A rainforest is a forest where rainfall is very heavy and constant throughout the year. Trees in a rainforest are very tall and have large leaves to help them capture as much sunlight as possible. There are many different types of trees in a rainforest, each with its unique features.
Some of the most common types of trees in rainforests include the following:
The Canopy Tree
The canopy tree is the tallest type of tree in a rainforest and can grow up to 150 feet tall. The leaves of a canopy tree are very large, up to 3 feet wide, and they are arranged in a way that allows them to capture as much sunlight as possible. The bark of a canopy tree is often thick and cork-like, to protect the tree from fire.
The Emergent Tree
The emergent tree is the second tallest type of tree in a rainforest and can grow up to 100 feet tall. Emergent trees have thin bark and small leaves because they need to be able to withstand high winds. The roots of an emergent tree are shallow so that the tree can anchor itself to the ground.
The Understory Tree
The understory tree is the third tallest type of tree in a rainforest and can grow up to 50 feet tall. The leaves of an understory tree are smaller than those of a canopy tree, and they are often darker in color to help the tree absorb more sunlight. The bark of an understory tree is often thin and smooth, to help the tree stay cool in the heat of the day.
The Forest Floor Tree
The forest floor tree is the shortest type of tree in a rainforest and can only grow to about 30 feet tall. The leaves of a forest floor tree are small and close to the ground so that they can capture as much sunlight as possible. The bark of a forest floor tree is often thick and cork-like, to protect the tree from fire.
Top 20 tallest tree species
1. Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) – 115.5 m (379 ft)
2. Mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) – 114.3 m (375 ft)
3. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) – 113.4 m (371.8 ft)
4. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) – 109.1 m (358 ft)
5. Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) – 106.6 m (350 ft)
6. American elm (Ulmus americana) – 103.7 m (340 ft)
7.Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) – 103 m (338 ft)
8.Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) – 102.9 m (337.8 ft)
9. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) – 100.8 m (332.5 ft)
10.Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) – 100.7 m (332 ft)
11. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) – 100.4 m (331 ft)
12. Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) – 99.8 m (329 ft)
13.Eucalyptus obliqua – 99.6 m (328 ft)
14. Eucalyptus regnans – 99.4 m (327 ft)
15. Sequoiadendron giganteum – 99.1 m (325 ft)
16. Leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) – 98.8 m (324 ft)
17. Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) – 97.8 m (320 ft)
18. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) – 97.5 m (319 ft)
19. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) – 97.4 m (319 ft)
20. Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) – 97.2 m (318)
Top 20 Smallest Trees
1. Bonsai tree – 1 m (3 ft 3 in)
2. Dwarf willow – 2 cm (0.79 in)
3. Pygmy date palm – 3 m (9.8 ft)
4. Ficus pumila – 4 m (13 ft)
5. Japanese maple – 6 m (20 ft)
6. Dwarf almond – 7 m (23 ft)
7. Dwarf apple – 8 m (26 ft)
8. Weeping fig – 9 m (30 ft)
9. Bottlebrush buckeye – 10 m (33 ft)
10. Crabapple – 12 m (39 ft)
11. Serviceberry – 12 m (39 ft)
12. Redbud – 13 m (43 ft)
13. Magnolia – 14 m (46 ft)
14. Cryptocereus anthocyanins – 15 m (49 ft)
15. Cherry laurel – 16 m (52 ft)
16. Pittosporum tobira – 17 m (56 ft)
17. Flowering dogwood – 18 m (59 ft)
18. Japanese Stewartia – 19 m (62 ft)
19. Cercidiphyllum japonicum – 20 m (66 ft)
20. Snowbell tree – 21 m (69 ft)
Other Types of Trees in a Rainforest
There are many other types of trees in a rainforest, each with its unique features. These include the following: The strangler fig is a type of tree that starts its life as an epiphyte. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant but does not harm the host plant. The strangler fig begins its life by growing on the branches of a canopy tree. The roots of the strangler fig then grow down the trunk of the host tree, and eventually around
