Native Trees of Maine

Eastern White Pine is the state tree of several states. Maine made it theirs in 1945. Of all the native conifers calling eastern North America home, this tree is the tallest. It towers at 150 feet and lives as long as 450 years-sometimes longer. It most likely used to grow even taller and older before the colonist arrived. The current champion in Maine is 120 feet tall, has a trunk circumference of 245 inches, and a crown spread of 80 feet! Last measured in

State Tree: Eastern White Pine

Maine

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-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

Photo citation: Robert H. Mohlenbrock USDA NRCS 1995. Northeast wetland flora; Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester

Native Trees of Maine

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• Maine Native Trees A to Z

• Maine Tree Facts

• Maine Tree Families and Species

• Endangered/Threatened Species

• Tree Nurseries in Maine

Tree lists:
•A-Z by scientific
name
•A-Z by common
name
•By Family

For state A-Z list click state name below.

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With over 80% of its land forested, Maine
is one of the best places to lose yourself in the quiet woods. Pine, maple, beech, birch and oak are some of the more common tree species that make up Maine's forests. One of the best ways to enjoy the scenery is hiking through the many trails throughout the state. In fact, Maine has partnered with Center for Community GIS of Farmington to create a database of all state trails. Housing some of the trails are Maine's 32 state parks and Acadia National Park, the only National Park in New England. Acadia National Park is unique among

Maine Native Tree Facts

Forested acres: 17.7 million
Percent of total area forested: 82%
Predominant Forest Type: maple-beech-yellow birch, spruce-fir
Number of National Forests: 1
Number of State Parks: 32
Number of Tree city USA communities: 18
Number of invasive tree species: 8 (see state list for noxious/invasive plants)
Insects of Concern: Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle, European Wood Wasp, Hemlock Wooly adelgid
Pathogens of Concern: Dutch Elm Disease, Sudden Oak Death
Number or Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species: 23
Number of tree families in our collection: 25

Sources:
Arborday.org
US Forest Service
Maine.gov
Maine Secretary of State
United States Department Of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services: PLANTS Database

Additional state resources:
Maine Forest Service
Maine Trail Finder
University of Maine, Cooperative Extension Service

Maine Native Tree Families and Genera

Useful information while browsing species:

• How to read a botanical name

• How to use our species boxes:

Additional Resources:

North American Native Tree Families
North American A to Z List by Scientific Name
North American A to Z List by Common Name

click to enlarge.

-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

Please note: This is not a complete list of all native tree families and species found in Maine. We are constantly working towards a more comprehensive list and will add families and their species as completed.

Follow the links to view species native to Maine. If the genus is not linked, species are listed on the family page.

Aceraceae, Maple
Anacardiaceae, Sumac
    Rhus, Sumac
    Toxicodendron, Poison Sumac
Betulaceae, Birch
    Betula, Birch
    Carpinus, Hornbeam
Corylus, Hazelnut
    Ostrya, Hophornbeam
Bignoniaceae, Trumpet Creeper
Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle
Cornaceae, Dogwood
    Cornus, Dogwood
    Nyssa, Tupelo
Cupressaceae- Cypress
    Chamaecyparis, Cedar
    Juniperus, Juniper
    Thuja, Arborvitae

Ericaceae, Heath
Fabaceae, Pea
   Gleditsia, Locust
Fagaceae, Beech
    Quercus, Oak
Hamamelidaceae, Witch-hazel
Hippocastanaceae, Horse-chestnut
Juglandaceae, Walnut
    Carya, Hickory
    Juglans, Walnut
Lauraceae, Laurel
Magnoliaceae, Magnolia
Myricaceae, Bayberry
Oleaceae, Olive
    Fraxinus, Ash
Pinaceae, Pinus
    Abies, Fir
    Pinus, Pine

Platanaceae, Plane-tree
    Platanus, Sycamore
Rosaceae, Rose
    Crataegus, Hawthorn
Rubiaceae, Madder
Rutaceae, Rue
Salicaceae, Willow
    Populus, Cottonwood
    Salix, Willow
Tiliaceae, Lindon
    Tilia, Basswood
Ulmaceae, Elm
    Celtis, Hackberry
    Ulmus, Elm

• Limit of range- edge of distribution or disjunct from main distribution.

• Population declining- seriously declining due to habitat modification or destruction, or from over collection for commercial,

recreational, or educational purposes.

• Population vulnerability- highly vulnerable to decline due to location or human usage.

Once a species is determined to fall into one of the above categories, it is then assigned rarity status by the state of as

defined:

• Endangered- Rare and in danger of being lost from the state in the foreseeable future, or federally listed as Endangered.

• Threatened- Rare and, with further decline, could become endangered; or federally listed as Threatened.

• Special Concern- Rare in Maine, based on available information, but not sufficiently rare to be considered Threatened or

Endangered.

• Possibly Extirpated- Not known to currently exist in Maine; not field-verified (or documented) in Maine over the past 20 years.

Rare tree species present in Maine (see related links for full list):

Special Concern:

Betula pumila, Swamp birch

Castanea dentata, American chestnut

Chamaecyparis thyoides, Atlantic white-cedar

Sassafras albidum, Sassafras

Threatened:

Quercus bicolor, Swamp white oak

Quercus montana, Chestnut oak

Salix myricoides, Blue-leaf willow

Salix planifolia, Tea-leaved willow

Native plant species considered rare in Maine meet one or

more of the following state categories:

• Endemism- geographically restricted to the State or areas

immediately adjacent to the State.

• Few Populations- extremely small number of populations.

• Few Individuals- numerically scarce, small number of individual

plants.

• Special habitat- requiring habitat that is scarce in the State.

Maine Endangered or Threatened Tree Species

Additional Resources:

North American Rare and Endangered Trees

External Links:
USDA PLANTS Database
Full Maine Rare Plant List

Looking for a nursery near you?
Check out our nursery listing by county below!

Sorry, we do not currently have any tree nursery listings for this state. We do update these lists, so please check back.

treesforme.com Webutation

A firmaret radicem amittere possit foliis in vento et triturabis bacchatur durante tempestas, sed supersit quia est flexibilis. Talis est vita.

Endangered:
Carya cordiformis, Bitternut hickory
Cornus florida, Flowering dogwood
Prunus maritima, Beach plum
Quercus coccinea, Scarlet oak

Possibly Extirpated:
Platanus occidentalis, Sycamore
Ulmus rubra, Slippery Elm

National Parks in that it contains mountains, lakes, rivers, ocean front and even islands! In addition to that, one of the most famous trails in all of North America, the Appalachian Trail, ends at Mount Katahdin's Baxter Peak in Baxter State Park.
Within the rugged forests of Maine lie valleys carved by ice streams passing through mountainous areas. Glacial till, or leftover sediment and gravel, can be found just about anywhere. Large rounded boulders are commonly found, seemingly out in the middle of no where, which were left behind as the glaciers retreated. Enjoying the trees and trails of Maine also means nature lovers have a chance to see the geologic history of the area. Bedrock exposures like the Knife Edge of Mount Katahdin, or wave swept bedrock at Pemaquid Point in Bristol, are a window into the Earth's violent past. While walking among some of the tallest tree species in eastern North America, you may even glimpse 500 million year old remnant lava tubes, hardened into "pillows", Metamorphic rocks created by intense heat and pressure beneath the earth's surface, or stumble upon Maine's most famous mineral- tourmaline. There are even public mines open for the latter!
The forests of Maine really do harbor giants. One of the most famous trees, Herbie, was the largest American Elm tree in New England. It reached 217 years old before succumbing to disease and was felled in 2010. The tallest tree in Maine is said to be a 135 foot tall red spruce located in Blanchard. Other state champions (2010) include a yellow poplar, standing 129 feet, and a 126 foot eastern cottonwood.

Photo citation: Robert H. Mohlenbrock USDA NRCS 1995. Northeast wetland flora; Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester

2001, this giant from the 2010 Big Tree Registry is located in Morill.
Eastern white pine's bark is smooth and gray on young trees, becoming broken into small plates when mature. The root system is deep, 40 inches or so, with spreading laterals and has no distinct tap root. The needles are 3-5 inches long, bundled in 5's and

dark green. They are soft, flexible, fine and persist to the second year. Beginning at age 5-10, curved, 4-8 inch long spine free cones start growing. Male strobili open and disperse pollen from April to June, depending on location. It will take 2 years for cones to mature. Seeds are typical of pines in their small size, .08 inches, brown color and single winged. Dispersal is from August to September.
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The Pine Tree State, 'I lead'