Trees and Shrubs

Sycamore trees line the parking lot giving much needed shade during the summer months.

NPS Photo

Whitman Mission National Historic Site is located in what was once an extensive grassland. Except for in the mountains, trees would have been relatively few and found mostly next to streams and rivers. When the Whitmans came they wanted trees. Dr. Whitman wrote to friends back east asking for locust, chestnut, and walnut seeds. Narcissa obtained sprouts of apple and peach trees from Fort Vancouver. Today the trees the Whitmans planted are long gone. But people still love trees. Landscapers planted many trees and shrubs on the park grounds to add beauty and provide shade. An apple orchard was created to represent the one planted by Dr. Whitman.

Below is a list of trees and shrubs found in the park along with some of the places where they can be seen.

 

Maple seeds are very distinctive. Sometimes called "helicopters" or "whirlybirds" because of the way they spin, these seeds can be carried a fair distance by the wind.

NPS Photo

Maple Family
Maples are in the genus "Acer." This name is derived from Latin and means "sharp" and refers to the pointed edges of maple leaves. Maples that can be found at the park include:

Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) - behind the Visitor Center
Red Maple (Acer rubrum) - along the path from the Visitor Center to the Great Grave and near the picnic shelter
Norwegian Maple (Acer platanoides) - along the path from the Visitor Center to the Great Grave and in the picnic area.

 

Red hawthorn berries turn bright red during the fall around Whitman Mission

NPS Photo

Rose Family
This is a very large family of plants with over 2,500 species. Many popular fruits are in the Rose family including apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, strawberries and raspberries.

Wild Rose (Rosa eglanteria) - along the re-constructed Oregon Trail ruts
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) - along the path from the Visitor Center to the mission grounds
Crab Apple (Malus spp.) - The east entrance of the Visitor Center and in the parking oval
Domestic Apple (Malus domestica) - orchard near the First House

 

Silver poplars provide a shady oasis near the Great Grave.

NPS Photo

Willow Family
Based on similarities in flowers and fruits, botanists have grouped together willows, poplars, cottonwoods, and aspens. Trees in this family are useful for many things. Today the park uses willows to stabilize the bank and provide shade for Doan creek. During Dr. Whitman's time at least one of the buildings had a roof made of “split timbers of cottonwood…covered with grass and slabs of dirt.” (Drury chapt. 16)

Willow (Salix spp.) - between First House and Grist Mill
Silver Poplar (Populus alba) - in Tipi Grove
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) - near First House and pond

 

Sycamores have a very thin bark that will frequently peel away showing the cambium layer

NPS Photo

Sycamore Family
Sycamore trees are a group of trees native to the northern hemisphere. They are not native to the Pacific Northwest, but have been introduced. Often they are found in riparian habitats, but can survive in areas with less water, such as the area around Whitman Mission.

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) - near Mill Pond
London Sycamore (Platanus x acerifolia) - parking lot

 

Pea Family

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) - mission grounds, base of hill, and parking oval

 

Elm Family

Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila) - Pioneer Cemetery and south side of hill
Elm (Ulmus spp.) - base of hill near Alice Clarissa's marker

 

Hydrangea Family

Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii) - junction of re-constructed Oregon Trail ruts and path to mission grounds

 

Olive Family

Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) - east entrance of Visitor Center
Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) -Pioneer Cemetery

 

Dogwood Family

Dogwood (Cornus spp.) - parking oval

 

Elderberry Family

Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) - picnic area, base of hill, and along entrance road to park

 

Cashew Family

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) - picnic area
Sumac (Rhus spp.) - near Mill Pond

 

Walnut Family

English Walnut (Juglans regia) - near First House

 

Ailanthus Family

Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) - Great Grave and Tipi Grove

 

Conifers

Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) - parking oval

 

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Sources

Drury, Clifford M. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and the Opening of Old Oregon. 1994. Northwest Interpretive Association: Seattle, Washington.