Conifer Identification

tip of tree droops. Short, flat needles of unequal length with 2 white stripes underneath. Tiny cones (~1 in). Very shade tolerant. Washington state tree.

Needles radiate in all directions around the twig (bottle-brush look), unlike the flat sprays of western hemlock. Larger cones than western hemlock. High-elevation / subalpine. Drooping leader.

Sharp, stiff, prickly needles. Scaly, purplish-gray, flaking bark. Papery cone scales. Huge trees in the foggy coastal zone.

Sharp, 4-sided blue-green needles; crushed needles smell skunky. Thin, flaky reddish-brown bark. Narrow spire-shaped crown. High elevation, east Cascades. [CHECK]

Flat needles in two flat rows, unequal length, notched tip, glossy dark green above with 2 white stripes below. Needles smell citrusy. Upright cones high in the crown that fall apart on the tree.

Bluish-green needles that sweep upward on the twig. Large upright cones with long bracts sticking out beyond the scales. Silvery-gray bark. High-elevation Cascades.

Narrow, spire-like (steeple) crown. Short bluish-green needles curving upward. Upright dark purple cones. Smooth gray bark with resin blisters. High elevation.

Flat needles with silvery-white undersides; shiny dark green above. Upright purple cones. Smooth, pale silvery-gray bark with resin blisters. Mid to high elevation, wet forests.

2 needles per fascicle, short (1-3 in) and twisted. Small, prickly cones that often stay closed on the tree for years. Thin bark, straight slender trunk.

3 long needles per fascicle (5-10 in). Orange-cinnamon bark in large puzzle-piece plates that smells like vanillautterscotch. Dry east-side sites.

5 needles per fascicle, soft and bluish-green. Long, slender, curved cones (6-12 in). Blocky gray bark. Vulnerable to white pine blister rust.

Cones with 3-pointed bracts sticking out ("mouse tail with two hind legs"). Single soft needles all around the twig. Sharp, pointed reddish-brown buds. Thick, deeply furrowed corky bark. Not a true fir.

Flat sprays of scale-like leaves (not needles). Stringy, fibrous bark that peels in long strips. Flared trunk base. Small oval cones. Strong cedar smell.

Deciduous conifer: needles in tufts on short shoots, turn golden yellow in fall, then drop. Thick, reddish-cinnamon bark plates. Small cones with long bracts. Northeast WA and east Cascades.

Showy white "flowers" that are actually 4-6 large bracts around a small central cluster. Opposite leaves with arching veins. Red berry clusters in fall. Small understory tree.

Evergreen broadleaf with smooth, reddish-orange bark that peels in thin sheets. Leathery oval dark green leaves. Red-orange berries. Sunny, dry sites, often near saltwater.

Large deciduous tree with heart-shaped to triangular leaves, paler underneath. Sticky, balsam-scented buds. Deeply furrowed gray bark. Fluffy cottony seeds. Wet floodplains and riverbanks.

Narrow, lance-shaped alternate leaves. Flexible twigs. Each bud is covered by a single cap-like scale. Fuzzy catkins. Wet sites, streams, and lakeshores. [CHECK]

Huge 5-lobed palmate leaves (up to a foot across), opposite arrangement. Paired winged seeds. Trunks and branches often covered in moss and licorice ferns.

Smooth gray bark with white blotches (lichen). Leaf edges are double-toothed and rolled under. Small woody cone-like fruits. Fixes nitrogen. Early colonizer of disturbed areas.

Only native oak in WA. Deeply lobed rounded leaves, glossy dark green above. Acorns. Rough gray bark. Dry prairies and open woodlands in Puget Sound and Columbia Gorge.

Rounded leaves on flat leaf stalks that flutter in the breeze. Smooth whitish-green bark with dark scars. Spreads by root suckers to form clones. Golden fall color. Mostly east side.

First shrub to leaf out in late winter. Drooping clusters of greenish-white flowers. Lance-shaped leaves that smell like cucumber when crushed. Fruits turn from orange to blue-black.

Prickly stems. Leaves with 3 leaflets. Bright pink-magenta flowers in early spring. Orange to red raspberry-like berries. Shreddy golden-brown bark on old stems. Wet areas.

Large, soft, fuzzy maple-shaped leaves. No thorns. White flowers. Red, thimble-shaped berries. Shredding bark.

Drooping clusters of pink-red flowers in early spring (hummingbird favorite). Lobed, maple-like leaves. No thorns. Blue-black berries with a whitish coating.

Multi-stemmed, sprawling small tree. Nearly round leaves with 7-9 lobes. Opposite leaves. Brilliant red-orange fall color. Paired winged seeds. Understory of moist forests.

Low-growing (under 2 ft). Compound leaves with many holly-like spiny leaflets (~9-19). Prominent parallel veins on the leaflets. Yellow flowers, blue berries. [CHECK]

Taller shrub (3-6 ft). Compound leaves with fewer leaflets (~5-9), glossy and spiny like holly. Yellow flower clusters, blue berries.

Large evergreen fern in dense clumps. Fronds with leaflets that have a small "ear" (thumb-like lobe) at the base. Rows of round spore dots (sori) on the underside.

Grows as an epiphyte on mossy tree trunks (esp. bigleaf maple) and rocks. Green in the wet winter, dormant in summer. Roots taste like licorice. Round spore dots on the underside.

Evergreen shrub with thick, leathery, oval leaves with fine teeth. Pink-white urn-shaped flowers. Dark purple-black edible berries. Forms dense thickets in the understory.

Deciduous shrub with round white berries that persist into winter. Small opposite oval leaves. Thin twigs. Pinkish bell-shaped flowers.

Bright green, angular (ridged) twigs. Small oval leaves. Translucent bright red tart berries. Often grows on rotting stumps and nurse logs.

Large, drooping plumes of tiny cream-white flowers that turn brown and persist. Small, wedge-shaped, shallowly lobed leaves. Arching shrub. Also called creambush.

Huge maple-like leaves with spines on the stems and the veins of the leaves. Crooked, zigzag stems. Pyramid-shaped clusters of red berries. Wet, shady forests.

Leaves divided into leaflets radiating from one point like fingers on a hand (palmately compound). Spikes of blue-purple pea-like flowers. Fixes nitrogen. Early colonizer after disturbance (e.g., Mt. St. Helens).