Virgin cypress, way up in the swamp. This tree is estimated to be over 1000 years old and is over 28 feet in circumference.
I paid it a visit back in June and revisited it yesterday. Even though this isn't my work swamp, I got to go along so I could get pictures of the rangers measuring this tree. It may very well be the largest cypress in NC now...
9 comments:
How can you tell it's a virgin?
LOL! Sara, I figured someone would ask that question -- but to be honest, I figured it would be Mr. Bloggerific Himself ;)
swampy--is there a map anywhere on the net where i can locate virgin tree areas?
Usually people refer to their workplaces as a "zoo"...
Not many have the opportunity to call it a "swamp"
;-)
Super tree. Don't you get...uhm...mushy when you touch an ancient living tree? Maybe it's just me, but the thought of this tree living through most of recorded history just affects me somehow. We have a similar virgin in a state forest nearby. I need to take a tape measure and do a DBH.
Oh no, I'm turning into Mr. Bloggerific Himself! Help help, where is my astral plane therapist?
Seriously though, I wonder where that designation "virgin" comes from in this context. It makes sense to talk of virgin forest because that refers to the untouched state of a forest, but to use the term to name a tree species is rather different. I wonder if there are any books on who named tree species and why ... and if I'm nerdy enough to actually buy one ...
SGJ, virgin in this case refers to the fact that this has tree escaped the logger's axe each time the area has been logged -- and prior to becoming a park, the area was logged several times over the years. There are about 30 trees like this scattered through Treebeard's swamp. Sadly, we have no virgins in my work swamp -- every acre has been logged at least once since the Europeans arrived in North America...
SQ, I'm not aware of any website that offers a map of virgin trees. I'll check with my Big Tree Register friends, they may know of one.
FC, I like to touch the big trees. It makes me feel more connected to the earth (jeeze! I'm a tree-hugger, who knew?)
cookie, sometimes the office is a zoo -- that's when I head out to the swamp :)
Beautiful tree. It is awesome to touch some living thing that's been around for thousands of years. Up in the high sierra there are Sequoia Giganteas, redwoods that can live 3000 years. Hiking up to the Mariposa Grove to touch them is well worth the journey.
thanks for checking on that
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