Appearing along the coast from southern Alaska to central California, the Pacific yew grows most densely along the South Fork of the Clearwater River in Idaho. Small and shrublike compared to the grand firs and western hemlock that tower over it, yew was often discarded during logging operations because it had little value as timber. But in the 1970s, scientists isolated taxol from the yew tree bark, a substance which has proven effective at fighting cancer. Discoveries like these underscore why we must never write off a species as worthless and expendable.

Not listed.