It is frustrating walking through the forest and seeing all of this biomass around you and not knowing the name of anything. So, as a public service, I will give you the names of the four most common trees in the Pacific Northwest rainforest. From left to right we have the Western Hemlock (can live 400 or 500 hundred years), the Douglas Fir (deep ridges on the bark), the Western Red Cedar (the small one there in the background: a slow growing tree that can live 1,000 years) and the Sitka Spruce (found only 20 to 30 miles from the coast). Yes, I am an Arborist now. It also helps to have a conveniently helpful sign sitting right below these 4 trees showing you what is sitting directly in front of you.
