Pseudotsuga menziesii (Fire Giant)

Magnificent, a photo by wild trees on Flickr.
Fire Giant.  No, we're not talking about some creature to defeat in World of Warcraft.  Rather, we're talking about the dominant tree found in so many ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest, Pseudotsuga menziesii.  Despite its total inability to grow in shade, many of our most remarkable forests feature even-aged stands of huge fir.  It seems hard to imagine the magnitude of the fires that must have swept across our usually wet coastal plains and mountains, blackening nearly everything in sight and setting the stage for large forests of this sun tolerant species.  Imagine the newly scarred landscape, brightening with fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), buzzing with bees, and soon covered by young fir, the seeds growing in beds as if specifically prepared for this august species.

In honor of the 2012, I post this photo of an enormous Douglas Fir, found in the Big Creek drainage in the Quinault Watershed.  I walked in this forest last summer on a peaceful day, awed by the beauty of many trees, brethren, standing together and sharing the light in a most harmonious way.  Seems so fitting for the first post of 2012, a year I hope is marked by peace, by cooperation, and kindness.  Happy New Year, all!