Common Trees In Georgia and How to Spot Them
To the untrained eye, many trees look the same. They’re tall and leafy, aren’t they? Must be a tree. But to the more discerning eye, understanding the variations between common Georgia trees is not only a satisfying skill to have, but it can also help you make better decisions in your own garden. With this in mind we’ve outlined some of the most common Georgia trees and how to spot their distinguishing characteristics using your plain old peepers!
Maple
A wide variety of maples grows in Georgia, the most prominent being red maple and sugar maple. It’s easy to spot these trees due to their large leaves, which are palmate (leaf lobes spreading from the stem) and typically display bright autumn colors. Sugar maple is orange to red in autumn, while red maple is yellow to red in autumn and a deeper but rustier red the rest of the year.
Shagbark Hickory with its fall colors reaching for the sky
Hickory
Hickories tend to be quite large – usually taller than 60 feet – with pinnate leaves (veins in neat rows spreading from the long center vein of the leaf) that grow in compound sets. They are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in fall and grow new ones in spring. Trunks are gray to brown, grow coarser with age and often display a diamond pattern once mature.
Oak
Oaks have lobed, waxy leaves and large, spreading crowns that may be globular or semi-circular in nature. Their branches typically start low to the ground, giving them short trunks and making them excellent shade trees for properties and parks. Common species include white oak, scarlet oak, and water oak, though there are many more.
Pine
Pine trees are another common Georgia tree with a huge variety of species. They are evergreen and grow quickly relative to other trees, their needles growing in bunches along the branches. Young pines typically have a more slender form and often round as they age. Species include white pine, Virginia pine and longleaf pine, among others.
Of course, there are many other trees in Georgia, including ash, gum, chestnut, and buckeye. American beech, Sugarberry, American Yellowwood, holly, Eastern Red Cedar and others all abound as well!
If you need further help with trees in your yard, please feel free to give Premier Tree Solutions a call at 404-252-6448 or contact us here! We’re a growing tree removal business in Atlanta and can help you with all your tree-related needs. We also assist with storm cleanup, stump removal and grinding, tree trimming and branch removal and more.
