12/2009 – at planting
5/2011 – after one year’s growth
11/2012 – tied up to keep it straight
11/2013 – wonky top develops
4/2014 – another view
9/2015 – bending over a bit
7/2016 – heading north
10/2017 – lots of bends in it
9/2018 – going up straight again, sort of
9/2018 – from the ground up
This is a cultivar of the largest tree in the world – the Big Tree, Giant Sequoia, Sierra Redwood, or Wellingtonia – many names for one amazing tree. It can grow over 350 feet tall with a girth of over 30′. Wow… This version is a smaller “dwarf” that only grows up to 35 or 40 feet tall. The tree near it in the next to last photo I recently measured at 22′, so the Sequoiadendron must be close to 30′ or more now. It’s so hard to tell from the ground without surveyors tools. I especially like the last photo which I took standing at the base of the tree looking up. It’s sort of a Jack in the Beanstalk picture to me. Imagine climbing up it! Pretty awesome.
These trees are native to a small area of the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California. There are only a few groves of Giant Redwoods left and they are protected in National Parks or Sanctuaries now, tho in the past they logged them, if you can believe the nerve!! They were so big that they shattered when they fell so they eventually gave up on that, tho they cut down far too many. Personally I think that logging old growth trees, of any kind, should be a crime – seriously. There aren’t many of these giants left and once they’re gone they’re gone forever, or for several thousand years anyway. I’ve loved these Redwoods since I was a kid and my family visited them for picnics in the Sierras near where we lived. They’re my friends, so to cut them down and kill them is murder in my book. Just my personal opinion…
This cultivar was found in a garden in France around 1863. They’re now growing all over the world in temperate climate zones, and are considered one of natures unique oddities. They are often referred to as Ghost Trees because they look so otherworldly in the fog and give the impression of some spook. It’s pretty cool to see a grove of them!
As you can see it grows really fast. It only has 9 years of growth on it so far and it’s gotten this big. I apparently didn’t take too many photos of it when it was young, unfortunately, but I have enough to give you an idea of how it develops. This one is pretty straight but many twist and turn back on themselves in all manner of directions. I had to tie this one to the plum tree near it to keep it somewhat straight and off the path next to it. But it curves as it will and it once headed into the neighbors yard but is now coming back into ours. People always comment on this tree when they visit our garden, and I’m very pleased with it. It’s kinda quirky, like I am. It suits me. 🙂
Save the Redwoods!!
Steve
Gardening in Greenwood 