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A natural semi-cascade juniper

June 21, 2019 by Jonas Dupuich

I had made several visits to the Sierra junipers around Carson Pass before I first saw the giant semi-cascade. It was pretty awesome.

A natural semi-cascade Sierra juniper

Natural semi-cascade style Sierra juniper

Much of the deadwood on this tree is a bright white color that makes a nice contrast to the reddish live veins.

Bright white deadwood

A strip of bright white on one of the main trunks

A slender, spiraling lifeline

A slender lifeline spiraling along a descending branch

Not all of the deadwood was so smooth or brightly colored. Near the tree’s apex, the deadwood looked as if it had been sandblasted – not surprising given the tree’s exposure to winds carrying ice and other debris.

Pointed deadwood

Pointed deadwood at the tree’s apex

As you can see, the wood grain reveals many years of growth. Considering the size of this tree and the fact that Sierra junipers can reach 3,000 years old, this could be a very old juniper.

Hiro standing next to the trunk

Hiroharu next to the giant trunk

The windward side of the tree reveals less drama as most of the live bark has receded to narrow stretches along the leeward branches.

View from the west

View from the west

I find this tree captures the drama of its environment in a form that’s immediately recognizable to bonsai enthusiasts. It’s a great reminder of how the forces that act on trees in nature inform the conventions that guide bonsai style.

Yoichi posing in the shade of the tree

Yoichi posing in the shade

✕

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Filed Under: Excursions Tagged With: Sierra juniper

Previous Post: « Appreciating a massive, and ancient, Sierra juniper
Next Post: Sierra wildflowers – nature’s accent plants »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zack Clayton says

    June 21, 2019 at 6:23 am

    I think this is my favorite tree of the ones shown so far on this field trip. I have seen others like it in the Rockies, and I have a large boxwood that was sun-seeking that I collected from a hedge that is similar in form. It is not just wind that will cause this style to naturally occur even if that is what most of us think of.

    • Jonas Dupuich says

      June 21, 2019 at 9:35 pm

      Thanks Zack, that’s a good point. Would love to see junipers like this in the Rockies!

  2. Julio César Zavala says

    June 21, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    Impressive object of nature, the greatest creator. I never cease to be surprised by this juniper and the life it represents along with all the beauty of its surroundings.

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