Free Tree Guides
110+ species guides for Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic — native trees, invasives, oaks, maples, conifers, and the full Meet a Tree fall series.
20 tree identification guides published every other day, Sept 23 – Oct 31, 2026. One new tree every two days through Halloween.
Sep 23, 2026
Meet the Frasier Pine: A Mid-Atlantic Favorite
Sep 25, 2026
Meet the Acacia: September International Tree
Sep 27, 2026
Meet the Black Maple: The Sugar Maple\'s Overlooked Twin
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The Speckled Alder is one of the easiest trees to identify in winter — its white-speckled bark and persistent woody cones are unmistakable along Maryland\'s mountain streams and wetlands.
Identify devil's walking stick by its massive compound leaves, thorny trunk, and clusters of dark berries. Learn about this dramatic native tree in Maryland.
Identify star magnolia by its multi-petaled white flowers that bloom before the leaves in early spring. Learn how to grow this stunning ornamental in Maryland.
Identify Kousa dogwood by its star-shaped white bracts and raspberry-like fruit. Learn why this Asian dogwood outperforms native dogwood in Maryland landscapes.
Identify Bloodgood Japanese maple by its deep red-purple palmate leaves and upright form. Learn how to grow this iconic ornamental tree in Maryland landscapes.
Identify deodar cedar by its graceful weeping branches and blue-green needles. Learn how to grow this majestic Himalayan conifer in Maryland landscapes.
Identify smoke tree by its billowy, smoke-like flower plumes and colorful foliage. Learn how to grow Cotinus coggygria and its American cousin in Maryland.
Identify laceleaf Japanese maple by its deeply dissected, feathery leaves and weeping form. Learn how to grow and care for this elegant ornamental in Maryland.
Identify chocolate mimosa by its deep burgundy-chocolate foliage and pink powder-puff flowers. Learn how to grow this stunning ornamental in Maryland landscapes.
Identify Norfolk Island pine by its perfectly symmetrical tiers of horizontal branches. Learn how to grow this tropical conifer indoors and outdoors in Maryland.
Identify sawtooth oak by its bristle-tipped serrated leaves and fringed acorn caps. Learn why this fast-growing oak is popular for wildlife plantings in Maryland.
Learn to identify eastern red cedar and common juniper species in Maryland. Discover their blue berries, scale-like foliage, and vital role in local ecosystems.
Identify bear oak by its small stature, lobed leaves, and tiny acorns. Learn why this overlooked native shrub-tree is vital to Maryland coastal plain ecosystems.
Identify golden chain tree by its cascading yellow flower clusters and clover-like leaves. Learn how to grow this stunning ornamental safely in Maryland landscapes.
Identify pitch pine by its twisted form, thick scaly bark, and persistent cones. Learn why this fire-adapted native thrives in sandy Mid-Atlantic soils.
Learn to identify bald cypress by its feathery needles, flared trunk, and iconic knees. Discover why this ancient tree thrives in Maryland wetlands and beyond.
The right flowering tree in the right spot can completely transform the front of your home — adding color, structure, and seasonal drama that no shrub or perennial can match. Here is a guide to the best flowering trees for Maryland landscapes and how to use them well.
From the blazing scarlet of a Red Maple in October to the delicate lace of a Japanese Maple in a garden bed, maple trees are among the most beautiful and diverse trees you can grow. Here is a deep look at the varieties that thrive in Maryland and what makes each one unique.
Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region are home to more than a dozen native oak species, from the towering White Oak to the fast-growing Pin Oak. This guide covers the most common oaks you'll find in Anne Arundel County and across the region — how to identify them, what makes each one unique, and why oaks matter so much to the Maryland landscape.
The Apricot is a small deciduous tree originally introduced from China, now naturalized along roadsides and disturbed sites from Pennsylvania to Kansas. Recognized by its broadly ovate leaves, pink flower buds, and hairy orange-yellow fruit, it is one of the world's most commercially important stone fruit trees — with Turkey leading global production.
The Bald Cypress is a large, conical deciduous tree native to swamps and river plains of the Mid to South Eastern United States. Despite looking like an evergreen most of the year, it drops its needles each fall — a trait that surprises many homeowners.
The Black Walnut is a large native deciduous tree reaching 100–130+ feet, prized for its nuts and lumber — but notorious among gardeners for producing juglone, a chemical toxic to many plants and harmful to horses. A common and important tree throughout Maryland and the eastern United States.
The Burning Bush is one of the most recognizable shrubs in the fall landscape, turning a vivid crimson-red that appears almost aflame. Introduced from Asia, it is widely planted across the eastern United States — though considered invasive in some southeastern states.
The Catawba Rosebay is a native evergreen shrub or small tree of the Appalachian mountain slopes, recognized by its large pink bell-shaped flowers and dark lustrous evergreen leaves with rounded bases. A beloved ornamental and important native plant of the eastern highlands.
The Common Apple — also called Paradise Apple or Malus domestica — is a small deciduous tree in the Rose family and the apple of commerce. With fragrant pink-tinged flowers, deep green leaves, and familiar red fruit, it is one of the most widely cultivated fruit trees in the world.
The Edible Fig is a deciduous large shrub or small tree introduced from Asia and naturalized in parts of the southeastern United States. The only fig in the U.S. with lobed or palmate leaves, it holds the distinction of being one of the first plants ever cultivated by humans — with fossil evidence dating back to 9400–9200 BC.
Eugenia, commonly known as Stoppers, is a tropical genus of roughly 1,000 species worldwide. Only five are found in North America — all in the far southeastern United States — ranging from common hammock trees to rare endangered species.
The Juneberry — also called the Saskatoon Serviceberry in Canada — is a very hardy native shrub prized for its nutritious blueberry-like fruit, exceptional wildlife value, and versatility in the landscape. Virtually unknown commercially in the United States, it is grown on nearly 900 farms across Canada.
The Lilac Chastetree is a strongly aromatic deciduous shrub or small tree introduced from Eurasia and naturalized across the South and mid-Atlantic United States. It is best known for its showy lavender flower spikes in summer and distinctive palmately compound leaves.
The Lombardy Poplar is a fast-growing, narrowly columnar tree found in every U.S. state and throughout southern Canada. Popular for quick privacy screens, it comes with significant trade-offs — invasive roots, a short 15-year lifespan, and serious pest and disease problems in many regions including Maryland.
The Mahaleb Cherry is the only cherry found in eastern North America with primarily rounded or circular leaves. A small deciduous tree introduced from Eurasia, it has naturalized along roadsides and fields from Massachusetts south through North Carolina and Oklahoma.
The American Persimmon is a small to medium deciduous tree found along roadsides, old fields, and forest clearings throughout the eastern United States. Famous for its orange-to-purple fruit — extraordinarily astringent when unripe, sweet and rich when fully ripe — it is also one of the most nutritious native fruits in North America.
The Pin Cherry is one of the most easily identified cherries, recognized by its distinctive red twigs and long tapering lanceolate leaves. A fast-growing native tree of North America, it provides critical wildlife food, controls soil erosion, and offers a surprising range of edible and medicinal uses — despite a short lifespan of only 20–40 years.
The Sugar Apple is an evergreen or semi-deciduous shrub or small tree introduced from the American tropics, now fully naturalized in the Florida Keys. Recognized by its contorted branches, drooping limb tips, and distinctive knobby aggregate fruit, it is closely related to the Pond Apple and valued for its sweet edible pulp.
The Tamarind is a large evergreen or semi-deciduous tree introduced from tropical Africa and India, recognized by its pinnate leaves, blackened trunk areas, zig-zag limbs, and variable fruit. It has escaped cultivation and established itself in southern Florida.
The Tangerine — also known as the Satsuma or Mandarin Orange — is a small evergreen citrus tree native to China and widely cultivated in Florida. Recognized by its dense crown, white spring flowers, and easy-peel orange fruit, it is one of the most popular citrus trees in cultivation worldwide.
The Turkey Oak is a small, narrow-crowned deciduous tree native to the sandy ridges of the southeastern U.S., named for its distinctive tri-lobed leaves that resemble a turkey's footprint.
The Fraser Magnolia is a deciduous native tree of the Southern Appalachians, recognized by its gray bark, large eared leaves, and fragrant creamy-white flowers up to 22 cm across. A striking specimen for large landscapes in zones 5–8.
The Sweetgum is a tall deciduous native tree of the eastern United States, instantly recognizable by its star-shaped palmately lobed leaves and notorious spiky fruiting balls. A striking landscape specimen recommended for hardiness zones 5–9.
The Gray Birch is a native deciduous tree of the northeastern United States recognized by its triangular leaves, chalky white bark, and graceful multi-trunk leaning form. A pioneer species of abandoned fields and burned forests, it makes a beautiful focal point in residential and commercial landscapes.
The Butternut — also called White Walnut — is a native deciduous tree recognized by its long pinnate leaves and sticky 4-sided fruit husk. Prized for edible nuts, medicinal bark, and tappable sap, it faces serious threat from Butternut Canker disease across its native range.
The Sugar Maple — also called Hard Maple or Rock Maple — is a slow-growing, long-lived native tree celebrated for its brilliant fall color, large stature, and the maple syrup produced from its sap. It is the official state tree of New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Alders are a small group of fast-growing trees in the Birch family, remarkable for their nitrogen-fixing root nodules that allow them to thrive in poor soils and enrich the land for other species. With cone-like fruit, durable wood, and rich mythology, they are among nature''s most useful pioneer trees.
Cryptomeria — also called Sugi or Japanese Cedar — is a monoecious evergreen native to China and Japan, prized for its slender pyramidal form and unique in-curved needles. Japan''s national tree, it can live over 1,700 years and is commonly planted at temples and shrines.
The Peach tree is a small deciduous tree introduced from China and now established across the eastern United States. Recognized by its long narrow leaves, dark pink spring flowers, and iconic fragrant fruit, it carries rich cultural symbolism alongside its commercial importance.
The Rubber Tree — also called Para Rubber Tree or Sharinga Tree — is the primary source of natural rubber, producing a milky latex from vessels in its bark. Native to the Amazon Rainforest, its cultivation has shaped global industry for over 3,600 years.
Sassafras is a native eastern US tree famous for its unique three-leaf shapes, unmistakable scent, and rich history — from Native American medicine to root beer flavoring. Its brilliant fall color and ornamental blue fruit make it one of the most distinctive trees in the woods.
The Glossy Buckthorn is a European shrub introduced about 200 years ago that has become invasive in wetlands across North America. Recognized by its lustrous leaves, horizontal-lenticeled bark, and clusters of red-to-black drupes, it is not recommended for planting.
The American Basswood is a large native deciduous tree recognized by its heart-shaped asymmetric leaves and distinctive leafy bract beneath the flowers. Widespread from New Brunswick to Florida, it is prized for its fragrant flowers and soft, workable wood.
The Sparkleberry is a native evergreen shrub or small tree recognized by its reddish peeling bark, bell-shaped white flowers, and lustrous dark green leaves. Widespread on the East Coast from Ontario to Florida, it thrives in dry sandy woodlands and thickets.
The Sour Orange is a small evergreen citrus tree naturalized in Florida, Georgia, and Texas. Too sour to eat fresh, its fruit is prized for making marmalade and is exported worldwide. Learn about this fragrant subtropical tree.
West Indian Mahogany is a semi-evergreen tropical hardwood native to subtropical Florida hammocks, prized for its beautiful wood and distinctive large seed capsules. Learn about this rare native and its place in South Florida landscapes.
The Corkscrew Willow — also called Dragon''s Claw Willow — is a fast-growing deciduous tree with dramatically twisted, curling branches that provide year-round visual interest. Learn about its care, uses, and why it''s a favorite for floral arrangements.
The Texas Red Oak — also called Nuttall Oak — is a large, commercially important floodplain oak of the Mississippi River basin. Its strength, adaptability to poor soils, and attractive form are making it an increasingly popular shade tree.
Golden Dewdrops is a tropical evergreen shrub with brilliant sky-blue flowers and bright yellow berries, native to the West Indies and naturalized in South Florida and Texas. Learn about this striking ornamental and its place in the Vervain family.
The Japanese Pagoda Tree is a graceful deciduous tree introduced from Asia, now naturalized in the eastern US. Its distinctive necklace-like seed pods, white summer flowers, and broad crown make it a popular ornamental and street tree.
The Cherrybark Oak is one of the largest and fastest-growing of all southern oaks, named for its distinctive bark that resembles Black Cherry. Learn its identification features and why it thrives in bottomland floodplain forests.
The Ohio Buckeye is the most widespread Buckeye in North America and the inspiration for Ohio State''s famous nickname. Learn about its distinctive compound leaves, spiny fruit husks, and why carrying a Buckeye nut is said to bring good luck.
The Araucaria genus includes 19 species of tall, dramatic evergreens from the Southern Hemisphere. Four species — including the Norfolk Island Pine and Monkey Puzzle — are planted as ornamentals in the warmer parts of the United States.
The Black Oak is a large native oak found in every East Coast state, known for its shiny green leaves, deeply furrowed nearly-black bark, and distinctive yellow-orange inner bark. Learn its identification features and wildlife value.
The China Fir is a fast-growing, pest-resistant evergreen from Southeast Asia prized for its sharp-pointed needles, ornamental value, and versatile timber. Learn about its uses from perfume production to ship building.
The White Mulberry has been cultivated in China for over 4,000 years as food for silkworms. Now naturalized across North America, it is both a valuable wildlife tree and a potential invasive threat to the native Red Mulberry.
The American Plum is a native deciduous tree with flaking scaly bark, sharply toothed leaves, and edible red or yellow fruit. With over 260 cultivated varieties developed from this species, it is one of the most important native fruit trees in North America.
The Shumard Oak is among the largest Red Oaks in the southeastern United States, reaching 120 feet in ideal conditions. Fast-growing and tolerant of harsh conditions, it is a popular landscape tree for medians, parking lots, and large lawns.
The Purpleosier Willow is a European shrubby willow now naturalized throughout eastern US wetlands. Its flexible stems, bluish-white leaf undersides, and early spring catkins make it a distinctive wetland species with practical uses.
Ruby Falls Weeping Redbud is a dwarf cascading variety of the native Redbud — only 6–8 feet tall with lavender blooms, heart-shaped leaves, and stunning year-round interest. Learn why it''s one of the best small trees for Maryland landscapes.
The Chickasaw Plum is a small native deciduous tree that forms dense thickets prized by wildlife and livestock alike. Its edible red or yellow fruit can be used for wine, jams, and jellies — and its thorny thickets provide critical nesting habitat.
The Sourwood is the only species in its genus and produces honey considered by many to be the finest in the world. With stunning fall color and graceful white summer flowers, it is one of the most beautiful native ornamental trees.
The Scarlet Oak is prized for its deeply cut leaves, rapid growth, and spectacular scarlet-red fall foliage. The official tree of Washington D.C., it is a top choice for parks, roadsides, and residential landscapes across the eastern US.
The Dotted Hawthorn is one of the most common hawthorns in the northeastern United States, forming large colonies with thorny branches, white flowers, and distinctive spotted pomes. Learn its identification features and range.
Oakleaf Holly is a versatile, naturally pyramidal evergreen shrub with oak-shaped leaves and year-round interest. Learn why it makes an excellent hedge, privacy screen, or landscape anchor — and how to care for it.
Elderberries are native North American shrubs and small trees with edible berries used for wine, jams, syrups, and medicine. Learn about the American and Red Elderberry species, their habitat, and their remarkable wildlife value.
Oysterwood is the only tree native to Florida with an eared leaf base, found exclusively in the Florida Keys and southern Florida hammocks. Learn about this rare tropical native and its place in North American botany.
The Swamp Chestnut Oak is a large White Oak group member that thrives in periodically flooded bottomlands. Its sweet acorns, versatile lumber, and leathery diamond-shaped leaves make it a distinctive and valuable native tree.
Corkwood is the lightest wood of all native eastern North American trees — lighter even than balsa — and the sole surviving species of its family. Learn about this rare, near-threatened tree found only in scattered swamps of the southeastern US.
The Chinkapin Oak is a medium-to-large deciduous oak named for its resemblance to the Allegheny Chinquapin. Prized for its hard, durable wood and adaptability to limestone soils, it is an excellent landscape and wildlife tree.
The Swamp Tupelo — also called Swamp Blackgum — is a wetland tree prized by beekeepers for producing highly sought-after Tupelo Honey. Learn about its distinctive bark, lustrous leaves, and range from Maryland to Texas.
The Blackjack Oak is a small, rugged member of the Red Oak family known for its distinctive triangular leaves and ability to thrive in poor, dry, sandy soils where other oaks struggle. Learn its identification features and uses.
The Strawberry Tree is a small Mediterranean evergreen with distinctive rough red berries, white bell-shaped flowers, and glossy dark green leaves. Learn about its fruit, uses, and why it thrives in California''s climate.
The American Smoketree is a rare native ornamental prized for its dramatic plumed flowers that look like puffs of smoke and its stunning dark red fall foliage. Learn where it grows and why it deserves a spot in your landscape.
Blue Ash is a midwestern native ash tree with remarkable resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer — surviving at rates of 60–70% where other ash species have near-zero survival. Learn its identification features and historical uses.
The Pondcypress is a massive, long-lived deciduous conifer that thrives in swamps and shallow ponds. Learn about its iconic "knees," lime-green needles, and why it is often mistaken for a dead evergreen in winter.
The Winged Elm is a small southern deciduous tree easily identified by the distinctive corky, wing-like ridges on its branches. Learn about its range, bark, leaves, and why it has never been affected by Dutch Elm Disease.
The Carolina Hemlock is a lesser-known but attractive native conifer of the southern Appalachians. Learn how it differs from the Eastern Hemlock and why it thrives in nutrient-poor mountain soils.
The Eastern White Pine is the tallest tree in eastern North America, capable of exceeding 150 feet. Learn about its five-needle bundles, wide range, and why only 1% of original old-growth forests remain today.
Red Spruce is a long-lived Appalachian conifer whose resilient, straight-grained wood is used for everything from construction lumber to fine stringed musical instruments. Learn its identification features and native range.
Arborvitae — Latin for "tree of life" — is one of the most popular landscape trees in North America. Learn about its history, 120+ cultivars, and why it remains a top choice for hedges and privacy screens in Maryland.
Atlantic White Cedar is a native evergreen of Atlantic and Gulf coastal swamps, prized for its decay-resistant wood and over 30 ornamental cultivars. Learn about its identification, habitat, and landscape uses.
Whitebeams are elegant Old World trees native to Eurasia, prized for their silver-backed leaves, white flowers, and colorful berries. Explore the many varieties from Common Whitebeam to the Himalayan and Finnish types.
The Slash Pine is a fast-growing, straight-trunked southern pine prized for timber production and natural resistance to pine beetles. Learn about its needles, cones, and native range along the Gulf Coast.
The Maple Leaf Oak is one of the rarest trees in North America, found only in a few counties in Arkansas. Learn about its unique maple-shaped leaves, acorns, and why it makes a stunning specimen tree.
Discover the Paw Paw — a small native deciduous tree with tropical-flavored fruit, unique ecology, and fascinating wildlife connections found across the eastern United States.
The Frasier Pine is more than a Christmas tree staple — it is a native Appalachian conifer with distinctive two-toned needles, compact form, and remarkable fragrance worth knowing year-round.
The Acacia is one of the most iconic trees on Earth — from African savannas to North American deserts. This month we take our first international detour in the Meet a Tree series.
The Black Maple is so similar to the Sugar Maple that many field guides treat them as one species — but once you know what to look for, the differences are clear and fascinating.
The Sugar Maple is the undisputed king of fall color in the Mid-Atlantic — and the source of every bottle of real maple syrup. Here is the complete identification guide, including how to tell it from the Black Maple and Norway Maple.
The Tree of Heaven sounds beautiful — but Ailanthus altissima is one of the most destructive invasive species in Maryland. Here is how to identify it and what to do about it.
Alders are among the most ecologically important trees in Maryland\'s wetlands and stream corridors — nitrogen fixers, wildlife habitat, and stream bank stabilizers that most people walk right past.
Maryland is home to both American Holly and Chinese Holly — and while they look similar at a glance, they are very different trees with different care needs, wildlife value, and landscape roles.
The River Birch is unmistakable — peeling cinnamon bark, flood tolerance, and year-round beauty make it one of the best native trees for Maryland homeowners. Here is how to identify it and tell it from its look-alikes.
The Anise Tree is one of the most underappreciated native plants in the Mid-Atlantic — a fragrant, shade-tolerant evergreen shrub with a fascinating ecology and a scent unlike anything else in the forest.
The Crab Apple earns its place in the landscape twice — once with a spectacular spring bloom and again in fall when tiny fruit turns red, orange, and gold. Here is how to identify it and choose the best wildlife-friendly varieties.
The Seven-Year Apple is one of the most obscure native plants in the eastern United States — a slow-growing coastal shrub with edible fruit and a fascinating ecology that most people have never heard of.
Arborvitae is everywhere in Maryland landscapes — but most homeowners do not know how to care for it, identify problems early, or choose the right variety. Here is the complete guide.
The Yellow Beech is one of Maryland\'s most beautiful fall trees — its golden foliage and smooth gray bark make it unmistakable in the forest. Here is how to identify it and tell it from the American Beech.
The American Beech is one of Maryland\'s most iconic forest trees — smooth silver bark, golden fall color, and beechnuts that feed the entire forest. But it is now facing a serious new threat.
Dutch Elm Disease devastated American elm populations in the 20th century — but the Dutch Elm itself is a fascinating tree with a complex history. Here is what you need to know about identification, the disease, and survivors.
The American Elm was nearly wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease in the 20th century. Now, disease-resistant varieties are bringing it back to American streets and landscapes — and it is one of the most inspiring stories in urban forestry.
The Chinese Elm is one of the most beautiful and adaptable landscape trees available — its exfoliating, multi-colored bark is stunning year-round. Here is how to identify it and tell it from other elms.
The Aralia — also known as the Japanese Angelica Tree — is our October international tree spotlight. With its dramatic tropical appearance, thorny trunk, and global range, it is one of the most striking trees in the world.
The Boxwood is one of the most widely planted shrubs in Maryland — but it is also one of the most commonly stressed and diseased. Here is the complete identification and care guide for the final post in our fall series.
Identifying a tree is the first step. If you see signs of disease, storm damage, or a hazardous lean, our certified arborists are available 24/7.
