These directions are an example of an entertaining and educational outing that is best done by bicycle.
Plan your own adventure by visiting the Portland Parks
Heritage Tree Web Site. A Heritage Tree Booklet is
available for $5. Call Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry at 503-823-4489 to find out where you can get a copy.
This tour starts from DaVinci Arts Middle School
2508 NE Everett, Portland, OR 97232. Not all street crossings are at controlled intersections. Watch for traffic. Ride safely.
0.0 Travel East on Everett
0.1 Right on 28th
0.1 Left on NE Davis
2831 NE Davis first tree
BIGLEAF MAPLE (Acer macrophyllum) SAPINDACEAE
Native to Pacific west coast from south Alaska to central California. Prolific in Oregon west of the Cascades.
Can reach over 100 but usually is less.
Leaves are largest of all maples - 5-lobed and can be over 15" wide.
Flowers yellow, on a raceme; double seeds hang in clusters and have tiny bristles irritating to the skin.
Can become so large it rarely makes a good street tree.
Common in Portland.
0.2 Left on NE 30th
0.4 Right on NE Irving.
710 NE 32nd - second tree
AMERICAN ELM (Ulmus americana) ULMACEAE
Native to central and eastern North America.
Height can reach 160 but usually 100.
Leaves 3-6" long, doubly toothed, base unequal, dark green, shiny, smooth or rough above, hairy or smooth below.
Flowers small, in drooping clusters, appear before leaves. Winged seeds 0.5" long with hairs along edge.
Shape of tree is distinctive: trunk and limbs vase-shaped leading to a rounded crown with arching branches.
Common in Portland (threatened by Dutch elm disease). Heritage Tree #1 was planted in front of the home of Martin and Rosetta Burrell in 1870.
0.5 Right on NE Miramar
0.8 Left on NE Flanders
Corner of Hazelfern and Flanders - third tree
MONKEY PUZZLE (Araucaria araucana) ARAUCARIACEAE
Native to Chilean mountains.
In the wild can attain over 100 in height.
A primitive conifer, the leaves are scaly, thick, overlapping, and very sharp.
Tree is either male (with large oblong cones) or female (with round cones 6" across). Seeds are edible and tasty when heated.
Quite common in Portland. The 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition gave seedlings away, making many trees in Portland similar sizes. The Heritage Trees are males
0.9 Right on Laurelhurst Place (no sign)after passing second Monkey Puzzle Tree
1.0 Left on NE Couch
Japanese Red Pine corner of 39th and Couch - fourth tree
JAPANESE RED PINE (Pinus densiflora) PINACEAE
Native to Japan, China, Korea.
Record heights in wild to 160.
Needles are 2 to a bundle, 3-5" long.
Seed cones are abundant, 1.5-2" long, remain on tree for several years.
Bark is orangy-red, except gray on trunk of old trees.
Relatively rare in Portland except as the small Tanyosho which resembles a shaving brush when "pruned."
3945 NE Couch Carolina Poplar - fifth tree
CAROLINA POPLAR (Populus x canadensis) SALICACEAE
Hybrid between Eastern cottonwood (P. deltoides) and Lombardy poplar (P. nigra Italia), from 1830s.
Height can reach 150, circumference up to 20.
Leaves heart-shaped, 3-5" long.
All trees are male clones.
Fairly common in Portland along streets with houses built 1900-15.
1.4 Left on NE 44th
1.5 Right on NE Davis
1.5 Left on NE 45th
1/2 way up the hill 221 NE 45th - sixth tree
AMERICAN HOP-HORNBEAM (Ostrya virginiana) BETULACEAE
Native to central and eastern North America.
Height can reach 70 but usually less.
Leaves are double-toothed, yellowish-green on top, paler beneath and slightly hairy.
Distinctive seeds resembling drooping cluster of hops; each nutlet enclosed in papery envelope. Pale green at first, become brown before dropping in fall.
Wood is strong, hard, and tough, good for tool handles.
Rare in Portland.
Turn around and go back down the hill.
1.6 Left on NE Davis
1.7 Left on 47th
1.7 Right on NE Everett
1.8 Left on 49th
Immediate right on Flanders
5104 NE Flanders - seventh tree
AMERICAN SWEETGUM (Liquidambar styraciflua) HAMMAMELIDACEAE
Native to eastern and southern North America and south to Nicaragua.
Record height of 200 but usually 100.
Leaves 5-lobed, look a little like maple leaves.
Flowers inconspicuous. Fruit is prickly 1" ball, tend to litter ground.
Named for fragrant resin under bark.
Very important timber tree in southeast U.S..
Common in Portland.
2.0 Right on 52nd
2.1 Right on Davis
2.2 Left on NE 50th
2.2 Right on NE Couch
2.3 Right on NE 47th
2.4 Left on NE Davis
2.6 Left on 41st
3.0 Right on SE Oak
4066 SE Oak Ct. - about 50 feet - eighth tree
ZELKOVA (Zelkova serrata) ULMACEAE
Native to Japan.
Height seldom exceeds 100.
Leaves bright green, edges scalloped, 5" long, rough top surface.
Flowers and fruits inconspicuous.
Bark on mature trees nicely mottled and flaky.
Fall color from yellow to rusty-red.
Somewhat common in Portland, sometimes used to replace elms lost to disease or instead of elms.
3.2 Right on 39th
3.4 Left on Oak
37th and Oak Kentucky - ninth tree
KENTUCKY COFFEETREE (Gymnocladus dioica) FABACEAE
Native to central and eastern U.S..
Height can exceed 100.
Leaves are doubly compound, often with 40 leaflets.
Flowers are greenish-white; male and female are separate trees; pods 6-10" long on female tree. Seed roasted as coffee substitute by pioneers.
Fall color is yellow.
Very rare in Portland.
3.6 Right on SE 33rd
Immediate Left on SE Pine
4.0 Right on SE 26th
4.2 Cross Couch and go through fence of School
4.3 Welcome back! CLICK HERE FOR MAP
