The trees of Western Yew are male or female; the small male pollen cones are shown in this photo taken in the spring. An understory tree or large shrub, Western Yew is most common on the southeast side of the Park, particularly along Laughingwater Creek. The scaly bark is reddish to brown.
Location: Longmire Campground, Mount Rainier National Park
Date: April 7, 2016
The branches are long and drooping, and the trees may have multiple trunks.
Location: Longmire Campground, Mount Rainier National Park
Date: April 7, 2016
The female "cones", as shown in the photo, are unconventional for a conifer. They are red and berrylike; within is a single seed.
Location: Longmire Campground, Mount Rainier National Park
Date: August 29, 2014
The flattened needles are pointed although not prickly and arranged in 2 ranks along the branches.
Location: Cougar Rock Campground, Mount Rainier National Park
Date: June 11, 2014