Alas this time of year! The frequent storms that march in from the Gulf of Alaska can prevent me from getting out in the woods to work. I get discouraged, but as I look out the window at the streaks of falling rain, I consider a different point of view. Amidst the dull grays and browns of leafless deciduous trees stand scores of dark evergreens — Douglas Firs, Western Redcedars, and Western Hemlocks. They are the royalty of the Pacific Northwest forests, and this is their season.
The Evergreen Season
The mild, rainy months from November to April produce the huge evergreen conifers that dominate old-growth forests along the northwest coast and inland as far as the high mountain divides. While the deciduous trees slumber, photosynthesis continues in the needles and scales of the evergreens. For most of this time the ground remains unfrozen, and their roots continue to work and grow. They are aided by a boost of nitrogen and minerals from the decomposition of the leaves that fell in autumn, almost as if the sole purpose of the deciduous plants and trees was to provide the evergreens with a timely gift of nutrients.
The Other Evergreens
The conifers are not the only evergreen plants that thrive during this season. In particular, the dominant understory natives — Salal, Oregon Grape, and Sword Fern stay green all winter. Unfortunately, so do the invasive evergreens, and that is the downside of this mild winter rain. It’s the season for evergreens, and that includes those invasive pests from the British Isles — English Ivy, English Holly, and English Laurel. They were preadapted to this climate, and they are thriving in many of our backyard forests.
So, I wait for breaks in the rain, a few hours at a time, a few times a week. Slowly and steadily, I weed and re-weed the patches of forest where I volunteer. Despite the wetness, the conditions for forest restoration work are ideal — temperatures are mild and the ground is saturated. As another forest restoration volunteer said on this site a few weeks ago, “removing ivy is a winter sport.”
After Words
Since writing this blog a few days ago, the pattern has changed and there is no rain in the seven-day forecast. The next time I get discouraged by the rain, I have to remind myself that lack of it is so much worse for our Pacific Northwest forests.