Bald Cypress—The Theory on Knees

This summer, while wandering through the beautiful VanDusen Gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia, I saw the remarkable bald cypress, complete with knees. I had written a short post on Deciduous Conifers previously, and had always wanted to see this tree, and especially those knees! There are theories swirling all around about the purpose of the knees. Could these projections of the roots act as a support and … Continue reading Bald Cypress—The Theory on Knees

rainyleafSeptember 22, 2013September 22, 20134 Comments

Plants, Trees

Deciduous Conifers

Conifers generally are evergreen trees that produce their seeds in cones. Familiar friends in this family include the fir, spruce, juniper, pine and yew. There exists, however, a small secretive subgroup of conifers that dares to be different. Perhaps trying to copy their cousins the maple and the oak, these ‘evergreens’ are decidous! This select group of conifers shed their needles … Continue reading Deciduous Conifers

rainyleafNovember 6, 2011December 1, 20112 Comments