Where the word ‘tree' comes from
The word appeared in hip-hop lyrics in the 2000s (Wu-Tang, Method Man, later Drake and Nas) and settled into casual New York and East Coast vocabulary. It's a soft slang — you can say ‘I'm about to smoke some tree' more publicly than ‘I'm about to smoke some weed' without triggering the same associations.
Tree vs bud vs flower
All refer to the same thing: dried cannabis flower. ‘Flower' is the industry term. ‘Bud' emphasizes an individual piece. ‘Tree' is a casual umbrella slang. Choose whichever fits the conversation.
Related tree/plant slang
Broccoli — visual similarity to green cannabis buds. Green — cannabis or money, context-dependent. Herb — the botanical framing, older-school. Chronic — sticky, potent cannabis. All soft slang, all interchangeable in casual conversation.
Is ‘tree' a specific quality tier?
No. ‘Tree' is neutral — it doesn't tell you if it's zaza, mid, or reggie. Use tier-specific slang (top-shelf, exotic, mid, loud, gas) when you want to specify quality.
Buying tree in NY
At Good Grades — a licensed New York adult-use dispensary in Queens — every gram on the menu is lab-tested through the state's Office of Cannabis Management compliance chain, tagged from cultivator to shelf, and delivered same-day across Queens, Nassau County, and much of the NYC metro. 21+ with valid ID at delivery. Browse the live menu to compare THC content, terpene profile, and grow method before you order.