Sunny Broadleaf Trees
Enchanted by sun-loving leafy trees?
We are too.
Even though “northwest forest” brings to mind towering conifers, we have a roughly equal number of native conifer and broadleaf trees. Some of our favorites for sunny landscapes are described below.
We've also linked some additional plant selection resources at the end of this article.
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Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: Unknown
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous tree to 65 feet; wide spreading roots, propagates with root suckers
Quaking aspen are gorgeous, water- and sun-loving trees. The name comes from how their delicate leaves quake or tremble when stirred by air currents. In the fall, foliage turns a beautiful yellow. The smooth white trunks of the bare trees stand out dramatically in winter.
The classic trees of arroyos and mountain streams in the arid interior, quaking aspen in western Washington typically occur in wetlands, where they form dense thickets. On the west and east side of the Cascades alike, a stand of quaking aspen are a sure sign of water.
Quaking aspen perform well in the landscape when planted in wet areas with shallow clay soils. They usually attain a mature height of about 35-50′. Aspen spread by root suckering and form thick stands in wet areas. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Oregon white oak
Quercus garryana
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry, well-drained
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: Medium to high
Growth rate: Slow to moderate
Form: Deciduous tree to 80 feet; deep taproot
Washington’s only native oaks are closely associated with the vanishing gravelly prairies of the South Sound area. Oregon white oak is a stout tree with gray, deeply fissured bark, a broad trunk, thick, gnarly limbs and a spreading crown. The form is striking and mistakable even in winter. The dark green leaves persist well into the middle of winter, sometimes clinging to their twigs until new leaves start to form in spring. These trees grow slowly, need protection from deer when young, and have deep roots. Although they grow on well drained, gravelly soils, Oregon white oak can tolerate a surprising level of early season saturation, and they occur in association with Oregon ash along wetland and stream margins.
Garry oak is typical of well-drained, rocky prairie soil in the Puget Trough and, once established, withstands drought very well. Also found on flood plains where it can tolerate winter flooding along with summer drought. Transplanting success is highest in partial shade or with part-shade screens. Oaks grow slowly on top and quickly below; we grow our oaks in tall pots, since even a two-inch seedling will have a taproot eighteen inches long. Acorns are coveted food for wildlife. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Oregon ash
Fraxinus latifolia
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to very moist; will tolerate standing water early in growing season
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid given adequate moisture
Form: Deciduous tree to 80 feet; branching, moderately deep root system
Often overlooked in favor of its widely planted eastern cousin green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), our native western ash offers some advantages for urban planting. Oregon ash, unlike green ash, is long-lived and disease resistant. Oregon ash favors sunny, moist-to-wet locations, where it may attain a mature height of 60-70′, with a broad crown. The compound leaflets turn yellow in autumn, and the bark develops a distinctive fissured appearance. Oregon ash is easy to establish, and grows quickly.
We select this hardy, fast growing tree for plantings on flood plains and wet meadows. It is also found on the banks of lakes and streams on highly organic substrate. It prefers saturated soil, making it one of our wettest trees. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Bigleaf maple
Acer circinatum
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous large tree to 110 feet; deep, wide spreading roots
Big leaf maple is an excellent pioneer species that tolerates poor soil conditions and grows as much as a few feet a year. Its deep roots are good for stabilizing steep slopes, especially on stream ravines and marine shorelines. It re-sprouts vigorously from cut stumps.
Bigleaf maple grows on coastal bluffs and riparian areas throughout the northwest. These maples are fast growing, deep-rooted, easy to establish, and tolerate full sun to full shade. Bigleaf maples have strong wood, prized by furniture and instrument makers for its intricate figure patterns. Given room to spread, they will develop broad crowns that cast shade across hot, southern exposures. Equally at home in wet clay soils and gravelly prairies and rocky outcrops, bigleaf maples can be planted just about anywhere. Their massive, sprawling roots excel at stabilizing bluffs. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Plant Selection Resources
We have an abundance of native plant information right here on our website. Linked below are some specific resources that may be helpful in the plant selection process. Remember, new content is always being published on our blog, so stay tuned!
Want more? There are other rich online resources. For our Pacific Northwest region, we recommend the Washington Native Plant Society, the Burke Herbarium, and OregonFlora websites.
Curious about a Consultation?
We are happy to offer our consultation services to individuals, corporations, and agencies alike! Our team has expertise in ecosystem services, invasive plant management, erosion control, rain gardens and green stormwater infrastructure, restoration of numerous native ecotypes, and more. If you need help selecting plants for your project, reach out!