Natural bonsai and liverwort, alpine regions in CA

[Tom Barr]

CA is blessed with the oldest, largest and tallest trees in the world.
We have many more species besides the Bristle cone, Redwood and Sequoia that get 2000-3500 years old.

This spot is about 90- minutes, less if you do not have traffic, from Davis up in the Sierra. Maybe 3 hours or so from SF.

 

[Tom Barr]

Here's the falls, I typically go looking for waterfalls and trees.

The last pic in the last post, that CA Juniper must be well over 1000 years old.
I had to do some serious rock climbing to get to it.
The other's are all in excess of 100-200 years.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Tom Barr]

On the other side of the Valeey from that one tree clinging to the rock looking out into the deep valley there is Lake Audiran:

Round Top Mt is also a neat climb.

 

[Tom Barr]

I'll get the pic of the liverwort from the water falls up soon and there's some other herb that's growing fairly well underwater also.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Tom Barr]

Link to the world bonsai competition

World Bonsai Contest

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[George Farmer]

Wow, great photos and very inspiring.

I recently bought my first book on Bonsai, only a beginner's guide (£4 in a garden centre clearance) but there's some wonderful photos and what appears to be good instructional advice.

Do you keep Bonsai?

 

[Tom Barr]

I use to but they must be placed outside, sadly some kids stole them off the back porch.

Once I buy a house, then I will again.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rufus]

OUCH! Sorry to hear about your loss Tom - it must be heart breaking to work on something for so long, than have it pinched - I'd be devastated if I lost mine, and they're not even that good!

Awesome pics btw, I was up that way about 2 years ago (it's along way from queensland, oz ), made it up as far as Auburn - beautiful part of the world - it's just a shame the ex missus wasn't much of a nature lover - I would've loved to take a couple of hiking trips around there. At least I got to go to Muir woods on the way back to SF (a little bit of a detour) - them redwoods is some mighty fine trees!

 

[Tom Barr]

Glad you made it up this way, neat place.
I'm sad namely that the bonsai are dead, most thieves cannot grow them and have no idea what to do.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Patrice]

those picture look exactly like where I live in canadian arctic. trees are exactly like that everywhere i go.

 

[Tom Barr]

As they should, cold does that. That's why at 3200 ft in NE and o elevation in AK in many places, and at about 10 ft here in Sierras we have tree line.

Rough place.
But rather than going north, we just go up here.
There are serpentine soils here that does similar things.
The lower reaches are due to pure granite here also, not much nutrients there. Salt spray can do a similar thing.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[JJ..Bequiet]

this thread has made me homesick, I can not wait until I can leave SWflorida and get back to the west coast.