There are Oregon white oak trees growing in the Willamette valley today that were growing long before European settlement of our area. The Oregon white oak in the photograph above is around 200 years old and grows at Graham Oaks Nature park in Wilsonville. The Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) is native to Oregon and is important to the ecosystem... Read More
Against the grey spring Portland sky, flowering cherry trees explode with blooms in a breathtaking spring spectacle. The fluttering petals, bright white and pink colors, and frilly textures of the flowering cherry are noticed from a distance against the stark backdrop of mostly bare deciduous trees and dark green evergreens. All across the Portland area, flowering cherry trees bloom in... Read More
Since 1994, the city of Portland has designated over 300 trees as heritage trees because of their significance to the city. The heritage tree designation protects the tree by requiring a permit for pruning or removing the tree. Some of the trees are considered significant due to their history or age, others due to their size or type. These citizen-nominated... Read More
Douglas-fir trees grow all around us, dominating neighborhood skylines in all corners of the Portland area. The vast majority of conifers growing west of the Cascades are Douglas-firs. The Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, is the official state tree of Oregon due to its economic and ecological significance to our state. Douglas-fir seeds, cones, inner bark and needles are important food sources... Read More
Located just minutes from downtown Portland near Reed College, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is a riot of color in the spring. The botanical garden has over nine acres of spectacular specimens of rhododendron and azalea planted alongside Crystal Springs Lake, which is fed by the property’s natural springs. The meandering paths that take you across bridges and alongside waterfalls... Read More
Oregon celebrates the beauty and benefits of trees for the first full week of April every year. Our local communities show their tree appreciation through activities geared for the whole family. A select few are listed below. How will you celebrate the trees in your community? Beaverton will host an Arbor Day tree planting on April 6th. Lake Oswego celebrates... Read More
The snow-covered peak of Mount Hood dominates the eastern skyline of Portland in the winter. From a distance, it looks as though there is a sharp line above which trees do not grow. The elevation above which trees do not grow is called the tree line and is at about 6,000 feet on Mount Hood, or about the elevation of... Read More
Warm summer weather draws us outside for a stroll under the cool, shaded canopy of trees. The forested acres of Tryon Creek State Natural Area provide the perfect nearby respite from the heat. Once you enter the 658 forested, serene acres in southwest Portland, it is hard to believe that you are in the middle of a large city, mere... Read More
National Arbor Day is celebrated throughout the country on the last Friday in April as a way to recognize the beauty and benefits of trees in our communities. In Oregon, we love trees so much, that we have committed the entire first week of April to tree celebration! From art contests to nature walks to nature crafting, local communities engage... Read More
By the time Oregon became a United States territory in 1848, the huge Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) growing in today’s Oregon Garden in Silverton was already over 200 years old. The ‘Waldo Tree’ is a mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) growing at Island Lake near Klamath Falls. It was carved in the late 1800s by a group of dedicated conservationists who lobbied for... Read More
