A list of tree species, grouped generally by biogeographic realm and specifically by bioregions, and shade tolerance. Shade-tolerant species are species that are able to thrive in the shade, and in the presence of natural competition by other plants. Shade-intolerant species require full

sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...

and little or no competition. Intermediate shade-tolerant trees fall somewhere in between the two.

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

Nearctic realm The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

Eastern North America

Shade tolerant * '' Abies balsamea'', Balsam Fir * ''

Acer negundo ''Acer negundo'', the box elder, boxelder maple, Manitoba maple or ash-leaved maple, is a species of maple native to North America. It is a fast-growing, short-lived tree with opposite, compound leaves. It is sometimes considered a weedy or inv ...

'', Boxelder * ''

Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prima ...

'', Sugar Maple * '' Aesculus spp.'', Buckeyes * '' Carpinus caroliniana'', American Hornbeam * '' Carya laciniosa'', Shellbark Hickory * '' Chamaecyparis thyoides'', Atlantic White Cypress or Atlantic White Cedar * ''

Cornus florida ''Cornus florida'', the flowering dogwood, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America and northern Mexico. An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal Maine south to northern Florida ...

'', Flowering Dogwood * '' Diospyros spp.'', Persimmon * '' Fagus grandifolia'', American Beech * '' Ilex opaca'', American Holly * '' Magnolia grandiflora'', Southern Magnolia * '' Morus rubra'', Red Mulberry * '' Nyssa spp.'', Tupelos * '' Ostrya virginiana'', Eastern Hophornbeam * '' Picea glauca'', White Spruce * '' Picea mariana'', Black Spruce * '' Picea rubens'', Red Spruce * ''

Tilia americana ''Tilia americana'' is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to ...

'', Basswood * '' Thuja occidentalis'', Northern White Cedar * '' Tsuga canadensis'', Eastern Hemlock Intermediate shade tolerant * '' Acer rubrum'', Red Maple * '' Acer saccharinum'', Silver Maple * ''

Betula alleghaniensis ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...

'', Yellow Birch * ''

Betula lenta ''Betula lenta'' (sweet birch, also known as black birch, cherry birch, mahogany birch, or spice birch) is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mounta ...

'', Sweet Birch * '' Carya spp.'', Hickories (except for Shellbark) * ''

Castanea dentata The American chestnut (''Castanea dentata'') is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. As is true of all species in genus Castanea, the American chestnut produces burred fruit with edible nuts. ...

'', American Chestnut * ''

Celtis occidentalis ''Celtis occidentalis'', commonly known as the common hackberry, is a large deciduous tree native to North America. It is also known as the nettletree, sugarberry, beaverwood, northern hackberry, and American hackberry. It is a moderately long-l ...

'', Hackberry * '' Fraxinus americana'', White Ash * '' Fraxinus pennsylvanica'', Green Ash * '' Fraxinus nigra'', Black Ash * '' Magnolia spp.'', Magnolias * '' Quercus alba'', White Oak * '' Quercus macrocarpa'', Bur Oak * '' Quercus nigra'', Water Oak * ''

Quercus rubra ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been introdu ...

'', Northern Red Oak * ''

Pinus elliottii ''Pinus elliottii'', commonly known as slash pine,Family, P. P. (1990). Pinus elliottii Engelm. slash pine. ''Silvics of North America: Conifers'', (654), 338. is a conifer tree native to the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after ...

'', Slash Pine * ''

Pinus strobus ''Pinus strobus'', commonly called the eastern white pine, northern white pine, white pine, Weymouth pine (British), and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It occurs from Newfoundland, Canada west through the Great Lake ...

'', Eastern White Pine * '' Taxodium distichum'', Bald Cypress * '' Ulmus americana'', American Elm * ''

Ulmus thomasii ''Ulmus thomasii'', the rock elm or cork elm (or orme liège in Québec), is a deciduous tree native primarily to the Midwestern United States. The tree ranges from southern Ontario and Quebec, south to Tennessee, west to northeastern Kansas, ...

'', Rock Elm Shade intolerant * '' Betula papyrifera'', Paper Birch * '' Betula populifolia'', Gray Birch * '' Catalpa spp.'', Catalpas * '' Carya illinoinensis'', Pecan * '' Gymnocladus dioicus'', Kentucky Coffee Tree * '' Juglans cinerea'', Butternut * '' Juglans nigra'', Black Walnut * '' Juniperus virginiana'', Eastern Red Cedar * ''

Larix laricina ''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and als ...

'', Tamarack * ''

Liriodendron tulipifera ''Liriodendron tulipifera''—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus ''Liriodendron'' (the other ...

'', Yellow poplar * '' Maclura pomifera'', Osage Orange * '' Pinus banksiana'', Jack Pine * '' Pinus echinata'', Shortleaf Pine * '' Pinus palustris'', Longleaf Pine * '' Pinus resinosa'', Red Pine * '' Pinus rigida'', Pitch Pine * '' Pinus taeda'', Loblolly pine * '' Pinus virginiana'', Virginia Pine * '' Platanus occidentalis'', Sycamore * '' Populus deltoides'', Eastern Cottonwood * '' Populus grandidentata'', Big-Tooth Aspen * '' Populus tremuloides'', Quaking Aspen * '' Prunus pensylvanica'', Pin Cherry * '' Prunus serotina'', Black Cherry * '' Robinia pseudoacacia'', Black Locust * '' Salix spp.'', Willows * '' Sassafras spp.'', Sassafras

Western North America

Shade tolerant * '' Abies amabilis'', Pacific Silver Fir * '' Abies concolor'', White Fir * '' Abies grandis'', Grand Fir * '' Abies lasiocarpa'', Alpine Fir * '' Acer circinatum'', Vine Maple * '' Acer macrophyllum'', Big-leaf Maple * '' Arbutus arizonica'', Arizona Madrone * ''

Arbutus menziesii ''Arbutus menziesii'' or Pacific madrone (commonly madrone or madrona in the United States and arbutus in Canada), is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the western coastal areas of North America, from Bri ...

'', Pacific Madrone * '' Arbutus xalapensis'', Texas Madrone * ''

Cupressus nootkatensis ''Callitropsis nootkatensis'', formerly known as ''Cupressus nootkatensis'' ( syn. ''Xanthocyparis nootkatensis'') is a species of trees in the cypress family native to the coastal regions of northwestern North America. This species goes by many ...

'', Nootka Cypress * '' Calocedrus decurrens'', California Incense-cedar * '' Notholithocarpus densiflorus'', Tan Oak * '' Picea engelmannii'', Engelmann Spruce * '' Picea sitchensis'', Sitka Spruce * '' Quercus chrysolepis'', Canyon Live Oak * ''

Sebastiania pavoniana ''Sebastiania pavoniana'' is a species of tree in the spurge family native to Mexico and northwest Costa Rica. It is the 'bean' part of the Mexican jumping bean, despite not being a legume like true beans. The 'jumping' is provided by the larv ...

'', Mexican jumping bean * '' Sequoia sempervirens'', Coast Redwood * '' Sequoiadendron giganteum'', Giant Sequoia * '' Taxus brevifolia'', Pacific Yew * '' Thuja plicata'' Western Red Cedar * ''

Torreya californica ''Torreya californica'' is a species of conifer endemic to California, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is commonly known as California torreya or California nutmeg tree (although not closely rel ...

'', California Torreya * '' Tsuga heterophylla'', Western Hemlock * '' Tsuga mertensiana'', Mountain Hemlock * '' Umbellularia californica'', California Laurel Intermediate shade tolerant * '' Abies magnifica'', Red Fir * '' Alnus rubra'', Red Alder * '' Cercis canadensis'', Texas Redbud * '' Chrysolepis spp.'', Golden Chinquapin * ''

Fraxinus latifolia ''Fraxinus latifolia'', the Oregon ash, is a member of the ash genus '' Fraxinus'', native to western North America. Description ''Fraxinus latifolia'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree that can grow to heights of in height, with a trunk diame ...

'', Oregon Ash * '' Juniperus ashei'', Ashe Juniper * '' Picea pungens'', Colorado Blue spruce * ''

Prunus mexicana ''Prunus mexicana'', commonly known as the Mexican plum, is a North American species of plum tree that can be found in the central United States and Northern Mexico. Description ''Prunus mexicana'' has a single trunk and reaches a height of . ...

'', Mexican Plum * '' Pinus lambertiana'', Sugar Pine * ''

Pinus monticola Western white pine (''Pinus monticola''), also called silver pine and California mountain pine, is a species of pine in the family Pinaceae. It occurs in mountain ranges of northwestern North America. It is the List of U.S. state trees, state tre ...

'' Western White Pine * '' Pinus radiata'', Monterey Pine * '' Pseudotsuga spp.'', Douglas-fir * '' Quercus garryana'', Oregon White Oak * '' Quercus lobata'', valley oak Shade intolerant * '' Abies procera'', Noble Fir * '' Juniperus californica'', California Juniper * '' Juniperus deppeana'', Alligator Juniper * '' Juniperus monosperma'', One-seed Juniper * '' Juniperus occidentalis'', Western Juniper * '' Juniperus osteosperma'', Utah Juniper * '' Juniperus scopulorum'', Rocky Mountain Juniper * '' Larix lyallii'', Alpine Larch * '' Larix occidentalis'', Western Larch * '' Pinus albicaulis'', Whitebark Pine * '' Pinus aristata'', Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine * ''

Pinus attenuata The knobcone pine, ''Pinus attenuata'' (also called ''Pinus tuberculata''), is a tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils. It ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to Baja California with the greatest concentration in northern Calif ...

'', Knobcone Pine * '' Pinus balfouriana'', Foxtail Pine * '' Pinus contorta'', Lodgepole Pine * '' Pinus coulteri'', Coulter Pine * '' Pinus flexilis'', Limber Pine * '' Pinus jeffreyi'', Jeffrey Pine * '' Pinus longaeva'', Great Basin Bristlecone Pine * '' Pinus muricata'', Bishop Pine * ''

Pinus ponderosa ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

'', Ponderosa Pine * ''

Pinus sabineana ''Pinus sabiniana'' (sometimes spelled ''P. sabineana''), with vernacular names including towani pine, foothill pine, gray pine, bull pine, and digger pine, is a pine endemic to California in the United States. Some sources discourage using the n ...

'', Gray Pine * '' Pinus Ducampopinus spp.'', Piñon Pines * '' Populus fremontii'', Fremont Cottonwood * '' Populus tremuloides'', Quaking aspen

Eurasia

Palearctic realm

Central Europe

Shade tolerant * '' Abies alba'', European Silver Fir, especially shade tolerant * ''

Acer platanoides ''Acer platanoides'', commonly known as the Norway maple, is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from Spain east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It was introduced to ...

'', Norway Maple * ''

Acer pseudoplatanus ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of flowering plant in the Sapindus, soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved ...

'', Sycamore Maple * ''

Carpinus betulus ''Carpinus betulus'', the European or common hornbeam, is a species of tree in the birch family Betulaceae, native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, ...

'', European Hornbeam * '' Fagus sylvatica'', European Beech, especially shade tolerant * ''

Ilex aquifolium ''Ilex aquifolium'', the holly, common holly, English holly, European holly, or occasionally Christmas holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family (botany), family Aquifoliaceae, native plant, native to western and southern Europe, nort ...

'', European Holly * '' Ostrya carpinifolia'', European Hop-Hornbeam * '' Prunus avium'', Wild Cherry * '' Sorbus domestica'', True Service Tree * '' Sorbus torminalis'', Wild Service Tree * '' Taxus baccata'', European Yew, especially shade tolerant * '' Ulmus glabra'', Wych Elm * '' Ulmus laevis'', European White Elm Intermediate shade tolerant * '' Acer campestre'', Field Maple * '' Acer monspessulanum'', Montpellier Maple * '' Acer opalus'', Italian Maple * '' Alnus glutinosa'', Black Alder * '' Alnus incana'', Grey Alder * '' Castanea sativa'', Sweet Chestnut * '' Fraxinus excelsior'', European Ash * ''

Fraxinus ornus ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergr ...

'', Manna Ash * '' Juglans regia'', Common Walnut * '' Mespilus germanica'', Common Medlar * '' Picea abies'', Norway Spruce * ''

Pinus cembra ''Pinus cembra'', also known as Swiss pine, Swiss stone pine or Arolla pine or Austrian stone pine or just stone pine, is a species of a pine tree in the subgenus ''Strobus''. Description The Swiss pine is a member of the white pine group, ...

'', Swiss Pine * ''

Prunus padus ''Prunus padus'', known as bird cherry, hackberry, hagberry, or Mayday tree, is a flowering plant in the rose family. It is a species of cherry, a deciduous small tree or large shrub up to tall. It is the type species of the subgenus '' Padus' ...

'', Bird Cherry * '' Pyrus pyraster'', European Wild Pear * '' Quercus cerris'', Turkey Oak * '' Quercus petraea'', Sessile Oak * ''

Sorbus aria ''Sorbus aria'' ( syn. ''Aria nivea''), the whitebeam or common whitebeam, is a deciduous tree, the type species of the subgenus ''Sorbus'' subg. ''Aria'' of the genus ''Sorbus''. It is native to most of Europe as well as North Africa (Algeria, M ...

'', Whitebeam * ''

Sorbus aucuparia ''Sorbus aucuparia'', commonly called rowan (UK: /ˈrəʊən/, US: /ˈroʊən/) and mountain-ash, is a species of deciduous tree or shrub in the rose family. It is a highly variable species, and botanists have used different Circumscription (taxo ...

'', European Rowan * '' Sorbus intermedia'', Swedish Whitebeam * '' Tilia cordata'', Small-leafed Linden * '' Tilia platyphyllos'', Large-leafed LindenLinden trees are sometimes regarded as shade-tolerant and sometimes as light-loving. Two German papers claim that light requirements of ''Tilia platyphyllos'' are greater than of ''Tilia cordata'' and that they change with climate, age of the tree and soil quality

* '' Ulmus minor'', Field Elm Shade intolerant * '' Betula pendula'', Silver Birch, especially high light requirement * '' Betula pubescens'', Downy Birch * '' Juniperus communis'', Common Juniper * '' Larix decidua'', European Larch, especially high light requirement * '' Malus sylvestris'', European Crab Apple * '' Pinus mugo'', Mountain Pine * ''

Pinus nigra ''Pinus nigra'', the Austrian pine or black pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across Southern Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to the eastern Mediterranean, on the Anatolian peninsula of Turkey, Corsica and Cyprus, as wel ...

'', European Black Pine * '' Pinus sylvestris'', Scots Pine * '' Populus alba'', Silver Poplar * '' Populus nigra'', Black Poplar * '' Populus tremula'', Aspen * '' Quercus pubescens'', Downy Oak * '' Quercus robur'', Pedunculate Oak * '' Salix alba'', White Willow * '' Salix caprea'', Goat Willow * '' Salix fragilis'', Crack Willow

External links

Tolerance of Tree Species
an encyclopedia of characteristics for around 200 tree species native to the United States published by the United States Forest Service.
Zeigerwerte der Pflanzen Mitteleuropas (German)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Tree Species By Shade Tolerance Trees Shade-tolerance Shade tolerance list Shade tolerance