The outstanding feature of the vegetation of western Washington is the coniferous forest. Previous to the logging activities a dense cover of Douglas fir, western hemlock and red cedar spread almost unbroken over the area. The openings in the forest and the marshy ravines and river valleys supported growths of underbrush and deciduous trees so dense and luxuriant as to compare with a tropical jungle. In the dense rain forests along the coast, mosses and lichens develop an understory vegetation many inches deep and clothe the branches of the forest trees. The mild temperature and excessive rainfall cause some species that usually are of bush or shrub size to reach the proportions of small trees. In some places one can climb twenty feet from the ground in a huckleberry tree, the trunk of which is five inches in diameter. The coniferous forest is made up of several species of trees. Most important among these are the western hemlock (_Tsuga heterophylla_), Douglas fir (_Pseudotsuga taxifolia_), and red cedar (_Thuja plicata_). Locally the western yew (_Taxus brevifolia_), lodgepole pine (_Pinus contorta_) and spruce (_Picea sitchensis_) may be common. Deciduous trees are numerous and include several willows (_Salix_ sp.), aspen (_Populus tremuloides_), hazel (_Corylus californica_), alder (_Alnus oregona_), oak (_Quercus garryana_), broadleaf maple (_Acer macrophyllum_), vine maple (_Acer circinatum_), and flowering dogwood (_Cornus nuttallii_). Mosses and ferns are abundant. The sword fern (_Polystichum munitum_) and bracken (_Pteridium aquilinum_) are especially common. Space prevents listing all but a fraction of the typical shrubs but these include huckleberry (_Vaccinium parvifolium_, _Vaccinium ovatum_), Oregon grape (_Berberis nervosa_), salal (_Gaultheria shallon_), rose (_Rosa gymnocarpa_), thimbleberry (_Rubus parviflorus_), salmonberry (_Rubus spectabilis_), blackcap raspberry (_Rubus leucodermis_) and wild blackberry (_Rubus macropetalus_). The higher parts of some of the ranges of northeastern Washington are in the Hudsonian Life-zone, but most of the mountains are in the Canadian Life-zone. The valleys are in the Transition Life-zone. Climatic conditions are similar to those of the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Winter temperatures are low, the average for December, January and February being below freezing. Summer temperatures are high, the July average for Colville being 67.2° and the July average maximum being 87.4°. Vegetation consists principally of coniferous forests in the mountains and deciduous woods in the valleys. Among the interesting features of the vegetation are the extensive stands of almost pure larch (_Larix occidentalis_). In most respects the flora closely resembles that of the Blue Mountains.