Acer macrophyllum
The dominant forest type in this ecoregion is the coastal redwood forest. These are the tallest forests on Earth, with individual redwood ("Sequoia sempervirens") trees reaching heights of . These forests are generally found in areas exposed to coastal fog. In the north, they occur on upland slopes, in riparian zones, and on riverine terraces. In the south, where annual precipitation is lower, they are constrained to coves and ravines. Coast Douglas-firs ("Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii") are nearly always associated with redwoods, but in the north the forests can also include Sitka spruce ("Picea sitchensis") and western hemlock ("Tsuga heterophylla"). Like coast Douglas-fir, tanoak ("Notholithocarpus densiflorus") is often present. Other hardwoods include California bay laurel ("Umbellularia californica"), red alder ("Alnus rubra"), madrone ("Arbutus menziesii"), and bigleaf maple ("Acer macrophyllum"). The deep shade cast by redwoods often results in a sparse understory, but shade-tolerant species include thimbleberry ("Rubus parviflorus"), redwood sorrel ("Oxalis oregana"), elk clover ("Aralia californica"), dwarf Oregon grape ("Mahonia nervosa"), salal ("Gaultheria shallon"), and many ferns, such as deer fern ("Blechnum spicant"), sword fern ("Polystichum munitum"), and leathery polypody ("Polypodium scouleri").