Took a Little Hike, Found Unexpected Awesomeness

just.wing.it · Mar 29, 2018

I was wondering around, wasting time while my house was being shown by a realtor...went behind a local box store and saw this amazing, huge, old tree....had to get closer...

About here I saw the giant root base next to this tree which had fallen and taken out a few limbs of this behemoth....
We had major crazy high winds a couple weeks ago, tons of trees came down.

It's also a huge and old tree, an Eastern White Pine...many EWPs fell in the winds recently, the foliage is still green.

More coming....

just.wing.it · Mar 29, 2018

Back to the first huge old tree...

Look at this weird root!

Size 13 steel toe for size reference...

Close now...

Look at this bark, fissures are sooo deep...
Sizable hand for size reference...

More coming...

just.wing.it · Mar 29, 2018

Surveying the carnage...

This huge branch fell from here....

It's a Tulip Poplar...

JoeR · Mar 29, 2018

This thread just kept getting better and better. At first I was super uninterested lol thought something like this could only be on a Bonsai forum. But with each post it got better, the hollow branch that fell is so weird and it’s quite unbeliebable how gigantic it is. Pretty cool my friend, thanks for sharing

Cadillactaste · Mar 29, 2018

Am I the only one...who wondered the time old saying...if a tree falls in the woods...and no one is around. Will it make a sound?

Cool old tree....the one that fell beside it...added more to the ones standings story.

just.wing.it · Mar 29, 2018

Oh and I neglected to post this last pic I took before leaving...
Check out the movement in this gigantic branch!

JosephCooper · Mar 29, 2018

What tree is it?

Oak?

Massive elm?

Whatever it is it's HUGE

just.wing.it · Mar 29, 2018

Tulip Poplar
Liriodendron

just.wing.it · Mar 29, 2018

I have a question for @rockm about this old tulip poplar...or for anyone who knows...

What is the reason for the bark transition at the base of the tree trunk?
If you zoom in and look, the lower bark is very different looking from the stuff above...more flakey looking.

Tycoss · Mar 29, 2018

just.wing.it said:
I have a question for @rockm about this old tulip poplar...or for anyone who knows...

What is the reason for the bark transition at the base of the tree trunk?
If you zoom in and look, the lower bark is very different looking from the stuff above...more flakey looking.
I have no idea myself, but a lot of western cottonwood trees of similar age/size/form have a similar transition in bark texture.

View attachment 183953

Tycoss · Mar 29, 2018

I'm not sure about what causes it, but some old cottonwoods from my area of similar form and size have the same bark transition. They are a related species.

CasAH · Mar 30, 2018

just.wing.it said:
I have a question for @rockm about this old tulip poplar...or for anyone who knows...

What is the reason for the bark transition at the base of the tree trunk?
If you zoom in and look, the lower bark is very different looking from the stuff above...more flakey looking.

View attachment 183953

On the white oak trees here, this is caused by a fungus.

Dav4 · Mar 30, 2018

I love big trees like Tulip Poplar. Unfortunately, they're weak wooded and tend to fall apart as they age. I had a 70 footer taken down that was growing right next to my deck... this thread makes me feel better about that decision

.

just.wing.it · Mar 30, 2018

CasAH said:
On the white oak trees here, this is caused by a fungus.

Aaahhhhh, ok now we're getting somewhere!

just.wing.it · Mar 30, 2018

Dav4 said:
I love big trees like Tulip Poplar. Unfortunately, they're weak wooded and tend to fall apart as they age. I had a 70 footer taken down that was growing right next to my deck... this thread makes me feel better about that decision.

Yeah, there is a 70+ footer or two near my house too, but they must be much younger than this one, not nearly as thick or gnarly in general.
They haven't begun to fall apart. Yet...

Underdog · Mar 30, 2018

just.wing.it said:
What is the reason for the bark transition at the base of the tree trunk?

It's a graft...

rockm · Mar 30, 2018

just.wing.it said:
I have a question for @rockm about this old tulip poplar...or for anyone who knows...

What is the reason for the bark transition at the base of the tree trunk?
If you zoom in and look, the lower bark is very different looking from the stuff above...more flakey looking.

View attachment 183953

The bark is different most likely because of soil erosion over the course of this tree's long life. What had been underground is being gradually exposed by the tree's growth and washing away of the soil--note the line of different tissue tilts down towards the slope behind the tree. Soil has been washing down that way for a couple of hundred years. The less fissured bark hasn't been exposed to the same elements as the bark above. Same holds true for root tissue on buried roots on bonsai...

CamdenJim · Mar 30, 2018

Underdog said:
It's a graft...

That brightened my morning!

BigBen · Mar 30, 2018

WOW!
Just as others have stated, this thread just keeps getting better and better.
Thanks for sharing the very cool photos, Just.Wing.It!

just.wing.it · Mar 30, 2018

Underdog said:
It's a graft...

Hilarious!
Lol!

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