Tree Names Starting With Y

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This is the complete list of tree species starting with the letter Y.

1. Yaupon

This evergreen shrub forms dense thickets and becomes a tree up to 10 m tall and 15 cm in diameter.

There are multiple trunks from the base that are erect. The bark is pale gray and smooth. The twig is densely or sparsely hairy, becoming hairless with age.

The leaf is alternate, simple, and stiff with a lustrous dark green upper surface that is hairy when young, becoming hairless as the tree matures.

The lower surface is paler, dull green, and typically hairless.

The flower is greenish to creamy white and yellowish with four petals, borne in spring.

The fruit is round, has four stones, and is a lustrous bright red in color. It is a drupe that matures in autumn to winter.

2. Yew, Pacific

This species has shrubs or small trees growing to 25 m tall and with a large diameter to 1.4 m but are typically smaller.

The bark is red-brown and may be smooth or coarsely scaly. The twig is green, turning red brown as the tree matures.

The leaf is 8 to 35 mm long and wide, green in color with a bronze tint. The seed cone resembles a berry with a fleshy red aril.

This tree is most frequently found in the understory with open, irregular crowns in forests dominated by large conifers.

However, in open sites, it forms spreading shrubs. The yew’s wood has been considered valuable by natives for its toughness.

It was used to make weapons and for other applications that required strength. This plant also has many medicinal uses.

3. Yellowwood

This shrub or small tree grows to 10 m tall with a diameter of about 13 cm, having a single, erect trunk.

The bark is light brown or gray at first, becoming furrowed with age. The twig is slender and green at first, becoming gray as the tree matures.

The leaf is alternate, simple, stiff, and leathery. The upper surface is a lustrous yellow-green, and the lower surface is paler and hairless.

The flowers are white and unisexual, primarily borne in spring. The fruit is a rounded, fleshy red-to-orange drupe that matures year-round.

4. Yucca (Genus)

This genus consists of 40 species of evergreen plants that are recognizable by their branched shape.

The leaves are pointed and borne in tight spirals, forming rosettes. The leaves are simple, long, and slender, ending in a sharp spine.

The flower is a large ovoid cluster of showy, waxy flowers. The fruit is a stiff, woody capsule or a fleshy berry.

Yucca species rely on moths for cross-pollination and seed production.

Yucca flowers are edible, their leaves are used to make ropes and baskets, and certain extracts are used as soaps or shampoos.

Bottom Line

While not many tree species’ names begin with Y, I do hope you found this helpful guide.

Recommendations for expanding this list are welcome!