The Weekly Photo Challenge: Circle
I took this picture while hiking down a hiking/equestrian trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains earlier this week. If you look to the left of this trail, notice how these Coast Redwood trees are growing in a circle.
What you can’t see is the trees are growing around a stump of an old growth Coast Redwood that was cut probably more than 100 years ago. One of the secrets of the longevity of our Coast Redwoods is that new trees will will sprout from the shallow roots of the “mother” tree…even if it has been cut down! In fact, a DNA sample would reveal that these trees growing in a circle are genetically identical!
For more great hiking through the fantastic redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, try the trails through some of my favorite open space preserves and state parks:
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve – Pursima Creek Trail
Big Basin Redwoods State Park – Berry Creek Loop
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park – Redwood Grove Loop Trail
Where are you hiking this weekend?
If you’re looking for me, I’m over the hill.
That is such a fascinating bit of information, the trees growing in a circle. The circle of life continues just like that… 😀 Lovely shot. Makes me wonder what else lies further down that path of beautiful forestry.
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