Editing Whidbey Island (section)

===Flora===
Vegetation varies greatly from one end of the island to the other. Vegetation in the south is more similar to that of mainland Washington. The principal trees are [[Douglas fir]], [[red alder]], [[bigleaf maple]], [[western red cedar]], [[tsuga|western hemlock]], and [[arbutus|Pacific madrone]].<ref name="McCreary1975">{{cite book|author=Fred R. McCreary|title=Soil Survey of Jefferson County Area, Washington|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EC5xchy3HEMC&pg=PA4|year=1975|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service|pages=4–}}</ref>  Compared to the rest of western Washington state, [[vine maple]] is notably absent, except where they have been planted. Other under-story plants include the [[evergreen huckleberry]], lower longleaf [[Oregon grape]], [[elderberry]], [[salal]], [[oceanspray]], and varieties of [[Urtica|nettle]]. Non-native introduced plants such as [[foxglove]], [[ivy]] and [[holly]] are also evident.<ref>{{cite web |title=All About Whidbey Island |url=https://whidbeyisland.us/all-about-whidbey-island/ |website=Whidbey Island |date=March 31, 2015 |access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref>

Farther up the island, however, the shorter Oregon-Grape and the blue Evergreen Huckleberry is seen less, while tall Oregon-grape and [[Red Huckleberry]] predominate. The native [[Pacific rhododendron]] is much more visible. Amongst the [[deciduous]] varieties, [[Garry oak]] (from which Oak Harbor takes its name) are seen more frequently in the northern portion of the island.<ref>{{cite web |title=Preservation |url=https://ohgarryoaksociety.org/preservation/ |website=Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society |access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref> In the [[conifer]] classification, [[grand fir]] is found more in the northern part of Whidbey Island along with [[Sitka spruce]] and [[Lodgepole Pine|shore pine]]. There are three open prairie areas on Whidbey Island – Smith Prairie, Crockett Prairie and Ebey Prairie.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, General Management Plan: Environmental Impact Statement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5TM3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA89|year=2006|pages=89–90}}</ref> Some patches of [[Opuntia|prickly pear cactus]] are found along the slopes near Partridge Point.<ref name="Mass2015">{{cite book|author=Clifford Mass|title=The Weather of the Pacific Northwest|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xPiACgAAQBAJ&pg=PA194|date=1 September 2015|publisher=University of Washington Press|isbn=978-0-295-99836-7|pages=194–}}</ref>