They call them Giant Redwoods for a reason and the reason is obvious: they are gigantic and their wood is red. These words however are as meaningless as those used to describe a sunset over the ocean to a blind person. Until you have had a chance to walk through an old growth (never been logged) Redwood forest, those words alone cannot make you feel the presence of these massive creatures; cannot leave you standing in awe with your mouth agape as you crane your neck to try and see its tippy top; cannot make you want to press your body against it with your arms stretched out to the sides knowing you can’t cover its 20 foot diameter. Not even close! And although it may be your imagination, when your body and the side of your face are pressed against them, you can feel the power of their living. It’s not a heartbeat or their breathing. It is a life force that leaves you feeling both privileged and insignificant. They are truly majestic, almost regal in a way. They are the sentinels on the northern California coast. It’s as if the span of their long lifetimes have given them a knowledge and perspective that short timers like us can only get through reading. They have the first hand experience Some of them are over 2,000 years old and harkens back to the age of the dinosaurs. The tallest is currently 381 feet tall. Imagine a football field turned on its end and then add another 30 yards to it. 381 feet is “currently” the tallest redwood but that is subject to change. Change comes in the form of lightening which often strikes the tallest point in the forest and off may come a chunk of redwood which confers tallest tree status to whomever was second in line. They also tend to tip over due to a root system that works great, most of the time, but may also bring them down. For a tree that is this tall, their root systems are quite shallow, usually going down no further than 10-13 feet. These basically surface roots for these big fellas can stretch out up to 80 feet. The roots are very effective at absorbing surface moisture and also is a protection from flooding. However, when these massive 500-ton tree’s reach the heights found in old growth forests, they are prone to getting blown down. These root systems just have a hard time keeping these beasts upright and down one will come. Prior to man coming along, the occasional strong wind was the only thing that really threatened these giants. Their bark grows up to a foot thick and is infused with concentrated tannins, a pest repellent chemical that prevents bacteria, fungi, and insects from being able to enter the tree. The bark is even thick enough to protect it from forest fires. Even the tree’s sapwood center is loaded with these tannins and in addition to its protective qualities; it also gives it its red color. So effective are these tannins at thwarting the advances of microbes and insects, that when a tree does fall to the forest floor, it could be hundreds of years before you start seeing any of the signs of decay. It will take that long for the tannins to leach out of the wood and open the door for the decomposers like bacteria and fungi to make it a meal. It seems a common theme with all the national parks we’ve visited that it took men with insight and often philanthropists with money to save our amazing American natural wonders from private interests hell bent on making money off of them. Mining, drilling, and deforestation were often the greatest threats to our wild and wilderness areas and it was all carried out with little concern about preserving our natural history for future generations. The Redwoods weren’t any different. Almost 95% of the Redwood forests in California were cut down before protective measures could be put into place. The wood met the needs of a fast growing early San Francisco and also a post WWII home building boom. Fortunately, about 5% of these old growth forests were able to be bought and preserved as National and State Parks.

Based on fossil evidence, it is thought that the Redwoods evolved from conifers that were prevalent in Europe, Asia, and North America at the time of the dinosaurs. There are three species of Redwood. The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), is only found in Central China. It’s smaller than its American cousins, topping out at 140 feet. The Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which is found here in Redwood National Park, are the tallest tree’s in the world and live to over 2,000 years. The Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is the most massive tree in the world, with a total volume of over 50,000 cubic feet, and living to over 3,000 years. These are not found in Redwood National Park but instead along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California (Sequoia National Park). The Coast Redwood only lives about 2/3 as long as the Giant Sequoia, however, it only lives half as long as the Bristlecone Pine which is the worlds longest living tree.

You’d think that a living thing that grows taller than a football field would come from a pretty big seed, however, the cone bearings seeds for the Coast Redwood is smaller than a walnut and contains dozens of seeds. Most new growth of Redwoods however doesn’t even come from their seeds. The forest floor is too shaded and they need sunlight to germinate. Instead, additional growth comes from a novel array of asexual reproduction. Essentially, the tree’s make clones. They can sprout new growth off of a surface root. In the forests, you will often come across a “group” of Redwoods that appear to be growing in a circle. It resembles a mushroom “fairy ring”, although with Redwoods it’s referred to as a Cathedral. Although not fully understood, Redwoods also form structures called Burles. They look like large, nob like structures, similar to a gall on a smaller plant although these are usually due to some kind of parasite. On the Redwood, Burles contain a number of embryonic seedlings that do not possess their own roots but instead are tapped into the vascular system of the parent tree. Although they can appear anywhere on the Redwood tree, often times they are near the base and something will trigger one of these seedlings to sprout out of the Burle and form a new clone tree growing along side of the parent.

Although a fallen Redwood takes quite a bit of time to start decomposing, once they do, they are popular locations for other plants to take root. It’s common to come across a Douglas Fir growing out of a fallen Redwood trunk, giving you the impression that the fallen tree is still alive. It’s quite common to also see a variety of plants actually growing on the Redwoods above the forest floor. These tree’s are so massive that even their side branches of significant size. The point at which they connect to the main trunk is a popular location for detritus from the forest to accumulate. Twigs, dirt, leaves, etc. build up and become in essence a rich compost for other plants to grow in. In addition, the tops of Redwoods that have broken off from lightening, wind, or even snapped off from a neighbor who is falling, leaves a nice flat area to accumulate a nice growing medium. So, as you walk among these giants other trees and even fruit bushes like huckleberrie bushes growing up from one of these locations. Quite amazing. After battling mosquitos and flies in numerous locations, the lack of insects was welcomed here. For one, since the wood doesn’t decay or support invasive insects, they tend to not bother marching forth into these forests. Yeah! Since there’s not a lot of insects, you won’t find a lot of animals like birds, reptiles, and amphibians who make insects a major part of their diet. Migrating birds do pass through and dine on the insects available and also on the many berries that grow here. The berry plants include Huckleberries, Salmonberry, and Thimbleberry. Because of the abundance of berries and seeds, a healthy population of squirrels and chipmunks can be found and they in turn are on the menu for owls, hawks, and other predatory birds. The forest floor supports a lush undergrowth of rhododendrons, azaleas, and giant ferns that grow against the fallen giants. Redwood sorrel, a three leafed clover like plant, grows in abundance beneath the tree’s and the forest is shared with other species of tree’s as well like western hemlock, Douglas-fir, big leaf Maple, and cedar trees, all of which are dwarfed by the mighty Redwoods.

You cannot help but feel that you have been transported back in time as you walk along trails among these mighty Redwoods. They tower above you letting bands of light to occasionally sneak through from above, illuminating a spot on the forest floor. The floor is criss-crossed with the trunks of their fallen brothers, hundreds of feet long and often up to 15 feet high. The undergrowth is thick with ferns, bushes, and other plants. And it is quiet. Amazingly quiet. And since we are near the coast, these forests are often shrouded by fog, as they were most of the times we were in them. They get 30-40 percent of their water requirements from the fog during the dryer summer months. Down into these forests we walked and it was hard not to imagine a dinosaur appear as we came around a bend. It is truly another world, and although only approximately 5% of it remains, I’ll take it. Thankfully there were some who knew how future generations like me would appreciate them and stand in this amazingly unique display of nature.