21 Valuable Lumber Trees
Strong, beautiful, pliable; even sweet-smelling. Lumber is valued for many different traits. From building strong homes to stylish furniture, backyard decks to handcrafted heirlooms, the trees that appear on the list below have been necessary to human creations for thousands of years. Find inspiration for your next project among our species below.
White ash is a species of ash tree native to North America. It’s leaves turn distinctly bright yellow or red in the autumn. Fraxinus americana is a fast-growing pioneer species that often inhabits riparian zones, and fragmented and disturbed habitats. It is similar in appearance to Green ash (F. pennsylvanica) and sometimes it is hard to tell between the two.
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a large riparian zone tree native to North America. It is cultivated for nutritious walnuts and the high-quality dark timber. Juglans nigra produces juglone, a compound that inhibits the growth of other plants in the walnut tree’s proximity, so it may be undesirable near lawns and gardens. It is susceptible to Thousand cankers disease.
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a medium-to-large tree native to warm temperate regions of North and Central America. It puts on a brilliant autumn display – the leathery star-shaped foliage turns orange, red, and burgundy, with multi-colored individual leaves. Decorative foliage and an elegant straight trunk earned Sweetgum a prominent place in parks and treelines around the world.
Box elder (Acer negundo) is a type of maple tree native to North America, but which is now found throughout the world. It is a hardy, medium-to-large tree that grows quickly and has a relatively short lifespan of up to 60 years. Older trees are prone to storm damage. Box elder wood is relatively flimsy because the tree grows so fast.
The Common boxwood may look like a tree, but it is actually a large, flowering shrub. The flowers themselves are inconspicuous because they are green, but still emit a pleasant aroma. It grows best in limestone- and chalk-laden soils. Because the Common boxwood grows very slowly, its wood becomes dense and hard, making it ideal for cabinetry, mallets, and instruments like flutes and oboes.
Acer platanoides is a maple tree species native to Europe and West Asia. It is 20-30 m tall and has bright green, lobed leaves which turn yellow or red in the autumn. Introduced as an ornamental shade tree in the United States, it is now considered invasive. Outside of its northern range, it can be short-lived and susceptible to disease and damage.
Eastern red cedar is a coniferous evergreen tree that is native to North America. The fruit of this tree, juniper berries, is an important food source for birds in the winter. The wood of the Eastern red cedar is used in fencing as it is resistant to rot, and it is also used to line closets and chests since it also resists moths.
English oak(Quercus robur) is a deciduous tree native to Europe. It’s is a very longevous tree; the oldest known specimens have been living for more than a thousand years. It is commonly represented in European mythologies as a symbol of strength, longevity, nobility, morale and knowledge.
When you think of an American sycamore, size may be the first thing to come to mind. This deciduous tree can reach heights of 75 to 100 ft tall and it has leaves that resemble those of a maple tree. The trunk of the American sycamore is larger than any other native tree, with mature trees having recorded diameters up to 15 feet.
Gleditsia triacanthos is a deciduous tree that is native to the Central part of Noth America. The trunk of the Honey locust is covered in thorns that are soft and green when young, but age to be hard and brittle. These thorns are relatively large and can reach up to 8 inches in length.
Quercus palustris, colloquially known as Pin oak, is a deciduous tree native to North America. Due to its favorable growing qualities and beautiful bronze coloration in autumn, Pin oak is one of the most common oak species used in landscaping.
American elm (Ulmus americana) is a deciduous hermaphroditic tree which can be found in a variety of habitats – swamps, low-laying lands, areas surrounding rivers, hillsides, and highlands. It was a very dominant tree species in North America before Dutch elm disease was introduced during the first half of the 20th century, which caused massive die-offs.
The English walnut is a large deciduous tree. There are many superstitious beliefs tied to it, one of which originates from the island of Skopelos: people believe that the planter of a walnut tree will die once the English walnut grows tall enough to see the sea.
Water oak (Quercus nigra) is a medium-sized deciduous tree often found in low woodlands, floodplains, and near swamps and rivers in southeastern areas of North America, where it plays an important role in woodland ecosystems. It is rarely used in ornamental purposes due to its unfavorable growing qualities.
Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a long-lived deciduous conifer native to swamps, creeks, and rivers in southeastern areas of North America. These trees grow quite slow, but due to their longevity, they can reach remarkable heights. Bald cypress is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate and subtropical regions worldwide.
Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) is a long-lived evergreen tree native to mixed forests of temperate zones in eastern North America. It is considered one of the tallest trees in its native area. Eastern white pine has a straight-grained lightweight wood, highly valued in construction.
American linden (Tilia americana) is a deciduous tree with a wide, rounded crown, very similar to its European cousin Tilia cordata. A subtle difference between the species can be found on the bark – if an orange hue is present in the valleys on the bark, then it is T. cordata.
If you are looking for an excellent shade tree, consider planting a Green ash. This tree is capable of completely blocking sunlight with its dense canopy of compound leaves, which make a brilliant yellow display in the fall. Aggressive growth of over 2 feet per year makes this a tree that can quickly be providing shade in your backyard.
Celtis laevigata, commonly known as Sugarberry, is a deciduous medium-sized tree native to North America. It is often found near water – on floodplains, along rivers and streams. There are many species of birds, small mammals, and insects that use Sugarberry’s fruits and leaves as a source of food, which makes it a very important part of the ecosystem.
A common use for Field elm and other types of elm trees is for its wood, which has an interlocking grain and therefore is resistant to splitting. This tree has a distinctive crown and you can tell it apart from the similar wych elm by noting the fact that its shoots are more slender.
The Blue spruce (Picea pungens) is an evergreen conifer with a beautiful, thick crown. It gets the “blue” name because its needles have a bluish tint, unlike other pine trees whose needles are a simpler green. This unique appearance has helped to make the Blue spruce one of the world’s favorite ornamental conifers, and it’s especially popular in Christmas tree production. Historically, these trees have also served other ornamental purposes.