Pub. No. 9
March 2016
Native Trees
of Georgia
by Dr. Kim D. Coder, Professor of Tree Biology & Health Care
Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, University of Georgia
The native trees of Georgia represent a great ecological bounty and a rich cultural history. Native trees
grow from the mountains to the sea in many diverse habitats and under many environmental constraints. Native
trees add value, comfort, and beauty to life in Georgia. They have provided medicine, food, fiber, shelter,
recreation and aesthetic values. Native trees witnessed the arrival of many groups of explorers and settlers,
many Native Americans, and many ice ages. Native trees are wonderfully adapted to a local area’s climate,
soils, pests and other plants. There is a native tree well-suited for every planting site or landscape position.
Definitions
A tree is defined as normally reaching at least 15 feet in height, with a single, self-supporting stem and a
distinct crown. A tree is considered native in Georgia if it grows and reproduces naturally in the landscape, it
was not originally planted here by people and escaped into the wild, and its gene sets developed and succeeded
under Georgia environmental conditions. Trees listed as native here are part of the natural landscapes of
Georgia.
A few trees listed might be considered naturalized. Naturalized trees grow and successfully reproduce
in a landscape after having escaped from human plantings and cultivation. Here aggressive exotic species would
not be included as naturalized, and are considered invasive. Tree inclusion on this list is based upon the references provided, the University of Georgia herbarium holdings, and personal knowledge of the author.
The List
Figure 1 lists native trees of Georgia alphabetically by scientific name. Included is a common name.
Several tree species can share a common name, but each will have its own unique scientific name. Georgia has
about 268 native trees. It should be noted genera Tilia (basswood) and Crataegus (hawthorn) have major
taxonomic problems. For example, there are 18 hawthorn species listed here, but there could be more than 52
native hawthorn species in Georgia.
Figure 2 lists the 12 largest native tree genera in Georgia. The top five genera represent roughly onethird of all species, and all twelve genera in the figure represent roughly 50% of all native tree species. Oaks are
by far the largest number of species, with 34 species representing ~13% of all native tree species in Georgia.
How many native trees are in your yard, at your school, or in a local park? How many can you find?
The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
Figure 1: Trees native to Georgia listed
alphabetically by scientific name.
scientific name
common name
scientific name
common name
Castanea dentata
American chestnut
Castanea pumila
chinquapin
Catalpa bignonioides
Southern catalpa
Catalpa speciosa
Northern catalpa
Celtis laevigata
sugarberry
Celtis occidentalis
hackberry
Celtis pumila
dwarf hackberry
Celtis tenuifolia
Georgia hackberry
Cephalanthus occidentalis buttonbush
Cercis canadensis
redbud
Chamaecyparis thyoides Atlantic whitecedar
Chionanthus virginicus
fringetree
Cladrastis kentukea
yellowwood
Clethra acuminata
sweet pepperbush
Cliftonia monophylla
buckwheat tree
Cornus alternifolia
alternate-leaf dogwood
Cornus asperifolia
toughleaf dogwood
Cornus drummondii
roughleaf dogwood
Cornus florida
flowering dogwood
Cornus foemina
stiff dogwood
Cornus stricta
swamp dogwood
Cotinus obovatus
smoketree
Crataegus aestivalis
mayhaw
Crataegus aprica
sunny hawthorn
Crataegus brachyacantha blueberry haw
Baccharis halimifolia
Eastern baccharis
Crataegus calpodendron pear hawthorn
Betula alleghaniensis
yellow birch
Crataegus crus-galli
cockspur haw
Betula lenta
sweet birch
Crataegus flabellata
fanleaf hawthorn
Betula nigra
river birch
Crataegus flava
yellow hawthorn
Crataegus intricata
Biltmore haw
Carpinus caroliniana
American hornbeam
Crataegus marshallii
parsley hawthorn
Carya aquatica
water hickory
Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington haw
Carya australis
Southern shagbark hickory Crataegus pruinosa
waxy-fruit haw
Carya cordiformis
bitternut hickory
Crataegus pulcherrima
beautiful haw
Carya glabra
pignut hickory
Crataegus punctata
dotted hawthorn
Carya laciniosa
shellbark hickory
Crataegus spathulata
littlehip hawthorn
Carya myristiciformis
nutmeg hickory
Crataegus succulenta
succulent haw
Carya ovalis
red hickory
Crataegus triflora
three-flower haw
Carya ovata
shagbark hickory
Crataegus uniflora
dwarf hawthorn
Carya pallida
sand hickory
Crataegus viridis
green hawthorn
Carya texana
black hickory
Cyrilla parvifolia
littleleaf titi
Carya tomentosa
mockernut hickory
Cyrilla racemiflora
swamp titi
Abies fraseri
Acer barbatum
Acer leucoderme
Acer negundo
Acer nigrum
Acer pensylvanicum
Acer rubrum
Acer saccharinum
Acer saccharum
Acer spicatum
Aesculus flava
Aesculus glabra
Aesculus parviflora
Aesculus pavia
Aesculus sylvatica
Alnus maritima
Alnus serrulata
Amelanchier arborea
Amelanchier canadensis
Amelanchier laevis
Amelanchier sanguinea
Aralia spinosa
Asimina parviflora
Asimina triloba
Fraser fir
Southern sugar maple
chalk maple
boxelder
black maple
striped maple
red maple
silver maple
sugar maple
mountain maple
yellow buckeye
Ohio buckeye
bottlebrush buckeye
red buckeye
Georgia buckeye
seaside alder
hazel alder
downy serviceberry
Canadian serviceberry
Allegheny serviceberry
roundleaf serviceberry
devil’s walkingstick
dwarf pawpaw
pawpaw
Dr. Kim D. Coder Warnell School University of Georgia
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Figure 1: Trees native to Georgia listed
alphabetically by scientific name. (continued)
scientific name
common name
scientific name
common name
Diospyros virginiana
persimmon
Juglans cinerea
Juglans nigra
Juniperus communis
Juniperus silicicola
Juniperus virginiana
butternut
black walnut
juniper
Southern redcedar
Eastern redcedar
Kalmia latifolia
mountain-laurel
Leitneria floridana
Liquidambar styraciflua
Liriodendron tulipifera
Lyonia ferruginea
corkwood
sweetgum
yellow-poplar
staggerbush
Magnolia acuminata
Magnolia fraseri
Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia macrophylla
Magnolia pyramidata
Magnolia tripetala
Magnolia virginiana
Malus angustifolia
Malus coronaria
Morella caroliniensis
Morella cerifera
Morella heterophylla
Morella inodora
Morus rubra
mountain
cucumber-tree
Piedmont
cucumber-tree
mountain magnolia
Southern magnolia
bigleaf magnolia
pyramid magnolia
umbrella-tree
sweetbay
Southern crabapple
sweet crabapple
Southern bayberry
wax-myrtle
evergreen bayberry
odorless bayberry
red mulberry
Nyssa aquatica
Nyssa biflora
Nyssa ogeche
Nyssa sylvatica
water tupelo
swamp tupelo
Ogeeche-lime
blackgum
Osmanthus americanus
Ostrya virginiana
devilwood
Eastern
hophornbeam
sourwood
Elliottia racemosa
Georgia plume
Euonymus atropurpureus burningbush
Fagus grandifolia
Forestiera acuminata
Forestiera segregata
Frangula caroliniana
Franklinia alatamaha
Fraxinus americana
Fraxinus caroliniana
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Fraxinus profunda
Fraxinus quadrangulata
American beech
swamp-privet
Florida-privet
Carolina buckthorn
Franklin tree
white ash
Carolina ash
green ash
pumpkin ash
blue ash
Magnolia cordata
Gleditsia aquatica
Gleditsia triacanthos
Gordonia lasianthus
Gymnocladus dioicus
water locust
honeylocust
loblolly bay
Kentucky coffee-tree
Halesia carolina
Halesia diptera
Halesia tetraptera
Hamamelis virginiana
little silverbell
two-wing silverbell
mountain silverbell
American witch-hazel
Ilex ambigua
Ilex amelanchier
Ilex cassine
Ilex coriacea
Ilex cuthbertii
Ilex decidua
Ilex laevigata
Ilex longipes
Ilex montana
Ilex myrtifolia
Ilex opaca
Ilex verticillata
Ilex vomitoria
Illicium floridanum
Illicium parviflorum
Carolina holly
sarvis holly
dahoon
large gallberry
Cuthbert holly
possumhaw
smooth winterberry
Georgia holly
mountain holly
myrtle dahoon
American holly
winterberry
yaupon
Florida anisetree
yellow anisetree
Dr. Kim D. Coder Warnell School University of Georgia
Oxydendrum arboreum
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Figure 1: Trees native to Georgia listed
alphabetically by scientific name. (continued)
scientific name
common name
scientific name
Persea borbonia
Persea palustris
Pinckneya bracteata
Pinus echinata
Pinus elliottii
Pinus glabra
Pinus palustris
Pinus pungens
Pinus rigida
Pinus serotina
Pinus strobus
Pinus taeda
Pinus virginiana
Planera aquatica
Platanus occidentalis
Populus deltoides
Populus heterophylla
Prunus alabamensis
Prunus americana
Prunus angustifolia
Prunus caroliniana
Prunus mexicana
Prunus munsoniana
Prunus pensylvanica
Prunus serotina
Prunus umbellata
Ptelea trifoliata
red-bay
swamp-bay
fevertree
shortleaf pine
slash pine
spruce pine
longleaf pine
Table Mountain pine
pitch pine
pond pine
Eastern white pine
loblolly pine
Virginia pine
planertree
American sycamore
Eastern cottonwood
swamp cottonwood
Alabama cherry
American plum
Chickasaw plum
laurelcherry
Mexican plum
wild goose plum
fire cherry
black cherry
flatwoods plum
hoptree
Quercus alba
Quercus arkansana
Quercus austrina
Quercus chapmanii
Quercus coccinea
Quercus falcata
Quercus geminata
Quercus georgiana
Quercus hemisphaerica
Quercus imbricaria
Quercus incana
Quercus laevis
Quercus laurifolia
white oak
Arkansas oak
bluff oak
Chapman oak
scarlet oak
Southern red oak
sand live oak
Georgia oak
laurel oak
shingle oak
bluejack oak
turkey oak
swamp laurel oak
Quercus lyrata
overcup oak
Quercus margaretta
sand post oak
Quercus marilandica
blackjack oak
Quercus michauxii
swamp chestnut oak
Quercus minima
dwarf live oak
Quercus montana
chestnut oak
Quercus muehlenbergii
chinquapin oak
Quercus myrtifolia
myrtle oak
Quercus nigra
water oak
Quercus oglethorpensis Oglethorpe oak
Quercus pagoda
cherrybark oak
Quercus palustris
pin oak
Quercus phellos
willow oak
Quercus prinoides
dwarf chinquapin oak
Quercus rubra
Northern red oak
Quercus shumardii
Shumard’s oak
Quercus similis
swamp post oak
Quercus sinuata
bastard (Durand) oak
Quercus stellata
post oak
Quercus velutina
black oak
Quercus virginiana
live oak
Rhododendron catawbiense purple-laurel
Rhododendron maximum rosebay-laurel
Rhus copallinum
winged sumac
Rhus glabra
smooth sumac
Rhus typhina
staghorn sumac
Robinia hispida
pink locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
black locust
Robinia viscosa
clammy locust
Dr. Kim D. Coder Warnell School University of Georgia
Sabal palmetto
Salix caroliniana
Salix floridana
Salix nigra
Salix sericea
Sambucus nigra
Sambucus racemosa
Sambucus simpsonii
Sapindus saponaria
Sassafras albidum
Serenoa repens
common name
cabbage palmetto
Coastal Plain willow
Florida willow
black willow
silky willow
American elder
red elder
Southern elder
wingleaf soapberry
sassafras
saw palmetto
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Figure 1: Trees native to Georgia listed
alphabetically by scientific name. (continued)
scientific name
common name
Sideroxylon alachuense
Sideroxylon lanuginosa
Sideroxylon lycioides
Sideroxylon tenax
Sorbus americana
Alachua bully
gum bumelia
buckthorn bumelia
tough bumelia
American
mountain-ash
Staphylea trifolia
bladdernut
Stewartia malacodendron silky camellia
Stewartia ovata
mountain camellia
Styrax americanus
American snowbell
Styrax grandifolius
bigleaf snowbell
Symplocos tinctoria
sweetleaf
Taxodium ascendens
Taxodium distichum
Tilia americana
Tilia caroliniana
Tilia heterophylla
Torreya taxifolia
Toxicodendron vernix
Tsuga canadensis
Tsuga caroliniana
pond-cypress
bald-cypress
American basswood
Carolina basswood
white basswood
torreya
poison sumac
Eastern hemlock
Carolina hemlock
scientific name
common name
Ulmus alata
Ulmus americana
Ulmus rubra
Ulmus serotina
winged elm
American elm
slippery elm
September elm
Vaccinium arboreum
Vachellia farnesiana
Viburnum carolinianum
Viburnum prunifolium
Viburnum recognitum
Viburnum rufidulum
farkleberry
sweet acacia
Carolina
arrowwood
Southern
arrowwood
nannyberry
Southern
possumhaw
small-leaf
arrowwood
blackhaw
arrowwood
rusty blackhaw
Yucca aloifolia
Yucca gloriosa
Spanish-bayonet
moundlilly yucca
Viburnum dentatum
Viburnum lentago
Viburnum nudum
Viburnum obovatum
Zanthoxylum americanum prickly-ash
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis Hercules’ club
Dr. Kim D. Coder Warnell School University of Georgia
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genus
name
number
of
species
species
running
total
Quercus
Crataegus
Ilex
Carya
Pinus
oak
hawthorn
holly
hickory
pine
34
18
13
11
10
34
52
65
76
86
Acer
Prunus
Magnolia
Viburnum
Cornus
maple
cherry
magnolia
viburnum
dogwood
9
9
8
8
6
95
104
112
120
126
Aesculus
Fraxinus
buckeye
ash
5
5
131
136
Figure 2: List of the 12 tree genera with the most
species native to Georgia.
Dr. Kim D. Coder Warnell School University of Georgia
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Primary Sources
Coder, K.D. 2010. Native Tree Species of Georgia. University of Georgia Warnell
School of Forestry & Natural Resources publication WSFNR10-5. Pp.5.
Duncan, W.H. & M.B. Duncan. 1988. Trees of the Southeastern United States.
University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. Pp.322.
Jones, S.B. & N.C. Coile. 1988. The Distribution of the Vascular Flora of Georgia.
Department of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Pp.230.
Kirkman, L.K., C.L. Brown, & D.J. Leopold. 2007. Native Trees of the Southeast.
Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Pp.370.
Little, E.L. 1979. Checklist of United States Trees. USDA-FS Agricultural Handbook
#541. Pp.375.
Little, E.L. 1981. Atlas of United States Trees. Volume 6 – Supplement. USDA-FS
Misc. Publication #1410. Pp.31.
Miller, H.A. & S.H. Lamb. 1985. Oaks of North America. Naturegraph Publishers, Inc.,
Happy Camp, CA. Pp.327.
Phipps, J.B., R.J. O’Kennon & R.W. Lance. 2003. Hawthorns and Medlars. Royal
Horticultural Society. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Pp.139.
Preston, R.J. 1976. North American Trees (3rd edition). Iowa State University Press,
Ames, Iowa. Pp.399.
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, & C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the
Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N.C. Pp.1183.
Stein, J.,D. Binion, & R. Acciavatti. 2003. Field Guide to Native Oak Species of
Eastern North America. USDA-FS FHTET-2003-01. Pp.167.
USDA-NRCS. 2016. PLANTS Database (internet resource). National Plant Data Team,
Greensboro, NC.
Dr. Kim D. Coder Warnell School University of Georgia
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