Happy Friday GPODers!
A couple weeks ago I shared my plant findings from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia and largest city on Vancouver Island. These included incredible container combinations, perfectly manicured plantings, and a sensational topiary creation. Today, I’m thrilled to be able to show off the other, more wild aspect of the island.
Whether you’re a foodie, a beach goer, or an avid hiker, Vancouver Island really has something for everyone. For me, the biggest draw to Vancouver Island was its absolutely incredible trees. Home to one of the last temperate rainforests, the mild climate and long rainy season have created some of the largest and oldest trees in the world. While I was prepared to some huge, pretty amazing looking trees, I was not prepared for all the incredible ways trees have grow on the island in old growth forests, on cliff-sides and along beaches, and even on the tip of a log in the middle of lake.
Yes, you read that right. This is called the Fairy Lake Bonsai Tree, and no, it’s not some crazy art installation. In a remote lake near the town of Port Renfrew, a tiny hemlock fir has managed to take root and grow from an old log a good distance from the lake’s shore.
So far from shore in fact, that zoom is required and a phone camera struggles to capture this small specimen that is defying the odds. Really goes to show that nature can awe-inspire in packages large and small.
Of course, the massive trees did not disappoint either. Vancouver Island is most known for its populations of western red cedar, Douglas fir, and Sitka spruce, but there are about 20 different native species on the island with many of them growing to dizzying heights. I spotted this in enormous red cedar in Avatar Grove, a great spot for tree sighting and home to a pretty infamous tree.
Not the largest or oldest, but the gnarliest tree in Canada. Discovered by the Ancient Forest Alliance in 2009, the moniker is a pretty new one and it doesn’t seem there was a competition or qualifications to verify its title, but I don’t think anyone is contesting it.
The massive red cedar sits on a web of roots that clings to a steep slope, with the biggest burls I’ve ever seen.
Next up is another famous tree with an equally interesting name, Big Lonely Doug is the second largest Douglas fir tree in Canada, but one of a much sadder story. None of these trees are very well marked from the road (something I find to be a hidden blessing to keep these giants a little more protected), but I found this rudimentary sign for Doug particularly heartwarming.
He’s hard to miss, and for a devastating reason. Doug is a lone specimen, for some reason saved by a logger, once only surrounded by stumps and cleared land. I was thrilled to see the area starting to fill in again with new growth, even if it made spotting and hiking down to Doug a little more challenging.
Looking up from the base is a disorienting experience, and again difficult to capture in a very different way than the tiny guy on Fairy Lake. While navigating around this wonder of nature, I ran into someone trying to capture Doug on a drone camera. He said that footage wasn’t even accurately depicting its magnitude.
While an amazing sight to see, it is also a somber reminder of the damage that has been done to our old-growth forests and the many trees we’re still fighting to protect.
To end this Friday post on a lighter note, I wanted to include some not as famous, but equally eye-catching trees I saw in my adventures. Located in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, Botanical Beach features a wealth of coastal plants and marine life that surprise and delight. The twists and turns in this bare tree absolutely blew my mind.
Resilience in its purest form. All of these incredible trees were markings of the resilience of mother nature, and the beauty that can grow from all kinds of circumstance. Wonders to experience, and inspiring organisms to share this world with.
Have a fabulous weekend everyone, and I encourage you all to go out and admire a long-lived plant. Whether it’s something in your own garden you planted years ago, or an old tree in a local park, there is so much to be learned from a living thing that has weathered so many storms.
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