Buds
Bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum, is the largest of all maple species. It commonly lives within Pacific NW conifer forests.
Vine maple, Acer circinatum, is the most common small broadleaf tree or large shrub in the understory of Pacific NW forests.
Red alder, Alnus rubra, is the most abundant broadleaf tree in the Pacific NW. It typically grows in disturbed soil or mineral soil, where it can thrive because of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live underground in nodules on alder roots.
Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, is the state tree of Oregon and the most abundant tree in the Pacific NW.