Vegetation Life

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 [...]