Details are slowly being added to the list - thank you for your patience!
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Abies grandis | Grand fir | Evergreen, 100-300 ft., some sun / moist-dryish. A locally common lowland fir with flattened needles. In the true firs (Abies), cones disintegrate when mature, so you rarely find them under the tree. Great bird habitat. (Pinaceae) |
| Abies procera | Noble fir | Evergreen, 90-200 ft., some sun / moist-dryish. A beautifully symmetrical fir, often grown for Christmas trees. The branches are openly spaced and the needles are upright and brush-like. (Pinaceae) |
| Calocedrus (Libocedrus) decurrens | Incense cedar | Evergreen, 75-90 ft., sun / fast-draining-dry. Common in the mountains south of Mt. Hood. This is the tree of cedar chests. It prefers a warm, dry location and will scent the air on hot days. Great bird habitat. (Cupressaceae) |
| Juniperus communis var. montana | Mountain juniper | evergreen, 1-3 ft. X 4-5 ft. wide, mostly sun / fast-draining to dry. A prickly, spreading shrub or ground cover. Produces purplish, berry-like cones. (Cupressaceae) |
| Larix occidentalis | Western larch or Tamarack | Deciduous, 30-50 ft., sun / moist. The larches are deciduous conifers - in autumn their needles turn yellow or bright gold before they fall (they're not dying when they turn yellow!). Larch has a graceful pattern in winter and new needles are bright lime green in spring. A beautiful tree birds will enjoy. (Pinaceae) |
| Picea sitchensis | Sitka spruce | Evergreen, 100-150 ft., sun to part shade / moist-wet. Sitka spruce will tolerate wet soils and the sharp needles make it less tempting to browsing animals. Good cover and nesting for birds. (Pinaceae) | Pinus contorta var. contorta | Shore pine | Evergreen, 20-40 ft., sun / moist-dryish. A great conifer for a small garden, this is the low-growing variety, native to the west side of the Cascades, near the coast. It can be kept small and does well in tough, parking lot conditions. Good bird habitat. (Pinaceae) |
| Pinus contorta var. latifolia | Lodgepole pine | Evergreen, to 80 ft., sun / moist-dryish. This taller growing variety of Pinus contorta is native in the Cascade Mountains and to the east and south. More good bird habitat. (Pinaceae) |
| Pinus monticola | Western white pine | Evergreen, to 60 ft., sun / moist-dryish. This pine doesn't get too big, making it a good choice for a limited space. The needles are somewhat silvery and slender, giving a soft effect to the foliage. Attractive to birds. (Pinaceae) | Pinus ponderosa | ponderosa pine | Evergreen, 60-150 ft., sun / fast-draining to dry. A beautiful tree and a dominant species in the mountains east of the Cascade crest and south through the Sierras. Bark is blackish in young trees, deep orange in older trees. Cones are prickly. Needles are long and shiny, giving the tree a glossy look. A tree that will please the birds. (Pinaceae) |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas fir | Evergreen, 70-250 ft., sun / moist-dryish. One of the most common forest trees in local forests. Doug fir is fast growing, but intolerant of shade. Just the conifer for upland restoration projects. The birds will thank you! (Pinaceae) |
| Sequoia sempervirens | Coast redwood | Evergreen, 75-100 ft. (much taller in the wild), full sun to part shade / moist-wet. Redwood is common in the coast ranges from southern Oregon into California. It is a beautiful, fast-growing tree, but not very cold tolerant, so does best in low elevation valleys. The fiberous, orange bark is attractive and the foliage is fragrant. (Taxodiaceae) |
| Thuja plicata | Western red cedar | Evergreen, 100-200 ft., sun to shade / moist-wet. This tree grows quickly and tolerates shade and fairly wet soils. needles are tiny scales and the foliage forms flat sprays. Because the wood is long-lasting and resists decomposition, trees are often planted in stream restorations to (eventually) supply large woody debris for salmon habitat. There are many cultivated varieties of western red cedar, including the narrow forms used in tall hedges and refered to as 'Arbor Vitae' (we carry only the wild type). (Cupressaceae) |
| Tsuga heterophylla | Western hemlock | Evergreen, 125-200 ft., sun-shade / moist. This conifer is common in local forests and can be recognized from a distance by the drooping tops. Cones are less than an inch long. Needles are quite short, but of different lengths - "heterophylla" means "different leaf." More great bird habitat! (Pinaceae) |