Guide to Writing about Trees
Forest Ecology ESCI407/507

1. Tree common names are not capitalized unless they are a proper noun

a. e.g. mountain hemlock v. Sitka spruce

2. Use scientific names the first time you mention the species

a. Use correct spelling

b. Always italicize

c. Genus is capitalized, species is not

d. e.g. Tsuga mertenziana

3. Douglas-fir is hyphenated because it is not a true hemlock

a. Pseudotsuga menziesii (pronounced men-zee-sea-eye)

4. Suggestions: Get a tree book! This will help you properly identify and report tree species in an academic paper

a. e.g: Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification (Golden Field Guide from St. Martin’s Press)

b. or Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska, compiled and edited by Pojar and Mackinnon (Lone Pine Publishing)

M. Pingree; April 22, 2010