Key:denotation

In OSM usecases denotation is used to tell how significant a tree is. Is it a regular tree that is similar to so many other trees near it or is it a remarkable tree that people have decorated special benches near or put signs near it detailing things about it? Is it a tree that helps you in navigation or finding your way around? Then denotation may help. Used to refine trees (natural=tree and natural=tree_row).

Given the last edits, the denotation tag is now also used to describe more accurately the tree location : on an avenue, in an urban area, in a park or in a garden.

Typical values

Tagging	Description	Picture	Comments	Hints / Links
denotation=landmark	A tree remarkable due to its size or prominent location, usually visible from great distances and useful for navigation.		An alternative might be landmark=*?	Landmark on Wikipedia
denotation=natural_monument	An especially old tree, often with a particular shape and usually protected for its uniqueness.		An alternative is monument=*	Natural monument on Wikipedia
denotation=agricultural	A tree in agricultural use (fruit trees, agroforestry). See also landuse=orchard.		See also : species=* trees=* produce=* crop=*
denotation=park	A tree located within an urban park (a green space set aside for recreation inside a settlement).
denotation=garden	A tree located within a garden ( a distinguishable planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature).
denotation=avenue	A tree that's part of a sequence of trees aligned along a road (any road, not necessarily only those explicitly named as an avenue).		An alternative might be to map the entire tree as a single way with natural=tree_row, or even tag the road itself with tree_lined=yes instead of mapping individual trees. However, keep in mind that these approaches don't allow for adding further details on single trees, like different species, dimensions, etc.	Avenue on Wikipedia
denotation=urban	An "urban" tree, usually found within settlements, e.g. spread through residential areas, and not matching any of the other denotations. For large or dense groups of trees outside of settlements, it may be better to just map the surrounding polygon with natural=wood or landuse=forest.		When trees are placed in line alongside a road, prefer to use denotation=avenue. When trees are placed in a park, prefer to use denotation=park. When trees are placed in a garden, prefer to use denotation=garden.

Historical values

Tagging	Description	Picture	Comments	Hints / Links
denotation=cluster	A generic "cluster" of "non-special trees", notably those closer than 50 meters. This tag was deprecated then purged in 2015 from the database.		Introduced by a mass edit during an editing dispute.	For removal edit see Mechanical Edits/Bryce C Nesbitt.

Support

• MapComplete supports eight values in its trees layer: landmark, natural_monument, agricultural, park, garden, avenue, urban and none.
• OpenStreetBrowser supports two values in its OpenStreetMap Quality Control > Culture - Media/Wikidata layer: natural_monument and landmark.

See also

• Description of subtag denotation for natural=tree natural=tree_row
• Do not confuse denotation with denomination=*, a key to refine religion=*