Tree List

Blackjack Oak

Blackjack oak

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Quercus marilandica
Local Names: Jack Oak, Scrub Oak, Ridge Oak
Uses: Of little value, fuel, charcoal, perhaps paper

Tree is from 15-45 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter. Leaves are 4-10 inches long, leathery and pear shaped with 3 lobes. Bark is thick, black and nearly in squares. ½ to ¾ inch yellow-brown acorn.

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Loblolly Pine

Loblolly Pine

Family: Pinaceae
Scientific Name: Pinus taeda
Local Names: Yellow Pine, Southern Yellow Pine, Arkansas Soft Pine
Uses: General construction, posts, poles, pulp, flooring, paper, boxes, crates, fuel

Tree reaches 130 feet or more and live 300 years. Leaves are 5-9 inches and slightly twisted in clusters of 3 or sometimes 2. Cones are 3-6 inches.

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Shortleaf Pine

Shortleaf Pine

Family: Pinaceae
Scientific Name: Pinus echinata
Local Names: Yellow Pine, Southern Yellow Pine, Arkansas Soft Pine
Uses: General construction, crates, doors, pulp, paper

Tree may reach height of 120 feet and live 250 years. Leaves are 3-5 inches long in clusters of 2 and sometimes 3. Cones are about 2 inches long.

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Post Oak

Post Oak

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Quercus stellata
Local Names: Post Oak
Uses: Crossties, fence posts, furniture, fuel, shade

Tree may reach 50-80 feet tall. Leaves 4-5 inches long with large lobes. Fruit is small acorn.

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Southern Red Oak

Southern Red Oak

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Quercus falcate
Local Names: Spanish Oak, Finger Oak, Red Oak
Uses: Flooring, furniture, construction, doors, panels, veneer, cooperage, crossties, caskets, fuel

Tree grows to 70-80 feet with a diameter of 3 feet or more. Bark is rough and light gray in younger trees to almost black in older trees. Leaves vary greatly in size and shape with bristled tips. Round acorns ½ inch long.

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Black Hickory

Black Hickory

Family: Juglandaceae
Scientific Name: Carya texana
Local Names: Arkansas Black Hickory
Uses: Fuel

Tree grows slowly and usually crooked and limby up to 70 feet tall. Bark is dark gray and irregularly fissured. Leaves are compound, 8-12 inches long with 5-7 leaflets. Fruit is pear shaped with a thick hull.

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Mockernut Hickory

Mockernut Hickory

Family: Juglandaceae
Scientific Name: Carya tomentosa
Local Names: White Hickory, White Heart Hickory, Big Bud, Red Hickory, Bull Nut
Uses: Tool handles, sporting goods, ladders, furniture, wagon stock

Tree may reach 130 feet tall and 3 feet diameter. Leaves are compound, 8-15 inches long with 7-9 leaflets. Bark is dark gray, deeply furrowed with netted appearance. Fruit is oval, often slightly pear shaped with a very thick, strong scented husk.

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White Oak

White Oak

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Quercus alba
Local Names: White Oak
Uses: Construction, shipbuilding, cooperage, furniture, wagons, flooring, crossties, handles, fuel

Tree may reach 100 feet tall with a diameter of 3 feet. Bark is light ashy gray. Leaves 5-9 inches with deeply divide lobes. Fruit is a ¾ to 1 inch cylindrical acorn.

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Blackgum

Blackgum

Family: Cornaceae
Scientific Name: Nyssa sylvatica
Local Names: Black Tupelo, Sour and Tupelo Gum, Gum Tree, Pepperidge Gum
Uses: Crate and basket veneers, pulpwood, fuel, furniture, ornamental, substantial part of honey crop in southern ½ of the state

Tree may reach 100 feet tall with a diameter of 5 feet or more with short, horizontal branches. Bark is thick and light grey on younger trees and quadrangle nearly black on older trees. Leaves are alternate, oval and somewhat pointed. Fruits are a dark blue, fleshy berry in clusters of 2 or 3 on 2 inch stems containing a single hard shelled seed.

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American Elm

American Elm

Family: Ulmaceae
Scientific Name: Ulmus americana
Local Names: White elm
Uses: Construction, hubs for wheels, saddle trees, barrel hoops, loose cooperage, veneer for baskets and crates, ornamental

Tree can reach 100 feet tall with a tall and spreading crown. Bark is ashy or dark gray with thick, irregular flat topped ridges. Leaves are 3-6 inches long, double toothed, with unsymmetrical base. Fruit is light green, 3/8 inch long and winged.

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Silktree

Silktree

Family: Leguminosae
Scientific Name: Albizia julibrissin
Local Names: Mimosa tree
Uses: Ornamental and shade

Tree is small, flat topped up to 40 feet tall. Bark is gray and blotched. Leaves are alternate, doubly even-pinnate with 8 to 10 pairs of opposite pinna each with 10 to 25 pairs of opposite 1 sided leaflets about 3/8 inch long. Whole leaves are 8-10 inches long. Flowers are pink, fluffy blossoms. Fruit are flat legumes 6-8 inches long and nearly 1 inch wide.

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Sweetgum

Sweetgum

Family: Hamamelidaceae
Scientific Name: Liquidambar styraciflua
Local Names: Red Gum, Gum, Gum Tree, Sap Gum, American Sweetgum
Uses: Flooring, pulp, boxes, crates, plywood veneer, cooperage, ornamental, heartwood can sometimes be used for imitation mahogany, cherry and walnut

Tree may reach 150 feet tall and more than 5 feet in diameter. Bark is light gray and irregularly fissured. Leaves are star shaped with 5 points. Fruit is a ball with projecting points 1 inch in diameter suspended on 2-3 inch stalks.

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Persimmon

Persimmon

Family: Ebenaceae
Scientific Name: Diospyros virginiana
Local Names: Persimmon, Possum Wood
Uses: Of little use now. Formerly used for shuttles, golf club heads, billiard cues and brush backs.

Tree rarely exceeds 50 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter. Bark is almost black and separated into nearly square blocks. Leaves are oval or oblong sharp pointed and 4-6 inches long. Fruit is round, pulpy, orange or brown containing hard, smooth, brownish seeds. Fruit is usually sweet and edible when ripe.

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Red Maple

Red Maple

Family: Aceraceae
Scientific Name: Acer rubrum
Local Names: Swamp Maple, Soft Maple, Water Maple, White Maple
Uses: Furniture, turnery, woodenware, fuel, veneer, crates, boxes, flooring, slack cooperage, novelties

Medium sized tree 40-50 feet tall and may attain heights of 100 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. Bark is light gray and furrowed with thin scales. Leaves are opposite, 3 or 5 lobes that are pointed and coarsely toothed. Fruit is winged seeds 1-1/2 inches long on drooping stems 3-4 inches long.

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Flowering Dogwood

Flowering Dogwood

Family: Cornaceae
Scientific Name: Cornus florida
Local Names: Dogwood, Cornel, Arrow Wood
Uses: Native ornamental

Tree has a maximum height of 40 feet. Bark is gray-black and broken into small 4-sided scaly blocks. Leaves are simple, opposite, ovate 3-5 inches long and pointed. Flowers are very small greenish-yellow arranged in a dense cluster surrounded by 4 large, showy, white or rarely pinkish petal like bracts which give it an appearance of a large single flower. Fruit is a bright scarlet berry containing a hard pit.

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Water Oak

Water Oak

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Quercus nigra
Local Names: Duck Oak, Possum Oak, Pin Oak
Uses: Lumber, crossties, ornamental shade tree

Tree may attain height of 100 feet or more and a diameter of 3 feet. Bark is thin and smooth. Leaves vary in shape, are always bristle tipped, mostly oblong and sometimes lobed. Fruit is a small acorn ¼ to ¾ inch long.

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Willow Oak

Willow Oak

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Quercus phellos
Local Names: Pin Oak, Swamp Willow Oak
Uses: Construction, cooperage, ornamental

Tree may attain height of 100 feet or more and a diameter of 3 feet. Bark is thin and smooth. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long and ¼ to ¾ inch wide with a bristle on the end. Fruit is a small acorn ¼ to ¾ inch long.

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Black Cherry

Black Cherry

Family: Rosaceae
Scientific Name: Prunus serotina
Local Names: Wild Cherry, Wild Black Cherry
Uses: Cabinets, furniture, musical instruments, gun stocks, woodenware, handles

Tree may grow to 100 feet tall with a diameter of 5 feet but usually smaller. Bark is reddish-brown with narrow, white, horizontal lines on young trees. Leaves are oval or soft tapering and edges are broken with many fine, incurved teeth. Fruit is purplish black, ¼ inch in diameter with a large pit. Slightly bitter.

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Winged Elm

Winged Elm

Family: Ulmaceae
Scientific Name: Ulmus alata
Local Names: Cork Elm
Uses: Wheel hubs, mauls, single trees, wedges, poles, ornamental shade trees

Tree grows slowly to 80 feet. Bark is thin, light brown with irregular fissures and flat ridges. Branches can have corky ridges. Leaves are simple, alternate, 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches long. Fruit is a winged seed.

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Bald Cypress

Bald Cypress

Family: Cupressaceae
Scientific Name: Taxodium distichum
Local Names: Southern Cypress, Swamp Cypress
Uses: General construction, boat building, cooperage, fence posts, pilings, poles, shingles, water tanks, coffins

Tree reaches 120 feet and a stump diameter of 10 feet. Leaves are narrow, flat, ½-3/4 inch in length in 2 rows. Cones are 1 inch diameter balls.

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American Beech

Family: Fagaceae
Scientific Name: Fagus grandifolia
Local Names: Carolina Beech, Beech
Uses: Flooring, furniture, dowels, pallets, charcoal, ornamental

Tree is usually 70-80 feet tall and 3-4 feet in diameter. Limbs form a broad round topped crown. Leaves are 3-4 inches long, simple, alternate, toothed along the margins and pointed at the tip. Bark is thin, smooth and gray usually with initials carved in it. Fruit is a bur containing 2 triangular, edible nuts.

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French Mulberry

Family: Verbenaceae
Scientific Name: Callicarpa americana
Local Names: American Beautyberry, Sourbush, Bunchberry
Uses: Native Americans used it for medicinal purposes, ornamental

Tree is a shrub 5-8 feet tall. Elliptical shaped, opposite leaves with sawtoothed margins. Underside of the leaves may be covered with wooly hairs. Clusters of blue, violet, pink or white flowers in the Spring and clusters of purple berries encircling the stem in late Summer.

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Sycamore

Family: Platanaceae
Scientific Name: Platanus occidentalis
Local Names: American Sycamore, Buttonwood, Buttonball Tree, Plane Tree, American Planetree
Uses: Butcher’s blocks, furniture, veneer, musical instruments, ornamental

Tree can attain heights of 100-170 feet tall and up to 8 feet in diameter. Bark is white broken into light gray scales. Leaves are 4-7 inches across with 3 lobes, more or less, very coarsely toothed. Fruit is a 1 inch diameter ball that is grayish-yellow.

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Southern Magnolia

Family: Magnoliaceae
Scientific Name: Magnolia grandiflora
Local Names: Southern Magnolia, Magnolia
Uses: Ornamental, baskets, pallets

Tree has broad, rounded top with a tall straight trunk nearly 2 feet in diameter. Leaves are 6-8 inches long, leathery, evergreen. The undersides are often covered with a rusty-brown down. Bark is smooth, gray with thin scales on older trees. Flowers are showy white and 7-8 inches across. Fruit is conelike and hairy with red seeds that hang on white threads.

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Yaupon

Family: Aquifoliaceae
Scientific Name: Ilex vomitoria
Local Names: Yaupon Holly, Emetic
Uses: No commercial value, ornamental, medicinal

Tree may reach 20-25 feet tall and rarely 6 inches in diameter. Bark is light red to gray-brown with thin minute scales. Leaves are simple, alternate, evergreen, elliptical, round toothed on the margins. 1-2 inches long. Fruit is a ¼ inch scarlet berry produced in great abundance.

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All of the above information comes from Trees of Arkansas by Dwight Munson Moore, Ph.D., Seventh Revised Edition, Edited by Jerry Lambert, Arkansas Forestry Commission, Revised 2011.

French Mulberry information came from USDA.