By Leslie Lee
Trees serve as a backbone of Colorado’s environment, offering numerous benefits that contribute to a healthier planet, a robust economy, and thriving outdoor spaces. Their impact is far-reaching, from improving air and water quality to reducing energy costs and providing habitat for diverse wildlife.
Environmental & Health Benefits
- Water Quality: Trees play a crucial role in preventing soil erosion and reducing stormwater runoff, leading to less flooding and polluted waterways. Their root systems filter pollutants and recharge aquifers, ensuring cleaner water.
- Climate Regulation: Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide and mitigating the effects of climate change.
- Support for Local Wildlife: Trees provide shelter, protection, and food sources for various wildlife species, including birds, squirrels, and other creatures.
- Temperature Regulation: Trees provide shade, reducing the cooling costs of nearby buildings while cooling the air through evapotranspiration.
- Stress Reduction: Studies have shown that trees can reduce stress and improve mental well-being.
Douglas County, home to native trees like Ponderosa Pine, Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, Quaking Aspen, and Pinyon Pine, thrive in Colorado’s climate. These trees are commonly found on the properties of the Douglas Land Conservancy.
Here are some highlights of the most prominent trees in Douglas County:
Blue Spruce
These beautiful trees, with their blue (or light green) evergreen needles, give the entire tree a blue appearance. They grow at elevations of 6,700 to 11,500 feet and can reach 115 feet in height.
Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir
This large evergreen conifer can grow from 115 to 148 feet. It typically has a diameter of 3 feet. Its distinctive cones have three pronged bracts resembling a mouse posterior or a snake’s tongue. Despite its name, it’s not a fir but belongs to a distinct genus, Pseudotsuga or false hemlock. It grows at elevations of 6,000 to 9,500 feet.
Ponderosa Pine
The most common tree species in Douglas County, Ponderosa Pines are well-adapted to the foothills and lower montane zones. They grow at elevations of 6,300 to 9,000 feet. Ponderosas are well-suited to high temperatures and low moisture. Their long taproot helps them obtain adequate moisture, making them drought-resistant. This also decreases their chances of being uprooted by strong winds.
Quaking Aspens
These trees are native to Colorado and much admired for their smooth white bark, distinctly trembling leaves and brilliant fall foliage. They typically grow at elevations of 6,500 to 11,500 feet. Aspens grow in large clonal groves with vast underground networks connected by a single, thousands-of-years root system. These groves of genetically identical trees, called clones, grow by sprouting new shoots (suckers) from their root system.
Pinyon Pine
These are also native to Colorado and grow in the foothills and mesas at lower elevations. They are drought-tolerant, slow growing trees that thrive in dry conditions and are often found in pinyon-juniper woodlands. The typically reach 15-35 feet with a compact, bushy form. They can be found at elevation of between 5,200 to 9,000 feet.
By recognizing the significance of trees that thrive in the numerous Douglas Land Conservancy open spaces and by respecting their value, we can contribute to their continued health and well-being in the wild.
coloradosprings.gov The Many Benefits of Trees
https://csfs.colostate.edu/forests-trees/colorados-major-tree-species