Trees Native to Scotland - A list of Indigenous Scottish Tree Species

Scottish Native Trees

Welcome to my website which attempts to list all the tree species commonly regarded as native to Scotland. I am not a botanist, just an amateur enthusiast, and therefore my information may not be perfectly accurate. I welcome comments and corrections. This website is also a hobby site and is under construction. My full contact details are on my professional website. If you would like to collaborate with me in this website project I would be delighted to hear from you. I dont have the time to work on it very often and if you were to help me with the work, then I would be very happy to acknowledge your contribution in some way so that you benefit from it too.

What is a native tree? It is commonly defined as a tree species which colonised Scotland in the period after the last ice age without human intervention. There is considerable disagreement regarding some of the species on this list as these may have been introduced by early humans. However I would argue that because early humans did not have modern technology and lived close to nature, their introduction of new species could be regarded as "natural" in a broader sense of that word. I believe that (non-invasive) non-indigenous species do have a place, although in any new plantations, I think that native trees should generally be favoured over non-native species.

Some of the debatable species include crab apple, guelder rose, white willow and sea buckthorn. The last-named is not on the list as it is not generally regarded as native, having been introduced in Victorian times. However there is some possibility that it might have been there before in smaller quantities. The other three on the list are normally regarded as native but not with complete certainty.

Most of the websites devoted to Scottish native trees are orientated towards native woodland projects - about which I am enthusiastic and I have posted plenty of links. I thought I would take a slightly different angle, and orient this website to gardening. It is my view that we should endeavour to plant native species in our gardens as much as possible. I have therefore added a comments for gardeners sections which deals with the aesthetic considerations. In this respect I have begun to add notes regarding when in the year they will begin to display foliage (or in some cases flowers or seed cases which occur before leaves). The visual impact notes are also significant in use of these trees in, for example, town planning and public parks.

You can jump directly to a particular species in the list by clicking on the links below. Then follow the links in the table below for individual species profiles. At present these simply consist of links to (and inline frames of) external websites.

Common Name Click on Tree Names for More Details	AKA	Botanical Name	Family	Distinguishing Characteristics	Distribution	Comments for Gardeners
Alder
Common Alder	Black Alder	Alnus glutinosa	Betulaceae - Birch & Alder Family		Found throughout Scotland typically growing alongside streams and rivers, or on wet ground, up to 500 metres. Rare in the Outer Hebrides and the far northwest due to deforestation.	Our native alder is not commonly grown as a garden tree, but has elegant leaves (young trees often have leaves with a purplish tinge too) and is well suited to boggy areas of the garden. Foliage begins to appear a few weeks after the guelder rose, wild cherry and some rowans.
Apple
Crab Apple	Wild Crab	Malus sylvestris	Rosaceae - Rose Family	Leaves similar to those of goat willow, but arranged in bunches instead of alternately on the twigs.	Not found in the far north of Scotland unless planted.	The leaves begin to appear quite early on in the spring, although significantly later than the elder. Beautiful white blossoms appear later in the spring, similar to the wild cherry.
Ash
Common Ash	European Ash	Fraxinus excelsior	Oleaceae - Olive Family	Leaves similar to those of rowan, which is probably why the rowan is sometimes called mountain ash.		One of the latest trees to produce foliage in the year. However, ash woods support spring flowers such as bluebells because of this, and because the small spaced out leaves allow a lot of sunlight to reach the ground.
Mountain Ash (see Rowan)	Rowan	Sorbus aucuparia	Rosaceae - Rose Family
Aspen
Aspen	European Aspen	Populus tremula	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family		Scotland's only native poplar. Not a common tree; tends to grow in small groups via suckers.	A delightful tree with its delicate fluttering leaves.
Birch - Frequently hybridised as betula x aurata. There is also a dwarf variety which grows as a ground spreading shrub.
Downy Birch		Betula pubescens	Betulaceae - Birch & Alder Family	Young twigs have slightly rough hairy coating Leaves tend to be more rounded than silver birch Leaves have a single toothed margin Branches on older trees remain erect rather than drooping		Not regarded as elegant as its relative, the silver birch, with which it tends to hybridise. However it is nonetheless an attractive tree.
Silver Birch		Betula pendula	Betulaceae - Birch & Alder Family	Young twigs have warty spots Leaves tend to be diamond-shaped Leaves have a double toothed margin Branches droop on older trees		Renowned for its fine silver or bronze bark and purple winter stem colour. Although catkins appear early in the year, they do not create a visual impact. The leaves begin to appear around the middle of spring, a few weeks after the wild cherry.
Blackthorn
Blackthorn	Sloe	Prunus spinosa	Rosaceae - Rose Family			Produces beautiful spring blossoms before foliage appears. Part of the cherry family. However, blackthorn spines are often poisonous so this tree should not be planted where children are likely to go.
Cherry - the wild cherry's Latin name is odd because one would think prunus avium is bird cherry from the Latin! However, there is no confusing these two species in the wild.
Bird Cherry		Prunus padus	Rosaceae - Rose Family	has a more shrub-like pattern of growth than Wild Cherry smooth grey-brown bark flowers occur in elongated crowded heads
Wild Cherry	Gean, Mazzard	Prunus avium	Rosaceae - Rose Family	grows taller than Bird Cherry and has a single main trunk bark reddish-brown, shiny with horizontal bands flowers in clusters growing close to the main branches		Another of the earlier trees to show foliage - slightly later than the crab apple and the guelder rose. Beautiful blossoms later in the spring, like the crab apple.
Elder
Common Elder	Black Elder	Sambucus nigra	Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family			Leaves begin to sprout quite early in the year - not long after the hawthorn.
Marsh Elder (see Guelder Rose)	Guelder Rose	Viburnum opulus	Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family
Elm
Wych Elm	Scotch Elm	Ulmus Glabra	Ulmaceae - Elm family			Although this tree does not produce foliage until later in the spring, the seed cases appear early - arond the same time as wild cherry leaves - and look like small leaves at a distance. A very grand stately tree when mature.
Guelder Rose - debatable whether this is a native species.
Guelder Rose	Marsh Elder	Viburnum opulus	Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family			The leaves begin to appear quite early on in the spring, slightly after the crab apple, although significantly later than its relative the common elder. However, there is a long period between when the leaves first begin to show and when they are fully developed.
Hawthorn
Common Hawthorn		Crataegus monygna	Rosaceae - Rose Family			The first deciduous tree to produce foliage - often well before spring. Beautiful blossoms follow later in spring.
Hazel
Hazel	Cobnut	Corylus avellana	Corylaceae - Hornbeam & hazel family			One of the latest trees to produce foliage in the year.
Holly
Holly		Ilex acquifolium	Aquifoliaceae - Holly Family
Juniper - in south and east of Scotland sometimes grows to small tree. In north and west the ground spreading variety is found.
Juniper		Juniperus communis	Cupressaceae - Cypress Family
Oak - the two native species frequently hybridise
Pedunculate Oak	Common Oak, English Oak	Quercus robur	Fagaceae - Beech Family	Acorns hang on stalks Leaves grow directly off the twigs	Found more often in dryer eastern areas on lower ground
Sessile Oak	Durmast Oak	Quercus petraea	Fagaceae - Beech Family	Acorns grow directly off the twigs Leaves hang on stalks	Found more often in wetter north western areas on higher ground
Pine
Scots Pine		Pinus Sylvestris	Pinaceae - Pine Family
Rowan
Rowan	Mountain Ash	Sorbus aucuparia	Rosaceae - Rose Family			I have noticed that some rowans produce leaves quite early - around the same time as the guelder rose and wild cherry - but others very late. I am not sure why this is. Produces beautiful red berries in the late summer / early autumn.
Willow - Many varieties often hybridise easily so difficult to distinguish. See for example this page on distinguishing willows. I have tried to order them by family groups.
Sallows - not sure if tea-leaved and dark-leaved willow fall into this category.
Goat Willow	Great Sallow, Pussy Willow	Salix caprea	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family	Distinguished from grey willow by the following: thick stiff twigs hairy at first but becoming smoother and yellowish brown with age leaves tend to roll slightly outwards Upper surface of leaves dull green and slightly hairy; lower surface grey and woolly leaves have short twisted point at the tip leaves more rounded than goat willow		Earliest willow to flower - the catkins of the goat willow are the classic "pussies". This makes for an attractive early spring display, although it is nonetheless several weeks later than the hawthorn or elder in terms of making a visual impact in the garden. The catkins make an appearance about the same time as the crab apple starts to display small leaves. The young stems have an attractive reddish brown colour.
Grey Willow	Grey Sallow, Pussy Willow	Salix cinerea ssp oleifolia, formerly known as salix atrocinerea	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family	Distinguished from goat willow by the following: thick downy grey twigs leaves often have inrolled margins leaves develop rusty hairs on veins leaves tend to be broader at the tip leaves less rounded than goat willow
Woolly Willow		Salix Lanata		Often classified as a shrub but grows to size of a small tree and sometimes hybridises with Grey Willow.
Eared Willow		Salix Aurita		Often classified as a shrub but grows to size of a small tree and sometimes hybridises with Grey Willow and Tea-Leaved Willow.
Dark Leaved Willow	Pussy Willow, Black Willow	Salix myrsinifolia formerly known as salix nigricans	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family	Similar to tea-leaved willow but: Shoots downy at first becoming smoother and dull brown with age Leaves dark green above but glaucous below Toothed margin Large stipules
Tea Leaved Willow		Salix phylicifolia	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family	Similar to dark-leaved willow but: Twigs are usually reddish-brown Leaves shiny green above (but glaucous below like dark-leaved willow) Leaves are rigid and coriaceous lacks the large stipules of dark-leaved willow Often hybridises with Eared Willow.
Osiers - because this is the family used for basketry, etc., there has been much artificial hybridisation and planting making it hard to determine native distribution.
Common Osier Willow		Salix viminalis	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family
Purple Osier Willow		Salix purpurea	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family
Almond Leaved Willow	French Willow	Salix triandra	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family		Only native to southern Scotland
Other Willows
Bay Leaved Willow	Laurel Leaved Willow	Salix pentandra	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family
Crack Willow	Withy	Salix fragilis	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family	Often hybridises with White Willow forming Salix x Rubens.
White Willow		Salix alba	Salicaceae - Willow & Poplar Family	Often hybridises with Crack Willow forming Salix x Rubens.
Whitebeam - there are also two species unique to specific locations on the Isle of Arran - Cut-leaved Whitebeam or Arran Service Tree (Sorbus Pseudofennica), and Arran Whitebeam (Sorbus Arrenensis). Arran Whitebeam is thought to be a cross between rowan and rock whitebeam, and Arran Service Tree (or cut leaved whitebeam) a cross between Arran Whitebeam and rowan.
Rock Whitebeam	Cliff Whitebeam	Sorbus rupicola	Rosaceae - Rose Family		A very small number growing in isolation or in small groups in a small number of sites distributed widely throughout Scotland. Extremely rare.
Yew
Yew		Taxus baccata	Taxaceae - Yew Family

Some Native Shrubs Which Can Sometimes Grow Very Large or and / or Have Woody Stems.

I am not sure what some of these species are (cannot remember where I got the list from) so would appreciate some help in correcting this list.

Common Name	AKA	Botanical Name	Family	Distinguishing Characteristics	Distribution	Comments
Bog Myrtle		Myrica Gale
Broom
Sweet Briar
Dwarf Birch
Gorse	Whin
Dog Rose
Hairy Dog Rose
soft downy rose
Sherard’s downy rose

Spindle

Willow Shrub Varieties	Scrub or Montane Willow

Large Shrub
Woolly Willow		Salix Lanata
Eared Willow		Salix Aurita
Medium Shrub
Creeping Willow
Downy Willow
Mountain Willow
Small Shrub
Dwarf Willow
Net Leaved Willow
Whortle Leaved Willow

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