Trees
Limber pine
A slow-growing native pine of harsh mountain sites, with five needles in each bundle.
White fir
Also called concolor fir, a native tree with long, flat needles and upright cones.
White fir is native to Utah and other parts of the central and southern Rocky Mountains, as well as California. It favors cool, moist, protected sites and tolerates shade. Its silver-green or silver-blue foliage can resemble blue spruce from a distance.
Closer inspection offers better clues: the needles attach singly, are flat in cross-section and are typically two to three inches long. The cones stand upright on upper branches. Young bark is smooth and gray with resin blisters, becoming ridged and furrowed as the tree ages.
Seeing it
Compare needle shape and cone position from a safe public path. Do not climb, break branches or peel bark to check an identification.
More plants · Mountain forest
Trees
Douglas-fir
A native mountain conifer whose hanging cones have distinctive three-pointed bracts.