A very twisty Sierra juniper

I had a chance this week to visit some of my favorite Sierra junipers. The best known of these trees is pictured below.

A very twisty Sierra juniper

The tree is compact and twisty, revealing different characteristics when viewed from different angles. From the east, the trunk appears massive and relatively straight. A single, sinuous root on this side dives into a crack between the granite slabs that support the tree’s weight.

View from the east side

The most interesting movement can be seen from the south side where a slender lifeline wraps around dramatic deadwood leading to a low branch sitting just above the rock.

The view from the south

I was joined on this trip by two satsuki professionals visiting from Japan. Below, Yoichi Fukuda of Rakajyu-en provides scale for the tree.

Yoichi pondering how a tree could grow like this

We spent close to an hour hanging around the tree, relaxing and taking turns inspecting the movement and deadwood that make the tree unique.

I’ll share more photos from this trip next week.