![\"Redwoods](\"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/DSCF3081.jpg\")
<\/a>Redwoods are the world’s tallest trees. They live in the coastal “fog belts.”<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>We share many of our Washington native plants with British Columbia and Alaska, and\/or Oregon and California.\u00a0 The ranges of some species extend to the Rocky Mountains; others reach across North America to the east coast.\u00a0\u00a0 A few are circumpolar, found throughout the northern latitudes of Europe and Asia, too.\u00a0 Historical distribution, geographic features, climate, and competition all influence the current distribution of species.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fossil evidence indicates that 50 million years ago the climate of the Pacific Northwest was warmer, much like the tropics of today.\u00a0 15,000 years ago, there were huge floods as ice age glaciers melted.\u00a0 Changes in the earth\u2019s climate directly influence the number and distribution of species.\u00a0 There have been many extinction events in the past 4.5 billion years; there will be more in the future.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Global warming is a concern due to its potential impact on human populations and the agricultural crops and livestock on which we depend upon for survival.\u00a0 No one can predict the ultimate consequences of climate change, but we should try to make smart choices regarding food security and limiting population growth.\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully, our children, grandchildren, and future generations will not have to fight, tooth and claw, for limited resources.\u00a0 \u2013 And be able to experience the beauty of the natural world–however changed it might be.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Golden Chinkapin, Chrysolepis chrysophylla<\/p><\/div>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By planting a diversity of landscape plants, including those tolerant of warmer temperatures, such as California species, you may be creating a habitat that could be a refuge for many wildlife species so that they can survive climate change, too.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens,<\/i> and Giant Sequoia, Sequoiadendron gigantea,<\/i> both grow well here in the northwest.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Incense Cedar, Calocedrus decurrens,<\/i> looks a lot like our Western Red Cedar<\/a>, but with coarser branchlets and a narrower crown.\u00a0 California Nutmeg, Torreya californica,<\/i> is a slow-growing conifer related to the yew with longer needles and a greenish to purple fruit.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0There are many California oaks, Quercus<\/i> sp., both trees and shrubs, including the \u201clive oaks\u201d (evergreen oaks).\u00a0 A related tree is the Tanbark Oak, Lithocarpus densiflorus<\/i>; it has leathery leaves and acorns.\u00a0 The Golden Chinquapin, Chrysolepis chrysophylla,<\/i><\/a> is an evergreen tree related to chestnuts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Wild Lilac or Blueblossom, Ceanothus thysiflorus<\/p><\/div>\n \u00a0\u00a0 The California Bay Laurel, Umbellularia californica,<\/i> also known as Oregon Myrtle, is a tall evergreen tree with fragrant, lance-shaped leaves and wood used for carving.\u00a0 –Not to be confused with Pacific Wax Myrtle, Myrica californica,<\/i> <\/a>a fragrant evergreen shrub.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The California Buckeye, Aesculus californica,<\/i> has fragrant, candelabra-like, cream-colored flower plumes.\u00a0 The California Sycamore, Platanus racemosa,<\/i> is a large tree with maple-like leaves, and smooth, twisting branches.\u00a0 Silktassel, Garrya elliptica,<\/i> has long greenish-yellow catkins in early spring; male plants have longer, more impressive catkins.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>