Trees

There are 3 trillion trees on the planet. They cover the world, growing on every continent (except for Antarctica) and in almost every habitat. The ubiquity of trees is astounding, though, perhaps, less astounding than their capabilities. They produce breathable oxygen and purify polluted air, control weather patterns and prevent drought, feed billions of people and support hundreds of billions of animals. Trees even talk, communicating via airborne chemical signals and fungal root connections. Without trees, we would not exist, but we do not give them the appreciation, the respect they warrant. I hope that by learning more about trees you can come to appreciate these incredibly diverse organisms.

Bigleaf Maple

Acer macrophyllum

Bigleaf Maple is a large deciduous tree, stretching up to 35 meters tall, though more commonly growing

White Alder

Alnus rhombifolia

White Alder is a medium-sized tree growing 15-25 meters (rarely 35 meters) tall. The tall, straight

Oregon Ash

Fraxinus latifolia

The oregon ash is a medium-sized tree that can grow 60-80 feet tall, though typically larger in the

Fremont Cottonwood

Populus fremontii

Fremont Cottonwood is a large tree, with a single straight trunk 12-35 meters in height. The gray-brown

Coast Live Oak

Quercus agrifolia

The Coast Live Oak is a picturesque branching oak, reaching a height of 10-25 meters. The appearance

Shining Willow

Salix lasiandra

The shining willow is a broad, deciduous tree whose many woody stems can grow up to 12 meters

Coastal Redwood

Sequoia sempervirens

The California redwood is the largest tree on earth, growing up to 115 meters (377 ft) tall and 9 m

Box Elder

Acer negundo

The boxelder is a small to medium sized tree, 35-50 ft tall, with a stout trunk and wide, splaying branches.

Madrone

Arbutus menziesii

Madrone is a broadleaf evergreen tree with a single or multiple trunks that grow 10-25 meters tall

Northern California Walnut

Juglans hindsii

The Northern California Walnut is a large tree with a single straight trunk stretching up to 60 feet tall.

Hollyleaf Cherry

Prunus ilicifolia

Hollyleaf cherry is a large shrub or short tree, growing 15 meters (about 50 ft) in height, with a dense,

Blue Oak

Quercus douglasii

The blue oak is a medium-sized deciduous tree, growing 15-28 meters tall, with an irregular, crooked

Arroyo Willow

Salix lasiolepis

The arroyo willow is a large shrub or multi-trunked tree that grows in densely packed thickets. The

California Bay Laurel

Umbellularia californica

The California Bay Laurel is a broad-crowned, multi-trunked tree, ranging in size from 12 to 24 m.

California Buckeye

Aesculus californica

The California buckeye is a short, multi-trunked tree, growing only 4-12 meters tall. The stout trunks

Creek Dogwood

Cornus sericea

The creek dogwood is a medium to tall shrub or tree, 1.5 to 4 meters in height, which forms dense, branchy

Tanoak

Notholithocarpus densiflorus

Tanoak is a narrow, evergreen broadleaf tree reaching up to 40 meters tall in the California Coast

Douglas Fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii

The Douglas fir is an incredibly large coniferous tree, soaring 60-75 meters (200-250 ft) tall in old

Valley Oak

Quercus lobata

The valley oak is a large, handsome oak with a thick, sturdy trunk and broad crown of weeping branches.

Blue Elderberry

Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea

The Blue elderberry is a large, dense deciduous shrub or small tree, growing up to 9 meters in height