Flowers, trees, herbs, animals, weather, landscapes, seasons... Nature names from sources like these are appealing because they tend to be more evocative than traditional names.

The problem is that most nature names are considered feminine names. Either they sound feminine (like Sierra and Rosemary), or they're simply given to girls more often than to boys (Robin is a pretty good example of this).

What if you like nature names, but you're having a boy?

There are a definitely masculine nature names out there -- not many, but hopefully enough to give you a few good ideas:

Let's start small. There are the herbs Basil, Burnet and Valerian. (Sage and Thyme are herb-names that I've seen used for both genders.) The name Rush didn't come from a verb, but from a type of marsh plant. There's even a type of grass called Timothy (...though that one is sort of a cheat, since the grass was named after a specific person.)

If you want a tree name, you could try Linden or Hawthorn. (There's also Cedar and Willow, though they tend to be used just as often for girls.) The name Burl refers to a tree outgrowth that produces a very handsomely grained wood. And, of course, don't forget Forest.

For something fiercer, there's Wolf (or Wolfgang), Fox, Colt and Tiger. The name Talon has become moderately popular for boys in the last few years (a talon is the claw of a bird of prey). Blaze isn't an animal, but it's still an intense name that's also being used more often.

For something a bit more stoic, you could try Stone, Rocky, Jet or even Flint. In this same vein (but on a larger scale), there are the names Canyon, Craig and Cliff (and its variants Clifford and Clifton).

If you want a name with a scenic feel, you could try Dale or Glenn. There's also River, Rain and Sky, all of which are used for both genders.

Finally, what about Almond or Huckleberry? Unusual, sure, but they've both really been used as boy names. Almond was weakly popular in the late 19th century, and a handful of people have indeed been named Huckleberry (probably more in honor of the character than the berry).