Temperate Rain Forest Biome Plants

Trees

• The temperate rain forest is home to some of the largest trees on the planet. Deep, rich soils and ample rainfall allow large coniferous trees, such as western hemlocks, western red cedar and Douglas firs, to reach record sizes. The sitka spruce is one of the largest trees in the temperate rain forest biome and can grow well over 200 feet tall and develop a trunk over 8 feet in diameter.

Understory Trees and Shrubs

• Beneath the huge conifers that dominate the temperate rain forest canopy is a group of smaller, shade-tolerant plants. Many of these plants are colorful broad-leaved plants such dogwoods, big-leaf maples and vine maples. Many types of fruit-producing shrubs, such as salmonberry and huckleberry plants, also grow in the understory and provide a valuable source of food for rain forest wildlife.

Epiphytes

• Temperate rain forests have a large number of epiphytes in the forest. Epiphytes are plants that live on other plants above the forest floor. The high humidity and mist that is often present in temperate rain forests keeps the roots of epiphytes moist and allows them to grow above the soil, high in the forest canopy. Epiphytes are more common on species of maple trees than any other in temperate rain forests, a phenomenon that confuses researchers, according to scientists at NASA.

Groundcovers

• Mosses and lichens cover nearly every available surface in temperate rain forests. There are hundreds of species of mosses and lichens found from the forest canopy to the edge of streams in temperate rain forests. Wildflowers such as Indian paintbrush make seasonal appearances and stand out against the lush green of the forest. Many types of ferns readily grow throughout the year in the deep soils.