Douglas
fir is
one of the finest timber trees in the world. They reach heights
of 200' and can develop five foot diameters. These magnificent
trees have slightly drooping branches and narrow egg-shaped
hanging cones. Found primarily along the western coast of Canada
and the U.S. and in the Rockies to SE Arizona, they grow in
altitudes ranging from 2,000 feet to 9,500 feet. Their flat,
flexible needles grow in two rows and have a rounded tip.
Sugar
pines are
distinguished by the longest cones produced by any pine species;
they can grow as long as 20 inches. The trees grow extremely
straight to 160' tall, and are unbranched for much of that length.
Their trunks can achieve a six foot diameter. Their slender,
two to four-inch needles grow in bundles of five, the blue-green
color marked with white lines. They grow to altitudes of 5,400'
in western Oregon, to 10,500' in southern California.
Ponderosa
pine is
common and widespread throughout the western U.S. and Canada
from sea level altitudes to 9,000 feet. Their spreading branches
form a broad, conical crown that reaches a height of 130', often
with a four foot diameter at the base. The stout, stiff needles
of this tree may be four to eight inches long, growing in bundles
of two or three. Cones feature raised scales with a prickle
at the tip, and reach lengths of two to six inches.
Western
hemlock grows
alone in huge groves in the Pacific Northwest, or in forests
of mixed conifers. It is the tallest of the hemlocks, growing
to 150' with a base diameter of three feet. This tall, slender
evergreen shows a narrow conical crown and drooping branches.
Its short, flat needles grow in two rows, are dark green above
and have two pale bands below. Tiny cones hang down from twigs.
Look for these trees in flat areas with acid soils. Western
hemlock is a non-toxic evergreen tree, not to be confused with
Poison Hemlock, a deciduous plant.
Balsam
poplar is
the largest deciduous tree in the American Northwest. A member
of the cottonwood family, it grows in stream banks and floodplains
and takes its name from the fragrance it exudes from buds and
young leaves in the spring. Growing to a height of 120', this
tree has upright branches that form a narrow, open crown. Its
leaves are from three to six inches long and two to four inches
wide, oval shaped, with a pointed tip and rounded base.
Oregon
ash produces
hard wood widely used in furniture and flooring. It grows straight
and up to 80' in height, making it a valuable source of timber.
Five to seven elliptical leaflets grow on each stem. Flowers
appear in clusters in the spring, bearing winged fruit in crowded
clusters in the fall. Oregon ash grows in stream banks and canyons
with wet soils from western Washington to central California,
to an altitude of 5,500'.
Red
alder is
the first tree to grow after a forest fire, making it an important
species for soil stabilization as well as cover so that other
trees may establish themselves. Growing with straight trunks
and narrow crowns, the red alder grows to a height of 100' and
a diameter of two feet. Its leaves are oval with wavy margins
and double sawteeth. Its tiny cones are blackish and grow in
short-stalked clusters that remain attached after they mature
in late summer.
Western
red cedar,
prized because it is durable and resistant to decay, grows in
mixed conifer forests from southeastern Alaska to western Montana.
It is a large evergreen with a conical crown and a massive trunk
sometimes attaining a diameter of eight feet and a height of
175'. Its leaves are short, shiny and scalelike; its tiny cones
grow in clusters from small stalks. Look for western red cedar
in slightly acid, moist soils.
Oregon
white oak grows
as a beautiful landscape ornamental, but is also an important
source of timber for shipbuilding, furniture making, cabinetwork,
and fuel. Known for its rounded crown and stout branches, this
tree grows to 70' tall and a diameter of two feet. It grows
in pure stands or with other oaks on mountainsides and in valleys
from southwestern British Columbia to central California. Its
acorns are an inch or more long.
Poison
Hemlock is
a woody-stemmed deciduous plant that tends to grow along ditches
and waterways, as well as along the borders of pastures and
crop land. The plant may grow up to 9 feet tall, forming clusters
of deeply cut, divided leaves along purple-spotted stems. In
the spring, large white flower clusters resembling large Queen
Anne's Lace grow in umbrella shapes from stalks that extend
from the stem. Although the plant is a member of the parsnip
family and is frequently mistaken for parsley, it is extremely
toxic to humans and most domestic livestock. There have been
reports of children being poisoned when they used the hollow
plant stem for whisles or straws. Legend has it that Socrates
drank a tea made from this plant to fulfill his death sentence.
For
information about other plants that are toxic to animals, please
see:
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/vex/toxic/intro.htm
