Conifer IDs

The purpose of this forum is to help people identify things they've seen while out hiking: wildflowers, trees, birds, insects, small animals, animal tracks, even geographical features like buttes or streams
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retired jerry
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by retired jerry » November 5th, 2019, 6:17 am

The arboretum next to the zoo has signs identifying different trees. They have an artificially large diversity. Good place to go if you want to learn tree types.

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BurnsideBob
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by BurnsideBob » November 5th, 2019, 10:11 am

retired jerry wrote:
November 5th, 2019, 6:17 am
The arboretum next to the zoo has signs identifying different trees.
Great, I need all the signs I can find. And my hat is off to those of you who can ID from bark.

Anyhow, here's one sign.
IMG_3424.JPG

Which I now realize on preview can't be read, so here's an enlargement:
IMG_3424v2.JPG

And the tree to the left, Limber Pine.
IMG_3425.JPG

And the tree to the right, Bristlecone Pine.
IMG_3426.JPG

Most of the Bristlecones in this grove had very little bark.
IMG_3427.JPG

In general, I've found the bark of large, mature trees to be super confusing. Good on you all.
I keep making protein shakes but they always turn out like margaritas.

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Bosterson
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by Bosterson » November 16th, 2019, 10:58 pm

New set, Lamberson Spur on Hood. John, want to check these for me? 8-)

Mountain hemlock
mountain hemlock.jpg
and then growing higher up
mountain hemlock shrub.jpg
stripes on top and bottom = subalpine fir
subalpine fir.jpg
larch!! (too easy, I know, but exciting to find them)
larch.jpg
I think these are Engelmann spruce?
Engelmann 1.jpg
Engelmann 2.jpg
cones: western hemlock on left, but the brighter ones with the pointed/flat scales are Engelmann?
cones.jpg
2 needle pine = lodgepole
lodgepole.jpg
3 conifers: (L-R) the lodgepole pine, a grand fir, and then WTF - mystery pine with striped needles
3 conifers.jpg
Mystery pine - needles are super long, is this a ponderosa? it was earlier in the day, so lower down
mystery pine.jpg
The treeline up at 6500 ft was all whitebark pine, and the krumholtz mountain hemlock high on Polallie Ridge turned into Pacific Silver Fir as we went down, but by then I'd stopped taking pictures of all the trees because we had a schedule to keep. ;)
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bobcat
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by bobcat » November 17th, 2019, 4:47 pm

I think you're correct on all except the "western hemlock" cone is, I believe, mountain hemlock (too many rows of scales for w. hemlock); also the mystery pine looks more like western white pine - can't see the needle bunches clearly, but there should be five per cluster.

pcg
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by pcg » November 19th, 2019, 5:43 pm

Bosterson wrote:
November 16th, 2019, 10:58 pm
mystery pine with striped needles
What do you mean by striped needles? I can't see a stripe in the photo. Do you mean a longitudinal stripe like is on the bottom of Grand Fir needles?
Thanks for posting all this BTW. It's inspiring me to make another push to learn my conifers.

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Bosterson
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by Bosterson » November 19th, 2019, 7:23 pm

pcg wrote:
November 19th, 2019, 5:43 pm
What do you mean by striped needles? I can't see a stripe in the photo. Do you mean a longitudinal stripe like is on the bottom of Grand Fir needles?
Thanks for posting all this BTW. It's inspiring me to make another push to learn my conifers.
Yep, it's the bluish line running the length of the needle. And glad to see others are getting something out of this! It's very fun and interesting, and I feel absurd for not having tried to do this earlier. If you see any interesting trees, feel free to add to this. :)
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BurnsideBob
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by BurnsideBob » January 13th, 2020, 11:00 am

Sequoiadendron giganteum aka Big Tree, Giant Sequoia

IMG_2806_small.JPG

Not an Oregon native but widely planted, including in forest settings and on farms. The oldest and biggest in Oregon are approaching 150 years of age and are over 10 feet diameter.

The pictured tree is near my house and I've measured its circumference annually in January or February since 2014. Annually it adds 6" circumference or a little less than 2" diameter. This tree is about 50 years old, and this year (2020) has a circumference of 16' 10" which calculates to 5' 4" diameter.

The bark is coarse, fibrous, and spongy. When the weather has been wet, like now, the bark will give if you push on it with a finger.

I'll bet there's one growing close to you!


Burnside
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pcg
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by pcg » March 12th, 2020, 3:57 pm

I think this some kind of fir tree. Correct? If so, what kind? Thanks.
fir tree-1.jpg
fir tree-2.jpg
fir tree-3.jpg
fir tree-4.jpg
fir tree-5.jpg

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bobcat
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by bobcat » March 14th, 2020, 11:14 am

It's actually a true cedar (Cedrus sp.) - the PNW's "cedars" are really cypresses. The three cedar species most commonly planted here are deodar, Atlas, and Cedar of Lebanon. They are common in the yards of older homes, parks, etc. From the color of the needles and their length, I'm guessing it's an Atlas cedar.

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Bosterson
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Re: Conifer IDs

Post by Bosterson » March 14th, 2020, 12:26 pm

John, you are a wealth of knowledge as always! I have seen trees like that (with needles in little bunches on stubs like a larch) in people's yards walking around northeast Portland and couldn't figure out what kind of trees they are! :)
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