Coco Plum / Chrysobalanus icaco

HEIGHT up to 20 ft (6 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE US (S. Florida) to N. South America, Africa

Usually shrubby, the coco plum grows in tropical coastal areas and is useful for stabilizing dunes and soil. BARK Graybrown, with lenticels. LEAF Alternate, leathery, shiny dark green above, paler beneath, short-stalked. FLOWER Several, in cymes at ends of branches, with 4–5 white petals. FRUIT White to purple, plumlike drupe, with spongy, whitish, edible flesh.

Princess Flower / Tibouchina urvilleana

HEIGHT up to 16 ft (5 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE Brazil

Widely cultivated in warm regions for its showy flowers that bloom for most of the year and its velvety foliage, this tree is a popular ornamental. BARK Pale brown, thin. LEAF Opposite, lanceolate-ovate, dark green, often with red edges, and 3–5 prominent veins. FLOWER Purple blossoms, 5 in (12.5 cm) wide, with hooked stamens, held in terminal panicles above foliage. FRUIT Dry, hard brown capsule.

Malaysian Apple / Syzygium malaccense

HEIGHT up to 60 ft (18 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE S.E. Asia, Pacific Islands

This tropical tree is grown for its edible fruit, yielding more than 200 lb (100 kg) per tree. BARK Gray, smooth, and mottled. LEAF Opposite, leathery, dark green, soft. FLOWER Fragrant, in clusters of 2–8, with a funnel-like base, topped by five thick green sepals and four (usually pink to dark-red) petals; many stamens. FRUIT Pearshaped, deep red, white, or pink berry.

Jambolan / Syzygium cumini

HEIGHT up to 100 ft (30 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE Indonesia, India

The jambolan is a tropical and subtropical tree. Juice is extracted from its fruit, which is eaten both raw and cooked. In the Philippines and Suriname, it is used to make vinegar and liquor. All parts of the tree are used in traditional medicine. BARK Gray, smooth; the base is rough and flaking. LEAF Opposite, oblong; pink when young, dark green when mature. FLOWER Rose pink to white, in branched, fragrant clusters at stem tips; 4–5 fused petals, many stamens. FRUIT Purple-black, oval berry, up to 2 in (5 cm) long, whitish, juicy pulp with one seed.

Durian / Durio zibethinus

HEIGHT 100–130 ft (30–40 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE Sumatra, Borneo, cultivated elsewhere in S.E. Asia

The durian is famous—or notorious — for its fruits: though a delicacy, they are banned in hotels and on public transit because of their overpowering smell. BARK Gray to reddish brown, flaking irregularly. LEAF Alternate, smooth above, covered with hairs and silvery scales beneath. FLOWER In axillary clusters, with five yellowish white petals and five pale golden sepals. FRUIT Green to yellow, spherical capsule; seeds covered with creamy sweet flesh.

Tallowwood / Eucalyptus microcorys

HEIGHT up to 180 ft (55 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE Australia (New South Wales, Queensland)

The tallowwood’s low-branching habit and dense, spreading crown make it an effective windbreak. It is found in wet forests or rainforest margins, usually on slopes. This tall tree has strong, durable timber that takes a good polish. It is also used as an ornamental, for hedging, and as a shade tree. Koalas depend on it for food and shelter. BARK Soft, flaky, fibrous, brown to yellow-brown, with surface pores. LEAF Alternate, lanceolate, glossy dark green, stalked. FLOWER Small, creamy white, arranged in umbels in groups of five; hermaphroditic (has both male and female organs), pollinated by bees. FRUIT Narrow, funnel-shaped capsule.

Snowgum / Eucalyptus pauciflora

HEIGHT up to 100 ft (30 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE S.E. Australia

Long-lived and slow-growing, this tree has a crooked trunk and twisted branches. BARK Smooth, green, gray, or cream, sheds in ribbons. LEAF Adults: thick, glossy and waxy, linear-lanceolate; juveniles: more oval, dull gray-green. FLOWER White, scented, borne in clusters of 11 or more in leaf axils. FRUIT Semi-spherical or conical capsule.

Blackbutt / Eucalyptus pilularis

HEIGHT up to 230 ft (70 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE New South Wales and Queensland (coastal plains)

This important commercial tree grows well in coppices, provides good fuel, and is also a source of food for the koala, insects, and other animals. BARK Rough, fibrous, shedding in strips. LEAF Dark green, narrowly lanceolate, curved. FLOWER White, small, in axillary clusters of 7–15. FRUIT Woody capsule.

Kamarere

HEIGHT up to 225 ft (67 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE Papua New Guinea

Also known as the rainbow gum, the kamarere tree is notable for its beautiful multicolored bark. Its timber is used for pulp. BARK Shades of green, brown, and gray, prickly, peeling. LEAF Lanceolate, untoothed, darker green above, paler green beneath. FLOWER Creamy white, in numerous axillary umbels of 7–11. FRUIT Round, dry capsule.

Saxaul / Haloxylon persicum

HEIGHT up to 22 ft (7 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE W. Asia (Russia to Iran to China)

Found in the desert, the saxaul has a large root system that helps to stabilize sand. Its heavy, durable wood is used in carpentry and is highly valued as fuel. BARK Gray-white. LEAF Triangular, scalelike, pressed to stem, with straw-colored cusp at tip. FLOWER Pale yellow, solitary, 5⁄32–7⁄32 in (4–7 mm) long; males and females on the same plant, in scalelike bracts on dwarf side spurs of previous year’s branches. FRUIT Round, winged nut, 1⁄8 in (2.5 mm) wide.

Papala / Charpentiera densiflora

HEIGHT up to 40 ft (12 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE Hawaii (Kauri)

Moist forests located in valleys and gulches are the native habitat of this tree. It is an endangered species; fewer than 400 mature trees exist. BARK Smooth, grayish brown. LEAF Elliptic to oval, leathery, 5–16 in (13–40 cm) long. FLOWER Numerous, borne in panicles 9–19 in (22–48 cm) long. FRUIT Not described.

Long Jack

HEIGHT up to 16 ft (5 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE South America

This tree dominates forests in Surinam and old plantations in east Guyana. It is fairly invasive. BARK Pale gray. LEAF Dark green and glossy, 4–9 in (10–22 cm) long, 11⁄2–21⁄4 in (4–6 cm) wide, pointed at the tip, with a prominent midvein, many pairs of side veins, and untoothed margin. FLOWER Males and females borne on separate spikes, each 21⁄4–4 in (6–10 cm) long. Males: tiny, cream; females: with three enlarged red-purple sepals that are about 11⁄4 in (3 cm) long and 3⁄16 in (5 mm) wide. FRUIT Dry nut, 3⁄8 in (1 cm) long.

Loquat / Eriobotrya japonica

HEIGHT up to 20 ft (6 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE China, Japan, India, Australia, South America, California, Mediterranean, South Africa

In the unusual flowering cycle of this tree, the flowers bloom with the onset of winter and the edible fruit ripens by spring. It has a dense, rounded, glossy dark green canopy. BARK Dark gray, smooth, and flaking. LEAF Alternate, smooth above, hairy beneath, toothed margins. FLOWER Large, white, fragrant, in terminal racemes. FRUIT Pearshaped to oval pome.

Tamarind / Tamarindus indica

HEIGHT up to 80 ft (25 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE E. Africa, India, widely cultivated in other tropical countries

This tree has a short trunk, drooping branches, and a rounded crown. The edible sweet and sour pulp in its pods is an important ingredient in many chutneys and sauces. BARK White-gray, rough, with irregular scales. LEAF Alternate, pinnate, without a terminal leaflet; 10–20 pairs of ellipticoblong, usually smooth leaflets. FLOWER Red in bud opening yellow to cream, in racemes at the sides and ends of shoots. FRUIT Pod, with a dry outer shell, pulpy inside.

Atlas Cedar / Cedrus atlantica

HEIGHT up to 200 ft (60 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE North Africa

The Atlas cedar has a stout trunk and its branches are angled upward. The blue form, Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’, has bluewhite needles and is planted as an ornamental in parks. BARK Silver-gray, becoming grooved with age. LEAF Green or blue-green needles, 3⁄8–11⁄4 in (1–3 cm) long, arranged in tufts. FLOWER Males: pinkish; females: bright green. FRUIT Egg-shaped cones, 2–31⁄4 in (5–8 cm) long, with hollowed tips.

Noble Fir / Abies procera

HEIGHT up to 165 ft (50 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE W. North America

Tolerant of wind, snow, and poor soil, this tree has light but strong timber, which is used for interiors. BARK Silvergray, smooth, cracking on older trees. LEAF Flat needles with rounded tips, bluegreen on both sides. FLOWER Males: deep red, beneath shoot; females: yellow, above shoot. FRUIT Erect, barrel-shaped cone, 43⁄4–10 in (12–25 cm) long.

Nordmann Fir / Abies nordmanniana

HEIGHT up to 150 ft (46 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE N.E. Turkey, W. Caucasus

This popular Christmas tree, also known as the Caucasian fir, has thick foliage and a conical shape. BARK Gray, smooth, but developing fissures with age. LEAF Flat, notched needles, shiny dark green above, two silver lines beneath. FLOWER In separate clusters. Males: red; females: yellow-green. FRUIT Erect, greenish brown cone.

Korean Fir / Abies koreana

HEIGHT 30–60 ft (9–18 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE Korea

This fir is shrubby or broadly pyramidal. BARK Purple-gray, smooth, with resin blisters, furrowed in plates. LEAF Narrow, notched needles, in dense spirals, 1⁄2–2 in (1.5–5 cm) long, green above, underside keeled with blue-green lines. FLOWER Males: broad, oval, red to yellow or green, tinted with violet-brown; females: rounded, blue-gray. FRUIT Cone, ripens to dark violet; red-brown bracts.

Grand Fir / Abies grandis

HEIGHT up to 240 ft (75 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE W. North America

Also called the white fir, this tree thrives in moist areas. BARK Gray-green, smooth with resin blisters. LEAF Flat needles, on either side of shoot, 3⁄4–21⁄4 in (2–6 cm) long, dark green above with two silver bands below. FLOWER Males: small and purple, beneath shoots; females: green. FRUIT Erect, resinous, cylindrical brown cone, 2–43⁄4 in (5–12 cm) long.

Silver Fir / Abies alba

HEIGHT up to 150 ft (46 m)

TYPE Evergreen

OCCURRENCE C. Europe

The branches at the top of this tree often divide, giving it a “stork’s nest” appearance. Its resin is a constituent of turpentine. BARK Gray, smooth, cracking with age. LEAF Flat needles, dark green above with two silver bands below. FLOWER Males: yellow, grouped on undersides of shoots; females: green. FRUIT Erect, cylindrical brown cone.