This document summarizes information about 11 tree species native to Western Macedonia, Greece. It provides details on the appearance, habitat, uses, and other characteristics for each tree, including the black poplar, oriental plane tree, walnut tree, European beech, Macedonian oak, Bulgarian fir, European alder, sweet chestnut, and Bosnian pine. Key details provided include tree height, leaf shape and arrangement, flower/fruit structures, habitat ranges, longevity, uses of wood/nuts, and conservation status for some species.

1. TREES FROM WESTERN
MACEDONIA, GREECE

2. ΛΕΥΚΑ -BLACK POPLAR-POPULUS NIGRA
There are many species of poplar.
The black poplar is native to Europe.
It is a deciduous tree, 20-30m tall.
The leaves are diamond -shaped to
triangular .The male and the female
flowers are catkins. The fruit is a
capsule surrounded by tufts of long,
soft, white hairs.
Populus nigra and its related hybrids
are widely used for their fast-growing
and high quality timber. One common
use for black poplar wood is in the
manufacture of matches.

3. ΠΛΑΤΑΝΙ- ORIENTAL PLANE- PLATANUS ORIENTALIS.
It is a large, deciduous tree. It is
native from the Balkans to Iran. The
oriental plane is found naturally in
riverine settings. Its leaves are borne
alternately on the stem, deeply lobed,
and palmate or maple -like. Flowers
and fruit are round and burr-like, borne
in clusters of between 2 and 6 on a
stem.It is known for its longevity and
for the shade and cooliness it
provides during the hot season. Most
small villages in Greece have one or
more very old planes in their central
squares where the village water spring
used to be.

4. .ΚΑΡΥΔΙΑ - WALNUT TREE -JUGLANS REGIA
The Walnut tree is a large
deciduous tree, 25-35m tall with a
trunk up to 2m diameter. It is native
in a region stretching from the
Balkans eastward to the Himalayas
and southwest China.
It lives up to 250 years. The leaves
are 25-40cm long, odd pinnate with
5—9 leaflets. The fruit ripens in the
autumn into a fruit with a green
husk and a brown corrugated nut. It
is cultivated for its nuts and timber.

5. ΟΞΙΑ- EUROPEAN BEECH- FAGUS SYLVATICA
The European beech is a big ,
deciduous tree, up to 35m tall. Around
the Mediterranean , it grows only in
mountain forests, at 600-1.800m
altitude. The leaves are alternate,
simple with a slightly crenate margin
5-10cm long. The beechnuts, are small
triangular nuts 15–20 mm long and 7–
10 mm wide at the base. There are two
nuts in each cupule. The nuts are an
important food for birds and rodents.
The wood is used in the
manufacture of objects.

6. ΒΕΛΑΝΙΔΙΑ- MACEDONIAN OAK TREE- QUERCUS TROJANA.
The genus Quercus contains about 600
species. The Macedonian Oak Tree is
native to southeast Europe and
southwest Asia. It grows at low to
moderate altitudes in dry areas. It is a
small to medium sized tree 10-20m
tall. It is a deciduous tree with grey-
green leaves with a coarsely serrated
margin. The oak nut or acorn usually
contains a single seed enclosed in a
tough , leathery shell. The oak wood
has strength and hardness and it is
used in the construction of furniture ,
ships and barrels. It is a rare species
and it is found only in few places in
Greece.

7. ΕΛΑΤΗ ΥΒΡΙΔΟΓΕΝΗΣ-BULGARIAN FIR-ABIES BORISII REGIS
The Bulgarian Fir is a species of fir
native to the mountains of the
Balkan Peninsula,. It occurs at
altitudes of 800-1,800 m, on mountains
with a rainfall of over 1,000 mm.It is a
large evergreen coniferous tree 40-
50m tall. The leaves are needle –
like, flattened , glossy, dark green
above , and with two blue-white
bands of stomata below. The cones
are 10-21cm long with about 150-200
scales.

8. ΣΚΛΗΘΡΟ- EUROPEAN ALDER-ALNUS GLUTINOSA
It is native in Europe. There are
30 species but only one species
grow in Greece. It grows to a
height of 20-30m . It has short-
stalked rounded leaves 6-10cm
long. The young leaves are slightly
sticky with a resinous gym. The male
catkins are pendulous, reddish in
colour and 5–10 cm long. The female
are smaller, 2 cm in length and dark
brown to black in colour, hard,
somewhat woody, and similar to
some conifer cones. Its wood is soft
and durable under water.

9. KΑΣΤΑΝΙΑ- SWEET CHESTNUT-CASTANEA SATIVA
The sweet chestnut is a deciduous
tree, up to 35m tall. Originally native
to southeastern Europe and Asia , it is
now widely dispersed throughout
Europe. It grows best at altitudes
above 250m and it lives up to 450
years. Its leaves are oblong-
lanceolate, boldly toothed . The female
flowers develop into spiny cupules
containing 3-7 brownish nuts that are
shed during October.
It is cultivated for its edible seeds,
the nuts , and its timber which is
used to make furniture.

10. ΡΟΜΠΟΛΟ-BOSNIAN PINE- PINUS HEIDREICHII
● The Bosnian Pine is a species of
pine that occurs in the
mountains of southeastern
Europe. It grows at 900-2.500m
altitude. It is an evergreen tree
up to 25-35m height.The leaves
are in fascicles of two with a
persistent sheath. The cones are
5-9cm long with a thin, fragile
scales. It is an endangered
species in Greece.