This guide illustrates 49 of the more common, easily iden- tifiable plants of the muskegs of southeast Alaska. We have included the various common names associated with each scientific name to help you find the right tree. The Queets Spruce has been estimated to be only 350 to 450 years old, but adds more than a cubic meter of wood each year. 907-746-7125. The text is an extensive revision of the 1996 UAF Cooperative Extension publication, Landscape Plants for Alaska: A list of trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers for Alaskan Landscapes. Densely hairy when young. It is by far the largest species of spruce, and the third tallest tree species in the world (after Coast Redwood and Coast Douglas-fir). Choose a round-trip Inside passage or one-way Gulf of Alaska Cruise. Willows are abundant in the Interior as well, however most do not reach tree size. The seeds develop between the woody bracts of the ‘cones’ they are shed in the autumn and winter. The Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) is a large evergreen tree growing to 120-180 feet tall, and with a trunk diameter of 3-5 feet. Tree-like shrub along streams and beaches or open spots in forest. Often found with Barclay Willow. Plant name: The botanical names used are based on Griffiths Royal Horticultural Society 1995 Index of Garden Plants. and Western Aleutians. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Where are good places to find willows in Anchorage area? The results are flowering trees heavy with blooms and fruit that make splendid ornamental additions to Alaska gardens. Alaskaplants.org - Alaskaplants.org - Information about trees, shrubs, and vines known to be growing successfully in Alaska landscapes. All of our offerings are extremely hardy and able to survive year-round in the sometimes challenging Alaskan climate. In exposed loca- tions and in drier areas, tall shrubs and scattered shrublike trees may be relatively abundant. Click through the menu below to view a sample of the products we have to offer. Newly grown tips of Sitka Spruce branches are used to flavor spruce beer and are boiled to make syrup. Tree composition changes with the prevailing climate across the state. Our particular lot has many birch trees and has posed a challenge to grow plants that need more light and it has become clear to me that shade plants love it here. We believe this promotes biodiversity, preserves our natural heritage and enhances livability. Finding the plants that grow well in shade can be challenging but is not impossible. Alaska Rare in Interior lowlands. Densely hairy when young. Fritz Creek Gardens of Homer, Alaska, grows and sells cold-hardy perennials and other plants to gardeners and landscapers in Alaska, and throughout the United States by mail order. Pacific coast of S.E. Medium shrub, forms thickets along streams, lakes, and in alpine tundra. Evergreen shrubs delight gardeners with their unusual textures and year round color. It mostly grows at low altitudes, from sea level to 2,000 feet, but up to 6,000 feet in the interior part of its range in Idaho. Choose a round-trip Inside passage or one-way Gulf of Alaska Cruise. The Steinway and Sons piano company is well known for using exclusively Sitka spruce soundboards in its pianos. The list below includes the most common Alaska trees, as well as some general information regarding the various species. Red Alder (Alnus rubra) is a deciduous tree native to western North America, from southeast Alaska south to central coastal California. The elastic branches stand upright or overhang and are difficult to break. The crown is rounded and the top of the tree is flattened. Alaska Large Ship Cruises The classic Alaska Cruise, offered by such companies as Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Visit Today! Today they are about five feet in diameter and stand about 150 tall. The University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service publishes a list of plant sources for Alaska. Alaska plants have to be pretty tenacious to adapt to its harsh climates, short growing seasons, and generally poor soil. Best mixed with other species for bulk. to Unalaska. It is the largest species of alder in North America and one of the largest in the world, reaching heights of 66 to 98 ft. Home of Alaska Hardy® Perennials, our own line of plants especially suited for zones 3 and above. Most of Alaska, Northern S.E. It was illegally felled, although saplings grown from cuttings can now be found near its original site. This species goes by many common names including Nootka Cypress, Yellow Cypress, and Alaska Cypress. The murrayana subspecies is the tallest. Interior Alaska, S. Central Alaska Northern S.E. The largest old growth trees in southeast Alaska have trunk diameters exceeding 8 feet and are 500 – 700 years old! Willows? Mountain hemlock, Alaska yellow-cedar, western redcedar, and shore pine are most often encountered where soils are more poorly drained. Tree-like shrub on gravel bars, floodplain terraces of rivers, lakes, and streams. Hazard Tree Management in Alaska - US Forest Service website provides basic information about hazardous trees. Everywhere. Common Alaska Trees. Tall shrub to small tree found in openings of mixed forest and along streams. The shrub form is krummholz and is approximately 3.3 to 9.8 ft high. Birds Nest Spruce What trees have small green leaves and bright red berries? Central Alaska, North Slopes of Brooks Range, Kenai Peninsula. Welcome to Faltz Nursery. Balsam Poplar-Widespread in Alaska to North of Brooks Range in limited areas. Evergreen Shrubs. Best mixed with other species for revegetation. Discover the six principal trees that are found to grow on the interior of Alaska as shade tree, native trees are … 5805 S Our Rd. Titan LLC. Low to medium shrub forming thickets along streams and rocky slopes. Shrubs. We have listed them by scientific name because it is a constant and does not vary region to region or person to person. This new, completely revised second edition provides updated information on habitat, as well as detailed descriptions of every tree or shrub species in the state. Leaves — dark green, 5/8 to 1 inch long, needle sharp, growing in all sides of branches from woody pegs (a trait common only to spruce) Cones — light orange-brown, 2 to 3 1/2 inches long, usually found in the top quarter of tree, hanging down from branches, papery scales Bark — thin and smooth, developing scaly plates with age, gray, becoming dark purplish brown with age Size at maturity and lifespan — 150 to 225 feet in height and 5 to 8 feet in diameter, grows much larger in the southern part of its range, 500 to 700 years Distribution — sea level to 3,000 feet elevation in Southeast Alaska, throughout Southeast Alaska, west to Kodiak Island and north to the coast of the Alaska Peninsula. Sitka Spruce is native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on Kodiak Island, Alaska, and its southeastern limit near Fort Bragg in northern California (Griffin & Critchfield 1972). Currently you have JavaScript disabled. PlantNative is dedicated to moving native plants and naturescaping into mainstream landscaping practices. Its name derives from its discovery on the lands of a First Nation of Canada, the Nuu-chah-nulth of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, who were formerly referred to as the Nootka. Our goal is to provide the largest variety of Alaska Hardy® plants suitable for the great north. There is however an inland population in the Rocky Mountains in southeast British Columbia, northern Idaho and western Montana. It is the largest species of hemlock, with the next largest (Mountain Hemlock T. mertensiana) reaching a maximum of 140 feet. Has lance shaped leaves with glassy upper surface, Eastern Aleutians to Hyder in S.E. This practice orginates from traditional gathering methods used by Native Alaskans from southeast Alaska. It grows tall and stately. Tamarack – Larix laricina Paper birch – Betula neoalaskana Kenai birch (Betula kenaica) is nearly identical to paper birch except for slightly smaller size, leaves, and fewer resin dots on … Alaska, Tree-like shrub found on sand, silt bars, and alluvial deposits in forested areas. The expansion of shrubs and trees across high‐latitude ecosystems is one of the most dramatic ecological manifestations of climate change. Deciduous trees are uncommon in the temperate rain forests of Alaska, and are represented mainly by red alder and black cottonwood. Alaska Hardy is the home of over 500 varieties of Alaska Hardy® perennials, trees, shrubs vines and roses. The formation of twin trees is common in some populations in British Columbia. Alaska. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Red-barked medium tall shrub with opposite leaves, white flowers and berries. Tree-like shrub along streams and beaches or open spots in forest. Nootka Cypress is native to the west coast of North America, from the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, south to northernmost California, typically occurring on wet sites in mountains, often close to the tree-line, but sometimes also at lower altitudes. Holly shrub fossils also were found. Make a Beautiful Statement with Trees and Shrubs. Welcome to the Alaska A-Z native species list. With Alaska temperatures ranging from -79°F to over 100°, plants have to be stalwart in their quest to succeed. Most of the work quantifying these changes has been done in small areas and over relatively recent time scales. The thin and narrow-crowned tree is 130 to 160 ft high and can achieve up to 6.6 ft diameter at chest height. The site will help you plant the right plant in the right place. Common thicket forming shrub along small streams and, forest openings. Lower and Central Yukon to Southeast Alaska. The Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 150-200 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 8 feet. The branches are covered with short shoots that are easy to remove. Alaska Nursery Sales is the plant nursery Anchorage trusts for quality trees and shrubs to help your curb appeal. and Southern Alaska to Kodiak Island, North to Anchorage. In dense forests, the tree’s a slim, conical crown. Is there an estimate of their age? Pacific Crabapple A small--up to 40 feet high--tree growing in the coastal valleys of Southern Alaska, Pacific crabapple provides spring bloom and late-summer red or orange fruit. Dazzling display gardens show Northern horticulture at its best! The bark is mottled, ashy-gray and smooth, often draped with moss. The trees of Alaska span a vast array of ecosystems from open, wind-swept tundra bordering the Artic Ocean, and Bering Sea through expansive boreal forests of the Interior to impressive temperate rain forests along the Pacific Coast. Leaves — light green to medium green on top, with two whitish parallel lines beneath, 1/4 to 7/8 inch long, blunt-tipped, soft, shiny, and flat, growing from two sides of branch parallel to the ground Cones — brown, oval-shaped, 5/8 to 1 inch long; thin, papery scales; hanging down at end of twig Bark — reddish-brown when young, turning gray-brown; scaly when young, becoming thick and furrowed with age Size at maturity and lifespan — 100 to 150 feet in height and 2 to 4 feet in diameter; 200 to 500 years Distribution — sea level to subalpine areas; throughout the coastal forest of Southeast Alaska and north to Prince William Sound, Depending on subspecies, Shore Pine (Pinus contorta) grows as an evergreen shrub or tree. Because it grows rapidly under favorable conditions, large size may not indicate exceptional age. Three of these are coniferous (cone-producing) plants from the pine family (black spruce, white spruce and larch) and the other five are flowering plants from the willow and birch plant families (quaking aspen, balsam poplar, black cottonwood, paper birch and Alaska birch). sedges, rushes, forbs, and low growing shrubs. TRUST US TO GROW & INSTALL WINTER HARDY TREES AND SHRUBS FOR YOU IN ALASKA. The trunk is quite thick around and the bark on it looks like a cedar shingle in a way. As you make the drive form Cooper Landing to Seward, look for the change from forests dominated by White Spruce and Lutz Spruce to those of Sitka Spruce. Undergreen Willow S. commutata: DC, LS, B, BL, L, H, RC, T, S: Central Alaska Range, South to Kodiak, Aleutian Islands, Northern S.E. The boughs provide a easily collectible surface for the eggs to attach to as well as provide a distinctive flavor. Appearance and habitat of two species overlap. It is closely associated with temperate rain forests, and most of its range is less than 75 miles from the Pacific Ocean. To find the best fruit plants for outdoor growing in Alaska, … Native Trees of Alaska A-Z. Included are essentially all the native trees and shrubs of Alaska, plus several introduced and naturalized woody plants. About this book . Grains, grasses, fruits, potatoes, shrubs, and trees are evaluated for the potential use in Alaska climates. AK, S.W. In the Interior, principal species include white spruce, birch, and quaking aspen on uplands, black spruce and tamarack in forested wetlands, and balsam poplar within floodplains. August 2, 2016 - by Mimi Corneliussen posted in ' Botany, Plant propagation, Southcentral Alaska, Trees and shrubs - Tagged: Colorado Blue Spruce, cuttings, propagation - 3 comments. BOTANICAL NAME INDEX: COMMON NAME INDEX: Deciduous Trees : Deciduous Trees: Evergreen Trees : Evergreen Trees: Deciduous Shrubs Alaska Yellow Cedar: Mature height of 40 feet to 100 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 12 inches to 24 inches; Alaska Trees and Shrubs describes and illustrates over 150 woody plants – the trees and shrubs – found in the 49th State. These trees occur on floodplains and openings in forests Balsam Poplar is a medium sized tree and Cottonwood is the largest broadleaf tree in Alaska. Sitka Spruce is a long-lived tree, with individuals over 700 years old known. Call us with questions or stop by our tree farm today. Palmer, AK 99645. 200 years? Even though it is not a cedar, it is also often confusingly called “Nootka Cedar”, “Yellow Cedar”, “Alaska Cedar”, or even “Alaska Yellow Cedar”. Southeast Alaska, as well as provide a easily collectible surface for the same reasons upright or overhang are. 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