Coast Redwoods Tower Over the Forest
I doubt that any photo of ancient Coast Redwoods can convey how massive these giants are. When standing before them in person, it’s impossible to comprehend their height. Looking up their straight trunks, and then looking up some more, you finally see the tree canopy against the sky. It’s hard to avoid straining your neck. Coast Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, towering over 380 feet (116 m.) Even with my handsome husband, who’s almost 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, in a couple of these photos to provide a sense of scale, our pictures can’t do these trees justice.
Coast Redwoods, or Sequoia sempervirens, are native to a narrow band running from the central California coast into southwestern Oregon. They can live over 2000 years, but sadly, there are very few old-growth redwoods left. Only 5% of ancient trees remain. Most are secondary growth trees less than 150 years old, beginning their young lives after heavy logging began. Since young Coast Redwoods grow quickly, they can become tall and impressive after a few decades, but they will take many more centuries to achieve the great heights and wide trunks of older trees. They’re related to California’s Giant Sequoias and China’s Dawn Redwoods, but those are different species.
These photos came from our recent hike through Sam McDonald Park in Loma Mar, California, where there are still a few massive trees over 1000 years old. Happily, this park was spared by recent wildfires, which unfortunately damaged nearby old-growth forests in Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Coast Redwood forests are havens for wildlife, from mountain lions and coyotes, to black-tailed deer, Steller’s jays, rough-skinned newts, banana slugs, and endangered marbled murrelets. While the Redwood trees tower over all, there are also Tan Oaks, Douglas Firs, and Big Leaf Maples reaching for the sky. We didn’t spot any native orchids in the park, but along the trails we did find a lot of invasive Broad-Leaved Helleborines, full of seedpods. Check out this list of flower species that grow among Coast Redwoods, including several orchids.
To further demonstrate how massive these behemoths are, the final picture in this post shows a very old tree which had crashed to ground and splintered. That probably happened sometime in the last year, since the wood seemed fresh, without any ferns, mushrooms, or lichens growing on it. The “stick” pointing up from the image’s center towards the upper right was about two stories tall. It all must have shaken the earth when it fell.
Coast Redwoods are now grown around the world in parks, large gardens, and private homes. Around the Bay Area, I sometimes see them planted much too close to buildings, where they will eventually cause problems when they become too big. Fortunately, tree lovers can also grow them as bonsai, and keep small versions of these forest giants.
Groups like the non-profit Save the Redwoods League are helping to keep these magnificent trees around for future generations. For more info, check out the great books Coast Redwood: A Natural and Cultural History and The Once and Future Forest: California’s Iconic Redwoods.
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