Dendrology - Shrubs

Western Poison- oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum); poison iy (Todicondendron)

• Leaves of three

• Leaves: Pinnately compound with 3 leaflets per leaf, wide range in shape and size, usually 2-3” long when grown in sun, 6” in shade

• growth form is upright shrub, crawl along ground or climb into a tree

Serviceberry (Amelanchier) - amelanchier alnifolia

• Leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous, small 1-2” long oval, margins toothed near apex and entire near base, pennyveined with veins extending to teeth

• fruit : small, round and blue, covered with white blood, Often infected with orange fungus

• flowers: in short clusters, each flower has 5 long white straplike petals

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos) Hairy Manzanita (Arctostaphylos columbiana)

• Leaves: simple, alternate persistent, small, margins entire, leathery, dull green and hairy, short petiole

• hairy twigs, bark young twigs gray bark smooth brown when young

• flowers: small pink urn shaped in small terminal clusters

Rhododendron (Rhododendron) Pacific Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)

• leaves: simple, alternate, persistent, most are clustered near branch tips, margins entire, slightly revolute, apex and base acute, thick and leathery

• flowers: large and showy and white to rose purple

Ceanothus (Ceanothus)

• leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous ovate , 1-4” long, thin margins serrated with glandular teeth

• 3 veined from the base, dark green , glabrous above pale below

• flowers: small white flowers born in large dense cluster

Mountain Mahogany (Cerocarpus) curtleaf mtn mahogany (Cerocarpus legifolius)

• leaf: simple, alternate, persistant, elliptical, margin entire, slightly revolute, thick and leathery, pubescent

• flowers: small and inconspicuous borne in small cluster, perfect ut lack petals

• fruits are slender

• curly seedpods

Hazel (Corylus)

• leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous, 2 ranked, broadly ovate to almost round 2-4” long, margins sharply and double serrated, dark green above, papers below, petioles and young twigs very fuzzy

• flowers: male and female flower borne in separate catkins on same plant, staminate catkins flower before leaves appear in spring

• produces hazelnuts

Broom (Cytisus) scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius)

• leave: simple, trifoliate, alternate, deciduous, very small simple leaves, or larger trifoliate leaves, elliptical to oblong margins entire, sessile or petiolate, light green and smooth above, paler green and slightly pubescent below

• twigs: slender, and gren to dark green that are distinctly ribbed, hairy when young

• flowers: small bright yellow and pea like, profuse, tipped open by pollinating bees and insects

  • fruits: dark brown to legumes

Salal (Gaultheria shallot)

• leaves: alternate, persistent, simple, ovate to oval, margins finely serrated, primarily lateral veins sparse and arcuate, leathery, dark glossy green above and paler below

• flowers: small, urn shaped, pink to white

• fruits: small blue black berries

• rhizome mat allow plant to dominate understory

  • stem zigzags

Oregon grape (Mahonia/Berberis aquifolium)

• leaves: pinnately compound, alternate, persistent, compound leaves, dark glossy green above, pale green below, thick waxy cuticles, sharp spine teeth along margins, lateral leaflets opposite and sessile

• flower: small bight yellow flowers become long upright racemes

• fruits: small dark blue berries

bitter brush (Purshia tridentata)

• Leaves: Simple, alternate, deciduous, wedge shaped, 3 lobed apex, margins entire and revolute, green to gray green above and gray white below, hairy on both surfaces

• flowers: Small, yellow tubular flowers with flared petals

• fruit: single paired achenes

Currrant, gooseberry/ Red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

• 3-10’ tall

• Leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous, palmately lobed, serrated, dark green and pubescent above and paler green and velvety below

• Flowers: pink to red, small tubular flowers growing broke on long showy drooping racemes

• fruits: dark blue pea size berries covered in stalked glands and white, waxy bloom, edible but often unpalatable and bitter

• Bark is red to gray brown and thin

blackberry, thimbleberry, serviceberry (Rubus), Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)

• erect, spindly, deciduous shrub, armed with prickles

• Leaves: compound, alternate, deciduous, double serrated of lobed serrated edges, green above and below, wrinkled above and armed below

• flowers are bright pink to red

• fruits: aggregates of small yellow to red drupelets

Willow (salix)

• Leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous with short petiole and stipule. Typically several inches long, margins entire of finely toothed with rounded teeth; never serrated

• flowers: male and female flowers borne on separate plants as catkins

• Fruits: small capsules containing cottony wind dispersed seeds

red elderberry ( Sambucas racemosa)

• Leaves: pinnately compound, opposite, deciduous, leaflets lanceolate with serrated margins, dar green and smooth above, paler green and pubescent below

• Flowers: tiny white flowers borne in large upright cone-shaped clusters, odor strong

• Fruits: small, berry like drupes, usually red that occur in cone shaped clusters, toxic when raw and edible when cooked

• Twigs/bark: opposite buds, twigs and leaves.

snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

• Leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous, margins vary from entire to shallowly lobed, green above and paler below

• Flowers: Small, pink white bell shaped flower borne in small terminal clusters

• fruits: round, white and waxy berries can last well into winter

Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor)

• Leaves: Simple, alternate, deciduous small, coarsely toothed or lobed and serrated, margins entire near base, predominately penniveined, green above and paler below

• Flowers: tiny creamy white flowers borne in large hanging clusters to 12” long

• fruits are tiny and light brown

Red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)

• Leaves: simple, alternate, deciduous, leaves on mature plants elliptical to ovate, margins entire, very thin, green above and paler below

• Flowers: small, green white to pink, bell shaped to flattened round flowers