What types of trees are there in the world?

What types of trees are there? In the world in which we have lived there are thousands of species of these plants, which fortunately can be classified in many ways: according to the leaf they have, depending on their place of origin, taking into account the genus to which they belong … and a -very- long etcetera.

Knowing them should always be a reason for joy, as humans depend, to a greater or lesser extent, on them. And I’m not just talking about the oxygen that their leaves expel when photosynthesizing, but also because of the shade and, in many cases, the food they provide. So that, go for it.

What is a tree?

Although we all know how to recognize a tree when we see it, especially if it is of a certain size, it is also true that doubts sometimes arise. And, there are certain plants that are still considered trees despite the fact that it has been shown that they have nothing to do with it.

With this in mind, and to avoid confusion, it is important to know that a tree is a woody plant, usually with a single trunk, which branches from a certain height (It will depend on the species: some do it from two meters, others from five, others at six …) and that has a total height of more than five meters.

Unlike other plants, the tree has what is known as secondary growth, which allows it to thicken its trunk as much as its genetics tell it. This is possible thanks to the wood, specifically to the cambium (layer that is just behind the bark), which grows and gets fatter over the years, until it reaches its final size.

But and then what is NOT a tree?

Trees are dicotyledonous plants. This means that two cotyledons develop in the seeds, which when germinating will be the first two primitive leaves. As they grow, the annual rings are formed, which are those that we see when we cut a branch or trunk. But in addition, its flowers are usually of an easily visible size, usually composed of 4 and 5 petals.

But there are some plants that resemble our protagonists but are not: the monocots. A clear example that is repeated a lot is the palm tree. The palm tree is not only not a tree, but it is a megaforbia (giant grass) and, therefore, when germinating a single cotyledon appears. The flowers of the palms are tiny, always grouped in more or less hanging inflorescences, and their root system is superficial.

How many species of trees are there?

It is a bit difficult to know exactly how many species of trees there are, because the planet is huge, and although the human population is equally astonishing, we must not forget that we are deforesting forests and jungles, and that on the other hand every so often a new species.

Even so, a group of researchers, specifically, half a thousand, has created the first general catalog called GlobalTreeSearch. It includes 60.065 species of trees around the world, a number that will increase as the investigation progresses.

List of trees for garden

There are many types, so many that it is impossible not to find the right species for our garden. If you don’t believe me, here is a sample:

Fallen Leaf

The Trees of feeble leaves They are those that lose the leaf at some certain time of the year, either because the dry and very hot season is approaching, or because the cold and / or frost are approaching.

Acer

Maple trees are native trees and shrubs especially in the northern hemisphere characterized by their more or less divided palmate leaves. Some, like Acer pseudoplatanus o fake banana, can reach 30 meters in heightwith a 6-7 meter diameter crown. Its flowers are very tiny, 1 to 6mm long, whitish and / or pink in color.

They resist frosts down to -18ºC.

Aesculus

The Aesculus are trees -and some shrubs- native to the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. The best known species is the Aesculus hippocastanus o Horse Chestnut, a plant that grows up to 30 meters high with a crown of about 6-7 meters in diameter. Its flowers are grouped in white or reddish inflorescences, depending on the variety.

They resist frosts down to -18ºC without problems.

Bauhinia

Bauhinia are trees known as orchid trees for producing flowers that are certainly reminiscent of orchids. They are often called as cow’s foot, urapes, or mountain ivory. They grow between 5 and 15 metersdepending on the variety.

They resist weak frosts down to -7ºC.

Cercis

Cercis are trees native to the northern hemisphere that reach heights between 6 and 20 meters depending on the variety. The best known is the You are looking for a forestwhich is an ideal plant for small gardens that enjoy a temperate or warm-temperate climate, as it does not usually exceed 6m, and thus and everything resists pruning well.

They resist frosts down to -18ºC.

Evergreen

The evergreen trees are those that remain evergreen. But do not make the mistake of thinking that they never lose their leaves, because it is not like that. What happens is that you are they fall throughout the year as new ones emerge. There are plants that, due to the conditions of their habitat, do keep them for several years and then drop some, but they are exceptional cases, typical of very, very cold climates.

cedar

Cedars are conifers native to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Himalayas characterized by the large size they reach (up to 40 meters high, with a canopy of up to 8m). Despite this, they are widely cultivated in large gardens, since they are very grateful plants and of great ornamental value.

They resist up to -18ºC.

Citrus

Citrus is a genus of trees or saplings, the vast majority fruit bearing, originating in tropical and subtropical Asia. This group includes such well-known and popular plants as Citrus x sinensis (Orange tree), Citrus x lemon (lemon Tree), citrus maxima (chinese grapefruit), Or Citrus medica (citrus). They grow between 5 and 15 metersand produce fruits, many edible, rich in vitamin C and citric acid.

They are ideal for small gardens, and even for pots. Of course, they resist weak frosts down to -4ºC.

Olea

It is a genus of trees native to the warm temperate and tropical regions of southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia, and Australasia. They reach a height of 6 to 18 meterswith a trunk that is usually thick. The most popular species is European oils (olive tree), since it produces fruits – olives – that are edible, and that also resists drought very well as it is native to the Mediterranean.

They resist weak frosts down to -7ºC.

Pinus

Pines are conifers native to the northern hemisphere that grow to heights between 10 and 25 meters. Many of them are cultivated for their beauty as well as for their pine nuts, such as the Pine tree or stone pine. They are plants that need a lot of space, since their roots extend a lot (about 10 meters or more horizontally).

They resist frosts down to -18ºC.

And with this we are done. What do you think of the trees? 🙂