Tag: Western Hemlock
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Should We Still be Planting Native Trees?
I knew that because of climate change there were no longer any perfect native trees to plant in our region, but I thought that planting a mix of native trees in appropriate sites was a reasonable climate adaptive strategy. Recently, however, my confidence was shaken by a list suggesting that our most important native conifers…
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Should We Plant Conifers in Our Backyard Forests?
Should we be planting conifers in our backyard forests to eventually replace the existing large trees?
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Fire Ladders and Douglas Firs
Though wildfires are rare in Puget Lowland forests, when they do occur mature Douglas Fir trees can be killed if fire reaches their crowns. One way this can happen is through “fire ladders,” which can be prevented by pruning the lower branches of Western Redcedars and Western Hemlocks.
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Mycorrhizal Associations Between Douglas Fir and Other Tree Species
Does Douglas Fir form mycorrhizal associations with Red Alder, Western Hemlock, or Western Redcedar?
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Choosing the Right Trees to Plant in Our Urban Forests
We have opportunities to plant many trees in our urban forests, but what species should we choose?
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To Plant or Not to Plant: Three Phases in the Growth of Forests
In my last blog, I left off questioning if it makes sense to plant new trees under the canopy of forests, since the existing trees accumulate mass at an ever-increasing rate. I think part of the answer lies in the stages of forest growth in terms of three broad phases of overall biomass accumulation.
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Volunteer Douglas Firs
The other day, I was surprised and delighted to find a half-dozen volunteer Douglas Fir seedlings in a spot that might actually get enough sunlight to support them.
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Evergreens in the Land of Rain
The Douglas Firs, Western Redcedars, and Western Hemlocks are the royalty of the Pacific Northwest forests, and this is their season.