The most conspicuous feature of a tree is its shape. There is no doubt that primitive man observed the differences in the trees and decided they needed to be classified. Probably, the first big difference noticed by early man was that some trees lost their leaves before winter and some did not.
The evergreen trees must have been one of the first classifications. Since most evergreen trees bear their seeds in cones, these trees later became known as conifers, a Latin word meaning cone bearing; from the Greek word kenos, meaning cone. Those trees losing leaves were called deciduous, which is Latin and means falling off or fall down.
Later, the lumbermen, who were not just concerned with whether a tree kept its leaves or not, made another classification. After studying the texture of the tree's wood fiber, the lumbermen divided trees into two groups: hardwoods and softwoods. Most conifers were classified as softwoods, while most deciduous trees were classified as hardwoods. We know that this is only a general statement and not all trees fall into these categories.
However, man was not satisfied with these classifications. Although early botanists gave Greek and Latin names to our trees, these names are virtually unknown to us laymen. Common names were also given to groups
of trees. Oaks, which have 500 species in their family, have the scientific name quercus, coming from two Celtic words: quer, meaning fine and cuez, meaning trees. Can anyone dispute that oak trees are fine trees?
The name larch also comes from the Celts. Its scientific name is larix, meaning fat. Why fat? Well, larch wood burns fast and hot from the resinous wood. The Celts felt the larch burned as fast as fat; hence, the name larch. The Beech's scientific name is fagus, which is Greek, coming from phago, meaning to eat. Beechnuts were eaten by both humans
and swine. The scientific name for the ash tree is fraxinus, meaning to separate. Everyone knows that ash wood splits easily. The horse chestnut tree Aesculus hippocastanum belongs to the Hippocastanacene family, more commonly referred to as the buckeye family. Aesculus is the ancient Latin name for an oak or other mast-bearing tree; hippocastanacene; comes from Latin, meaning a horse and chestnut.
Most of us know trees not by their scientific names but by their common names. It was known that John the Baptist lived upon locust and wild honey. Since some felt that John the Baptist had eaten the pods of the carob tree, the familiar pod-producing tree was called the locust.
Some trees have been named for either their bark, foliage or fruits, such as the apple, peach, orange, etc. The same goes for the nut trees.
There are also trees named for their blossoms (tulip tree); branches (weeping willow); sap (sugar maple); color of bark (white birch) and character of the wood (iron wood and muscle wood). Trembling aspens were named because of the constant movement of their leaves. Mountain ash and swamp cedar were named cause of where they grow. Trees are also named because of their geographic locations (English Elm, Georgia Pine, Sitka Spruce and Cedars of Lebanon).
No matter what season of the year, one cannot walk through a stand of white birch and not be moved by their beauty. James Lowell wrote that the white birch was “the most shy and ladylike of trees".
In the fall, a stand of aspen, with its golden-yellow leaves dancing and shimmering in the sun, is sure to fill one with a feeling of contentment.
Perhaps, trees were the earliest temples of man. When looking up at a tree, man must have seen his first glimpse of the Creator. In I Kings, 4:33, of Solomon it was written: "and he spoke of trees, from the Cedar Tree of Lebanon to the hyssop that springs out of the wall."