North American Rare or Endangered Native Trees

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Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia Arn.)
Common names: Stinking Cedar,
Florida Nutmeg, Polecat Cedar...
Height: 30-40 ft
Diameter: 12-20 inches
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no- evergreen conifer
Drought tolerance: low
Annual rainfall: 30-60 inches
Soil Needs: moist, sandy loam
Frost Free Days: 270
Minimum Tempurature (F): 12
Growth Rate: moderate
Shade Tolerance: differs with age
...more

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Torreya taxifolia North American Native Distribution Map

ENDANGERED

It typically grows between 30-40 ft in height but once stood up to 50 ft. Sadly, there are no large trees left in their natural habitat. Florida Torreya is on the federal list of endangered species as well as Florida and Georgia's. It is estimated there are only 1,500 trees left in the wild and its demise has been
...more

Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana Balf.)

Common names: Southern Foxtail

Pine, Northern Foxtail Pine, Sierra...

Height: 20-50 ft, champion 76 ft

Diameter: 1-2 ft

Showy flower: no

Fall colors: no-evergreen

Drought tolerant:

Annual rainfall:

Soil Needs: well-draining, infertile...

Frost Free Days:

Minimum Tempurature (F):

Growth Rate: slow

Longevity:

State List: CA ... more

RARE
The champion Foxtail Pine in the Trinity National Forest is 76 feet tall, but the typical height is between 20-50 feet and 1-2 feet in diameter. It is a slow growing tree. The reddish-brown bark is furrowed and vertically ridged. Twigs are red-brown when young, turning yellowish-gray when mature. It's needles are short, only 1-2 ...more

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Pinus balfouriana North American Native Distribution Map

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-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

North American Rare or Endangered Species

Welcome to our trees in peril page. Here you will find trees that are rare or listed with the United States or Canadian governments as threatened or endangered. This is an ongoing list and will be updated as new species are added to our site.

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

For state A-Z list click state name below.

Species at Risk Act (S.A.R.A.) of 2003, defines them in a similar way.

Additional United States resouces:
USDA PLANTS Database
Nature Serve

Additional Canadian resources:
Nature Canada
Canadian Wildlife Federation

• Rare Trees

• United States List

• Canadian List

• View State Endangered

What are rare trees?

Rare trees are not necessarily threatened or endangered. In most cases, the native distribution is a small area due to geological and/or environmental restraints, or growth requirements. Criteria for rare plants generally are as follows:

    • 20 to 35 extant sites, or
    • 3,000 to 5,000 individuals statewide.

What does 'Endangered' or 'Threatened' Status mean?

Endangered:
• 5 or fewer extant sites, or
    • fewer than 1,000 individuals

North American Rare Trees

Additional Resources:

• California Native Plant Society

• New York State Dept. of Convervation

• Portland State University, Oregon Biodiversity

Information Center

• Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

Rare plants do not usually have protection like those with designation like 'threatened' or 'endangered'; however, they may still be protected under local laws. In New York for example, rare plants have been protected since 1933, but it is the land owner, not the government, who is responsible.
See additional resources for more information.

The U.S. Endangered Species Act defines the terms as species that are "in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range," while threatened refers to “those animals and plants likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges.” While apparently not as enforced as in the United States, Canada's

Threatened:
• 6 to fewer than 20 extant sites, or
• 1,000 to fewer than 3,000 individuals

A firmaret radicem flectit et clamoribus durante tempestas, sed supersit quia est flexibilis. Talis vita est.

Canada:

Threatened:
Fraxinus quadrangulata- Blue Ash
Castanea dentata- American Chestnut
Morus rubra- Red Mulberry
Gymnocladus dioicus- Kentucky Coffee Tree

Endangered:
Magnolia acuminata- Cucumber Tree

United States:

Threatened:

Betula uber- Virginia roundleaf birch
Hesperocyparis goveniana- Gowen cypress

Endangered:

Cercocarpus traskiae- Catalina Island mountain mahogany
Fremontodendron mexicanum- Mexican flannelbush
Hesperocyparis abramsiana- Santa Cruz cypressLindera melissifolia- Pondberry, Southern spicebush
Torreya taxifolia- Florida Torreya, Stinking Cedar, Florida nutmeg
Chionanthus pygmaeus- pygmy fringetree (shrub)

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