Our latest count shows 86 native tree species in New Hampshire. The exact number is hard to state because some species are more commonly found in a shrub form, about a dozen are rare, and others can be distinguished by only the most determined dendrologist.
The following criteria were used to determine inclusion on this list:
- Native to, at least part of, New Hampshire.
- Capable of growing to at least 20 feet tall.
- At least on occasion, must grow as single-stem specimens—some are more commonly found in the shrub form.
Species are split into softwood and hardwood groupings. Within those broad groups, species are broken into genus. The genus are listed in alphabetical order by the generic common name (i.e. pine, maple, ash, etc.). The species appear within the generic grouping by the common name(s) most often used by this particular author—many other common names exist. Scientific (Latin) names are also given. Family names appear by the generic scientific name.
Numbers by the name indicate the following:
1Rare plant in New Hampshire (N.H. Natural Heritage Bureau, 2014)
2Rarity status indeterminate (N.H. Natural Heritage Bureau, 2014)
3Exists in tree or shrub form
Species are split into softwood and hardwood groupings.
Softwoods
Arborvitae
northern white-cedar, arborvitae
Thuja (Cupressaceae)
Thuja ocidentalis
Fir
balsam fir
Abies (Pinaceae)
Abies balsamea
Hemlock
eastern hemlock
Tsuga (Pinaceae)
Tsuga canadensis
Juniper
eastern redcedar
Juniperis (Cupressaceae)
Juniperus virginiana
Larch
tamarack, eastern larch, American larch
Larix (Pinaceae)
Larix laricina
Pine
eastern white pine-
red pine-
pitch pine-
Jack pine1
Pinus (Pinaceae)
Pinus strobus-
Pinus resinosa-
Pinus rigida-
Pinus banksiana1
Spruce
black spruce-
red spruce-
white spruce
Picea (Pinaceae)
Picea mariana-
Picea rubens-
Picea glauca
White Cedar
Atlantic white-cedar
Chamaecyparis (Cupressaceae)
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Hardwoods
Ash
white ash-
black ash-
green ash
Fraxinus (Oleaceae)
Fraxinus americana-
Fraxinus nigra-
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Basswood
American basswood
Tilia (Tiliaceae)
Tilia americana
Beech
American beech
Fagus (Fagaceae)
Fagus grandifolia
Birch
yellow birch-
sweet birch, black birch-
river birch1-
paper birch, white birch-
heart-leaved paper birch-
gray birch
Betula (Betulaceae)
Betula alleghaniensis-
Betula lenta-
Betula nigra1-
Betula papyrifera-
Betula cordifolia-
Betula populifolia
Cherry
American plum2,3-
black cherry-
pin cherry, fire cherry-
choke cherry3
Prunus (Rosaceae)
Prunus americana2,3-
Prunus serotina-
Prunus pensylvanica-
Prunus virginiana3
Chestnut
American chestnut
Castanea (Fagaceae)
Castanea dentata
Dogwood
flowering dogwood3
Benthamidia (Cornaceae)
Benthamidia florida, syn. Cornus florida
Elm
American elm-
slippery elm
Ulmus (Ulmaceae)
Ulmus americana-
Ulmus rubra
Gum
black gum, black tupelo
Nyssa (Cornaceae)
Nyssa sylvatica
Hackberry
hackberry3
Celtis (Ulmaceae)
Celtis occidentalis3
Hawthorn
dotted hawthorn-
fireberry hawthorn3-
frosted hawthorn2,3-
Biltmore hawthorn3-
northern hawthorn3-
Gray’s hawthorn2, 3-
Gray’s hawthorn3-
yellow hawthorn2, 3-
Holmes’ hawthorn3-
entangled hawthorn2, 3-
long-thorned hawthorn3-
large-seeded hawthorn3-
poplar hawthorn1, 3-
Pringles hawthorn3-
scabrous hawthorn2, 3-
royal hawthorn2, 3-
Quebec hawthorn3
Craetagus (Rosaceae)
Crataegus punctata-
Crataegus chrysocarpa3-
Crataegus pruinosa2,3-
Crataegus biltmoreana3-
Crataegus dissona3-
Crataegus flabellata var. grayana2, 3-
Crataegus flabellata var. flabellata3-
Crataegus flavida2, 3-
Crataegus holmesiana3-
Crataegus intricata2, 3-
3 Crataegus macracantha3-
3Crataegus macrosperma3-
Crataegus populnea1, 3-
Crataegus pringlei-
Crataegus scabrida2, 3-
Crataegus schuettei var. basilica2, 3-
Crataegus submollis3
Hickory
bitternut hickory-
shagbark hickory-
pignut hickory
Carya (Juglandaceae)
Carya cordiformis-
Carya ovata-
Carya glabra
Hophornbeam
hophornbeam, ironwood
Ostrya (Betulaceae)
Ostrya virginiana
Hornbeam
blue-beech, musclewood, American hornbeam, ironwood
Carpinus (Betulaceae)
Carpinus caroliniana
Maple
boxelder, ash-leaved maple-
black maple1-
striped maple, moosewood maple3-
red maple, white maple, swamp maple, soft maple-
silver maple-
sugar maple, rock maple, hard maple-
mountain maple3
Acer (Aceraceae)
Acer negundo-
Acer nigrum1-
Acer pensylvanicum3-
Acer rubrum-
Acer saccharinum-
Acer saccharum-
Acer spicatum3
Mountain Ash
American mountain-ash-
showy mountain-ash
Sorbus (Rosaceae)
Sorbus americana-
Sorbus decora
Oak Quercus (Fagaceae)
northern red oak-
scarlet oak-
black oak-
white oak-
swamp white oak-
chestnut oak1-
bur oak, mossy-cup oak1
Quercus (Fagaceae)
Quercus rubra-
Quercus coccinea-
Quercus velutina-
Quercus alba-
Quercus bicolor-
Quercus montana syn. Quercus prinus1-
Quercus macrocarpa1
Poplar
eastern cottonwood-
balsam poplar-
bigtooth aspen-
quaking aspen, trembling aspen, popple
Populus (Salicaceae)
Populus deltoides-
Populus balsamifera-
Populus grandidentata-
Populus tremuloides
Sassafras
sassafras
Sassafras (Lauraceae)
Sassafras albidum
Serviceberry or Shadbush
downy serviceberry, downy shadbush3-
mountain serviceberry, mountain shadbush3-
eastern serviceberry, eastern shadbush3-
intermediate serviceberry, intermediate shadbush3-
smooth serviceberry, smooth shadbush3
Amelanchier (Rosaceae)
Amelanchier laevis3-
Amelanchier arborea3-
Amelanchier bartramiana3-
Amelanchier canadensis3-
Amelanchier intermedia3
Sumac
staghorn sumac3
Rhus (Anacardiaceae)
Rhus hirta syn. Rhus typhina3
Sycamore
American sycamore, planetree, buttonwood
Platanus (Platanaceae)
Platanus occidentalis
Walnut
butternut, white walnut
Juglans (Juglandaceae)
Juglans cinerea
Willow
black willow
Salix (Salicaceae)
Salix nigra
References
Arthur Haines. 2011. New England Wild Flower Society's Florae Novae Angliae: A Manual for the Identification of Native and Naturalized Higher Vascular Plants of New England. Yale University Press. New Haven, Ct.
Albion R. Hodgdon and Frederic L. Steele, 1958. The Woody Plants of New Hampshire, UNH Ag. Exp. Station Bulletin #447.
Willian Harlow, Ellwood Harrar, and Fred White. 1979. Textbook of Dendrology, McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources.
Henry A. Gleason and Arthur Cronquist, 1993, Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, The New York Botanical Garden.
Kartecz, J.T., 1999. A Synonymized Checklist and Atlas with Biological Attributes for the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First Edition. In: Kartecz, J.T., and C.A. Meachum. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill. NC.
Use your favorite search-engine for these helpful websites
N.H. Natural Heritage Bureau—for lists of plants found in New Hampshire
Go Botany—the New England Wild Flower Society’s plant identification site
Silvics of North America—online version of the classic USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook 654
UNH Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran’s status. College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, County Governments, NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Forests and Lands, NH Fish and Game, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cooperating.
