The temperate forests of the United States contain more than fifty important broad-leaved tree species . Most are commercially sought - some have uses that are not considered commercial. The major portion of The Great American Hardwood Forest occurs in the eastern third of the United States and the country can be divided into five regions. Each region has many different forest types. These forest types maintain their own character based on local climate, topographic, and soil conditions.
Most hardwood species overlap a bit and are growing in several regions.
The Southern Region touches the Atlantic and Gulf coast from Maryland and Delaware to Texas, then north through the lowlands of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, and east via the Ohio River Valley. This is the largest hardwood producing region. Abundant stands of sweetgum , red and white oaks , hickories, yellow-poplar , ash, hackberry and cottonwood are growing. The Appalachian Region covers the mountain areas of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and northern parts of Missouri, Alabama and Georgia. Major species in the region include red and white oak, yellow-poplar, walnut , the maples, ash and hickory .