Size discrepancies in tree measurements
Hey guys!! I’m currently on my honeymoon - my husband and I just went to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks! We loved them so much. We’re currently on our way home relistening to the old Sequoia episode. And we noticed that in the episode you guys mentioned that the diameter of the largest sequoia was 29ft, but we just saw General Grant at Kings Canyon and the park said it had a diameter of 40ft. We tried to google what the diameter really is, and found different sizes from different sources. Is there a reason why the diameter of the largest tree is said to be different from different sources? Any idea what it actually is? ps - my husband wasn’t much of a tree lover before we met but now when we hike together he’s always asking me tree identification questions, thanks to the pod I can answer them! One day we hope to have a little family of tree lovers 🤍 <3 Katie & Adam
Help us name our trees!
Hey guys! We have two baby trees in our front yard, an Accolade Elm that was planted on the parkway last year, and a Black Spruce that I just put in a couple weeks ago. My wife and daughter and I have been trying to come up with a pair of names for them. I suggested we call the elm Elmo, and then to continue the Sesame Street theme, naming the spruce Oscar, since the prickliness of spruces could be interpreted as grouchiness. This idea was shot down immediately. Then I had an idea that all three of us liked— we could name them Casey and Alex, after you guys. (Neither of them listen to the podcast, but they do get to hear fascinating tidbits from me, so they know who you are.) The question is, which one is which? So we figured we'd ask you what you think. Which one of you is the elm and which one is the spruce? AND/OR, if you have any other suggestions for a pair of names, we'd love to hear 'em! (If possible, we'd like to stick with gender neutral names, as we don't know the trees' pronouns.)
Trees growing inside or atop other trees
Hi Casey and Alex! I've been listening since the very early days but finally got around to listening more regularly this past year, really enjoying every episode and the Q&As! Back in 2021 while I was doing breeding bird atlas survey work in the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario I came across a white cedar growing ontop of a branch of bigger white cedar. And yes, it looked as strange and as fake as it sounds. It literally looked like a someone had bought a white cedar from a garden centre and chucked it up into another cedar and left it there as a weird prank. Except that it was 25 feet up and had a main trunk way thicker than anything you'd find at any garden centre I've ever been to. This was not a small tree. The trunk of the aerial cedar is much thicker than the branch that is supporting it. The base is balled up with roots (very substantial thick roots at that) and the tree seemed very much alive and healthy, as did the "parent" tree that it is growing upon. I'd love to hear your theories about this one. Later that year I reached out to a fellow naturalist friend who checked with a tree expert he knew and his response was that the most likely reason was a witch's broom infection, though he'd never seen that before in a white cedar. (Attaching a link with photos so you can see it - just posted a thread today about the witch's broom theory - https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6efalc3jiky7dukctmu424io/post/3kpadvw45u62m ) Thanks for all you do! Rob
Polymorphic Leaves
Hi Casey and Alex! I'm working on getting a certificate to perform wetland delineations and one of (the many) things I've been learning about are the morphological adaptations wetland plants have. Morphological adaptations can be used as evidence of wetland vegetation because not all plants have the ability to survive in water-logged soils. Polymorphic leaves are considered an indicator of wetland vegetation (although not an entirely reliable one) and it is when the leaves of an individual plant have more than one shape. It's mainly found on herbaceous plants, and it is thought to be dependent on the water level at the time of leaf formation. What do you think could be the evolutionary advantage of this morphological trait? Thanks for all you do <3 Katie
The perfect citrus for you
Hi Casey and Alex, First of all, thanks for making Thursdays so delightful every week! I am wondering what would be your dream citrus if you can pick and choose different traits from all different citrus hybrids? My personal pick will be kumquat snack-bite size and sweet peel with Cara Cara orange flesh. How about you guys? Since all citrus are hybrid anyway, I hope custom bespoke dream citrus may have a higher chance to become reality someday.