Monday, July 3, 2017

The Enchanted Forest: Tree Types to use in Writing



A few months ago, I offered a blog post of flower types for use in writing that seemed to go over well. I truly hope the flower types inspired you as writers, and that you were able to use the different kinds of flowers in your writing projects. To that end, I'd like to do a spin-off of that post by providing a list of tree types to use in writing. We've all come across a book or poem where the author just used the word "tree" without specifying type. We could use our imaginations to fill in the blanks, of course, but details help the reader settle into a scene a little better. For example, a specific tree might denote a certain area of the world (maple trees in New England or Canada, palm trees in Florida or California), or they might even evoke an emotion. A weeping willow does wonders just on name alone. Pine trees might remind a reader of the holidays, or better yet, the scent of the holidays. There is so much room to play around here, whether you're writing a novel or a short poem.

Below, please find a list of tree types to use in your writing. I hope these inspire you, and you mix and match trees, emotions, and story details to produce something awesome!



Ash
Birch
Cedar
Cherry
Dogwood
Evergreen
Maple
Oak
Pine
Willow/Weeping Willow
Elm
Olive
Orange
Beech
Apple
Balsam/Balsam Fir
Bay
Mahogany
Palm
Redwood
Sequoia
Spruce

Need to get specific? Here are links to more trees:
http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/tree/list.htm
http://www.treenames.net/types/index.html

In the comments, please let me know any other tree types that come to mind!


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