Autumn Purple Ash

Ash (Fraxinus spp.) is composed of 40 to 70 species, native to Central and North America [21] and Eurasia [50]. All species look alike microscopically. The name fraxinus is the classical Latin name for ash.

Fruit of the Mountain Ash

To someone who has never seen one, a Redwood must seem to be something from a tall tale. Averaging eight feet to as much as twenty feet in diameter, and some as tall as three hundred seventy five feet. That is a tree taller than the Statue of Liberty, from base of the pedestal to the tip of the torch. A tree larger around and through than a Greyhound bus. Absolutely the largest living thing on earth. A typical Redwood forest contains more biomass per square foot than ANY other area on earth, and that includes the Amazonian rain forests.

From a seed no bigger than one from a tomato, California's coast redwood (Sequoia semperviren) may grow to a height of 367 feet (122 m) and have a width of 22 feet (7 m) at its base. Imagine a 35-story skyscraper in your city and you have an inkling of the trees' ability to arouse humility.

Although the great redwoods--Sequoia Sempervirens-- once covered vast areas of the earth and date back 20 million years, they exist now in only a small band along the coast of central and northern California. The mild climate with plenty of moisture delivered by mist, fog, and rain make their survival in this area possible.