Evergreen Tree Information
Cypress (Cupressus)
Most foliage is scale-like rather than pointed. A few branches may
be dominated by sharp-pointed needles.
Round, woody cones greater than 1/2" in diameter (resemble those
of Port-Orford-cedar and Alaska-cedar, but are larger).
Bark peels in thin strips, exposing shiny, reddish-brown inner bark.
Cypresses are attractive evergreen conifers that come in a variety
of shapes, sizes, and colors. Their scale-like foliage resembles that
of the false cedars (except that the smallest sprays of cypress tend
to be rounded rather than flat), and the junipers (except that cypresses
do not commonly have sharp-pointed needles). Their round cones resemble
those of Port-Orford- and Alaska-cedars, although cypress cones are
much larger (often over 1/2 inch in diameter).
Most cypresses are native to the Mediterranean region, the Himalayas,
China. and the southwestern United States. Many cypresses are important
cultivated plants because they are extremely drought-resistant. One
species of cypress, the Baker cypress (Cupressus bakerii) is native
to the Pacific Northwest.
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga)
Needles are about 1" long with a blunt tip.
Woody cones (3-4" long) hang down; have pitchfork-shaped bracts.
Buds are large and pointed with reddish-brown overlapping scales.
Douglas-fir is the name of an entire genus of trees that contains six
species--two native to North America and four native to eastern Asia.
Because of its similarity to other genera, Douglas-fir has given botanists
fits. It has, at various times, been called a pine, a spruce, a hemlock,
and a true fir. In 1867, because of its distinctive cones, it was given
its own genus--Pseudotsuga--which means false hemlock. The hyphen in
the common name lets us know that Douglas-fir is not a "true"
fir--that it's not a member of the Abies genus.
Only one Douglas-fir is native to the Pacific Northwest, and it's by
far the most important member of the entire genus. Its common name is
identical to that of the genus, reflecting its importance. Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii) is Oregon's state tree.
Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron)
Needles are scale-like with short, thick, sharp points.
Cones are woody, egg-shaped, extremely hard, and 2-3" long.
Bark is reddish-brown, stringy, and very thick.
Giant sequoias are the largest trees ever to inhabit the earth, and
are among the oldest. Heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet are
not uncommon. Their ages commonly range from 2,000 to 3,000 years (only
bristlecone pines are older). Although once widespread, giant sequoias
now occur only in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California.
Since 1890, giant sequoias have been protected in Yosemite, Kings Canyon,
and Sequoia National Parks, as well as in smaller individual groves.
There is only one species within this genus, Sequoiadendron giganteum;
it has the same common name as its genus, giant sequoia.
Hemlocks (Tsuga)
Short needles, generally under 1" long.
Small, woody cones (1-3" long).
Trees have distinctive droopy tops and branches.
Hemlocks are noted for short needles and droopy tops and branches. There
are only about 10 species of hemlock in the world--mostly in North America,
China, and Japan. The Pacific Northwest has two hemlocks: the abundant
and commercially important western hemlock and the lesser known mountain
hemlock. Even when found growing together, they're easy to tell apart.
mountain hemlock: needles are blue-green on all surfaces, are similar
in size, and are uniformly arranged around the twig. Clusters of needles
often have a star-like appearance. Cones are cylindrical and are 1 to
3 inches long.
western hemlock: needles are all very short, but have distinctly different
sizes on the same twig. They are yellow-green on top, and have two white
bands on their undersides. They tend to stick out the sides of the twigs,
but also occur on top of the twig. Cones are egg-shaped and about 1
inch long.
False Cedars (Calocedrus, Thuja, Chamaecyparis)
"False cedar" is a name commonly used for 3 separate but similar
species, grouped because of the following shared characteristics:
Tiny, scale-like leaves that overlap like shingles and form flat sprays
like a fern.
Distinctive, small cones that remain on the tree long after their seeds
are gone.
Aromatic wood.
Common names can be confusing--and that is certainly the case with
this group of trees. The Pacific Northwest has four species of trees
that are called cedars, but none of them are truly cedars. In fact,
they don't even resemble true cedars. True cedars belong to the genus
Cedrus and bear their evergreen needles in dense clusters on small,
woody spur shoots (similar to our larches). Their cones are large, sit
upright on their branches, and fall apart when the seeds are ripe (similar
to our true firs). True cedars are native only to the Mediterranean
and Himalayan regions of the world.
The Pacific Northwest's false cedars have tiny, scale-like foliage and
small cones that remain on the tree long after their seeds are gone.
Why then are they called "cedars"? Although we can't be sure,
it's probably because of their wood. In ancient Rome,Cedrus referred
to a group of trees with fragrant wood. Our "cedars" also
have aromatic wood, and that's probably how the confusion in names first
started.
It's easy to recognize our false cedars as a group, but it's more difficult
to tell one from another. Their tiny, scale-like leaves overlap like
shingles and form flat sprays like a fern. Some have distinctive patterns
of white bloom on their undersides; others don't. To make things even
more complex, the four separate species fall into three different genera.
Cones are often the best way to tell them apart.
incense-cedar (Calocedrus)
All members of this genus have cones shaped like a duck's bill when
closed, and a flying goose when open.
arborvitae (Thuja)
All members of this genus have cones shaped like tiny rose buds, or
the bowl of a smoker's pipe.
white-cedar or false cypress (Chamaecyparis)
All members of this genus have small, round, woody cones.
Junipers (Juniperus)
Needles can be either scale-like or needle like, and these needle forms
are typically mixed on the same branch.
Fruits are leathery and look like berries; most often blue.
Tree has distinctive, strong odor.
Junipers are strange conifers indeed. Their fruits look like berries
and their leaves may be either scale-like or needle-like. In fact, their
fruits are round cones, but they're softer than most and they have a
blue, red, or copper color. Junipers bear male and female flowers on
separate trees, so only "female" trees have fruit. Juniper
foliage may be scale-like, needle-like, or both, and it often has a
distinctive odor that can be smelled from quite a distance.
Three junipers are native to the Pacific Northwest, but chances are
good that western juniper is the only one you will see. The other two
are Rocky Mountain juniper of far eastern Oregon and common juniper,
which grows primarily near treeline. The Pacific Northwest's junipers
do not typically grow together.
Larches (Larix)
Needles are deciduous (fall from the tree in winter).
Small, woody cones (1-2" long).
Most needles are borne in groups of 20-40 on thick, woody spur shoots;
current-year needles are borne singly on slender pegs.
Larches are different from most conifers because they're deciduous--they
lose their needles each fall. In addition, their needles are arranged
differently from those of most conifers; on current-year twigs they're
borne singly, but on older twigs they arise in dense clusters from stout,
woody pegs that resemble wooden barrels. Only 10 species of larch occur
in the world, mostly in cold parts of the northern hemisphere. Only
western larch and subalpine larch grow in the Pacific Northwest. Larches
are commonly called tamaracks, especially by people whose roots are
in eastern North America.
Pines (Pinus)
Long, narrow needles are bound in bundles resembling whisk brooms.
Fruits are large, woody cones with thick, tough scales.
Branches commonly grow in distinctive "whorls" or rings that
make their trunks easy to climb (each whorl represents 1 year's growth).
On a world-wide basis, pines are the most common type of conifer; there
are nearly 100 different species. North America alone has over 30! In
general, pines are easy to distinguish from other needle-leaved trees
because of their long, narrow needles bound in bundles; large, woody
cones with tough scales; and distinctive "whorls" of branches
that make their trunks easy to climb.
Pine forests are also distinctive. In general, pine trees like a lot
of light, so pine forests are open and sunlight spills through to the
forest floor. Wind moving through their long needles also gives pine
forests a distinctive sound, and no one can miss their unique fragrance.
Eight species of pine are native to the Pacific Northwest, although
many others have been introduced. Four pines (lodgepole, sugar, ponderosa,
and western white) were named by Scottish botanist David Douglas. Apparently
this diversity surprised even him, for he wrote to his employer at the
Royal Horticulture Society of England, "you will begin to think
that I manufacture pines at my pleasure".
To identify pines, count the needles in each bundle. This will divide
the species into smaller groups. Then check the range and the appearance
of the cones to pinpoint the species.
Two needles per bundle: LODGEPOLE
Three needles per bundle: PONDEROSA, JEFFREY, and KNOBCONE
Five needles per bundle: WESTERN WHITE, SUGAR, LIMBER, and WHITEBARK
Redwood (Sequoia)
Needles are shaped like a double-edged sword, and occur in a flat plane.
Fruits are woody cones, made up of thick, wrinkled scales.
Bark is reddish-brown, thick, fibrous, and deeply furrowed.
Redwoods have an interesting taxonomic history. Although several species
of redwood (Sequoia) once spread across the globe, long-term climate
changes have reduced their numbers and their range. Now, only one species
exists, Sequoia sempervirens, and it occupies a narrow band along the
west coast of North America, from southwestern Oregon to Monterey, California.
Two other trees are commonly confused with redwoods, but each is a separate
genus: giant sequoia, Sequoiadendron, and dawn redwood, Metasequoia.
Prior to the formation of the Cascades, when the Pacific Northwest's
climate was warmer and wetter, all three "redwoods" grew here.
Now, giant sequoia grows naturally only in California, while dawn redwood
is native to China. As with redwood, each of these trees has been widely
planted outside its native range.
Spruces (Picea)
Spruce needles are generally stiff and prickly.
Each spruce needle springs from a tiny, woody peg.
Most spruce cones have papery thin scales.
Many people think that spruces, Douglas-firs, and the true firs look
alike. In a general way they do, but look closer. Feel the needles.
Spruces have stiff, prickly needles, while Douglas-firs and true firs
have soft, flexible needles. Each spruce needle springs from a tiny,
woody peg; in fact, this peg is one of the best ways to identify a spruce.
Spruce cones hang down from the branches like those of Douglas-fir while
true fir cones stand up, but spruce cones do not have Douglas-fir's
pitchfork bracts. The scales of most spruce cones are papery thin--yet
another difference. And spruce bark is scaly--Douglas-fir and the true
firs have smooth or ridged bark.
There are approximately 40 different species of spruce in the world,
but only 3 are native to the Pacific Northwest--and only 2 of those
are common. Location is probably the best clue to their identity.
Sitka spruce: grows only along the Pacific coast, from northern California
through southeastern Alaska. Grows only near sea level. Needles are
often (but not always) flat in cross section and are typically very
sharp.
Engelmann spruce: grows only in the Cascades and Rocky Mountains, from
central British Columbia through New Mexico. Grows only at high elevations.
Needles are typically square in cross section, and range from being
very sharp to blunt.
Brewer spruce: Quite rare; grows only in the Siskiyou Mountains of
southwestern Oregon and northern California. Needles are typically square
in cross section and are blunt on their ends.
True Cedars (Cedrus)
Evergreen needles are borne in dense clusters.
Clusters of needles arise from stout, woody pegs.
Fruits are large, barrel-shaped cones that sit on the tops of branches.
True cedars are native to the Middle and Far East--and are very different
from the scale-leaved false cedars native to the Pacific Northwest.
True cedars have evergreen needles borne in dense clusters on stout,
woody pegs (similar to larches, except they don't fall off in the Fall).
Their large, barrel-shaped cones stick up above their branches, and
have thin scales that fall apart when mature (similar to true firs).
True Firs (Abies)
Erect cones perch on the topmost branches; scales fall off cones when
seeds ripen.
Twigs have tiny, circular leaf scars.
Young stems have fragrant resin blisters; buds are rounded and are
often covered with resin.
True firs are so named to distinguish them from Douglas-firs, Chinese-firs,
and a number of other pretenders. Sometimes they're called "balsam
firs" because of tiny pockets of resin, or balsam, that occur in
their bark. About 40 species of true firs grow in cold regions of the
northern hemisphere. True firs are well-adapted to snowy environments
because their short, stiff branches and pointed tops shed snow without
breaking.
Seven species of true fir are native to western North America, and Oregon
has six--more than any other state: grand fir, noble fir, Pacific silver
fir, California red fir, subalpine fir, and white fir.
All true firs have the following characteristics:
Cones that perch like little owls on the topmost branches--so, look
aloft for large, erect cones. They often glisten with drops of fragrant,
sticky resin.
Cones of true firs do not fall intact like other conifer cones. In late
fall, their scales tumble off one by one when the seeds have ripened.
As a result, cones can only be used to recognize true firs in summer
and early fall.
Gently pull a needle away from its twig and notice the tiny, circular
scar left on the twig. This circle makes it easy to recognize a true
fir at any season.
Young stems have fragrant resin blisters. Stick them with your finger
and they pop, oozing a clear liquid. Resins and oils from the bark and
foliage of true firs are used for a variety of products, including perfumes,
adhesives, and pharmaceuticals. Some attribute a healing effect to this
liquid.
The buds of true firs are rounded and are often covered with resin,
wax, or curved needles. Buds near the ends of twigs often occur in clusters
of three or more.
Yews (Taxus)
Needles are dark green above and lighter green below; pointed.
Fruit consists of a single seed surrounded by a soft, fleshy, bright
red pulp; not a cone.
Bark is thin, purple, and scaly.
Yew is a small genus of about eight species scattered across North
America, Europe, and Asia. Although it's grouped with the conifers because
it has needle-like foliage, its fruit is not a cone. Instead, it's an
aril--a large, single seed surrounded by a soft, fleshy, bright red
pulp. Although they look inviting, DON'T TASTE THEM, for the seeds are
highly poisonous. All yews contain a natural chemical called taxol,
which is very promising in the treatment of certain types of cancer.
Only one yew, Pacific yew, is native to the Pacific Northwest. However,
English and Irish yews are commonly planted in lawns and gardens for
ornamental purposes.
This information provided by Oergon State University's College of Forestry
http://www.orst.edu/instruct/for241/
