Redwoods

By Kieran

 Ode to the Coast Redwoods of California



Original artwork of a hillside cabin surrounded by Redwoods and an original ode by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, inspired by the gargantuan Sequoia sempervirens native to California, we have 3 of these giants in our backyard



The Coast Sequoia Redwoods are giants of the forest, standing over 300 feet tall
A marvel of nature that started life around the time of Julius Caesar's footfall

Their 12-inch thick reddish fibrous bark is insect, disease and fire resistant
Cyclical forest fires burn everything, trigger sprouting of cones into existence

The new seedlings grow only in high fire ash content too toxic for competing trees
Providing a headstart over the competition; redwoods can drink water from the breeze 

But here's the most surprsing part of these giants - they grow only in clusters
With shallow intertwining roots less than two meters deep they become blockbusters

Comments

Anonymous said…
I learned a lot about the redwood trees
Thank you for bringing interesting content to help forget the horrible chaos all around us (Comment on Signal from a dear friend in Virginia)
March 5, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Kieran said…
Thanks Ulka. Unfortunately evil, greed and such will always be part of the human story. I choose to focus on life, love and joy. - Kieran
March 5, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Anonymous said…
NICE WORK. I have seen these trees at the Sequoia national park. 12 inch thick bark is good information that I did not know. These trees are really huge. Absorb moisture from the breeze also information for me. (WhatsApp comment from a dear childhood school friend in Pune)
March 5, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Kieran said…
They absorb 30% moisture from the air basically fog. With global warming and droughts there is 30% less water reaching so most trees some hundreds even thousands of years old are under severe stress - Kieran
March 5, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Anonymous said…
Is that one of the reasons they catch fire? (Reply to above comment also on WhatsApp)
March 5, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Kieran said…
Forests rejuvenate by fire. That’s just how it gets rid of the old, rotten and dried stuff.
Redwoods have adapted to resist , survive and be the first to grow after fires. - Kieran
March 5, 2026 at 6:13 PM
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