Identification of trees in the Smokies is unique due to the wide variety of trees found here. Elevation ranges from 875 to 6,643 feet in the Great Smoky Mountains, providing a diverse growing environment in a geographical region that spans from Georgia to Maine. The mountains also provide unique micro-climates ,with cove hardwood, mesic regions as well as xeric, ridges. The rainfall of the Smokies adds to the unique growing environment, providing 60-80 inches of rainfall/year. The Smokies region is also home to approximately 90 percent of the entire old-growth forests of the eastern United States.
A special thanks to Great Smoky Mountains Association (smokiesinformation.org) for permitting us to draw heavily from descriptions and photographs in their book, Trees and Familiar Shrubs of the Smokies, by Steve Kemp and Ken Voorhis. Great Smoky Mountains Association is a nonprofit organization which supports the educational, scientific, and historical programs of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is in the spirit of their mission that we developed and provide this app for free. Enjoy learning to identify trees in the Smokies!
Internet access is not required.