Old Growth Forest - Tumblr Posts
Congaree National Park, SC
What a special place this is. Here nested in the middle of my home state of South Carolina, between the Congaree and Wateree Rivers, is one of the last old growth forests in the South East United States. Filled with huge Bald Cypress, Tupelo, Loblolly Pine, and many other native trees. Walking through this floodplain forest is like stepping back in time to what many ancient forests here looked like. More posts to come about these amazing trees.
Alright. I have to talk about the pine trees in Congaree National Forest.
This forest is full of inspiration.
This here is a unusually gigantic Loblolly Pine tree. One of the most common tree species found in South Eastern United States. On Average, Loblolly Pines will grow between 60-90 feet tall. Pine forests cover the landscape of South Carolina, and looks like this:
Recently discovering the fact that a quiet and remote National Park resided 2 hours inland from me blew my mind. How had I gone this long without knowing about its existence and significance? Anyone who knows me knows how much I love forests, so I immediately made plans to visit. I needed to see these giants.
I was amazed at the size of these Loblolly champions. The tallest towering at over 167 feet, which is unheard of! There are no pictures I could take that could show the height of these trees due to a thick leaf canopy, so I will explain.
This is a picture of a 12 story building in my hometown, which is about 145 feet tall. The pines in Congaree are TALLER than that. The champion pine is measured at 17 stories in height! Astonishing.
What an amazing and rare gift the floodplain has given us. Trees this tall are rare in this region of the world, so I am thankful to have found them. I can’t wait for my next visit to explore more of the ancient tree species in this forest.
Hello there, fungi friend.
Deep in the forest getting lost amongst the redwoods.
Muir Woods, California
I will be writing more details on the Bald Cypress tree species in a later post. However, the ONLY way I could possible capture the size of this tree was through this video. This Bald Cypress is 30ft in circumstance and estimated to be well over 1,000 years old. Absolutely amazing.
*My dad (the forester) has promptly informed me that they are called Cypress Knees and not “knobs” after watching the video. oops😂
Consolidated collection of tree pics from Congaree. This South Carolinian old growth forest is full ancient treasures. I have only explored a very tiny piece of the national park’s 20,000+ acres. Pictured here is Water Tupelo, Loblolly Pine, and Bald Cypress trees.
Lowcountry Live Oaks. I love you.
Balsam Trail, Mount Mitchell, NC
This mountain is known for its height. At 6,684 feet tall, it is the tallest mountain and peak east of the Mississippi River, and the tallest peak in the Appalachian mountain range.
The old growth forest on this mountain is an extremely rare and special place. The Balsam Trail is one of my most favorite places in the world. It feels like you are transported into another world. It’s absolutely amazing.
My most special place in the world. Congaree National Park. This place has held a very special place in my heart since my very first visit a few years ago. It’s so much more than a boardwalk through the woods. You have to truly understand the rare beauty you enter. Pictures can never capture the magic of an old growth forest. There are very few left (like count on one hand few) - especially in the southeast.
When I step into the canopy of Congaree, I enter a time machine showing me what the land here is suppose to look like. Still to this day, wetlands are in grave danger and are flattened and filled in with sand and dirt in the name of cookie cutter neighborhoods. No retaining pond could ever make up for the loss. Then when entire towns by the coast get flooded by the storm seasons, people act surprised. Floodplains and swamps are vital to the natural ecosystem of our home. Not to mention the rich habitats and diverse ecosystems they hold. It’s recently been discovered that bald cypress trees can live longer than 2,000 years. Congaree is ancient. Once you ruin a wetland, you can’t get it back- not for several lifetimes.
We drove up to Congaree tonight because we received a permit from the lottery system to view the synchronous fireflies. They only occur two known places in the world. Congaree and the Smokies. More to come on that later.
Found some new big trees today in Congaree National Park. This time it was in the oak family. As usual, pictures never do the true size of these giants justice. But I saw a collection of the biggest (non-live oak) oak trees ever today. Here’s one of the highlights.
Old growth forests are special in their own right. Add floodplain, southern swamp, and wetland elements to it, and you have such a diverse landscape. With the lack of rainfall in recent weeks, the floodplain has soaked up much water, leaving many guts and swamps with dry beds. You can see the underside of what these trees look like under water. Not to fret though, rain will come soon and so the wetland cycle continues.
I usually do not bring my camera bag with me when I’m deep in the woods, but I decided to this weekend in Congaree National Park.
The floodplain old growth forest, full of swamp guts and land often under water, hides truly ancient bald cypress trees. They are treasures the land works to preserve. The ecosystem within Congaree is hard to navigate and most of the time is not a friendly place to explore. You have to accept the creatures, bugs, mushy ground, and very long walks - but when you see the old growth- it’s always worth it. It reminds me that we are all here as a small part of this world among trees that were here 1,000 years before us. The old growth and the young cypress trees will be here long after each of us. To me, it is a humbling, calming reminder.
Along the Balsam Trail at the top of Mt. Mitchell, I captured something - an elder of the trees laid to rest.
Ghosting around this 300ft tall redwood makes me never want to encounter a human again.
hanging with OG trees.
Deer mushroom
Pluteus sp.
Aug. 18th, 2023
Growing in old growth bottomland woods.
Arnold, Jefferson County, Missouri, USA
Olivia R. Myers
@oliviarosaline