Coast spruce?

[bstewert]

Had a chance to climb this tree yesterday. I'm guessing it's some kind of coastal spruce. Not that tall, but on a steep slope, and no good looks to shoot from the base. So I shot my throwline sideways from the deck of a house about 50' up and 80' away. First time for that. Then had to cut a path thru lots of dead hangers.

 

[Paul B]

Any chance of a shot of the needles or....?

 

[bstewert]

No, but a shot of a healthier looking neighbor with the classic droopy branches. Mine had a lot of dead branches with black creosote looking junk.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nice looking tree. Too bad we don't have them...

 

[gf beranek]

Hemlock?

 

[wiley_p]

I was thinking the same. Sure didn't look like a Spruce.

 

[Al Smith]

Well you couldn't prove it by me . To me they're all pine trees of some sort .I can tell what a blue spruce is but that's about it .

 

[Burnham]

The needles of spruce are so distinctive, as are hemlock, that it should be drop dead simple to identify.

 

[bstewert]

I almost took a closeup pic of the fat dewdrops sitting on the needles, it was so pretty! But since I don't know what it is, I'll go with Gerry. Hemlock.

 

[sotc]

Spruce tend to have bristley needles, quite stiff and grow all the way around the twigs like a bottle brush. Hemlock have shorter needles and much softer. Probably filled the back of you collar with debris. Smaill cones. Bark looks like hemlock

 

[Paul B]

I was leaning toward hemlock also, possibly mountain hemlock? Tsuga mertensia

 

[Burnham]

The black staining is common on hemlock as well.

I'd be surprised if it was mountain hemlock. Elevation range for that species is WAY above Portland, OR level. Most likely western hemlock...unless those are all planted with offsite stock, which is not really very likely.

 

[Paul B]

Indeed, just didnt look like the hemlocks I am used to seeing.

 

[Burnham]

We just need a better pic, a needle closeup...usually it's easy enough to tell the diff between the two hemlocks, though not as obvious as the hemlock/spruce question.

 

[Paul B]

or a pic of the top of the tree, the nodding tops of hemlock give them away at great distance.

 

[Burnham]

True.

 

[Paul B]

Sorry Burnham, I dont mean to preach to the choir

 

[stig]

I don't know how to say this without it coming off weird, but when I saw the pics, my first impression was : Western Hemlock.

I know I'm a European and should keep my trap shut, when the talk is about American trees, but I'm also the nerd who spent a months vacation trying to see every conifer in the western states ( missed about 5!)

And western Hemlock ( I presume we are talking about heterophylla?) is introduced into Danish forests.

 

[bstewert]

Stig, your input is always appreciated, as I am trying to learn the proper names for trees just like anyone else.

Burnham, this tree is south of Lincoln City, on the coast. Found one more pic of the base. If I go back to our friends house, I'll take a better shot of the top and the needles.

 

[Burnham]

Stig, your input is always appreciated, as I am trying to learn the proper names for trees just like anyone else.

Burnham, this tree is south of Lincoln City, on the coast. Found one more pic of the base. If I go back to our friends house, I'll take a better shot of the top and the needles.

That rules out mountain hemlock, but western hemlock it easily could be...sorry about the mistaken location assumption Bob, but the basic conclusion is the same...too low in elevation to be a mountain hemlock unless it's planted off site.

Sorry Burnham, I dont mean to preach to the choir

Not at all, Paul .

 

[gf beranek]

It's pretty much conclusive. Nice hemlock!

 

[mdvaden]

In the OP, it almost looks like it could be a Grand fir too. But then there's those distinct younger hemlocks right behind it that could be ID'd form 500 feet away just by the form.

Although I did not nominate it on a form, I just found out the Western Hemlock (Tsunami) I found in Prairie Creek redwoods last March, has enough points to join a triple-co-champion scenerio. Because it gains so many points from it's 272 feet height.

Did spot a heck of big Sitka Spruce this year, relating to what you posted about to begin with. Called it Falcon's Tower. It's nominated, and should be an enjoyable climb for whichever verifiers make it out there later this year. Added more photos of it to the link below ...

Link: Contenders for Oregon's Largest Sitka Spruce

On the ID, the cones are a fast clue between the Hemlock and Spruce. The Hemlock cones are tiny. Grand fir should have next to none on the ground. And Doug fir, which could resemble your photo for certain ones, has little bracts protruding from the cone scales and usually has plenty of cones on the ground.

Guessing 99+ % that it's a Western Hemlock.

Image below is the top of Falcon's Tower | Sitka Spruce