Top 20 Most Common Trees in Iceland

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Top 20 Most Common Trees in Iceland

Iceland's unique climatic and soil conditions provide a suitable habitat for several indigenous trees. Among them, European mountain-ash, Corn plant, and Weeping fig stand tall as emblematic trees of the region. Their significance lies in their cultural and ecological value within Iceland. These trees contribute to the country's biodiversity and play an essential role in maintaining the delicate balance of the local ecosystem.

Most Common Trees

European mountain-ash

1. European mountain-ash

Sorbus aucuparia, also known as european mountain-ash, is a deciduous tree native to Europe. It grows a slim trunk with upward-curving branches as it matures. Its admirable upright and dense branching gives the plant an oval crown. The juicy and soft clustered fruits are an excellent source of food for birds, while its yellow to plum foliage adds to its overall aesthetic appeal.

Corn plant

Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) is an evergreen, slow-growing perennial shrub native to tropical Africa. Also, it is a classic houseplant, grown in Europe since the 1800s. Its glossy green foliage that resembles corn leaves grow on top of a thick cane, which is why the plant is sometimes called “false palm tree.”

Rubber tree

Rubber tree (Ficus elastica) is a large tree with wide, oval, glossy leaves. Its milky white latex was used for making rubber before Pará rubber tree came into use, hence the name. Rubber tree is an ornamental species, often grown as a houseplant in cooler climates.

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Weeping fig

Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) is an evergreen tree native to Asia and Australia. It is one of the most popular houseplants in the world, known for its elegant, glossy leaves. However, people with allergies should avoid weeping fig, considering that it is a major source of indoor allergens. All parts of the plant are poisonous except the fruits.

Downy birch

Downy birch is a pioneer species of deciduous tree native to Europe and Asia. The bark of the tree is used to make canoes and roofing materials, rope, and oil paper. Historically, the bark was also used as emergency food in times of famine.

Avocado

Persea americana, widely known as the avocado plant, is an evergreen tree (semi-deciduous in cooler climates) that is native to Central America. It is cultivated all over the world for its nutritious fruits. Avocado has become an important plant in many cuisines due to its high nutrient and fat content, creamy texture, and distinct taste.

Spineless yucca

7. Spineless yucca

Spineless yucca (*Yucca gigantea*) is a flowering evergreen shrub. It is evolutionarily related to asparagus, although its appearance does not indicate this fact. Spineless yucca grows in warm climates throughout Central America and nearby islands. When growing spineless yucca as a houseplant, it is important not to overwater the plant.

Balsam poplar

8. Balsam poplar

Balsam poplar is a hardy, fast-growing tree. It’s the northernmost North American hardwood. Its buds have a delightful fragrance reminiscent of a balsam fir. The wood is relatively soft and is used for pulp in the papermaking process. The resinous sap that oozes from its buds is used by bees as a hive disinfectant.

Indian Laurel

9. Indian Laurel

Indian Laurel (Ficus microcarpa) is a fig tree originating in China. The indian Laurel attracts the fig wasp pollinator. In some east Asian cultures, it is believed the indian Laurel is a meeting place for spirits.

Common lilac

10. Common lilac

Common lilac is a shrub native to the Balkan Peninsula that blooms with a fragrant blossom. It grows on rocky terrain and has a suckering habit. The blossoms are used to flavor honey, sugars, food, and other delights and farmed for its fragrant flowers in the spring.

Emerald tree

11. Emerald tree

A fairly new plant to the houseplant scene, the emerald tree grows in the shape of a tree but remains compact. Radermachera sinica plants thrive in four to five hours of bright indirect light per day with moist but well-draining soil. Despite their finicky nature, Radermachera sinica is becoming increasingly popular as a houseplant.

Sycamore

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) is a tree native to Europe and Asia. Sycamore is tolerant of wind and coastal exposure. This species is known as the sycamore maple in the United States. Sycamore wood is commercially used to make musical instruments, furniture, joinery, wood flooring and kitchen utensils.

Oleander

Nerium oleander, colloquially known as oleander, is a shrub or a small tree, known for its majestic pink five-lobed flowers and deep green lanceolate leaves. Oleander is one of the most poisonous popular decorative garden plants, so it is advised to keep small children and pets away from it.

White spruce

14. White spruce

White spruce (Picea glauca) is a tree native to North America and growing widely throughout Alaska and Canada. White spruce is the symbolic tree of Canada's Manitoba province and the state of South Dakota in the United States. Commercially, its wood is used to make paper and materials for construction projects. This tree can be grown as a bonsai.

Tamarack

Tamarack (Larix laricina) goes by many names, including hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, and red larch. In the Algonquin language, tamarack means "wood used for snowshoes." Early settlers would leave the stumps after cutting one of these trees down. Later, they would harvest them. These naturally curved stumps were perfect for use as ship knees when putting together a boat.

Octopus tree

16. Octopus tree

The octopus tree is a large evergreen tree known for its distinctive drooping leaves. These leaves have earned it the nicknames "octopus tree" and "Australian umbrella tree." It is native to the Queensland area of Australia. Its root system is aggressive, however, so it can become invasive and choke out other species.

Silver birch

17. Silver birch

The silver birch is native to Europe, Siberia, and China. It can grow between 15 m and 25 m, with a potential to reach 31 m. Its distinct bark is white and eventually becomes flaky. The leaves are pale green during summer and yellow during fall.

Lodgepole pine

18. Lodgepole pine

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) is indigenous to western North America. It’s a species known for its longevity—botanists have found trees that are older than 600 years. It was a favorite source of timber for Native Americans. The primary way they used it (as its name suggests) was to build lodgepoles.

American mountain-ash

19. American mountain-ash

American mountain-ash trees (Sorbus americana) grow native in eastern Canada and New England. They grow clusters of tiny berries that remain on the tree through winter, making american mountain-ash an important food source for wildlife. Moose and deer like to eat its foliage and bark, and various birds are fond of its sour fruits. Its small size and attractive appearance make it a good ornamental tree.

Japanese umbrella pine

20. Japanese umbrella pine

Japanese umbrella pine is an ornamental evergreen. Its Latin name (Sciadopitys verticillata) originates from the Greek word skias or skiados meaning "umbel" and pitys for "fir tree." Verticillata means "whirled." The whorl-like pine needles on the tree resemble the spikes of an open umbrella or parasail.

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