The North American morning wood (or morning glory) is a species of tree belonging to the Erectae family, closely related to the hardy palms species of palm trees. The species evolved from the much smaller Asians plant known as dwarf forrestii (which is actually a shrub), the African sequoiadendron relative biggus longaeva (which is black in color and known for its great mass), and the Western European placito phallicdendrum (which is more comparable), all of which have become crossbred. The European colonization of North America brought the hybrid morning wood to North America whereas its African, European, and Asian counterparts are for the most part still purebred.