A harbinger to early spring, the “Dawn” viburnum is also a good antidote to the winter blahs on a dreary gray sky January day. While all other deciduous trees and shrubs only hint at a sign of life with their tight buds, the viburnum has already burst into clusters of tiny pink flowers blooming on […]
Archive | forest
Vine Maple – Acer circinatum
Adding a decorative understory contrast to our stately tall conifers are the native vine maples. While vine maples can be single trunked, they more typically are multi-stemmed large shrubs with the telltale maple leaves and elegant tiered branching like that of Japanese maples. In the fall, the vine maple leaves provides a soft yellow glow […]
Western Red Cedar – Thuja plicata
Known to the native Americans as the “tree of life”, the Western red cedar provided them with virtually everything they needed for their lives. Every part of the tree was used. Tools, baskets and fishtraps were made from the ropey branches, the strong fiber of its roots were woven into hats and headgear, and the […]
Big Leaf Maple – Acer macrophyllum
Aptly named, the bigleaf maple is not only a large tree, typically growing up to 66 feet, but it’s best known for its spectacularly huge leaves which can grow to be 12 inches across. It has the largest leaves of any maple tree. The largest big leaf maple stood 160 feet high and the largest […]
Katsura Tree – Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Perhaps the most graceful deciduous tree in the Park is the katsura . Native to China and Japan, the katsura is the Japanese word for “tree”. In the fall, its rounded leaves put on a show as they glow in shades of yellow or pinkish yellow. Some say that when the leaves fall, the tree […]
Mock Orange shrub – Philadelphus lewisii
One of the loveliest native shrub of the early summer is our native Mock Orange, Philadelphus lewisii with its clusters of showy white flowers. The state flower of Idaho, it was discovered by Merriweather Lewis and gets its common name from the delicious orangey scent that makes it attractive to bees and humans alike. The […]
Tulip tree – Liriodendron tulipifera
In late May and early June, the tulip trees of Pier Park come into bloom. Few notice these exotic flowers, as they lack the showiness of rhodys and dogwoods and they don’t appear until after the tree has leafed out. It takes a careful glance up and into the branches of the tree to see […]
Pacific madrona tree – Arbutus menziesii
Stately and sculptural, the madrona is one of the most dramatic and beautiful of Oregon’s native trees. Its reddish bark gradually peels away, revealing the beautiful copper or orange-red color and silky smooth bark beneath. Typically found growing on rocky outcrops and dry bluffs, the Madrona is an unexpected addition to Pier Park. Several madronas […]
Dogwood tree – Cornus kousa
One of the most beautiful flowered trees in the park is our dogwood, located near the circle entrance to the park, off of Bruce Street. Every year in the late spring, it blooms profusely with its large white flowers. The flowers themselves are tightly clustered, lacking showy petals, but surrounded by four to six large, […]
Giant Sequoia – Sequoiadendron giganteum
Here in Pier Park there is a significant grouping of 29 giant sequoias and one coastal redwood located upon a knoll at the north end of the park. Giant sequoias are the world’s largest single trees by volume and given the right environment, they are known for their longevity, living up to 3,000 years. These […]