Last Updated on February 2, 2023 by Derek
The red alder tree (Alnus rubra), also called the Oregon alder, is the most famous. It is native to the pacific northwest, and it mainly grows across southeast Alaska and southern California. It is short-lived and rarely attains 100 years of age.
What Is the Most Common Tree in the United States?
The red maple (Acer rubrum), native to North America, is the most popular tree in the United States and grows in diverse climates and habitats. It is famous for its attractive red fall foliage, red flowers, and subsequent red fruits. Sometimes the foliage can turn orange or yellow in fall, unknown to many people. It’s a fast-growing tree that can attain a mature height of 18 to 27 meters. The biggest red maple tree is 36.5 meters tall.
Here are some interesting facts about the red maple.
- It is deciduous and displays pyramidal growing habits when young and has a round or oval shape when mature
- The blossoms come before the leaves and are born in erect clusters of brilliant red
- It performs best in moist, well-draining clay, loam, chalk, or sand with slightly acidic to neutral pH. It can withstand wet soils
- If garden-grown, it requires low-maintenance and average watering
- It prefers full sun to bloom but can tolerate partial shade
- The showy blossoms appear from early spring through summer to fall
- It is perfect for beds and borders.
Video – Top 5 most beautiful flowering trees
Most Important Trees for the Planet
The chestnut tree is the most important and valuable tree on earth with all its species. There are four main species of chestnuts and nine less important ones of the same genus in the world. The important species include the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), European chestnut (C. sativa), Japanese chestnut (C. crenata), and the Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima).
Very few trees can match the value of chestnut trees today. Here are some fantastic facts about chestnuts trees.
- The height depends on the species; the American chestnut is the tallest, attaining a mature height of about 100 feet
- The reddish-brown or grey bark is smooth at a young age and becomes rougher and furrowed as the tree matures. Some chestnuts have barks looking like net woven with strong ropes
- The ovate or lanceolate leaves have widely spaced teeth, and the upper side is darker than the bottom
- It is a monoecious plant flowering in spring and summer
- The fragrant blooms attract insects for pollination
Uses of Chestnuts
The chestnut tree, being elastic and waterproof, is excellent for making various wood materials like barrels, floors, and stakes. It also makes furniture and particle boards. Different parts of the tree can be put to different uses.
- The leaves and bark of the American chestnut are perfect for making medicines chestnut tea is an ideal remedy for coughs, rheumatism, breathing complications, and swelling.
- Gargling with American chestnut also helps with a sore throat
- It is an herbal sedative due to its calming effects
- Chestnuts are edible in various forms; you can eat them as vegetables raw, boiled, or roasted. Pregnant women and people suffering from liver or kidney problems should avoid raw chestnuts due to the high tannic acid content.
Most Common Tree in North America
The North American climate supports common trees like red maple, and red alder, among other hardwoods trees, with red maple being the most common. The red maple is famous in North America and the entire United States for its gorgeous red flowers, red fruits, and red foliage that turns yellow or orange in fall.
These trees perform the best in a wide range of soil types as long as it is well-draining, wet, or dry with acidic or a neutral pH. They can grow in lowlands or highlands in sunny or partially shady sites. If it grows in a dry area, it develops a tap root to reach deep for water and short lateral roots. Different growing conditions produce classes of red maples. For example, the healthiest red maples grow in deep, moist, acidic soils.
Infographic – famous popular trees
Most Common Tree in Europe
The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the most common tree in Europe and mainly grows in Northern Europe. You can identify a mature Scots pine tree by its reddish bark towards the crown and brown towards the base. In winter, it bears needle-like leaves that are evergreen and last year-round.
The following are must know facts about Scots pine:
- It has a mature height of 35 meters and can live up to 700 years
- These trees spread across the British Isles about 900 years ago after the last glacial retreat
- The needle-like leaves grow in pairs of short side shoots and are blue=green and slightly twisted
- It is a monoecious tree with the male blossoms comprising yellow clusters of anthers at the base while the female flowers are tiny, red-purple, and globular. They appear at the shoots of the tips of the new shoots.
- The flowers turn green and develop into cones
Special Trees in the World
The world sees many unique and special trees all the time. The L’Arbre du Ténéré in Sahara and Anne Frank tree of Amsterdam was once the world’s most famous trees until they were blown down. Here are some of the most extraordinary trees in the world today.
| Common name | Scientific name | Facts and native country |
| Dragon blood tree | Dracaena cinnabari | It is native to Socotra, Yemen, and it produces a blood-red resin that acts as its defense against diseases and pests. Some people use the resin in love portions and air fresheners. |
| Baobab tree | Adansonia | It is a central south African native tree that blooms after each rainy season. The white flowers open at the full moon and produce a sour milk fragrance that attracts bats and bush babies. Arbol del TuleTaxodium mucronatumIt is a Mexican tree growing in Santa Maria’s town center. It has the chunkiest trunk of all trees in the world. Scientists estimate it to be approximately 1200 to 3000 years old. |
| General Sherman tree | Sequoiadendron giganteum | It is native to the U.S, growing in California, the giant forest of Sequoia National Park. |
| Major Oak | Quercus L. | It is an England native tree growing in the middle of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. It is approximately 800 to 1000 years old. |
| The Boab Prison TreeAdansonia gregoriiIt is found in western Australia to the south of Derby. It has a large hollow initially for Australian prisoners on their way to Derby. It currently has a fence around it to protect it from vandalism. |
Famous Trees in History
For a long time, people have used trees to mark important events in society. Here are some of the most famous trees in history.
Anne Frank’s Chestnut Tree
It is a famous tree in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and it was named after a teenage girl, Anne Frank, who was in a secret Annex for two years. The tree and some birds were the only views of the outside world through a window during the war. It was a secret reminder to her that there was hope for a better world as long as it lived.
The tree lived 50 years after Anne’s death before heavy storms blew it down in 2010.
Liberty Tree
It was an over 100 years old elm tree in Boston, Massachusetts. It symbolized liberty to a group of young American colonists who were defiant and branded themselves “sons of liberty.”
The tree lived with decorations of banners, lanterns, and effigies of the British prime minister and stamp master, and people met under it for celebrations and speeches. In 1775, British Loyalists and soldiers under siege in Boston chopped the tree into firewood. It was a famous symbol of patriotism.
Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree
In Wools Thorpe, England, the birthplace of Isaac Newton, the father of force of gravity. The tree from where the apple prompted him to discover the universal gravitation fell. Trinkets of wood were made from this gravity tree when a storm blew it in 1820. The tree, however, remains strong and bears fruits up to the present day.
Other world-historical trees include September 11 Survivor Tree in New York, Charter Oak, Connecticut, and Bodhi Tree, India.
FAQ about popular trees
What Are the Five Most Common Trees?
The following are some of the most common trees globally that grow in diverse conditions and are widely spread.
- Red Alder (Alnus Rubra)
- Sycamore tree (Platanus Occidentalis)
- Pine tree (Pinus)
- Elm tree (Ulmus)
- Oak tree (Quercus)
What Is the Rarest Tree?
The Three Kings Kaikōmako (Pennantia baylisiana) is the rarest tree species in the universe. Only one of these trees remains in the whole world, and it is found on Three Kings Island, New Zealand.
What Is the Oldest Tree?
The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva) in the United States is the oldest tree, hitting approximately 5000 years. Scientists attribute its success in living long to the conditions it grows.
What Is the Weirdest Tree?
The tree of life (Prosopis Cinernaria) in Bahrain, Asia, is the weirdest. It has super deep roots that allow it to survive in the outskirts desert. The strangest mystery is how it manages to tap water for survival in the harsh conditions where it grows.
10 Most Popular Trees Worldwide
Ten Most Common Trees in the United States – Treehugger
5 Most Common Trees in the U.S – KnowledgeNuts
