And why do you like it so much?
Eucalyptus. Houses koalas, smells nice, is sturdy, and has a chance to explode when on fire due to the oil inside.
I’m going to go with white oak. The wood is very versatile; it’s strong enough for load bearing furniture, it’s hard enough for tabletops, it steam bends quite nicely, it’s just a joy to work with, looks wonderful under an oil finish, and it lends a nice flavor to whiskey.
Dogwood. Hidden away under the canopy, reaching out and up to find sunshine in the PNW rain forest. Beautiful white spring flowers.
After leaving my beloved PNW when I was 12 to move to smoggy searing Los Angeles and missing the green and rain for 45 years, I’m back. We just bought a dogwood for the backyard. So excited for spring.
Balanced binary tree
Real answer: Japanese maple and willows
Charlie Brown christmas tree. Are there Christmas tree bonsais?
I don’t think its very common in the US but The pōhutukawa tree
The pōhutukawa tree is a special part of New Zealand culture, often called the “New Zealand Christmas tree” because of its bright red flowers that bloom in December. It’s seen as a symbol of strength and resilience, especially since it grows along rugged coastlines. For Māori, it has deep spiritual meaning—there’s even an ancient pōhutukawa at Cape Reinga where spirits are believed to begin their journey to the afterlife. Plus, it’s great for the environment, providing food and shelter for native birds and insects.
We have a big maple in our yard and more through the neighborhood. The sound of wind running through their leaves is very calming.
So anyway, I love those dark maples with the leaves that are so blue they’re almost black in certain light. I call them goth maples.
Picture:
Oh wow it’s about as close as you can get
Japanese Maple. Had one by the front door of the house I grew up in. Reminds me of my childhood home.
Oh the colors
Everything about the Gingko tree is pretty cool
It really is a cool tree, but man, having to walk near fallen gingko nuts every day during the autumn is kind of torture.
Redbud. It’s got such pretty blossoms and the leaves are a really pleasing shape.
It’s the State tree of Oklahoma. When my neighbors’ redbud starts making pods, I’m gonna snag a bunch, refrigerate them over winter, then scarify and try to get a few to germinate the following spring. It takes probably 5 or so years to start getting flowers, but I really love everything about these trees, not just their awesome flowers. The heart shaped leaves they develop in summer are so cute.
Despite being really really invasive here in Europe, I love the Staghorn Sumac.
It’s very pretty, with great flowers and soft furry branches (like antlers). You can make an amazing “lemonade” from the fruits and you can eat the shoots raw.
And eating the shoots raw is a great idea, because it branches out like crazy. If your neighbors have one of these, you’ll soon have half a dozen too.
They also grow pretty fast, and the wood is super pretty (and super curvy, so you won’t be making any boards out of it)
I’ll keep my eyes open for those next spring
I’ve got three and I’ve been trying to grow each from seed:
- Dawn Redwood because it has an incredible backstory, it is a true redwood contrary to popular belief, and It easily grows where I’m at.
- Giant Sequoia because they are massive, it is also a true redwood, and it can allegedly grow where I’m at.
- Cedar of Lebanon because I grew up in one of the many U.S. towns of Lebanon named for the trees as referenced in that religious book and I remember the original Cedar of Lebanon referenced in that story I linked.
Unfortunately, I can’t get the Giant Sequoias past a few inches tall while even acknowledging their infamous 20% germination rate. The Cedar of Lebanon seeds I can’t even get to germinate but I also haven’t found as much academic literature on cultivating them from seeds.
Shoutout to the Ginkgo Biloba for being one of the OG trees, also.
Love me a magnolia tree
