Thus we see that nearly 90 percent of all the forest land in Indiana is privately owned. The important and valuable hardwood tree species are white and red oaks, walnut, cherry, tulip poplar, sugar maple, ash, hickory and basswood. Tulip poplar, or tuliptree, is the State tree. Native evergreen species have not been common in Indiana since the glaciers receded several thousand years ago. However, natural growth of white and jack pine is found in limited areas of Northern Indiana counties.
Hemlock occurs in a few places along watercourses.
In southern Indiana, Virginia pine occurs in the hilly knobs unit near the Ohio River. Red cedar is also common in many counties. Indiana's total land area is an estimated 23.1 million acres. Of this area, forests occupy 17 percent. Forest Products High-quality hardwoods once grew in Indiana, and they can do so again.