
As with so many other states, Pennsylvania is home to numerous types of trees and this is one of the reasons why it is such a beautiful state to travel through. Some of the most common trees include the white oak, black cherry, Eastern white pine, sugar maple, and the flowering dogwood, among others.
What trees are native to PA?
The pawpaw tree, asimina triloba, is native to much of the united states and parts of canada. Common stone fruit trees that grow well in pennsylvania are peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries. Starting Out With Fruit And Nut Trees What To Consider Gardening For Beginners Growing Fruit Growing Fruit Trees
What types of trees are in Pennsylvania?
Understory trees include:
- Flowering dogwood
- Pawpaw
- Umbrella-tree
- Redbud
- Witch-hazel
What are facts about pine trees?
Pine Tree Facts
- Common Name: Pine Tree
- Total Species: 120+
- Subgenera: Pinus (hard) and Strobus (soft)
- Genus: Pinus
- Subfamily: Pinoideae
- Family: Pinaceae
- Order: Pinales
Is a pine tree a living thing?
The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) is a species of pine tree. It is found in the American West, mostly in Utah, Nevada, and California. One of these trees has been measured to be 5,065 years old! That makes it the longest living non-clonal organism on Earth.

Are pine trees in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania Native Pine Trees. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.) Common names: Northern white pine, white pine, soft pine, northern pine...
What kind of pines grow in Pennsylvania?
The most common conifers in Pennsylvania are eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and white pine (Pinus strobus), but other species such as Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), pitch pine (Pinus rigida), black spruce (Picea mariana), and red spruce (Picea rubens) can be found in parts of the state.
Are there pine forests in Pennsylvania?
Cook Forest State Park's Cook Forest is a relic of the forest type that once covered northern Pennsylvania. The forest is predominately comprised of Eastern white pine along with Eastern hemlocks and mixed hardwood tree species.
What type of trees does Pennsylvania have?
Northern hardwoods cover about 32 percent of Pennsylvania, mostly in the high elevations of the north. Common trees include sugar maple, black cherry, aspen, birch, hemlock, and ash.
What is the most common tree in Pennsylvania?
Red mapleRed maple, also called "soft maple" or "swamp maple," is the most common tree species in Pennsylvania in terms of both the actual number of trees and the volume of wood available. This species grows over a wide range of conditions. It has simple, opposite leaves, with three and sometimes five pointed lobes.
Are there pine trees in the Poconos?
We have barrens in the Poconos, too, and pitch pine is once again a dominant member of this unusual forest. Instead of growing out of deep sand at sea level, however, these Pocono pitch pines live at an elevation of 2,000 feet and are rooted in a mixture of sedimentary rock, glacial till and sand.
What kind of forests does PA have?
Major Forest Types of PennsylvaniaNorthern hardwood forest.Oak-hickory forest.Great Lakes beech-maple forest.Mesophytic forest.
What forest type is Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's climate, rainfall and soil fertility support forest growth throughout most of the state with the exception of areas that are too wet or too rocky. The major forest types are northern hardwood forest, oak-hickory forest, Great Lakes beech-maple forest, and mixed mesophytic forest.
How long do pine trees live in Pennsylvania?
between 100 and 1000 yearsPines are evergreen and coniferous resinous trees that can grow up to 260 feet in height, although most pine trees can reach a height of about 150 feet or so. There are four types of leaves in the needle plant, one of them being the needles, and they are capable of living for anywhere between 100 and 1000 years.
What is Pennsylvania known for?
Pennsylvania has been one of the nation's most important industrial centers for coal, steel and railroads, especially before War World II. The state is also famous for its leading mushroom production, which reaches 425 million pounds annually with a value of more than $330 million.
How many types of trees are in Pennsylvania?
About 134 native and 62 introduced tree species grow across Pennsylvania. Its range of topography and climate—from coastal plain to mountain ridge-top and high plateau—allows the Commonwealth to support the many different kinds of trees that make our forests unique and special.
What are the white trees in Pennsylvania?
Some of Our Favorite Pennsylvania TreesWhite Birch. There are several types of birch trees found in the area, but the easiest to identify is the white birch because of its bright white bark. ... Dogwood. ... Eastern Hemlock. ... Maple. ... Elm. ... White Oak.
How tall do state trees grow in Pennsylvania?
With seasonal pruning it can be formed into an effective screen or hedge plant. If allowed to grow into tree form, it will reach heights of 50 to 60 feet with a spread of 25 to 30 feet, so don't plant it too close to your home. It is a pyramidal tree in all stages of development, with soft, graceful, and slightly pendulous branches that produce an open form. The leaves are straight, ¼ to ½ inch long, and extend from the sides of the stems. The foliage is dark green above with two white lines on the underside. The flowers are hard to see and the cones are small, about 1 inch long. Cones hang below the branches and can be viewed during the winter. This evergreen requires a moist, well-drained, acid soil that does not dry out in summer. It will also survive better in light shade than most other evergreen trees. Do not plant it in heavy clay soils or in windy locations. 'Pendula' is the only cultivar with landscape value. It is a slow-growing, weeping hemlock. Hardiness zone--4.
Which plants prefer acidic soil?
Rhododendrons, for example, will do better in acidic soil, while the Japanese yew, spruce, and firs prefer just slightly acidic soils. The physical condition of the soil is also important to most evergreens, especially the acid-loving broadleaf types.
What is an evergreen plant?
Evergreens are plants that retain live foliage from one season to the next. These plants form an important group of landscape plants for the homeowner. They supply color to the landscape when other trees and shrubs are bare in the winter months. Most garden or landscape designs can be improved with careful use of these plants along with a variety of deciduous plants (those that drop their leaves in the fall).
What is hardiness zone?
Hardiness refers to a plant's ability to withstand winter cold. Plants native to a particular area can tolerate the cold weather in that locality. Plants introduced from similar climates should be equally hardy. Plantsmen refer to the coldest area in which a plant will survive as its hardiness zone. The lower the hardiness-zone number assigned to a plant, the hardier the plant. Within limits, hardy plants can be moved into warmer zones but not colder ones. The hardiness zones within Pennsylvania are shown on the accompanying zone map. Zone numbers in the plant descriptions refer to those shown on this map.
Do evergreens need shade?
Most evergreen shrubs will withstand some degree of shade. Narrowleaf evergreen trees, however, will do better if they receive as much sunlight as possible. There are four types of shade for plants--full shade, open shade, half shade, and light shade.
What are the trees in Pennsylvania?
Most of Pennsylvania’s forest lands fall into two types: Mixed oak forests cover about 54 percent of the commonwealth -- mostly in the south -- and include trees such as northern red oak, chestnut oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, and tulip poplar.
Who Owns Penn’s Woods?
The forests of Pennsylvania provide benefits to society while having diverse ownership patterns:
How many native plants are there in Pennsylvania?
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, there are approximately 2,100 native plants in Pennsylvania. Additionally, 1,300 non-native species exist throughout the state.
What is the best tree for a sunny site?
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) — best for sunny sites, also adaptable to dry sites, can be tapped with a spile for home-made syrup. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) — best for shady sites, prefer acidic soil, produce red berries.
Is Central Pennsylvania native to Asia?
From Europe to Asia, many of the plant and tree species you see are non-native to the area.
What are pine trees?
Pines are resinous trees that are related to other types of conifers such as fir trees, cedars, and spruces. Different types of pine trees grow in many different environments that include cold regions in North America, rain forests, and hot sandy deserts.
How big do pine trees get?
These majestic pines grow to between 100 and 110 ft. (30 – 35 m) and they have wide trunks up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) in diameter. Dark green needles are about 8” (20 cm) long and grow in bundles of three.
What is the tallest pine tree?
The sugar pine is the tallest of the pine trees. Also called the sugar cone pine, this massive tree is the tallest species of pine in the world. Sugar pines also have the longest cones of any tree in the Pinaceae family. This pine species gets its common name from the sweet resin in the tree.
How tall is a lambertiana pine tree?
Being the tallest of the pine trees, the subgenus lambertiana grows up to 270 ft. (82 m). However, their average size is between 130 and 195 ft. (40 – 60 m). Slender pine needles grow in bundles of 5 and can measure up to 4.14” (14 cm) long. The long woody dark brown cones can grow up to 20” (50 cm) long.
How tall do white pine trees grow?
Pine tree identification. Eastern white pines are a tall species and grow to up to 230 ft. (70 m). Their cones are long and slender growing to 6” (16 cm). The eastern white pine has pine leaves made up of clusters of 5 pine needles.
What is the most popular Christmas tree in North America?
The eastern white pine is a popular type of Christmas tree. The eastern white pine is one of the most important pine species in North America. These are fast-growing trees and one of the tallest species of pines. The pine needles grow in small clusters and have a bluish-green appearance.
What type of pine has a bluish green bark?
Scots (Scotch) pines have bluish-green short needles. Scots (Scotch) pine trees are stunning evergreen conifers that have thick scaly brown bark, bluish-green needles, and small red to tan cones. Scots pines generally have a forked trunk that gives the medium-sized pine 2 flat masses of foliage.
Who is the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program?
The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program — sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service — provides private forestland owners with information and assistance to promote healthy and productive forests. For more information call (814) 863-0401 or 1-800-235-WISE (toll free) or write to: Forest Resources Extension; The Pennsylvania State University; 7 Ferguson Building; University Park, PA 16802.
What is the red oak tree?
The hard, strong wood is used for furniture, flooring, millwork, railroad ties and veneer. The “red oak group” includes all oaks with bristle-tipped leaves and acorns that ripen over two seasons.
What is the height of a birch tree?
General:Also known as Black birch or Cherry birch, this tree normally attains heights of 50’ to 60’ , and is found on a variety of sites from rich fertile lowlands to rocky ridges throughout the state. The heavy, hard, strong wood is used for furniture, boxes, and fuel-wood. Distillation of the bark and twigs produces an oil of wintergreen. Fermented sap can be used to make birch beer. Ruffed grouse feed on buds and seeds; deer and rabbits browse the twigs.
What is the importance of acorn trees?
This tree is very important to both wildlife and people. The acorn is an important food for animals. Eastern Native Americans made a flour from them. Commercial uses include flooring, whiskey barrels and boat building. The famous Revolutionary War frigate USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” was made of White oak. The “white oak group” includes all oaks without bristle-tipped lobes and acorns that ripen in one season.
How tall do beechnut trees grow?
General:found on moist, rich soils throughout its range; more abundant in the north. An important timber species typically reaching 50 – 60’ high but can grow taller. Beechnuts are a very important source of food for wildlife including bears, squirrels, and grouse; however, species produces good crops infrequently, every five to seven years. Beech is a handsome shade tree for large open areas in parks and golf courses.