Plant species

The plant lists below are an ongoing effort to document the many species that occur within the Environmental Studies Center. Data collection has taken place over the last ten years and has been a collaborative effort involving faculty, students, volunteers, and the Metro Greenspaces Program. Clicking on some plant names (as well as numbers listed after the species name) will lead to available photos taken on campus.

Trees and shrubs

Trees

Douglas Fir pinecone

Shrubs

Ferns and horsetails

Ferns

Deer Fern

  • Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
  • Deer fern(Blechnum spicant)
  • Lady fern (Athyrium filixfemina)
  • Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza)
  • Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
  • Spiny Wood Fern (Dryopteris expansa)
Horsetails
  • Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
  • Scouring-Rush (Equisetum hyemale)

Lichens and grasses

Lichens

Candle Flame Lichen
See more lichen information and photos.

  • Candle Flame Lichen (Candelaria concolor)
  • Toy Soldiers (Cladonia bellidiflora)
  • Oakmoss Lichen (Evernia prunastri)
  • Forked Tube Lichen (Hypogymnia imshaugii)
  • Deflated Tube Lichen (Hypogymnia metaphysodes)
  • Hooded Tube Lichen (Hypogymnia physodes)
  • Powder-Headed Tube Lichen (Hypogymnia tubulosa)
  • Lung Lichen, Lungwart (Lobaria oregana)
  • Dotted Ramalina (Ramalina farinacea)
  • Angel’s Hair (Ramalina thrausta)
  • Powdered Beard Lichen (Usnea lapponica)
  • Usnea pacificana
  • Usnea subserilis
  • Pin-Cushion Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria polycarpa)
Grasses
  • Bent Grass (Agrostis sp.)
  • Manna Grass (Glyceria sp.)
  • Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pralensis)
  • Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea)
  • Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea)
  • Timothy Grass (Phleum pratense)
  • Velvet Grass (Holcus lanatus)
  • Whitlow Grass (Draba verna)

Herbs

Baneberry

Invasive

Invasive and non-native plants

IvyInvasive plants are generally considered non-native plants that have been introduced into the region (often by gardeners and landscapers) and have the capacity to thrive and spread aggressively into nearby natural areas, often because of the lack of natural predators such as insects and other foraging animals. When introduced into these new habitats, invasive plants may become problematic as they are able to out-compete the local native plants, resulting in the reduction of biodiversity of native flora and loss of habitat for fauna such as birds and mammals.

Listed below are some of the plants that have become an issue in the RCESC and other natural areas in the Pacific Northwest. Clicking on a listed species will display the plant’s photo (please note: some links lead to outside websites). Volunteers are always welcome to help in the removal of invasive plants. For more information, please visit our volunteer section.