The state tree of Massachusetts is the American Elm tree. This glorious tree turns a vibrant gold in autumn and has billowy leaves that dance in the breeze. The state is home to many species of trees with with Red Maple the most common by number and Eastern White Pine the most common by volume.
In this guide, we’ve laid out info on the most common trees in Boston and a visual of their leaves during peak foliage, so now you can not only appreciate the changing leaves but also recognize them and learn a little bit more about why they turn the color they do.
American Elm
You’ll find Elm trees all throughout Boston, especially in Back Bay and the Public Garden. Elm tree leaves are generally thin which is why they’re prone to brown spotting and tears when they fall.
Bigtooth Aspen
This tree is harder to find in the city, and generally more common in Greater Boston as the Bigtooth Aspen populates forested areas. It gets its name from the blunt leaf edges that resemble teeth.
Honeylocust
Honeylocust trees are the star of any fall foliage snapshot in the city. The deciduous tree is praised for its climate adaptability and aesthetic, which is what makes it popular for urban landscaping and why you’ll find it in some of the best leaf-peeping spots in Boston.
Red maple
This is one of the most easily recognizable leaves, due to the maple leaf’s caricature on flags and in emojis. Its bright red adds a stunning pop of color to the fall landscape. The presence of a pigment called anthocyanin turns these green leaves red in the fall. These trees can produce syrup in the winter, although sugar maples are generally used for these purposes.
Eastern White Pine
One of the state’s most common trees by volume, the Eastern White Pine’s needles cluster in bundles of 5, which distinguishes them from other pine trees. It’s also one of the tallest trees in the Northeast, able to grown over 100 feet. The pine needles and pinecone (pictured below) stem from this pine tree species. Due to it’s conical shape, this conifer is often used during the holidays as well.
White Oak
Boston has all kinds of oaks, and the white oak and bur oak are almost interchangeable as they are both part of the White Oak Group. White Oaks tend to be very full trees with lots of leaves that turn a dusty brown when they fall.
Red Oak
As the name suggests, Red Oak leaves are a reddish green in color. They tend to be asymmetrical and have pointed tips, unlike White Oaks, whose leaves have curved tips. As the season changes, the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down and the anthocyanins turn the leaves red.
All oak trees produce acorns, but these acorns vary in size and shape depending on which oak tree they come from. Pictured above is the acorn of a Red Oak tree. These acorns are the fruit of oak trees and serve as a food source to wildlife.
The more you know
The city also established a handy TreeKeeper system which bookmarks 43,911 trees in the city. The map showcases almost every tree in Boston and its species, so you can learn more about the trees in your neighborhood or favorite leaf-peeping spot in the city!
To cross-check your findings, this Plant Identification app identifies leaves by image, so you can see if you guessed right. Simply upload your images and find out what leaves you’ve encountered.
Now that you know some of the most common trees in Boston and what their leaves look like, explore Boston’s peak foliage with this knowledge in hand and see how many leaves you can identify!