pacific northwest

Douglas squirrels are going nuts!

Do you hear frenzied scurrying in the conifers? What are the squirrels up to?

Which one is native to the Pacific Northwest?

Three of these might be found on your dinner table. The other is a native tree of the Pacific Northwest. Which are which?

What's a maple flower?

Do native maple trees bear flowers? If so, what do they look like? How can I recognize them?

Pussy willows are releasing pollen

What are pussy willows doing now? Stamens have emerged from the male catkins and are releasing pollen grains.

Bigleaf maples: zillions of flower clusters

What are those droopy green clusters hanging from bigleaf maples in every park and forest west of the Cascades?

The wonder of big trees

Old-growth forests, at least in large swaths, are nearly gone from the Pacific NW. To even try to restore old-growth forests will take hundreds of years of careful stewardship. But small tracts of old-growth and individual big trees occur sporadically throughout the Pacific NW, especially in parks. Have you seen a big tree? Do you know where to look? Prepare to be awed!

Missing in action: green cones on Douglas-firs

Where are all the Douglas-fir green cones this year? Is this a sign of trouble?

It's snowing ... fluffy seeds of black cottonwood!

What is that "snow" drifting through the air? It's the fluffy seeds of black cottonwood.

Why do cones tend to grow near the tops of conifer trees?

As a rule-of-thumb, most seed cones (female cones) tend to grow in the upper portions of trees. Why is this?

What is a bract on a cone?

What are those "mousetails" sticking out from Douglas-fir cones? They are called "bracts." Learn about bracts here.

What are female cones and male cones?

What are seed cones? What are pollen cones? Are they different? Learn about cones here.