IDing Plants at Lake Sammamish State Park

This past Saturday, July 13th, FLSSP board member Dan Hintz led a walking tour along Tibbetts Creek and Tibbetts Beach to teach community members about native plant identification and species prioritized for riparian restoration. Participants on the tour visited multiple sites around Tibbetts Creek that FLSSP has worked to restore over the past five years. 

Participants learned about different characteristics of species. Participants learned about how red alders are a pioneer species (often the first tree to come back in disturbed areas) and their ``super power" is their ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil to improve soil health for generations of trees to come. Participants also learned about "MAD" trees (Maple, Ash, and Dogwood), the three genera of trees that are opposite budding and can be distinguished from the vast majority of tree species that bud alternately. 

Last but not least, participants were able to compare and contrast four species of conifers commonly planted to establish new tree canopy. Douglas fir and grand fir are "friendly firs" with soft needles compared to "spiky spruces" like our native Sitka spruce (which also has more square needles than our firs). While Douglas fir is technically not a true fir, it has soft needles, but they are "whorled", meaning the needles grow all around the branch. Grand fir on the other hand is "two-ranked", with needles in a single horizontal plane coming off the branch. Our native western redcedar is in the Cypress family and has "scale-like" needles and droopier branches than our native spruces and firs. 

While much of the tour got into specific details and characteristics of our native riparian species, the main goal was to feel more connected to the landscape we live on and the plants that have been here for thousands of years! After two hours of walking, pointing at and touching plants, and discussing their unique traits, that goal was accomplished!

To learn more about FLSSP events please visit our events page.