Wood (Western) Trillium - Liliales Liliaceae Trillium ovatum Identification & Description: The trillium is a simple, graceful perennial that is one of the most familiar and beloved of the spring woodland wildflowers. Leaves, petals and sepals of all trilliums come in groups of three. This species, sometimes commonly called wood trillium, [...]
White Birch - Fagales Betulaceae Betula pubescens Identification & Description: The White Birch is a small to medium sized deciduous tree which grows to 70 or 80 feet in height. As far as trees go it doesn't live very long, only about 140 years. Small hear-shaped leaves are found at [...]
Vine Maple - Sapindales Aceraceae Acer circinatum Identification & Description: Vine Maple is a shrub or multi stemmed shrubby tree which grows to a little over 20 feet in height. The branches often spread across the ground, rooting to spread new colonies. The branches and young stems are green, becoming brown with age. The [...]
Scouler's Willow - Salicales Saliaceae Salix scoulerana Identification & Description: Scoulers Willow is a shrub or small tree growing to 35 feet in height. Although a wetland plant growing along stream banks and wet meadows, Scoulers Willow tolerates the driest conditions of all the willows in the northwest. Found growing anywhere [...]
Red Alder - Fagales Betulaceae Alnus rubra Identification & Description: Red Alder is a fast growing tree reaching up to 80 feet in height. The bark is smooth, thin and gray often covered with moss and lichen. The leaves are sharp pointed with wavy, margins with blunt teeth. The flowers appear before the leaves [...]
Pacific Dogwood - Cornales Cornaceae Cornus nuttallii Identification & Description: A decidious tree growing to 10m by 7m . It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate [...]
Garry Oak - Fagales Fagaceae Quercus garryana Identification & Description: A decidious tree growing to 18m by 10m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 6 and is frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers [...]
Cascara Buckthorn - Rhamnales Rhamnaceae Rhamnus purshiana Identification & Description: The cascara tree is usually from 15 to 20 feet in height. The rather thin leaves are from 2 to 6 inches long and about 1 to 3 inches wide, somewhat hairy on the lower surface and rather prominently veined. The small, insignificant greenish [...]
Broadleaf Maple - Sapindales Aceraceae Acer macrophyllum Identification & Description: Native bushy-headed tree, variable in habit. Leaves are five-lobed dark green, turning a striking clear yellow in autumn. Good on chalk given a deep topsoil and very heavy soils. Lovely tree for natural or rural planting, but use Acer campestre 'Streetwise' when a more [...]
Black Cottonwood - Salicales Salicaceae Populus trichocarpa Identification & Description: The tallest native cottonwood, with open crown of erect branches and sticky, resinous buds with balsam odor. Leaves 3-6 in (7.5-15 cm) long, 2-4 in (5-10 cm) wide. Height: 60-120 ft (18-37 m). Diameter: 1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m), sometimes much larger. As you cross [...]
Bitter Cherry - Rosales Rosaceae Prunus emarginata Identification & Description: Bitter cherry is a shrub or small tree to 15 meters in height and with trunks to 30 cm in diameter. The bark of older trunks and branches peels horizontally, while that of younger twigs is smooth, reddish-brown, and somewhat shiny with scattered grayish [...]
Grand Fir - Coniferales Pinaceae Abies grandis Identification & Description: The majestic grand fir is the largest of the firs. It occurs primarily in forests near the ocean, such as the Pacific coast. Grand fir, also called lowland white fir, balsam fir, or yellow fir, is a rapid-growing tree that reaches its largest size [...]
Sitka Spruce - Coniferales Pinaceae Picea sitchensis Identification & Description: The Sitka spruce is the tallest conifer in North America. It grows to an average height of between 55 and 80 metres, and has an estimated life span of from 700 to 800 years. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), known also as [...]
Douglas Fir - Coniferales Pinaceae Pseudotsuga menziesii Identification & Description: The Douglas fir belongs to the family Pinaceae. It is classified as Pseudotsuga menziesii. It is also known as Coast Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, Oregon Douglas-fir, Douglas Tree, Interior Douglas-fir The Douglas fir, common name for a large coniferous tree, is not a true fir [...]
Western Hemlock - Coniferales Pinaceae Tsuga heterophylia Identification & Description: The western hemlock can reach up to 50 or 60 metres high. Its normal lifespan is from 80 to 100 years, but it can live up to 500 years. The top of the tree is very flexible, and generally bends away from [...]
