SouthEast Wood (Douglas-fir woods on well-drained upland)

This woodland is part of a wooded area known as the Southeast Woods. It occupies a low, ill-defined ridge, where drainage is better than in the adjacent low ground on either side of it. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) dominates the wood, with Grand Fir (Abies grandis) next in importance.

Associated trees include Broadleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), Red Alder (Alnus rubra), and Yew (Taxus brevifolia). The young Western Hemlock trees (Tsuga heterphylla) are believed to have been planted, since no adult trees or old stumps of that species are seen here.

The precise composition of the original community is hard now to reconstruct, since, over the years, the wood has suffered alternate episodes of clearing and planting in the understorey, where a number of exotic trees and shrubs have been introduced. In the past, Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor), Mock-orange (Philadelphus lewisii) and Indian Plum have all been important native shrubs.

Much of the grassy woodland floor is modern, stemming from the most recent episode of undergrowth clearance. Persistent native herbs include Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), Wild Lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum dilatatum), and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). The grasses are largely introduced species, but Sitka Brome is a persisting native grass. Many native undergrowth species have been re-introduced in recent years through the efforts of the Friends of Beacon Hill Park.