How to Identify Common Oregon Trees

10 Common Oregon Trees

It may take a while before you can spot the differences between all 65 tree species native to Oregon, but these ten are a great place to start. Keep an eye out on your next walk through the neighborhood or hike in the mountains.

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  Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

  • 40 to 100 feet tall • Found throughout western Oregon, often in riparian hardwood forests or mixed with evergreens and oaks • Largest leaves of all maple trees

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  Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)

  • 100 to 200 feet tall • Found near rivers and streams in valleys and foothills • The tallest broadleaf trees in western North America

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  Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

  • 100 to 250 feet tall • The state tree is found prolifically throughout western Oregon • Large and sun-loving, the "Doug fir" is named for botanist David Douglas

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  Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)

  • 60 to 80 feet tall • Hearty, slow-growing trees often found in "oak savannahs" that are too exposed or too dry for other trees to thrive • Home to more than 200 species of native wildlife

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  Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

  • 125 to 180 feet tall • Commonly found in drier, Eastern Oregon • Adapted to thrive with frequent, low intensity ground fires • Orange-red bark with needles in bunches of three

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  Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

  • 30 to 120 feet tall • Often found in wet areas and along streams west of the Cascades • Mottled, smooth, gray bark

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  Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

  • 125 to 180 feet tall • Found in cool, foggy areas within 20 miles of the Pacific • Cones are round, scaled and irregularly toothed

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  Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)

  • 125 to 200 feet tall • Found in temperate rain forests within 100 miles of the Coast • Easily identified by their hanging branch tips

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  Western Larch (Larix occidentalis)

  • 100 to 180 feet tall • Prefers cool, moist, mountainous slopes throughout north central and northeastern Oregon • Straight trunk, short branches, and sparse, flat, feathery needles

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  Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

  • 150 to 200 feet tall • Prefer moist locations, making it a main contributor of large, woody debris important to healthy river habitat • Scaly, sharp leaves and droopy branches that flip upward