semper – always

virens – green

Native range: Coastal California and Oregon

Leaves:

• mostly linear, alternate
• have petiole
• 2-ranked (flat plane), angled toward tip
• shorter at base and tip of branchlet
• some scale-like leaves
• upper – dark green
• lower – white stomatal bands and visible mid-rib

Cones:

• female cone:
  • woody
  • ovoid
  • ~ 1” long
  • pendant at end of leaf twig
  • 15-20 thick wrinkled scales, peltate, spirally arranged
  • matures in one season
• pollen cone:
  • nearly globose to ovoid
  • 2–5 mm
  • borne singly on short terminal or axillary stalks
• seeds are winged but are not distributed by wind far from parent tree.

Other characteristics:

• evergreen tree
• 60-100 m. (up to 110 m.) tall
• 3-4.6 m. (up to 9 m.) diameter at breast height
• very long lived (2,000-3,000 years)
• sheds branchlets, not individual leaves
• bark:
  • thick (~35 cm)
  • reddish-brown
  • fibrous
  • deeply furrowed into broad, scaly ridges

Relevant info:

• endangered status according to International Union of Concerned Scientists
• California state tree, in addition to Sequoiadendron giganteum

Ecology & Adaptations:

• SW Oregon and NW California, confined to coastal areas (within 60 km of the sea) experiencing a great deal of fog
• at elevations generally below 300 m, occasionally to 1000 m.
• mostly found in alluvial fans, coastal plains, and benches along large streams
• grows in alluvial soils (unconsolidated soils consisting of material eroded by water and deposited downstream or down-elevation), where it forms pure stands or occurs with Pseudotsuga menziesii, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, or other local conifers
• evergreen leaves allow photosynthesis year-round, and conical shape maximizes light absorption throughout the day and all seasons
• vegetative reproduction:
  • from stump sprouts or layering, so young trees receive nutrients, water and carbohydrates from “parent” trees and thereby gain a competitive advantage over other species, even in the deep shade of older trees
  • results in clumps of clonal stems growing in close proximity
• pollination by wind
• very shade tolerant:
  • high photosynthetic capacity at low light levels
  • able to self-replace within forest stands
• tolerates sedimentation – in a floodplain environment where sediment deposition of up to 75 cm can occur, develops new and higher lateral root system from buried buds on trunk
• “Fog water” capture:
  • water in air condenses on leaves and drips to the ground, where the roots can absorb it
  • extra water may explain why the trees can grow so big
• fire resistant & wind resilient:
  • thick bark protects living vascular tissue
  • great height also helps tree “escape” fires of low and moderate intensity
  • trunk re-sprouts from stumps following fire
  • epicormic buds (dormant beneath bark until higher branch is destroyed) enable the tree to produce new branches after destruction by fire or windstorm
• herbivore & pathogen defense – compounds (terpines and sabinene) in leaves and wood deter herbivores and protect against fungal infection
• canopy community:
  • multiple trunks that form 60 m above the ground provide structure for complex plant/animal/microbial interactions
  • these mini ecosystems provide habitat for mammals, birds, amphibians and arthropods
• nutrient absorption – mycorrhizal association aids nutrient and water uptake in forest environments with a lot of competition for resources