Temperate Rainforest

So I am here in Seattle, and the trees are familiar...but not.  I recognize cedar, spruce, and maple, but they definitely are not the species at home (Michigan).  Here's why: Seattle is in the temperate rainforest biome.  My part of Michigan is on the edge between the deciduous forest and coniferous forest biomes.  So the cedar trees here are not my familiar Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), but Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). Both are not in the true cedar family, but actually in the Cypress family.

The Western Red Cedar has branches that are droopier and more arrow shaped than my familiar Northern White Cedar, but most of all, the trees are gigantic in girth.

The Western Red Cedar driftwood I saw at Puget Sound was amazing!  I wanted to make beautiful benches out of every big piece.  It would have taken a crane to remove them. This one was about 8 feet long. The color and texture was exquisite!

Another amazing similarity/difference is the Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum).  I've never seen a maple leaf quite like this! (I'm holding it in front of me in the second picture.)

We hiked at Discovery Park.  It was truly a rainforest today.

I am grateful for this all new rainforest experience!