Plant of the Month

Plant of the Month: February 2005

Tall Trees in Seattle

As part of my current work to update my book Trees of Seattle I measure the heights of many trees. The aim is to discover what individual of each species is the tallest known in Seattle. This is my initial report, limited to trees more than 100 feet tall; based on work done December 2004 into February 2005. Heights cited in the book's first edition were made using a clinometer, and date mostly from 1987 or 1988. The heights cited below were made using a LaserTech Impulse 200 range-finder. This device is far less prone to error --if used correctly (that is: on vertical distance mode). Study has shown that the clinometer (as well as careless usage of the laser) tends to often exaggerate tree heights. As a result, in the following list of trees you can note that certain maximum reported heights cited in Trees of Seattle are higher than the contemporary (2004 growing season) heights cited. This is mostly because the previous measurements were too high. The current measurements are conservative and if anything underestimate heights. Using the laser to pinpoint the topmost twig on a broad-crowned deciduous tree in winter, is painstaking and often the measurement is actually of a lower twig. In a few cases, such as with Douglas Fir, the tallest specimen known in 1988 fell down or died --so I list the tallest known alive presently.

I will continue my measurements and update this page periodically. All measurements are in feet.

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Species	1987 or 1988	2004	Location
Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga Menziesii	255'	235'	O.O. Denny Park
Grand Fir Abies grandis	ca. 200'	188'	O.O. Denny Park
Western Red Cedar Thuja plicata	175'+	176'	O.O. Denny Park
Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens	141'	165.5'	Interlaken Park
Black Cottonwood Populus trichocarpa	152'	162.5'	O.O. Denny Park
Western Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla	ca. 150'	156'	O.O. Denny Park
Sierra Redwood Sequoiadendron giganteum	112'	155'	1523 Madrona Drive
Lombardy Poplar Populus nigra 'Italica'	139'	141'	Lake Wash. Blvd. S
Ghost Poplar Populus nigra 'Thevestina'	112'	132'	West Seattle golf course
Bolleana White Poplar Populus alba 'Pyramidalis'	102'	127.5'	Lake Wash. Blvd. by SR 520
European Beech Fagus sylvatica	120'	127'	Lake Wash. Blvd. in the Arboretum
Atlas Cedar Cedrus atlantica	92'	126.5'	Lincoln Park
Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa	92'	126.5'	24th Ave. E.
Bigleaf Maple Acer macrophyllum	ca. 120-130'	124'	Seward Park
Hybrid Black Poplar Populus x canadensis 'Eugenei'	114'	123'	Lake Wash. Blvd. by SR 520
Tulip Tree Liriodendron Tulipifera	118'	122'	700 McGilvra Blvd. E.
Red Alder Alnus rubra	100'+	120'	Camp Long
Norway Spruce Picea Abies	100'+	120'	Seward Park fish hatchery
Turkish Oak Quercus Cerris	107'	118.5'	Lake Wash. Blvd. in the Arboretum
Madrona Arbutus Menziesii	110'+	118'	Seward Park
English Elm Ulmus procera	113'	118'	Seattle Pacific University
Eastern White Pine Pinus Strobus	101'	115.5'	Interlaken Park
Deodar Cedar Cedrus Deodara	114'	114.5'	Boyer Ave. E.
Incense Cedar Calocedrus decurrens	83'	112'	Ravenna Park
Red Oak Quercus rubra	101'	111.5'	University of WA.
Sugar Pine Pinus Lambertiana	78'	111.5'	Lincoln Park
White Birch Betula pendula	96'	110.5'	Interlaken Park
Hybrid Black Poplar Populus x canadensis 'Marilandica'	100'	109.5'	Lake Wash. Blvd. in the Arboretum
Bigcone Pine Pinus Coulteri	101'	109.5'	University of WA.
Western White Pine Pinus monticola	99'	109'	Lincoln Park
Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum	96'	109'	Green Lake
Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides	93'	107.5'	Washington Park Arboretum
Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris	70'	106.5'	Seward Park
Pin Oak Quercus palustris	112'	106.5'	Mt. Baker Park
Corsican Black Pine Pinus nigra var. Laricio	97'	106'	Volunteer Park
Sawara Cypress Chamćcyparis pisifera f. plumosa	97'	106'	Leschi Park
Oregon Ash Fraxinus latifolia	100'	105'	Washington Park Arboretum
Guernsey Elm Ulmus ŚSarniensisą	55'	103.5'	Jefferson Park golf course
Hybrid Black Poplar Populus x canadensis 'Regenerata'	109'	103'	Mt. Baker Blvd. east of 33rd Ave. S.
Bigleaf Linden Tilia platyphyllos	83'	103'	Frink Park
Black Oak Quercus velutina	?'	103'	Washington Park Arboretum
Wych Elm Ulmus glabra	?	103'	Seattle Pacific University
Katsura Cercidiphyllum japonicum	93'	102'	Washington Park Arboretum
English Oak Quercus robur	102'	102'	Mt. Baker Park
Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea	96'	101.5'	Washington Park Arboretum
Littleleaf Linden Tilia cordata	88'	101'	Volunteer Park
White Oak Quercus alba	94'	101'	Washington Park Arboretum
Black Locust Robinia Pseudoacacia	75'+	101'	West Seattle golf course
Mazzard Cherry Prunus avium	ca. 100'	101'	Interlaken Park
hybrid White Oak Quercus x Bebbiana	?	101'	Washington Park Arboretum

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