.Mountains End.

Trees ... Trees of Idaho | by Amarlis

Tree Talk...from the Mountains Enditalics Trees

NORTH IDAHO EVERGREENS
Douglas-fir (Red Fir)
Englemann Spruce
Grand fir (White Fir)
Lodgepole Pine
Mountain Hemlock
Pacific Yew
Ponderosa Pine (Yellow Pine)
Subalpine fir
Western Hemlock
Western Larch (Tamarack)
Western Red Cedar
Western White Pine
Whitebark Pine

NORTH IDAHO BROADLEAF TREES
Black Cottonwood
Quaking Aspen
Western Paper Birch
TREE ADAPTATIONS
Ponderosa Pine can tolerate the warm and dry conditions on south facing hillsides. Here in the Inland Northwest we enjoy a diversity of climatic conditions ranging from warm, dry summers in the lower elevations to cool summers and deep winter snow in the higher elevations. While we typically have an abundance of warmth and water, they're not always present at the same time or place. Our climatic variety may be great for people, but how do you suppose trees adapt to these extremes? Some trees, such as ponderosa pine, can tolerate the hot, dry foothills where rain is limited. To reach water, a ponderosa seedling can grow a taproot two feet long within a few months of germinating. It can endure extremely high soil surface temperatures, but is easily killed by a heavy frost. To withstand drought conditions, mature ponderosa pines have vigorous taproots reaching six feet into the soil and even down to 40 feet in rocky crevices. Side roots can radiate 150 feet. At lower elevations, these trees are widely spaced because their huge root systems compete for water. A ponderosa pine 80 to 100 feet tall requires as much as 400 gallons of water each day! Compare that to water usage of the average western household, which is about 250 to 300 gallons per day. Spruce in the North Idaho high country can withstand severe cold. In contrast to ponderosa pine, spruce is adapted to the short, cool summers and snowy winters of the high mountains. Spruce trees have shallow root systems, often penetrating less than two feet, since water is more readily available. Unlike ponderosa pine, spruce are adapted to resist frosts any month of the year, but prolonged drought or high surface temperatures can kill spruce seedlings. For more information about the characteristics and adaptations of trees in the forests nearest you, contact your local Forest Service office, state forestry department, or Cooperative Extension Service forester. Author: Bonnie Thomson, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

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