Look, A Tree!

I am not a tree expert. I am a tree lover. This could be a result of being born on the prairies. I grew up in a knee-high ecosystem of endless shortgrass. In a landscape such as this every tree is precious.

The only natural trees on the S. Albertan prairies are near water sources. Cotton wood trees (Populus trichocarpa) can get quite large (height of 30-50 m and a trunk diameter of over 2 m), and rare ones grow to be up to 400 years old. In the spring their sticky buds emit a fragrance that a winter-weary nose can detect from 100 m away.

Most of the prairie, though, is grass. Further east, beyond the Great Plains was the tall grass ecosystem, but even that topped out at just over a meter.

Therefore, when I see a 73.8 m (242') tall Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that is 12.55m (41' 2") in circumference, and is almost 1000 years old I tend to be blown away.

Stay tuned for more trees and forests to blow you away.