non-pine gymnosperms

18 shots

black spruce

Cold, wet flats, muskegs, N-facing slopes
100 y/o and only 2-3’ in diameter
Found in clusters
Low branches can take root & form ring
Found in clusters bc low branches can take root, form a ring of trees around parent tree

Marks northern limit of tree growth
In the East, hybridizes with red spruce

dawn-redwood

Thought to be extinct until 1940s
1 living member of the genus
Deciduous conifer

Deodar cedar

Native to western himalayas
Almost extinct over most of range
Used to build temples & landscape

Egg or barrel-shaped cones
Short, often blue-green needles in rosettes, drooping shoots

Douglas-fir

Valuable commercial spp worldwide
2 Var.- Pacific coast + rocky mountains
Cones with distinctive bracts

European larch

Deciduous
VIP lumber tree in Europe
heavy, reddish heartwood

gold fall foliage
Abundant in european mountains
Wood tough and durable, but flexible
Extensive plantations

Ginkgo

“Living fossil”
Nearly extinct, cultivated by chinese monks
Dioecious, female fruits are smelly nuisance
Green, fan-shaped leaves turn golden-yellow

kauri

Northern NZ
1820 large levels of logging, greatly reduced amnt
Large trees, diverse resins
Great quality wood, straight, fine, strong, rot resistant

Leyland cypress

Hybrid between 2 other species
Propagated only by rooted cuttings (sterile)
Secretes a natural herbicide
Short lived, topples over

mountain hemlock

Sm to lg evergreen tree- one of the larger alpines
Towards timberline, becomes prostrate shrub
Marketed as western spp

noble fir

largest true fir
Very limited range, only cascade high mountains
Strong wood, best of the true firs
popular christmas tree

Nootka cypress

Many died bc “snowpack” did not insulate roots
Alaska’s first threatened tree
Wood has odor of raw potato
Heartwood yellow w/ lighter sapwood band
V durable aromatic wood
Names recently changed

Shreddy bark
Flat, spreading sprays on drooping branches
Medium-sized, evergreen, slow-growing

Norway spruce

TImber tree of major economic importance through cool temp areas
Planted in US at farmsteads
Cones larger than North American spruces**
Most climate tolerant spruce
Instruments, good sound qualities

Orange-brown to reddish bark exfoliates in thin scales
Wood has good sound qualities
Happy cultivation in extreme locations

Pacific silver fir

most abundant true fir in PNW
name means lovely
Flat, fernlike foliage
One of the most common in the area bc VERY shade tolerant
Branches w/ spirelike crown of short downturned branches
Minor christmas tree, deep moist soils
Once used for lumber and pulp
Victim of balsam wooly adelgid

Pacific yew

thin bark w/ Taxol (cancer-fighting)
fruit is an aril
Poisonous, can be fatal
Understory tree of coniferous forests

Small, slow growing
Limited supply, small dimensions limit use
Used for novelty: archery bows, poles, paddles, cabinets

European silver fir

most widespread fir in europe
silvery color when seen from below
Dozens of varieties for planting
essential oils

Christmas tree in Europe
Moderately soft, white wood for construction or paper

Sacred fir

Name use at religious festivals
High elevations: cloud forest
Stands are winter habitat for monarch butterfly

Sitka spruce

Grows right on coast, up to alaska
world’s largest spruce
A VIP alaska tree
“tidewater spruce”
High-grade pulp
High strength-weight ration
Used to be used for aircrafts
State tree of alaska

tall straight trunk from buttressed base

Western hemlock

Very common tree in PNW, major timber spp
Source of alpha cellulose, rayon
Largest of genus
Drooping leader
Needs soil + atmospheric moisture

white spruce

In Canada, VIP commercial tree
VIP and most common spp of Alaska interior forests

Forms tallest forests along large rivers where water thaws soil
Used for log cabins, construction
Hybridizes with Sitka spruce