Album Trees

[KJR]

I can’t pick just one. So you get a couple from the Redwoods!

 

[Venchka]

Tetons. At tree line. It's a rough life for trees. These trees were not much more than ankle high.



A few larger neighbors nearby.



Wayne

 

[Venchka]

A gaggle of East Coast trees and a trail if you can find it.
Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.



Wayne

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Joshua Tree Sunstar | http://adventr.co/2019/02/bring-me-the-mojave/


Joshua Tree Sunstar by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

 

[Titans]

We saw lots of beautiful Redwood trees last week:







And an unexpected Albino Redwood! I mentioned to @Rockskipper we never heard of them and a few days later we stumbled over one. The Albino trees survive by getting sugar through the connection between its roots and those of the neighboring tree. Its unable to produce chlorophyll itself. Not the prettiest tree, but it was certainly unusual to see!

 

[Rockskipper]

Have you ever heard of Kiidk'yaa, the Golden Spruce? Similar deal. The book below is really interesting.



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TMCFNI/?tag=backcountrypo-20

 

[Titans]

Have you ever heard of Kiidk'yaa, the Golden Spruce? Similar deal. The book below is really interesting.

View attachment 76063

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TMCFNI/?tag=backcountrypo-20

We have a giant golden OGON Dawn Redwood in the yard, a real beautiful tree and a fast grower. I also planted a golden "Skylands" Oriental spruce (about 10 ft now). But I never heard of the Golden Spruce "Kiidk'yaa..... Just looked it up, uh. Hope they can propagate the cuttings, it's not easy.
I should get the book, thanks.

 

[Ross]

 

[zionsky]

I call this "resting tree"

 

[Cool Danish]

Life finds a way.

 

[Perry]

Still standing.

 

[Perry]

 

[Yvonne]

Ohia Lehua Superbloom

Ohia trees are native Hawaiian trees that bloom with a puffy red flower, the Lehua flower.
This year all the ohia trees have the most insane bloom I have ever seen in my life. They are just exploding in color.
I wonder if the 60,000+ earthquakes of last year triggered something because of the continuous stress the entire area was put on.
The trees might have decided to add additional flowers to preserve the species

 

[Yvonne]

steamy morning at Hawai'i Volcanoes NP

 

[Titans]

Ohia Lehua Superbloom

Ohia trees are native Hawaiian trees that bloom with a puffy red flower, the Lehua flower.
This year all the ohia trees have the most insane bloom I have ever seen in my life. They are just exploding in color.
I wonder if the 60,000+ earthquakes of last year triggered something because of the continuous stress the entire area was put on.
The trees might have decided to add additional flowers to preserve the species

It’s impressive to see the tree is still alive! Could the super bloom be related to the many minerals and nutrients released from the lava, as rain starts breaking the lava down into volcanic fertile soil ? Do the Ohia trees usually die after these events? (if they do then it’s likely the last push to generate seeds that will germinate and thrive in the soon to be fertile soil).

Why Is Volcanic Soil So Fertile?

Volcanic soil, which belongs to a category of soils known as andisols, is derived from both volcanic lava and volcanic ash, both of which are rich in certain key nutrients, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, sulfur, silicon and many other trace elements, a rich...

www.scienceabc.com

 

[Yvonne]

It’s impressive to see the tree is still alive! Could the super bloom be related to the many minerals and nutrients released from the lava, as rain starts breaking the lava down into volcanic fertile soil ? Do the Ohia trees usually die after these events? (if they do then it’s likely the last push to generate seeds that will germinate and thrive in the soon to be fertile soil).

Why Is Volcanic Soil So Fertile?

Volcanic soil, which belongs to a category of soils known as andisols, is derived from both volcanic lava and volcanic ash, both of which are rich in certain key nutrients, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, sulfur, silicon and many other trace elements, a rich...

www.scienceabc.com

the ohia trees only die, when they burn down by lava or get engulfed by a flow, leaving either a tree mold or a lava tree. Many places are just covered by pumice and cinder, so it doesn't help them grow faster. Ohia trees grow super slow, to be 5-6 feet tall it takes about 30 years, sometimes longer.
They hate nitrogen and similar fertilizer and like barren landscapes.
I guess the stress caused by the continuous shaking for 3 months with more than 60,000 earthquakes triggered something in them to create a last push to produce more seed because they thought they are dying.
Unfortunately, many are dying by a new disease called Rapid Ohia Death. It kills the tree within 15 days. There is no cure yet and if you can find something, the State of Hawai'i will pay big prize money.
Ohia trees are native old-growth trees and deeply incorporated in the old Hawaiian lifestyle. They try everything to stop the disease or find a cure, but nothing yet. They only thing known is it is a fungus transmitted by a beetle when the trees get sort of damage like broken limbs.

I love the Ohia trees and its flowers and there are a lot of cultural stories still alive about the tree and Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes.
I used t tell these stories on my guided hikes

 

[TractorDoc]

This tree -- I believe it is a Douglas Fir but the needles are a bit high to examine -- caught my attention at Mount Rainier.

 

[xjblue]

Mt Olympus Tree Spring by Jared Payne, on Flickr


Mt Olympus Tree Sun by Jared Payne, on Flickr

 

[Michael]

Bristlecone

 

[Michael]

Pyramide