Washington State Vegetation: Two Worlds Divided by the Cascades

The Cascade Range splits Washington into dramatically different botanical zones:

Western Washington: Temperate Rainforest

Dense coniferous forests: Douglas fir, Western hemlock, Sitka spruce, Western red cedar. Lush understory: salal, sword fern, Oregon grape, mosses. Wildlife: Roosevelt elk, black bear, cougar, marmot.

Eastern Washington: Sagebrush Steppe & Desert

Arid, rain-shadow region. Big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue. Driest areas: cacti, succulents, drought-tolerant shrubs.

Other Communities

• Alpine meadows – Wildflowers, sedges, grasses at high elevation.
• Grasslands – Palouse hills (bunchgrasses).
• Riparian zones – Willows, cottonwoods, red-osier dogwood along streams.

This diversity supports 300+ bird, 100 mammal, 30 amphibian/reptile species.