Survivors - Bristlecones of the West 17 images Created 11 Jun 2024
A Forest of the Ancients
Great Basin Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva) is known as the pain this longest living non-clonal species on earth. on the planet this strange tree. Shaped by wind, snow and rain, it has survived over thousands of years, enduring through ice ages, catastrophic volcanic eruptions and the rise and fall of many civilizations. Their ability to survive harsh growing conditions is the explanation of their longevity. It is also an inspiration to the human soul in standing firm against opposition.
Bristlecones grow near the tree line, beginning at around 10,000 feet in elevation. Harsh conditions with temperatures dropping below zero degrees Fahrenheit, a short growing season and high winds twist the trees into spectacular forms in rocky ridges that seem to defy plant growth. They seem to take on forms imitating flames, crazy hair, tornadoes and wild human figures. If the Joshua tree is the human form figure of the low desert, then the bristle cone is the grandfather human formed figure of the high desert.
Slow growth makes the wood very dense, resisting flame, insects, fungi, rot, and erosion.
Even when much of the tree is seemingly dead, missing bark, branches and needles, there is often a single strand of bark leading from the root, up and out of the ground to the higher reaches of the tree from which needle covered branches sprout annually. The withered older wood of the remaining tree takes on beautiful colors polished by wind and dust, and impervious to invading creatures. The visual effect is irresistible to photographers
Great Basin Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva) is known as the pain this longest living non-clonal species on earth. on the planet this strange tree. Shaped by wind, snow and rain, it has survived over thousands of years, enduring through ice ages, catastrophic volcanic eruptions and the rise and fall of many civilizations. Their ability to survive harsh growing conditions is the explanation of their longevity. It is also an inspiration to the human soul in standing firm against opposition.
Bristlecones grow near the tree line, beginning at around 10,000 feet in elevation. Harsh conditions with temperatures dropping below zero degrees Fahrenheit, a short growing season and high winds twist the trees into spectacular forms in rocky ridges that seem to defy plant growth. They seem to take on forms imitating flames, crazy hair, tornadoes and wild human figures. If the Joshua tree is the human form figure of the low desert, then the bristle cone is the grandfather human formed figure of the high desert.
Slow growth makes the wood very dense, resisting flame, insects, fungi, rot, and erosion.
Even when much of the tree is seemingly dead, missing bark, branches and needles, there is often a single strand of bark leading from the root, up and out of the ground to the higher reaches of the tree from which needle covered branches sprout annually. The withered older wood of the remaining tree takes on beautiful colors polished by wind and dust, and impervious to invading creatures. The visual effect is irresistible to photographers
