Top 10 Tallest Trees in Highland Park

Nestled by Lake Michigan, Highland Park, Illinois thrives in a humid continental climate, fostering lush parks and residential verdure. Towering over the city, majestic Common douglas-fir offer sweeping canopies, while robust Western red cedar contribute to the area's ecological diversity. Not to be overshadowed, storied Norfolk island pine roots intertwine with local lore, creating an urban forest rich in both oxygen and myth, beloved by the community and vital to the region's environmental health.

List of Tallest Trees

1. Common douglas-fir

The Common douglas-fir is named after Scottish botanist David Douglas, who discovered it. Small mammals rely heavily on the seeds for nutrition. Many Native American tribes utilized the bark, resin, and pine needles to prepare herbal remedies for various ailments. Common douglas-fir is often used in heavy timber buildings due to its sturdy wood.

Plant Height:

20 m to 100 m

2. Western red cedar

Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is a cedar tree species native to the western United States. Despite its name, the western red cedar is not considered a true cedar. Instead, it belongs to the Cypress family. This species is commercially used to make decks, siding, and the soundboards of guitars.

Plant Height:

65 m to 70 m

3. Eastern white pine

Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) is a long-lived evergreen tree native to mixed forests of temperate zones in eastern North America. It is considered one of the tallest trees in its native area. Eastern white pine has a straight-grained lightweight wood, highly valued in construction.

Plant Height:

30 m to 67 m

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4. Norfolk island pine

Norfolk island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is a conifer tree native to Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Islands. Now, it is a popular houseplant all around the world. However, norfolk island pine is in danger of dying out in the wild.

Plant Height:

50 m to 65 m

5. Norway spruce

The fastest-growing of all spruces, the norway spruce (Picea abies) makes for a good roosting spot for owls and hawks. Its wood is used for paper, construction lumber, and musical instruments, and its needles can be used to brew spruce beer. It is also a popular choice for Christmas trees.

Plant Height:

30 m to 62 m

6. Sugar Pine

Dubbed by David Douglas, its discoverer, as the most regal among all the pines, sugar Pine is the highest and largest among its species. Aside from being grown for timber, Native Americans used the sweet-tasting sap of this tree as a culinary ingredient. Birds, butterflies, and moths are drawn to this tree which is native to North America's Pacific regions.

Plant Height:

37 m to 61 m

7. Lawson's cypress

Lawson's cypress (*Chamaecyparis lawsoniana*) is an evergreen tree that can grow to 61 m tall and 1.2 to 2 m wide. It can live for hundreds of years. The cedar wood is one of the most valuable harvested woods in North America. Female seed cones develop in spring and mature to a brown color. Male seed cones are smaller and red.

Plant Height:

15 m to 60 m

8. Eastern cottonwood

Eastern cottonwood is a fast-growing, short-lived commercial hardwood of America. It is known for its method of regeneration, where the fluff-covered seeds are dispersed by the wind and create the effect of ‘snow’ for a short period of time. The tree is cultivated for its lightweight wood to make a variety of furniture, plywood, and other wood products.

Plant Height:

20 m to 60 m

9. Eastern hemlock

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) really takes its time to mature. In fact, it may take up to 300 years to reach what's considered adulthood among evergreen trees. It can even live for another 100 years if conditions are right. Other names for this majestic species include hemlock spruce and Canada hemlock.

Plant Height:

31 m to 53 m

10. English oak

The english oak (*Quercus robur*) is a deciduous tree native to Europe. It is a very long-lived tree; the oldest known specimens have been living for more than a thousand years. It is commonly represented in European mythologies as a symbol of strength, longevity, nobility, morale, and knowledge.

Plant Height:

10 m to 50 m

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Most Common Fruits

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