Pine Trees of Washington

The Pinaceae, or pine family, contains more than 200 tree species, most of them in the northern hemisphere. Of these, 20 are commonly found in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington, according to the University of Washington Herbarium. In addition to pines, Washington Pinaceae members include spruce, fir, larch and hemlock trees.

Washington's true pine trees, members of the genus Pinus, include the whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, Sierra lodgepole pine, shore pine, western white pine and Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine. Pine tree needles grow in groups of two to three and they produce small cones that mature within 18 months.

Washington's fir trees, members of the genus Abies, include the Pacific silver fir, grand fir, alpine and subalpine fir, Douglas fir and noble fir. Firs have flat needles and dense crowns. Firs are not valued for lumber but do produce find paper pulp. Many people also use them as Christmas trees.

Washington's spruce trees, members of the genus Picea, include the Engelmann spruce and the Sitka spruce. Spruce trees are generally rough-barked, with prickly needles and scaly cones. Many companies use spruce trees for paper pulp and many homeowners plant spruces as decoration. Washington's hemlock trees, members of the genus Tsuga, include the western hemlock and the mountain hemlock. Western hemlock trees are useful for structural and decorative construction work, as well as for paper pulp, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Washington's larch trees, members of the genus Larix, include the subalpine larch and the western larch. Both species are part of the only group of conifers that lose their needles in winter. The subalpine larch is worthless commercially, according to the University of Washington Herbarium, because it is very short and often misshapen. The western larch, on the other hand, is extremely valuable for commercial uses, including railroad ties, framing, pilings, finish work, paper pulp and firewood.