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The study tests whether the lethal effect of overwintering Engelmann spruce seed in its O-horizon affects Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine and subalpine fir seeds and whether the O-horizons of the three associated species have the same lethal effect on seeds. All seed treatments of each species were stratified in petri dishes in the pure O-horizon (unsterilized and autoclaved) of each species. Seed treatments were untreated, 10% slurry of 50% Captan and powdered 75% Captan.All untreated seeds demonstrated the lethal quality of unsterilized Engelmann spruce O-horizon. Its effects on untreated seeds and powder treated seeds were as follows: Engelmann spruce seed 3.5 and 77.3% (germination of untreated and powdered respectively), subalpine fir seed 1.3 and 20.8, Douglas-fir seed 9.5 and 84.8 and lodgepole pine seed 11.9 and 85.7. Subalpine fir O-horizon was lethal to its own seeds but only moderately harmful to seeds of other species. Douglas-fir O-horizon had a significant adverse effect on its own seeds and was only moderately harmful to seeds of other species. Lodgepole pine O-horizon was almost neutral to all seeds. Autoclaving of the O-horizons and powder treatment of seeds produced similar results.