German Trees & Plants Vocabulary
This set covers the parts of a tree and its surroundings, from der Zweig (branch) and der Wipfel (treetop) down to root-level words like die Knolle (tuber) and die Knospe (bud). One trap for English speakers: das Blatt means both "leaf" and "sheet of paper," so context decides which one you're reading. Another is der Moder, which looks like "modern" but actually means mildew or decay.
Learn these 29 words
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All 29 words
plural: die Bäume
tree
Wir haben zwei Apfelbäume im Garten. — We have two apple trees in the garden.
plural: die Blätter
leaf
Die Bäume haben schon gelbe Blätter. — The trees already have yellow leaves.
plural: die Pflanzen
plant
Können Sie sich bitte um unsere Pflanzen kümmern? Wir sind nächste Woche im Urlaub. — Can you please take care of our plants? We are on vacation next week.
plural: die Bäume
tree
Der Baum im Garten ist sehr alt. — The tree in the garden is very old.
ebony
Ein Tisch aus Ebenholz ist sehr wertvoll. — A table made of ebony is very valuable.
plural: die Flechten
lichen
Die grüne Flechte wächst auf dem Stein. — The green lichen grows on the rock.
branches
Das Geäst des alten Baumes reicht bis zum Himmel. — The branches of the old tree reach to the sky.
plural: die Hülsen
a pod / husk / shell / case
Die Hülse der Erbse öffnet sich im Sommer. — The pod of the pea opens in summer.
plural: die Kastanien
chestnut
Die Kastanie wirft ihre Blätter im Herbst ab. — The chestnut tree drops its leaves in autumn.
plural: die Knollen
tuber / bulb
Die Kartoffel ist eine Knolle, die unter der Erde wächst. — The potato is a tuber that grows under the ground.
- knorrigB2
gnarled / knotty
Der knorrige alte Baum hat eine rauhe Rinde. — The gnarled old tree has a rough bark.
plural: die Knospen
a bud
Im Frühling öffnen sich die Knospen der Bäume. — In spring, the buds of the trees open.
photosynthesis
Durch Photosynthese wandeln Pflanzen Licht in Energie um. — Through photosynthesis plants convert light into energy.
- sprießenB2
to sprout / spring up / shoot
Im Frühling sprießen überall neue Blätter. — In spring, new leaves sprout everywhere.
plural: die Sprosse
a sprout / offshoot
Der erste Spross der Pflanze wächst schnell. — The first sprout of the plant grows quickly.
plural: die Tannen
fir tree
Die Tanne wächst in den Bergen. — The fir tree grows in the mountains.
plural: die Tannenbäume
christmas tree / pinetree
Der Tannenbaum steht zu Weihnachten im Wohnzimmer. — The Christmas tree stands in the living room at Christmas.
undergrowth / brush
Das Unterholz ist dicht und schwer zu durchqueren. — The undergrowth is dense and difficult to cross.
plural: die Waldbestände
forest stock
Der Waldbestand in dieser Region ist bedroht. — The forest stock in this region is threatened.
plural: die Wipfel
treetop / top
Der Wipfel der Fichte ragt hoch in den Himmel. — The treetop of the spruce rises high into the sky.
- wuchernB2
to proliferate / grow profusely
Das Unkraut wuchert in meinem Garten. — The weeds proliferate in my garden.
plural: die Zweige
branch / twig
Der Zweig des Baumes biegt sich im Wind. — The branch of the tree bends in the wind.
foliage
Das grüne Blattwerk der Bäume ist wunderschön. — The green foliage of the trees is beautiful.
mildew / decay / rot
Der Moder in den Ecken deutet auf Feuchtigkeit hin. — The mildew in the corners indicates moisture.
- pfropfenC1
to graft / cram / stopper
Man pfropft neue Sorten auf alte Obstbäume. — One grafts new varieties onto old fruit trees.
twigs / sticks / brushwood
Das Reisig wurde zum Heizen ins Haus getragen. — The brushwood was carried into the house for heating.
plural: die Spelzen
a glume / husk / hull
Die Spelze umhüllt das Getreidekorn. — The glume envelops the grain kernel.
plural: die Ulmen
an elm tree
Die Ulme ist ein großer, schöner Baum. — The elm is a large, beautiful tree.
plural: die Zedern
cedar
Die Zeder wächst in den Bergen des Libanon. — The cedar grows in the mountains of Lebanon.
How to learn this set
Notice how many of these are compounds built on Holz and Baum: das Unterholz (undergrowth) is literally "under-wood," der Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) is just "fir-tree" with a specific use. Once you know der Baum and das Holz, you can guess the gender of most compounds, since German compounds take the gender of their last part. For the two verbs here, sprießen and wuchern, drill them with a subject that actually does that action, like "das Unkraut wuchert" (the weed proliferates) or "die Knospen sprießen" (the buds sprout), since these verbs are almost always used with plants and rarely with anything else.
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Frequently asked questions
Is der Baum masculine in German?
Yes, der Baum is masculine, and it stays masculine in every compound: der Tannenbaum, der Waldbestand. Its plural is die Bäume, with an umlaut on the stem vowel.
What is the difference between Knospe and Spross?
Die Knospe is the bud itself, the closed structure on a branch before it opens. Der Spross is the new growth that comes out of it, a young shoot or offshoot, so a Knospe opens and produces a Spross.
What is Unterholz in English?
Unterholz is undergrowth or brush, the low tangle of small plants and shrubs under the main tree canopy. It's built from unter (under) plus Holz (wood), and it's a different word from Wald, which means the forest as a whole.
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