Otherwise known as Garry Oak, this broad-leaved, deciduous tree is common inland along the Pacific Coast, growing to a height of 25 to 60 feet, sometimes even to 90 feet. It produces leathery leaves, white and scaly bark, and small acorns that serve as food for birds as well as small mammals. Note that these acorns are somewhat toxic to humans if eaten raw. Oregon White Oak is drought tolerant, growing in full sun to shade, and in moist to dry, gravelly soils.
This thicket-forming, semi-evergreen shrub or large, spreading tree goes by many nicknames, including Texas Live Oak, Encino Molino, Escarpment Live Oak, and Tesmoli. It has a short, tapering trunk and gnarled branches and limbs that over time spread a great distance horizontally from the main trunk. It produces one inch long, spindle-shaped acorns that feed birds and mammals. Plateau Oak grows in full sun to partial shade, and in a variety of dry soils, including rocky, sandy, clay, or loam soils.
Southern Red Oak is a medium to large, straight-trunked oak that develops long, spreading branches and can reach 150 feet in height. Its smooth gray bark becomes dark and furrowed and its thin, lobed, deciduous leaves turn reddish-brown in fall. Also known as Bottomland Red Oak, Three-lobed Red Oak, and Spanish Oak, this perennial tree grows quickly in partial shade and in dry, sandy, loamy, or clay soils.
Swamp White Oak is a large, slow-growing tree that can reach a height of up to 100 feet in partial shade and moist, poorly drained soils. Its leaves are dark, shiny green above and silvery white below, turning yellow in the fall. It produces acorns that mature in early fall and attract mammals and birds.
This large, slow-growing, deciduous tree also goes by the names Stave Oak, Ridge White Oak, and Forked-leaf White Oak, and can reach 80 or even 100 feet in height. It can grow in full sun to shade, in moist, well-drained, sandy and loam soils. White Oak acorns are a valuable source of food for many species of birds. Like all oaks, this species is an important host plant for native butterfly and moth caterpillars--which are themselves popular with migrating and breeding songbirds.
This evergreen is a classic Pacific Northwest fir that grows 15 to 100 feet in height, sometimes even 150 feet depending on the environment. Douglas Fir, or Blue Douglas Fir, can be grown in almost any native soil but will sometimes blow down if planted in shallow soils. It is fast-growing, preferring full sun to partial shade and moist conditions. Anyone who has had a Douglas Fir in their home knows that this tree drops needles constantly.
This perennial, deciduous shrub or small tree grows 20 to 30 feet tall with reddish-brown twigs. The red cherries become black as they ripen from July through August, and provide an important source of food for browsers, small mammals, and many species of birds. It grows in dry to moist, well-drained loams, in full sun to partial shade, and is tolerant to drought and dry/shallow-rocky soil. Choke Cherry is also a larval host for many species of butterflies and moths.
This deciduous, perennial tree reaches 60 to 100 feet in height and 1 to 4 feet in diameter with a long trunk and oblong crown. It produces small, white flowers in the spring and purple to black fruit in the summer eaten by birds and many mammals. It grows in moist, well-drained soils, in full sun to partial shade.
Also known as Mexican or Inch Plum, this perennial, single-trunk tree reaches a height of 15 to 35 feet, with dark green leaves and fragrant, white or pale pink flowers that bloom from April to May. Its edible, dark red or purple fruit ripens late in the fall and is enjoyed by birds and mammals. Growing best in full sun to partial shade and dry to moist, well-drained soils, Bigtree Plum is adaptable to a wide range of soil pH and is drought tolerant.
American Plum, or Wild Plum, is a shrub or small tree with a short trunk, broad crown, and thorny, reddish-brown branches and twigs. Its large, showy, white flowers bloom in April and May, followed by fruit that ripens to bright red in August and September and provides an important source of food for many species of birds. American Plum grows up to 35 feet tall in full sun to shade, and in moist, rich, well-drained soils.
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