Survivor

[tbob]

Interior Douglas Fir tree in the South Okanagan Grasslands. Already contorted and stunted by water stress and wind, then a fire swept through and burnt one side. Still hanging in there.

Contorted Firs18-06-22litzd pilingsTREVOR REEVES 1 by Trevor Reeves, on Flickr

[billtils]

Nice story Trevor. I like the way that the white cloud (almost) serves as a contrasting background to the burnt branch.

I'm curious about the "Interior" in the title ...

[tbob]

Nice story Trevor. I like the way that the white cloud (almost) serves as a contrasting background to the burnt branch.

I'm curious about the "Interior" in the title ...

I did not notice how the cloud intersects the tree angle. Interesting and I agree it is a worthy element. I would like to say it was intentional, or even subconscious, but pure serendipity.

Interior refers to the dry Interior of British Columbia. As opposed to the much wetter coast. Douglas Fir comes in two varieties, one adapted to the semiarid inland portions and the other to the rain forest portions of Southern British Columbia. Very different environments.

We have another coniferous species, called either Lodgepole Pine or Shore Pine depending on the location. Lodgepole is in the Interior and is tall, straight and thin (hence the name lodgepole as it was used for teepee poles) and Shore Pine is stunted and twisted, growing alongside the sea coast in exposed locations. Latin name is Pinus contortus as it was first identified as the coastal variant. So we have the exact converse for the two species. One species twisted and contorted on the coast, tall and straight in the interior and the other the exact opposite situation.

[Cantab]

Without your comments, it's hard to believe this is a douglas fir!

Quite apart from the botanical interest, the image works well.

I live in an area with lots of coastal douglas fir. As you mention, the twisted lodgepole pine grows only on the outer coast; I've only seen it on the west coast of Vancouver Island but it presumably also grows on the exposed coastline of the mainland and on Haida Gwaii.

[billtils]

...
Interior refers to the dry Interior of British Columbia. As opposed to the much wetter coast. Douglas Fir comes in two varieties, one adapted to the semiarid inland portions and the other to the rain forest portions of Southern British Columbia. Very different environments.

Thanks Trevor

[pnodrog]

.....

Interior refers to the dry Interior of British Columbia. As opposed to the much wetter coast. Douglas Fir comes in two varieties, one adapted to the semiarid inland portions and the other to the rain forest portions of Southern British Columbia. Very different environments.....

Looking at its shape, from a timber yield point of view I just assumed you had just misspelt inferior...

[tbob]

I think the tree might prefer "Vertically/Linearly Otherwise Enabled" to Inferior.