This picture shows a vignette of a grove of Garry Oaks (Quercus garryana) at Dalles Mountain Ranch in the Columbia Hills State Park, Washington, in the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge.
On the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range, the Garry Oak grows into a large diameter, tall, and stately tree. Here on the east side of the Cascades they are at the limit of their range and the trees grow more slowly and are much smaller in diameter and much shorter.
In western Oregon and Washington Garry Oaks do very well in open, level prairies. On the east side of the Cascades, they are better adapted to canyons and gullies. In this photo, the foreground trees are near the crest of a ridge. The background of this photo drops off into a canyon. Notice how much denser the foliage is in that more protected environment.
Ash Creek Images
Photographs of the West by Doug Gorsline
A Grove of Garry Oaks at the Edge of a Prairie, Columbia Hills State Park, WA.
