Several years ago I took a road trip to Southern
California from Colorado. During that trip I was
lucky enough to camp in Sequoia National Park and
see the Land of Giants. We stopped by to pay our
respects to General Sherman and drove through
massive trunks of long ago fallen trees. I was in
complete awe of the sheer size of all of the trees
that surrounded me. (I'm from Colorado, where
cottonwoods are considered massive trees.)
Fast forward to 2017, when I attended the Municipal
Forestry Institute at Lake Arrowhead, California
and there, I got to visit some smaller giants again.
Spending a week with tree lovers in the moun-
tains of Southern California among the giant
sequoias was so much fun. These trees definitely
have left an impression on my heart and soul.
From an article by the University of California Forest
Outreach and Research, I learned that before the
last ice age, the giant sequoia native range used
to stretch from California east to Colorado and
Wyoming. I voted for this tree this year because it
is a wonderful species that can grow in the Rocky
Mountain West! There are a couple found in my
hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado; one in particular
that I'm sharing a photo of is located at the Gardens
on Spring Creek. It's only about 30 ft (9 m) tall but
its bluish green color is reminiscent of Colorado blue
spruce (Picea pungens), the state tree of Colorado.
Sequoiadendron giganteum trees add a fine, fluffy
texture to the landscape, they have softer (less
pokey) leaves than Colorado blue spruce, and it does
well in a protected (microclimate) area. Although
these trees may not grow nearly as large without
the abundant moisture found in the coastal west, in
a protected, well-tended landscape, these trees can
thrive in a Rocky Mountain Front Range community.
Giant sequoia bark is also resistant to fire damage.
With all of the wildland fires happening out west,
it's important to keep in mind that we need
to properly manage our natural resources but
we also can bring these species into our urban
forests where they can thrive and increase the
diversity of our community forest canopies.
Wyoming State Forestry Division Community
Forestry Coordinator Tara Costanzo with a
giant sequoia in her hometown in Colorado.
Both photos courtesy of Tara Costanzo
34 CityTREES
