Native Plants PNW

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Sitka Alder, Alnus viridis

Sitka Alder

Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC.ssp. sinuata, (Regel) A. Love & D. Love

Latin synonyms include, Alnus sinuata, A. crispa ssp. sinuata, and A. sitchensis. Sitka Alder is sometimes called Mountain Alder. Viridis means green, sinuata means curving, probably for its wavy leaves. Sitka Alder has a similar geographic range to Red Alder but is also found from the Yukon Territory to the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Colorado. The species is also found in Siberia and Greenland. Sitka Alder is very similar to Red Alder but is smaller and shrubbier, growing from 6 to 30 feet (2-10m). Sitka Alder can be used instead of Red Alder where a smaller tree is desired. The wavy leaves of Sitka Alder are sharply saw-toothed and are not rolled under. Sitka Alder often forms dense thickets that provide cover, nesting and foraging habitats for many animals.

Wetland designation: FACW, Facultative wetland, it usually occurs in wetland but is occasionally found in non-wetlands.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Thinleaf Alder, (also known as Mountain Alder), Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia is similar to Sitka Alder; it mostly found on the east side of the Cascades. It has leaves with doubly toothed margins.

Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera

Paper Birch The Birch Family–Betulaceae

Betula papyrifera Marsh.

(BET-yoo-la pap-er-IH-fur-uh)

Name: Paper Birch gets its name from the way the bark on older trees will peel in thin, white, papery sheets. It is also sometimes called Canoe Birch or White Birch.

Relationships: There are about 40 species of Birch trees in the northern temperate regions of the world, about 15 in North America.

Distribution of Paper Birch from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. )

Distribution: Paper Birch is widely distributed throughout the northern regions of North America from Alaska to Newfoundland. It is common in the Great Lakes region and northeastern United States. In the western U.S. it is mostly found in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. West of the Cascades, Paper Birch is mostly found north of the Skagit in Washington State, but may also occur in the southern Puget Sound region.

Growth: Paper Birch grows quickly to about 90 ft (30m). It is short-lived, rarely living longer than 125-200 years.

Habitat: It grows best in moist sites, in open woods.

Wetland designation: FAC, Facultative, it is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

The white bark peels in papery sheets.

Diagnostic Characters: Although the white, papery bark is a good identification character for older trees, young, darker barked trees may be confused with Bitter Cherry. Both have horizontal lines of lenticels on the bark. The leaves of Paper Birch are sharply pointed; the margins are doubly toothed. Paper Birches produce catkins that appear before or at the same time as the leaves. The catkins break up at maturity

In the landscape: Paper Birches are best planted in groves, creating a woodland effect that especially highlights their distinctive white trunks. It is best, however, to avoid planting birches next to where cars will be parked because the resident insect population may drip sticky honeydew throughout the summer!

Phenology: Bloom Period: Mid-April to early June. Birch pollen is also a major allergen. Small winged nutlets ripen early August to mid-September. Most are disseminated by the wind from September to November.

Propagation: Paper Birch is easily propagated by seed, stratified at 40ºF (4ºC) for 90 days. After treatment, sown seeds should be exposed to light at least 8 hours a day.

Use by People: Paper Birch, as its other name suggests, was used, especially by eastern natives, for canoes. It also was also frequently used for making baskets. The wood is commonly used for furniture, cabinets, plywood, and pulp and paper products, as well as firewood. Paper Birch sap is tapped and made into syrup, wine, beer and medicinal tonics.

Use by Wildlife: Paper Birch is an important moose browse; deer also eat the leaves. Hare, porcupines and beavers eat the bark and young saplings. Birds, such as finches and chickadees, and small rodents, such as voles and shrews, eat Paper Birch seeds. Grouse eat the catkins and buds. Hummingbirds and squirrels may feed at sapwells created by sapsuckers. Many cavity-nesting birds find homes in Paper Birch trees.

Shrubbier birches that may be encountered in the Pacific Northwest include: Resin Birch, B. glandulosa, Dwarf Birch, B. nana, Water Birch, B. occidentalis, and Bog Birch, B. pumila. Water Birch is often used in ornamental landscapes.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet + Landowner Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Red Alder, Alnus rubra

Red Alder The Birch Family–Betulaceae

Alnus rubra Bong.

(AHL-nus ROOB-ruh)

Names: Red Alder is sometimes called Oregon Alder. Rubra means red– referring to the red dye made from its bark and the color of the wood when cut.

Relationships: There are about eight alder species that reach tree size in the United States and Canada, about 20 or 30 species worldwide. White Alder, Alnus rhombifolia, is similar to Red Alder but is smaller; it is mostly an inland species is found in our range in northern Oregon.

Distribution of Red Alder from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. )

Distribution: Red Alder is found from southeast Alaska to southern California, with some isolated communities in northern Idaho.

Growth: Red Alder grows rapidly and can reach 40-80 feet (15-25m). It is relatively short-lived and rarely lives past 100 years.

Habitat: Red Alder is most often found in moist woods and along streambanks. It quickly colonizes recently cleared land.

Wetland designation: FAC, Facultative, it is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Red Alder leaves are slightly rolled under at the margins.

Diagnostic Characters: Red Alder has thin, gray bark often with patches of white lichens. Because of the whitish appearance of the bark, it is often confused with Paper Birch. Its most distinguishing feature is its wavy, toothed leaves with revolute margins (edges that are slightly rolled under). Long catkins appear in spring, before the leaves, producing copious amounts of pollen. It produces small brown cone-like strobiles less than an inch (2cm) long that remain on the tree through the winter.

Woody female cone-like stabiles.

Alder bark with lichens and moss.

In the Landscape: Although many consider Red Alder a “weed” tree because it will often invade landscapes, this tree is the first choice for ecological restoration. Red Alder is a host to nitrogen-fixing bacteria that form nodules on tree roots. Because of this association, the introduction of Red Alder to disturbed sites can quickly improve the fertility of soils, making the site more amenable to colonization by longer-living conifers. Red Alder can form attractive groves in young forests, especially along rivers and streams.

Phenology: Bloom Period: February to April. Alder pollen is a major allergen. The cone-like strobiles shed large amounts of small winged nutlets September to December. Wind dissemination is very effective for natural regeneration.

Male catkins.

Female strobiles with immature male strobiles in the background..

Propagation: It is extremely easy to propagate by seed; no treatment is necessary, only sunlight is required. “Volunteers” weeded out of other areas can be easily potted up or transplanted to more appropriate locations.

Use by people: The wood of Red Alder was second only to Cedars in its use for woodworking by natives. Dishes, spoons, platters, masks and many other items were made from Red Alder wood. Alder wood is considered the best wood for smoking salmon. A red or orange dye was made from the bark to color red cedar bark and to make fishnets invisible to fish. The bark of Red Alder was also valued for its medicinal qualities; it is known to have antibiotic properties and contains salicin, which is used to make aspirin. Red Alder is the most important hardwood in the Pacific Northwest. It is used for furniture, cabinetry, small manufactured items, paper and paper products. The hard wood burns hot and relatively long, making it an excellent choice for firewood.

Use by wildlife: Finches eat the seeds of Red Alder. Deer and elk eat the leaves, twigs and buds of young trees. Stands of Red Alder are favorable habitat for deer, especially on hot days in summer and early fall. Beavers eat the bark and use the stems for building dams and lodges.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet + Landowner Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

National Register for Big Trees

Golden Chinquapin, Chrysolepis chrysophylla

Golden Chinquapin The Beech Family–Fagaceae

Golden Chinquapin trees tend to be narrow and pyramidal.

Chrysolepis chrysophylla (Douglas x Hook.) Hjelmqvist

(Cry-so-LEE-pis cry-so-FILL-uh)

Names: This evergreen tree has also been known as Castanopsis chrysophylla; Castanopsis means resembling chestnuts, (the genus Castanea). Chrysolepis means golden scales; chrysophylla means golden leaves. Both refer to the golden scales on the undersides of its leaves. Chinquapin (also spelled Chinkapin) is thought to be from an Algonquin term for chestnut.

Relationships: Golden Chinquapin is a relative of chestnuts. There are only two species in this genus; the Golden Chinquapin (aka Giant Chinquapin) the other is the Bush Chinquapin, Chrysolepis sempervirens, a shrub of California and southern Oregon.

Distribution of Golden Chinkapin from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. )

Distribution: Golden Chinquapin is also mostly found in California and Oregon with two small disjunctive populations in Washington; one in Skamania County along the Columbia River Gorge, the other in Mason County close to the Hood Canal. It is listed as a sensitive species in Washington State.

Growth: Golden Chinquapin grows slowly to 30-100 feet (10-30m).

Habitat: It is usually found on dry, open, south-facing sites and rocky ridgetops. It can also be found in fairly thick woodlands.

Like related chestnuts or oaks, Chinquapins will produce galls induced by small wasps.

The undersides of the leaves have fuzzy golden scales.

Diagnostic Characters: This shrubby tree is easily recognized by its dark, glossy, lance-shaped leaves with golden scales on the undersurface. It produces creamy, white flowers in upright catkins sometime between February and July. In the fall, one to three nuts are produced in a spiny burr, resembling the husk of chestnuts. The bark is smooth on young trees; on older trees it is thick and heavily furrowed, broken into reddish plates.

In the Landscape: Chinquapin is best grown as a specimen tree in drier parts of your garden. Its rarity in our area and its distinctive appearance can add a contrasting element of texture to your landscape.

Phenology: Bloom Period: Mid-June to mid-July. Nuts ripen in mid-August to early September; seeds are dispersed from September through December by birds and rodents, but will also just drop to the ground.

Propagation: Sow nuts as soon as they are ripe, but protect them from rodents. Because of its sensitive status in Washington, be very conscientious and respectful when collecting in the wild!

Use by People: The wood of Golden Chinquapin is hard and strong but is rarely found in sufficient quantities to be useful commercially. The nuts were roasted and eaten by natives of California and Southern Oregon.

The nuts are encased in a prickly husk.

Use by Wildlife: The nuts are nutritious and eaten by small mammals, but are produced too irregularly to be a major component of their diet. Jays enjoy them, too. Golden Chinquapin is the only known host to the Golden Streak Butterfly. This Butterfly is a Washington State threatened species and listed as sensitive by the US Forest Service. It has been found associated with the Skamania County population but has not been found within the Mason County population.

A tall Chinquapin tree near the Hood Canal

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database (a related species)

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii

Pacific Madrone TheHeath Family– Ericaceae

Arbutus menziesii Pursh.

(ar-BYOO-tus men-ZEE-zee-eye)

Names: The Pacific Madrone is the only common broadleaved evergreen tree in our region. It is known by many names. In the northwest it is more familiarly called Madrona, whereas in California it is more often called Madrone or sometimes Coast Madrono (Madrono is Spanish for Strawberry tree). British Columbians simply call it Arbutus. In fact there is a song, Arbutus Baby, about a Madrona seedling by the children’s musician “Raffi.” My son was excited to be able to explain to his classmates what an Arbutus was when his teacher played this song in his second grade class!

Relationships: There are over 1,500 species of plants in ericaceae, including blueberries, huckleberries, cranberries, rhododendrons, heathers and salal. All members have tubular flowers (usually four or five petals that are fused at the base). Almost all grow in acid soils and depend on fungal mycorrrhiza for efficient uptake of water and nutrients. Two other species of Arbutus found in the U.S. and Mexico are the Texas Madrone (A. texana) and the Arizona Madrone (A. arizonica). More familiar to gardeners is the Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo, which is native to the Mediterranean.

Distribution of Pacific Madrone from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr.

Distribution: Pacific Madrone is found along the pacific coast from southern British Columbia to San Diego County in California.

Growth: Pacific Madrone is the largest member of ericaceae, sometimes reaching 100 feet (34m) tall; usually 30 to 75 feet (10-25m). One well-known tree on Cherry Street in Port Angeles, Washington has a circumference of over 20 feet (7m). Madrones may live 250 years or more (some estimate that it may live 400-500 years). Whereas conifers show extreme apical dominance– where the top growing point relies on gravity to transport hormones that ensure it will grow with a straight trunk, Madrones, in contrast, are extremely phototropic, meaning that the top growing points will seek the sun. In fact, when growing in the sun, Madrones tend to be more bush-like. It is when they are growing in competition with other trees they grow taller, often leaning to seek out brightest spot.

Habitat: In our area Madrones are most often found on dry, sunny sites, often on bluffs above the seashore with a south or west exposure. In the southern part of its range in California, it is found in moister valleys.

A small Madrona at the base of a Douglas Fir.

Diagnostic Characters: Pacific Madrone is easy to recognize by its leathery, oval-shaped leaves. Old leaves are shed in the summer. Also in summer, especially where exposed to the sun, the cinnamon-colored bark peels off to reveal smooth, light green, younger bark that turns golden with age. Older Madrones, growing in a forest, retain a scaly, reddish brown bark. White, urn-shaped flowers, in large drooping clusters, make an appearance in spring, followed by orange-red berries with a bumpy or granular surface in autumn.

Peeling bark on a young tree.

Thicker bark on a mature tree

Glossy green leaes of Madrone

Madrona leaves can be messy.

In the landscape, Madrone gets mixed reviews. Many people love their attractive peeling bark, evergreen leaves, and showy flowers and fruit. Other people bemoan their messy nature, the fact that they drop leaves and bark throughout the summer. For this reason, Madrones should not be planted next to a patio or in a lawn. Another reason Madrones should not be planted in an irrigated lawn is because it susceptible to a root rot, Phytophthora cactorum. Madrones also do not respond well to disturbance. When tall, skinny Madrones that were once growing in a forest, are exposed to the sun, their bark begins to peel. These, thin-barked trees are much more susceptible to the canker disease, Nattrassia mangiferae. Pruning cuts may also provide easy access to the pathogen. Leaf spots that are caused by many different fungi also can make a Madrone unsightly. Sometimes leaves will turn totally brown, but will recover when new leaves are produced in the spring. If this has been a problem, old leaves should be raked up and destroyed to limit reinfection. Despite all its problems, Madrone is a worthy tree. It can prove its magnificence if it is planted in a west or south-facing exposure, rarely irrigated, and left to its own devices.

Phenology: Bloom Period: Mid-March-June. Berries ripen mid-September to mid-November; seeds are dispersed by birds and rodents, but will also just drop to the ground.

Propagation: Seeds need to be separated from the berry, then given a cold-moist stratification at 40ºF (4ºC) for 60 days– or plant them outside in fall for natural stratification.

Use by people: The wood can be made into attractive veneer, furniture and hardwood floors. The wood varies in color from very light to a dark purple. It makes excellent firewood. The berries are edible but were rarely eaten by natives.

Use by Wildlife: The berries are an important food for pigeons, doves, thrushes and robins. Wood rats will also eat the fruit and deer will eat the foliage. Madrone is also a preferred tree species for cavity-nesting birds, especially woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens. Songbirds, small owls and mammals such as raccoons, porcupines and squirrels will move in to cavities abandoned by woodpeckers. As with all members of ericaceae, the flowers attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.

Note: For my master’s thesis I studied the Possible Causes of Decline for the Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) (1995). and presented my findings at the Proceedings of the April 28, 1995 Symposium: “The Decline of Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii Pursh): Current Theory and Research Directions.”

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Pacific Yew, Taxus brevifolia

Pacific Yew The Yew Family–Taxaceae

Taxus brevifolia Nutt.

(TAKS-us brev-i-FOAL-ee-uh)

Names: The Pacific Yew is also called the Western Yew or sometimes the Oregon Yew. Brevifolia means short leaves.

Relationships: There are about seven species of yew worldwide. Most are shrubs. The English species, T. baccata and the Japanese species, T. cuspidata have many cultivated varieties.

Distribution of Taxus brevifolia from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. )

The largest Yew in Oregon at Milo McIver State Park.

Distribution: The Pacific Yew is found from British Columbia to Northern California from the coast to the Cascades, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas and the western slope of the Rockies in B.C., Idaho and Montana. Rarely ever numerous, it is usually found as an understory tree in moist old growth forests growing beneath other larger trees such as Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir.

Growth: This rather scrubby looking tree grows slowly and usually only reaches 6 to 45 feet (2-15m). The largest are about 60 feet (18m).

Wetland designation: FACU-, Facultative upland, it usually occurs in non-wetland but is only sometimes found in wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters: The needled foliage is similar in appearance to Douglas Fir, True Firs, and Hemlocks. The needles are arranged in 2 rows in flat sprays, similar to Grand Fir, but the needles are shorter, about an inch (2-3cm) long, coming to a point at the end. The twigs are green. Instead of a woody cone, female yew trees produce a bright red, berry-like, gelatinous cup called an aril. One bony seed is visible through the hole in the end of each aril. If you are lucky enough to find a mature yew, the bark is very shaggy looking with red to purplish shredded scales.

Yews have a berry-like fruit called an “aril.”

In the Landscape: Although many prefer its cultivated cousins, this somewhat homely, scraggly species may find a perfect home in a landscape for those that can appreciate its unconventional beauty. For those that have a small yard and cannot plant any of the larger native conifers, this little jewel may be the perfect choice!

Male cones

Phenology: Bloom Period: May to June, male and female on separate plants. Arils ripen in August to October; seeds are dispersed by birds and rodents, but will also just drop to the ground.

Propagation: Yew is easy to propagate from half-ripe terminal cuttings taken in summer. The seeds require warm stratification for 90 days, then a cold stratification at 40ºF (4ºC) for another 90 days. A germination rate of about 55% may be expected the 2^nd spring.

Use by People: Yew wood was prized in both the old world and the new world for its strength and elasticity. It was used by natives to make many kinds of tools and weapons, particularly bows. Young native men would rub themselves with smooth yew sticks to give them strength. The wood is also ideal for carving and takes on a high polish. The fleshy seed coverings have been eaten in small quantities but should probably be avoided. The seeds are poisonous to humans!! Unfortunately loggers who were after the larger Douglas Fir, Hemlock and other trees of old growth forests did not have much regard for the Pacific Yew and many were destroyed in the process of harvesting the larger trees. The plight of the Pacific Yew gained attention in the 1980’s when it was discovered that its bark yielded the effective cancer-fighting drug, Taxol. Although there is a now synthetic alternative, the concern over the scarce tree, brought attention to the need for protecting our remaining old growth forests.

Shaggy understory yews are often draped with moss.

Use by Wildlife: Birds eat the yew’s fleshy arils and disperse the seeds. The foliage is a winter browse for moose.

Sometimes Yews appear a bronzy yellow next greener hemlocks and Douglas Firs.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Common Juniper, Juniperus communis

Common Juniper

Juniperus communis L.

(joo-NIH-per-us kom-MEW-nis)

Names: Common Juniper lives up to its name, being the only circumpolar conifer of the northern hemisphere.

Relationships: There are about 70 species of Juniper worldwide, with 13 native to the United States. Only 2 species occur in our region.

Distribution of Common Juniper from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. )

Distribution: It is native to Europe, Asia and North America.

Growth: The species varies widely from a groundcover to a tree 60 feet (20m) tall. In our region it is a prostrate, trailing shrub usually less than 3 feet (1m) tall, forming mats to 9 feet (3m) in diameter.

Habitat: It grows from near sea level in lowland bogs, in dry, open woods and on rocky slopes to subalpine ridges and alpine tundras.

Diagnostic Characters: The blue-gray leaves are needle-like in whorls of three and very prickly. Female plants produce bluish-black “berries.”

In the Landscape: There are several cultivated varieties of this species suitable for many situations. Our native forms are best used in a rock garden or in border plantings.

Propagation is easiest by heel cuttings of mature wood taken in fall. Seeds have a prolonged dormancy of 14 to 16 months requiring a cold period, then a warm period and another cold period, each about 2-3 months. Soaking the seed for a few seconds in boiling water may help to remove the fleshy seed coat, which would naturally be removed after passing through the digestive system of a bird or small mammal. If all goes well, you may achieve about 45% germination rate after the 2^nd spring.

Use by People: In the old world the berries are known for their use as the flavoring for gin. North American native used all parts of this plant for various medicinal purposes, They used the fragrant branches for rituals and in sweat lodges. The dried berries were used as beads to make necklaces and to decorate dresses by California tribes.

Use by wildlife: Deer and mountain goats browse Common Juniper to at least a limited extent. Levels of use are typically greatest during the winter or early spring. Caribou and Moose have been observed feeding on Common Juniper. Hares may also browse Common Juniper. “Berries” of most junipers are eaten by many species of birds and mammals, including American Robins, Black-capped Chickadees, and Cedar Waxwings. Wild turkeys also feed on the berries of Common Juniper. It also provides cover and nesting sites for birds and small mammals.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Rocky Mountain Juniper, Juniperus scopulorum

Rocky Mountain Juniper The Cypress Family–Cupressaceae

Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.

Rock Mountain Juniper in Vantage, Washington

(joo-NIH-per-us skop-yoo-LOR-um)

Names: Rocky Mountain Juniper is sometimes called Rocky Mountain Cedar or Mountain Red Cedar. “Scopulorum” means growing on cliffs.

Relationships: There are about 70 species of Juniper worldwide, with 13 native to the United States. Only 2 species occur in our region.

Distribution of Rocky Mountain Juniper from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. )

Distribution: The Rocky Mountain Juniper is widely distributed in much of western North America from British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains south to Arizona and New Mexico.

Growth: Rocky Mountain Juniper is one of 11 junipers in the United States reaching tree size. It is a small tree from 30 to 40 feet (10-13m) tall, with a rounded or columnar habit. It grows slowly and can live for 300 years.

Habitat: In the Puget Sound, it is only found on dry, exposed bluffs of the San Juan Islands.

Rocky Mountain Juniper tends to be a scruffy, sparse tree in west side gardens.

Diagnostic Characters: Juvenile foliage is short, pointed needles in threes. Adult foliage is grayish-green and scale-like with opposite leaves in pairs. Female trees produce blue, waxy “berries.” The bark is red-brown, broken into shredded scales.

In the Landscape: Although the species is not widely grown, there are several cultivated varieties, particularly columnar types. Rocky Mountain Juniper can be used as a small screening tree. Its grayish color and somewhat scruffy appearance can make an attractive contrast with greener, more softly textured conifers. It is useful for shoreline plantings because of its tolerance to salt spray. Its drought tolerance makes it especially appropriate for dry areas; in fact it should not be planted where it would receive too much moisture.

Phenology: Bloom Period: Mid April to mid-June. Fruiting period: Fleshy cones, often referred to as “berries,” ripen in mid-September to mid-December the following year; seeds are primarily disseminated by birds, which eat the fruit in fall and winter.

Use by people: The strong smelling roots of Rocky Mountain Juniper were boiled and used medicinally by natives for bathing and for disinfecting.

Use by wildlife: Many birds, especially the Cedar Waxwing, enjoy the berry-like fruit. Small and large mammals eat them too. Hoofed browsers eat the twigs and foliage. The trees also provide protective cover and nesting sites.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Alaska Yellow Cedar, Callitropsis nootkatensis

Alaska Yellow Cedar The Cypress Family—Cupressaceae

Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Don) Oerst. ex D.P. Little

(Kal-lee-TROP-sis noot-ka-TEN-sis)

Names: The Alaska Cedar is sometimes called Yellow Cypress, Nootka False Cypress or many similar variations. I like to mix terms and simply call it “Alaska Yellow Cedar.” Nootkatensis means “of Nootka Sound.” Nootka is a tribe that lived primarily on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Most horticultural professionals know this species as Chamaecyparis nootkatensis.

Relationships: There has been some controversy about its correct relationship and naming. It is sometimes listed as Cupressus nootkatensis, but it is thought to be sufficiently different from both Cupressus and Chamaecyparis and should belong to an entirely different genus. Botanists now place it in the genus, Callitropsis (meaning: beautiful turning). However, some propose that it should be placed in another genus, Xanthocyparis, (meaning “Yellow cypress”) along with a newly discovered Vietnamese Golden Cypress.

Distribution of Alaska Cedar from Silvics of North America

Distribution: Alaska Cedar is found along the coast from southeast Alaska through British Columbia. In Washington and Oregon, it is found mostly in the Olympic Mountains and on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains.

Growth: These graceful, relatively slow growing trees may be the oldest living trees in the northwest. Some are known to have been over 1,800 years old. Though the tallest known Alaska Cedar, on Vancouver Island, is 200 feet (60m) tall, they typically only grow 60-120 feet (18-36m).

Habitat: Alaska Cedar grows in wet to moist sites, from the coastal rainforests to rocky ridgetops near the timberline in the mountains. In Northern British Columbia & Alaska it descends more often to sea level and is often associated with wet boggy forests.

Wetland designation: FAC, Facultative it is equally likely to occur in wetland or non-wetland.

Diagnostic Characters: The yellowish or bluish-green leaves are scale-like with sharp pointed spreading tips. If you stroke the branchlets the wrong way, they are very prickly. The cones begin as round, bumpy, whitish-green berries. They ripen to brown, woody cones with 4 to 6 mushroom-shaped scales with a point in the top center of each scale. The grayish-brown, shaggy bark can be peeled off in long, vertical strips. When you expose the yellowish, inner bark, it smells like raw potatoes. The wood is a bright yellow.

The shaggy bark of Alaska Cedar

The scale-like leaves are prickly when stroked backwards.

In the Landscape: There is some variability in the growth habit of Alaska Cedar. Some trees may have flattened branches that droop or “weep” more than others. The cultivated variety, ‘Pendula,’ has a very distinct narrow, weeping form. Alaska Cedar is a very popular landscape tree. Because of its narrow form and slow growth it can be grown successfully near commercial buildings. Its attractive, weeping habit makes it sought after to provide a focal point for formal landscape gardens.

Phenology: Bloom Period: From April in the southern end of its range to June in the north. Cones usually mature the following year, both first and second year cones may occur on the same branch.

Propagation: Seed germination rates tend to be low, but a germination rate of about 12% may be obtained with a warm stratification for 30 days followed by a cold stratification for 30 days at 40ºF (4ºC). Seed can be stored dry for 3-5 years. Greater success may be achieved with cuttings treated with IBA or by layering. Seedling stocks exhibit much more variability in form; vegetative propagation allows you to select desirable traits such as a “weeping” habit.

Use by People: Natives in Alaska and British Columbia used Alaska Yellow Cedar in much the same way as more southern tribes used Western Red Cedar. The preparation of the Alaska Cedar bark was more time-consuming because it had to be soaked and boiled to remove the pitch. But, because of its softness, it was often preferred over Western Red Cedar bark for weaving blankets, robes, and capes. The wood was used to make many tools and containers, but it was especially popular for making bows. Alaska Cedar is not logged much anymore in Washington but is still being cut in British Columbia and Alaska. The wood is highly prized by the Japanese for use in temples because of its similarity to their sacred Hinoki False Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa.

Use by Wildlife: Alaska Cedars are used for cover by birds, small mammals and larger browsers such as deer. It has low food value for birds and small mammals. Alaska-cedar is of minor importance to wildlife as browse except when densities of deer are high. The Alaskan brown bear may strip the bark of the tree in the spring to feed on the sweet sap.
Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

The Leyland Cypress, Hesperotropsis leylandii (Cupressocyparis x leylandii), is a hybrid between Alaska Cedar and The Monterey Cypress, Hesperocyparis (Cupressus) macrocarpa. The hybrid was first discovered in a garden in England where the two parent species were growing in close proximity. The hybrid has since arisen by open pollination on several separate occasions. Like the Monterey Cypress, it is resistant to sea winds. Its most popular use is as a fast growing screen when many are planted in a row.

Monterey Cypress sculpted by Ocean winds along the California Coast

Monterey Cypress more upland.

A young Lawson Cypress

Another similar species, Port Orford Cedar, (also known as Lawson Cypress), Chamaecyparis lawsoniana has a limited distribution in its native southwest Oregon. Chamaecyparis species are generally called “False Cypresses.” Chamaecyparis literally means “low-growing” cypress, probably referring to the many dwarf, cultivated varieties of the various species. There are two Japanese species, one species from the eastern United States and one in the west. There are, however, over 200 cultivars of this species. The wild form is an attractive, pyramidal shaped tree to over 100 feet (33m) tall, with lacy, fern-like foliage. It can be distinguished from Alaska Cedar by the X-shape found on the underside of branchlets. The fragrant, clear wood of Port Orford Cedar is strong, lightweight and easily worked. It was heavily logged for a hundred years; the very few old-growth trees still being cut fetch premium prices. This tree should not be planted in moist soils due to the root pathogen, Phytophtora laterilis. This debilitating fungus disease has killed many natural stands as well as park specimens. Wetland designation: FACU+, Facultative upland; it usually occurs in non-wetland but only sometimes is found in wetlands.

X-markings on Lawson Cypress branchlets.

Link to Chamaecyparis lawsoniana: