natural resource class tree and plant identification

NATURAL RESOURCENATURAL RESOURCECLASSCLASS

TREE AND PLANT TREE AND PLANT IDENTIFICATIONIDENTIFICATION

TreesTreesImportant Terms:Important Terms:

Trees make up the canopy of the Trees make up the canopy of the forestforest

Conifers = Softwoods = Cone-Conifers = Softwoods = Cone-bearing Treesbearing Trees

Deciduous = Hardwoods = Trees that Deciduous = Hardwoods = Trees that shed their leaves annuallyshed their leaves annually

Evergreens = Needle-bearing or Evergreens = Needle-bearing or Leaf-bearing trees that don’t shed Leaf-bearing trees that don’t shed their leaves annuallytheir leaves annually

Douglas FirDouglas Fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Not a true fir!

Western Red CedarWestern Red Cedar

Thuja plicata

Not a Cedarbut a Cypress

Western HemlockWestern Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla

Washington State Tree

Rocky Mountain JuniperRocky Mountain Juniper

Juniperous scopulorum

Identified by the blue berry-like fruit

Sitka SpruceSitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis

3rd tallest tree in the world

Vine MapleVine Maple

Acer circinatum

Commonly grows underneath taller trees

Bigleaf MapleBigleaf Maple

Acer macrophyllum

Largest leaves of any Maple

Red AlderRed Alder

Alnus rubra

Largest Alder in the world…one of it’s uses is for electric guitars

Pacific MadronePacific Madrone

Arbutus menziesii

An evergreen tree that is deciduous, therefore hardwood

Ponderosa PinePonderosa Pine

Pinus ponderosa

First one was discovered in 1826 around Spokane

Lodgepole PineLodgepole Pine

Pinus contorta

So-named because American Indians used them for their teepees as they grow straight and relatively knot-free

Western White PineWestern White Pine

Pinus monticola

• The needles are in bundles of 5.• 90% of these have been killed west of the Cascades by White Pine Blister Rust

Noble FirNoble Fir

Abies procera

Grows in high altitudes and is a popular Christmas Tree.

Grand FirGrand Fir

Abies grandis

Tolerates temperatures below -400 CWood is used for paper and cheap construction

Western LarchWestern Larch

Larix laricina

A deciduous coniferous treeIs extremely cold-tolerant, surviving -650 C

Engelmann SpruceEngelmann Spruce

Picea engelmannii

A high-altitude mountain tree

Lombardi PoplarLombardi PoplarPopulus nigra ‘Italica’

Commonly used as windbreaks and ornamentals

CottonwoodCottonwoodPopulus trichocarpa

Named for the cotton-like substance it produces and sheds annually

Western Paper BirchWestern Paper Birch

Betula papyrifera

Produces catkins

Oregon AshOregon AshFraxinus latifolia

The largest flowering

plant in the worldLouisville Slugger baseball bats are all made of ash wood (White Ash)

ShrubsShrubs

Shrubs are plants that grow in the Shrubs are plants that grow in the understory of the forest.understory of the forest.

Most, but not all, thrive in shaded Most, but not all, thrive in shaded areasareas

Some, such as blackberries, thrive Some, such as blackberries, thrive where trees have been clear cutwhere trees have been clear cut

Heights range from 10 ft. to 1 ft.Heights range from 10 ft. to 1 ft.

SalalSalalGaultheria shallon

Its berries are edible.

Grows both in shade and open sun areas.

Florists pay huge prices for Salal to use in flower arrangements.

Oregon GrapeOregon Grape

Mahonia aquifolium Berries are edible

Not a grape at all

Its foliage is used by florists

Grows 2 to 5 ft. in height

Evergreen HuckleberryEvergreen Huckleberry

Vaccinium ovatum

Edible, tasty berries

This plant is strictly native to the Northwest

Red HuckleberryRed Huckleberry

Vaccinium parvifolium

Native to the Pacific Northwest

Berries are edible, but very tart

Pacific RhododendronPacific Rhododendron

Rhododendron macrophyllum

Some reach 12 ft. tall

Western AzaleaWestern AzaleaRhododendron tsutsusi

The Azalea is in the Rhododendron family, the only difference in them is the size of the blooms

Pacific ServiceberryPacific ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifolia

Often mistaken for wild blueberriesNative Americans made arrow shafts from their stems

Pacific DogwoodPacific DogwoodCornus nuttallii

The Provincial flower of B.C.

OceansprayOceanspray

Holodiscus discolor

Found in areas prone to wildfires and is usually the first plant to grow back after a burn.

Wild RoseWild RoseRosa woodsii

Wild roses provide food and shelter for small wildlife and birds.

Indian PlumIndian PlumOemleria cerasiformis

These produce a very small plum-like fruit that is edible. In the Pacific Northwest, these are the main plant in the understory of

the forest.

HazelnutHazelnut

Corylus avellana

Very closely related to the Filbert and is concentrated in two states in the U.S. Oregon and Washington

Pacific NinebarkPacific NinebarkPhysocarpus capitatus

Mostly found in wetlands and along streams

Red CurrantRed CurrantRibes rubrum

Used commonly for medicinal uses, including digestive, diuretic, and blood cleansing

SalmonberrySalmonberryRubus spectabilis

Produces yellow, red, and orange berries. Very important food for the Native Americans.

Red ElderberryRed ElderberrySambucus racemosa

Although birds eat the berries, they are quite poisonous to humans when eaten raw.

SnowberrySnowberrySymphoricarpos albus

Important food for quail, pheasant, and grouse but TOXIC to humans

Sword FernSword FernPolystichum munitum

The favored habitat of this fern is the understory of moist coniferous forests at low elevations.

Bracken FernBracken FernPteridium aquilinum

Bracken Fern is great cover for small animals, such as insects, spiders, and salamanders. Old fronds bend and cover the forest floor or

meadow, hiding these animals from predators.

Deer FernDeer FernBlechnum spicant

It resembles a miniature Sword fern but smaller with rounded fronds.

It gets the name Deer Fern because it provides winter forage for deer, elk, caribou, moose & bighorn sheep from the Columbia River to Alaska

GroundcoversGroundcovers

The lowest level of growth in the forestThe lowest level of growth in the forest Very important to the soil and mineralsVery important to the soil and minerals Many of these serve as forage for small Many of these serve as forage for small

game animalsgame animals All of these serve as protection for small All of these serve as protection for small

game animalsgame animals The first plants to thrive after a forest fireThe first plants to thrive after a forest fire

KinnickinnickKinnickinnickArctostaphylos uva-ursi

Commonly called “bearberry” Used by Native Americans as tonics for certain ailments

ThimbleberryThimbleberryRubus parviflorus

Berries are edible

Shaped like a thimble

Beach StrawberryBeach StrawberryFragaria chiloensis

These were 1 of 2 wild varieties that were hybridized to produce the modern garden strawberry

Slender WintergreenSlender WintergreenGaultheria ovatifolia

Evergreen groundcover with edible berries

TwinflowerTwinflowerLinnaea borealis

Notice how this plant earned its name?

Grows in dense brush at most elevatons

Heather (Calluna)Heather (Calluna)Calluna vulgaris

It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to 20 inches tall, or rarely to 39 in. Heather is a very popular ornamental plant in gardens and for landscaping.

False Lily of the ValleyFalse Lily of the ValleyMaianthemum dilatatum

Found in the wild growing in open forests and on damp soils in grassy ditches and thickets.

Western ColumbineWestern ColumbineAquilegia formosa

Aquilegia comes from the Latin word aquil, meaning eagle, referring to the shape of the petals. Formosa means beautiful.

Great CamasGreat CamasCamassia quamash

Except for choice varieties of dried salmon, no other food item was more widely traded as Camas. Native American people traveled great distances to harvest the bulbs.

GoatsbeardGoatsbeardAruncus dioicus

Aruncus, from the Greek aryngos ("goat's beard"), refers to the showy, finger-like flower clusters,

which form feathery masses of all male or all female flowers.

Bleeding HeartBleeding HeartDicentra formosa

This is native of our very own Pacific Northwest's moist & shady woodland areas, but also seen alongside roads' drainage ditches in fuller sun

Western TrilliumWestern Trillium

Trillium ovatum

Its petals vary from white to maroon

There is a folk belief that if you pick the bloom, the plant will not flower for seven years. This belief exaggerates the impact of picking the flower, but removing the stem and food-making leaves will set the plant back.

Inside-out FlowerInside-out FlowerVancouveria hexandra

Inside-out flower is named after Captain George Vancouver and its epithet hexandra, means six stamens.

Modern medicinal uses are for sinus congestion, chronic rhinitis and hay fever.

Piggy Back PlantPiggy Back PlantTolmiea Menziesii

Grows naturally in the wild, however is a popular houseplant as well

David ViburnumDavid ViburnumViburnum DavidiiViburnum Davidii

They are eaten by birds and other wildlife, and some are edible for humans (though many others are mildly poisonous to people).

Forget-me-notsForget-me-notsMyosotis salvatica

The Alaskan state flower

FoxgloveFoxgloveDigitalis purpurea

The entire plant is toxic (including the roots and seeds), although the leaves of the upper stem are particularly potent, with just a nibble being enough potentially to cause death

Trailing BlackberryTrailing Blackberry

Rubus ursinus

The branches of these can reach up to 10-20 feet long

Himalayan BlackberryHimalayan BlackberryRubus armeniacus

One of the top 10 most noxious weeds in the Northwest.

Evergreen BlackberryEvergreen BlackberryRubus laciniatus

Introduced in the 1800’s from Europe along with the Himalayan Blackberry, which originated in Asia. Considered a noxious weed by some people