Tree Species

Click Here for list of tree species native to Indiana. Click Here to explore native trees at Purdue University Arboretum. There are varieties and cultivars for many tree species. A variety refers to a variation within a plant species that develops naturally in the environment.  A cultivar is a plant that people have cultivated for desired traits, and which retains those traits when propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, or carefully controlled seed production.

Tree Species	Small <25 ft.	Medium	Large >40 ft.	Native 1	Invasive/ Undesirable 1	Flowering	Edible Fruit/ nut	(D)eciduous/ (E)vergreen
Ash (Black, Blue, Pumpkin, White)			X	Yes	No 7	No	No	D
Ash - Green			X	Yes	No 7	No	No	D
Aspen - Big toothed			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Aspen - Quaking			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Bamboo				No	Yes 11	No	No	E
Basswood - American			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Beech - American			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Birch (Gray, Paper, Yellow)				Yes	No	No	No	D
Birch - River			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Blackgum (Tupelo)		X		Yes	No	No	No	D
Buckeye - Ohio		X		Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Buckeye - Yellow			X	Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Butternut			X	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	D
Callery Pear		X		No	Yes	Yes	No 2	D
Catalpa - Northern			X	Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Cedar - Eastern Red		X		Yes	No	No	No	E
Cedar - Northern White		X		Yes	No	No	No	E
Cherry - Black			X	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	D
Chestnut - American			X	Yes	No	No	Yes	D
Chokecherry		X		Yes	No	Yes	Yes	D
Coffeetree - Kentucky			X	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	D
Cottonwood - Eastern			X	Yes	No 10	No	No	D
Cottonwood - Swamp (Downy Poplar)			X	Yes	No 10	Yes	No	D
Crabapple (Sweet, Prairie, American, Royal Raindrops, Sargent, Purple Prince, Spring Snow, Prairie Fire)	X			Yes 4	No	Yes	Yes	D
Cypress - Bald			X	Yes	No	No	No	D 3
Dawn Redwood			X	No	No	No	No	D 3
Dogwood (Flowering, Pagoda, Roughleaf, Cherokee Chief, Stellar Pink)	X			Yes 5	No	Yes	No	D
Elm - Accolade		X		No 14	No	No	No	D
Elm - American			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Elm - Allee lacebark			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Elm - Frontier		X		No 14	No	No	No	D
Elm - Homestead			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Elm - Princeton			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Elm - Rock			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Elm - Slippery (red)			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Elm - Valley Forge			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Elm - Winged			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Ginkgo			X	No	No 13	No	No	D
Goldenrain		X		No	No	Yes	No	D
Hackberry			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Hawthorn (Cockspur thorn, Dotted, Downy, Green)		X		Yes 16	No 15	Yes	No	D
Hawthorn - Winter King green		X		No 14	No	Yes	No	D
Hemlock - Eastern			X	Yes	No	No	No	E
Hickory - Bitternut			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Hickory - Mockernut			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Hickory - Pale (Sand)			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Hickory - Pignut			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Hickory - Red			X	Yes	No	No	Yes	D
Hickory - Shagbark			X	Yes	No	No	Yes	D
Hickory - Shellbark			X	Yes	No	No	Yes	D
Honeylocust			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Honeylocust (thornless)			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Honeysuckle - Bush Asian				No	Yes	Yes	No	D
Hop hornbeam		X		Yes	No	No	No	D
Hornbeam (Blue Beech)		X		Yes	No	No	No	D
Horsechestnut			X	No	No	Yes	No	D
Lilac - Japanese Tree		X		No	No	Yes	No	D
Linden - Littleleaf			X	No	No	No	No	D
Locust - Black			X	Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Magnolia - Cucumber			X	Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Magnolia - Saucer		X		No	No	Yes	No	D
Magnolia - Umbrella		X		Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Maple - Autumn Blaze Red			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Maple - Japanese	X			No	No	No	No	D
Maple - Norway			X	No	Yes	No	No	D
Maple - Paperbark		X		No	No	No	No	D
Maple - Silver			X	Yes	Yes 9	No	No	D
Maple - State Street Miyabe			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Maple - Sugar			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Mimosa (Silk Tree)		X		No	Yes	Yes	No	D
Mulberry - Black		X		No	No	No	Yes	D
Mulberry - Red			X	Yes	Yes 8	No	Yes	D
Mulberry - White			X	No	No	No	Yes	D
Oak - Black			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Blackjack		X		Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Bur			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Cherrybark			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Chestnut			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Chinkapin			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Crimsom Spire			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Oak - Dream			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - English			X	No	No	No	No	D
Oak - Northern Pin			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Northern Red			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Overcup			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Pin			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Post			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Red			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Scarlet			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Shingle			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Shumard			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Southern Red			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Swamp Chestnut			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - Swamp White			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Oak - White			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Osage Orange (Hedge Apple)		X		Yes	No	No	No	D
Pawpaw	X			Yes	No	Yes	Yes	D
Pecan			X	Yes	No	No	Yes	D
Persimmon			X	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	D
Pine - Eastern White			X	Yes	No	No	No	E
Pine - Jack			X	Yes	No	No	No	E
Pine - Virginia			X	Yes	No	No	No	E
Planetree - London			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Poplar (Black, White, Lombardy, Canadian, Necklace, Balsam, Gray)			X	No	No 10	No	No	D
Redbud - Eastern	X			Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Rubber - Hardy			X	No	No	No	No	D
Sassafras	X			Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Serviceberry	X			Yes 6	No	Yes	Yes	D
Sourwood		X		Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Spruce (Alberta, Serbian, Norway, White, Engelmann's)			X	No	No	No	No	E
Spruce - Colorado Blue			X	No	No	No	No	E
Staghorn Sumac	X			Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Sweetgum			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Sweetgum - Rotundiloba			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Sweetgum - Slender Silhouette			X	No 14	No	No	No	D
Sycamore - American			X	Yes	No	No	No	D
Tamarack			X	Yes	No	No	No	E
Tree of Heaven			X	No	Yes	Yes	No	D
Tulip Tree			X	Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Walnut - Black			X	Yes	No	No	Yes	D
Walnut - English			X	No	No	No	Yes	D
Willow - Black		X		Yes	No 12	No	No	D
Willow - Peachleaf			X	Yes	No 12	No	No	D
Willow - Weeping		X		No	No 12	No	No	D
Yellowwood		X		Yes	No	Yes	No	D
Zelkova			X	No	No	Yes	No	D

1. Referring to central Indiana
2. Some have non-edible fruit
3. Deciduous conifer
4. Sweet, American and Prairie Crabapple trees are native and others are not
5. Some dogwood trees are cultivars and not native
6. Downy and Smooth Serviceberry are native
7. Not recommended to plant at this time because of the Emerald Ash Borer
8. Not recommended because of very aggressive spreading by birds
9. Not recommended because of very weak wood
10. Not recommended for some locations because of weak wood and aggressive roots may damage sewer pipes or foundations
11. Not recommended as very aggressive
12. Not recommended for some locations because roots may damage sewer pipes
13. Female tree is less desirable due to odor and messy fruits
14. Cultivar
15. Not recommended for some locations because of thorns/spines
16. Mayhaw tree varieties are not native

More Information:

Click Here for more information about trees from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Click Here for more information about trees from the Morton Arboretum.

Click Here to explore trees at the Purdue University Arboretum.

Click Here for more information about trees from the Leafy Place.

Click Here for more information about trees from the North Carolina University Extension.