For the past couple of days I've been subject to an agitation, kind of like when a migrating bird is itching to take off and head south. Even though I couldn't see, I knew my wife was sleeping on her back with mouth agape, and her nasal-guttural duet was a composition I hope to never hear again; but as Mark Twain supposedly commented, "They say that Wagner's music is better than it sounds." Anyway I didn't need an official, military bugle-call to rise because I had trees on my mind, and, inspired by Phyllis Reynolds' 2013 publication of Trees of Greater Portland --hereafter referenced as T of P-- I migrated north to scout for some.
Sciadopitys verticillata
According to Reynolds, a champion "Japanese Umbrella pine" Sciadopitys verticillata existed at 1623 NE Thompson St. in northeast Portland. That was just 18 minutes from my home and I found Flora already in the car --"Let's go!" She and Wifey get along to a certain extent, but there are times when I just prefer to journey alone with my Muse without any additional complications. Often the tree search ends in failure, and after a couple of mishaps I might tire and give up quickly. Flora understands, and like an old black lab she seems content with the outing alone, but winks that there might be additional discoveries that exceed the primary target tree.
Pinus densiflora
We successfully GPSed our route to Thompson St., a tidy neighborhood with middle to upper-middle-class homes and plenty of mature trees. I could imagine myself, now finally retired, living in such a home where I would happily duffer the streets in all seasons. But back to the hunt! When creeping down Thompson, still a couple of blocks from our destination, I spotted an impressive pine looming next to a well-maintained home. Hmm... it definitely was not an "Umbrella pine," rather a "Japanese Red pine," Pinus densiflora, and the airy-foliaged canopy and the reddish trunk revealed its identity. Surprisingly the T of P book didn't list this specimen at all, but the monster at 1517 NE Thompson St. would have been a worthy inclusion.
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Libocedrus decurrens
I parked across the street at the exact 1623 location, and I was impressed with the assortment of large conifers on the corner lot, as if a previous owner was a cone-head like myself. Dominating the front was a full, broad, very large "Port Oxford cedar," Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, and around the side was a huge "Incense cedar," Libocedrus (Calocedrus) decurrens which was partially limbed up. The bark was a warm tan color on the latter and the solo trunk was perfectly straight. Both of these species are native to Oregon, but they can be considered exotic to the Portland area. But still no Sciadopitys, and I speculated it had met its fate since the 2013 T of P, 2nd edition was published.
Pinus densiflora
I was disappointed, especially since I looked forward to comparing an old specimen from PDX, with the champion that Haruko and I found in Seattle a month previous (described in Travels with Flora, Episode 7, Searching in Seattle). Too bad, so I decided to walk back the couple of blocks to more closely examine the "Japanese Red pine." One must proceed cautiously when intruding as a stranger in any neighborhood, and though I have perfect legal right to study and photograph property from the street or sidewalk, a nervous home-owner with a shotgun might suggest otherwise. Hopefully my old stooped body and white hair identify me as harmless, and the homeowner might conclude that I'm just trying to capture the resident squirrels with my phone camera.
Sciadopitys verticillata
Returning to my car, after concluding that I had done reasonably well with a few tree discoveries on Thompson, I noticed a twiglet and squashed Sciadopitys cone. What-why? It was clearly not at the expected location on the north side of the street, but when I looked up from the south side where I parked, there was the expected champion after all. So, the book had the wrong address then? Here it was on the south side at (1628), not the northern 1623 address, so I was ready to scathe Ms. Reynolds or the publisher for the mistake.
Sciadopitys verticillata at 1628 Thompson St.
Sciadopitys verticillata at 1628 Thompson St.
Sciadopitys verticillata at 1628 Thompson St.
I grabbed the T of P book to more closely study the directions, and this time I put on my reading glasses. Well, the book was clear and correct, it was old Buchholz who was lost all along. I had parked just a dozen steps away, but didn't notice it since I was gazing at the other side of the street. And, not just one tree, there was actually a pair, one on each side of a narrow walkway to the house entrance. They presented a gloomy, crowded couple on the small front yard, a terrible landscape choice. Again --a great species, but not there.
Sciadoptys with Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia grandiflora with Sciadopitys
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Nevertheless, I liked the large old house and the neighborhood's deciduous trees as well. In front was the unmistakeable canopy-shape and shaggy bark of an old Cercidiphyllum japonicum that I bet is a colorful marvel in the autumn.
Hamamelis 'Jelena' ?
Cedrus deodara
Cedars deodara
Cedars deodara
Across the street from this 2311 lot was a Hamamelis in full blossom which apparently chose to perform in celebration of the New Year, 2025. This specimen was pruned artfully --when most "Witch Hazels" are not-- into a small tree that stood proudly in its small space. I wished there to be an old gardener who could help me identify the cultivar, probably 'Jelena'. On the corner of the same property stood an enormous Cedrus deodara with the street and sidewalk littered with hundreds of telltale male pollen flowers. The monster had to contend with a number of deciduous trees, so it its actually best viewed in winter with everybody's leaves out of the way. I looked forward to returning to this wonderful Thompson Street, say about the first of May; I had made new friends I felt, and I'll always want to cheer them on.
Sequiadendron giganteum
Obviously I had no clue where to find this Oakman Avenue, and I could imagine a younger Buchholz with a cumbersome Portland street map and magnifying glass to pinpoint the location. But we now have GPS available to knuckleheads such as me, what a blessing. However, I initially had trouble with the device because it proposed to take me to an Oakman Street, 42 miles south of here in Salem, Oregon, or to a 7404 Market Street in Oakman, Alabama. I cursed, probably out-loud, at the conundrum and thankfully no civilian passerby or policeman witnessed my frustration, or they might have called 911 to report that an old man with dementia was experiencing an episodic fit in his car. Ok, maybe it was time to abandon my tree search for the day, especially after the trouble I had to find the Sciadopitys location. Leave well-enough alone and not become too greedy with tree lust?
But the GPS also tried to take me to an Oatman Ave in PDX, not the Oakman Ave I wanted, but I decided it was worth a try because the Reynolds book possibly had a typo mistake. When I encountered the so-called "avenue" I found it to be a narrow lane crowded with parked cars, and essentially it was a one-at-a-time passage where you had to wait for the on-coming car. I was able to park a block away from 7404 and I re-consulted the T of P book, and indeed it listed the Oatman address after all. To misread the correct address was understandable with my poor eyesight, but as earlier on Thompson I was continuing a self-conversation about my own questionable acuity... maybe I really was losing it, woe is me.
Sequiadendron giganteum on Oatman Ave.
Abies pinsapo 'Hammondii'
Abies pinsapo 'Icebreaker'
Should I try for another? Today was a rare January afternoon with a low brilliant sun, but even though I enjoyed the warmth the blinding light was tiresome. Looking for a tree is actually more difficult on a sunny day, but then when you find it the light is most welcome from some angles. A large "Spanish Pin Fir," Abies pinsapo was just a few minutes away, allegedly, and the species is rarely encountered in American landscapes. Flora didn't say a word but a demure nod indicated she was pleased with my purpose. Ok, to 9008 N. Charleston Ave then.
Abies pinsapo on Charleston Ave
Abies pinsapo on N Charleston Ave
Abies pinsapo seeds
I had no trouble finding the Spanish fir; it was lurking in front of a modest home near the street, though somewhat dark and brooding per the species. But wow, it was the largest of the type that I have ever seen. It is also known as the "Hedgehog fir," as Reynolds explains, because "its needles grow all around the branch, in contrast to any other true fir." Yes, it's almost unique in that sense, and as the previous owner of Buchholz Nursery, I used to propagate and sell some of its cultivars such as 'Glauca', 'Horstmann', 'Aurea', 'Fastigiata', 'Hammondii' and others, but it was a nice treat to see the straight species at such an immense size.
Abies morocana
I have expressed previously my fear of troubling homeowners when I'm poking around their property, especially since Portland is a high-crime city with feeble safety leadership that tends to view the ne'er-do-wells as the victims of an unjust society. In spite of that I was approached by a middle-aged woman with a pleasant smile --God, was she Flora's sister, maybe?-- who was bemused by an old man photographing her tree. I briefly explained my purpose, that I was a retiree who was inspired by Portland's Heritage Trees and the T of P book, that I wanted to document as many as possible. She was obviously proud of her famous tree and we chatted for a few minutes. We both commented that the A. pinsapo species is rare in Portland because it's native to the more dry environment of southern Spain, and it even extends southward to northern Africa. "Algeria," she thought. "Well, Morocco" I replied, and there it's known as var. marocana." She probably learned her "facts" from the Heritage people and I regretted being a smarty-pants with our conversation. When I returned home I consulted my reference books and learned that it also extends into northern Algeria so she was correct. I also read that it is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Furthermore, according to Euforgen (European Forest Genetic Resources Program), "The species' wood has in the past been used for construction, but is now typically used to produce seeds from which essential oils are extracted and used in perfumes and traditional medicines to treat respiratory problems." Who knew? I had also accidentally pressed the camera's shutter button, and when reviewing the day's photos I discovered an image of A. pinsapo seeds and various leaves in the street gutter.
Juglans species
Before I parted with Flora's sister she pointed to a nearby Heritage walnut tree, "There, do you see, over the top of the gray house?" Yes, it was a hundred-or-more yards away but I could see that it too was quite massive. I promised to check it out, and I thanked her for her interest. I drove slowly around the block to see if I could learn the walnut species identity --nothing was listed in the T of P book-- but unfortunately, as with the previous redwood, there was no public access to the interior. I wished I could have forged papers or donned a City-of-Portland uniform that would allow me inspection rights. I guess I was too shy to pronounce, "Do you know who I am? I'm Flora's tree friend!"
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