Puget Sound Native Tree
Botanical Garden
Puget Sound Wet Forests
The Pacific Northwest of the North American continent is broadly considered a temperate rain forest. However, comma, there is significant difference in rain distribution and water retention throughout the region. We breakdown the forests that created environments between the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges as our local 'Wet' and 'Dry' forests, somewhat relative and arbitrary.
The Wet Puget Sound Forest is what normally comes to mind when thinking of Northwest forests, tall trees, dripping water, ferns and moss. These are created by cool summers and winters moderated by the surrounding seas. They have soils that are constantly moist for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. That stability allows the establishment of tree and substory species that dominate the climax community of the Wet Puget Sound Forest: Western Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Big Leaf Maple.
Rattlesnake Orchids are evergreen plants surviving under the forest conifers, living in association with the roots of their larger brethren.
Pacific Trillium grows annually from a bulb, adapted to emerge each Spring up from under the dropped leave litter of the Maples and other deciduous trees of the forest.
Pacific Rhododendron grow in the clearing caused by the fall of the magestic forest giants. Their flowers provide a splash of pink color against the emerald green of the wet forest.
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Western Red Cedar
Ghost Sitka Spruce on neighbor's property
Western Hemlock
Western Red Cedar was the tree the Native Americans most used to provide sustenance fo their mature civilization: shelter; transportation; clothing; heat; artwork.
All pictures taken at the Botanical Garden except where noted
Big Leaf Maples grow rapidly where ever there is a break in the forest. They are the largest maple trees in the world, up to 6 feet in diameter, with the largest leaves, up to 12 inches across. Their fall leaf litter covers and kills many of the small plants, bushes and small trees underneath them.
Western Hemlock are the trees that can survive in the lowest light, and their roots can survive within the slight acidic pH of moss. This allows them to grow on top of downed trees, which are referred to as 'nurse logs'. Within the mature PNW forest, these trees eventually dominate the climax community.
Typical Trees and Plants of the Wet Puget Sound Forest include: Western red Cedar; Sitka Spruce; Western Hemlock; Biglleaf Maple; Sword Fern; Lady Fern; Spiny Wood Fern; Evergreen Huckleberry; Red Huckleberry; numerous moss species.