AbstractSpecific leaf area (SLA; one‐sided leaf area per unit of dry mass) is a key trait indicating plant growth strategy and its responses to changing environments. Despite its high relevance for ecological research and recent efforts to mobilize the trait data, information on SLA in many plant lineages and biogeographic regions is still underrepresented. To assist in closing this gap, we translated and digitized a large dataset on SLA titled the Surface areas of forest plants by Anatoly I. Utikin, Lyudmila S. Ermolova, and Irina A. Utkina, published in Russian in 2008 (Nakua, Moscow, Russia) and previously not accessible to the great majority of people in the international research community. The book contains a compendium of SLA values collected by A. Utkin and his colleagues published between 1918 and 2006 containing research on ~1100 gymnosperm species from 562 genera and 139 families. Additionally, Utkin et al. provided useful information on the SLA ranges and SLA responses to changing illumination for several species. Also, the dataset contains ~200 references to research on SLA conducted between 1918 and 2006. The dataset is ready to use in various trait analyses. There are no copyright or proprietary restrictions for research or teaching purposes. The authors would appreciate notification when and how the data are used.