite thick, turning oval to lanceolate with age. FLOWER In axillary clusters of 7–11 creamy white flowers. FRUIT Semi-spherical capsule, 7⁄32– 5⁄16 in (7–8 mm) long, 3⁄16–1⁄4 in (5–6 mm) wide, yellow seeds.

Alpine Ash / Eucalyptus delegatensis

HEIGHT up to 260 ft (80 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE S.E. Australia, Tasmania

The alpine ash is a high-altitude, subalpine tree that can tolerate extreme environmental conditions. It is a fastgrowing timber tree and produces highquality wood. BARK Rough, fibrous below, main branches smooth and stringy. LEAF Alternate; adults narrowly lanceolate, stalked, curved with uneven base, dull green with reddish tint; juveniles gray-green and broader. FLOWER Creamy white, in numerous axillary umbels of 7–11. FRUIT Gobletshaped dry capsule, 3⁄8 in (1 cm) long, usually with four valves.