Western Native Tree Society Colorado Summary

[edfrank]

NTS,

 The attached spreadsheet gives a summary of prominent and representative tree measurements for Colorado. Hundreds of trees have been measured, but no point in including the ordinary.

Bob

[Larry Tucei]

Bob,       Hermosa Creek as some really tall trees wow 160’!  Some of the others at those elevations are really tall. I remember riding the train up Pikes Peak back in 2000 passing by all those beautiful tall trees. I wondered just how tall they might be. I began to notice the trees got shorter and sparse as we ascended up. When we approached the tree line at about 12000’ nothing but rocks I was amazed. It was my first time to be on a mountain of that magnitude, it was awesome!   Larry

[dbhguru]

Larry,

 I have no idea how many secluded ravines there are in Colorado with Ponderosas, Doug Firs, Colorado Blues, and Englemanns reaching the big numbers. Finding out is a mission that I'd like to undertake. We would be breaking new ground. Here is a sample of what is out there on the Internet relative to the maximum dimensions achieved by several species.

Englemann Spruce

USDA Natural Conservation Service

Heights to 60 meters

Utah State Extension Service

Growth Characteristics: Engelmann spruce is a large tree, averaging 30 inches in diameter and 90 feet in height.

Wikipedia

Picea engelmannii is a medium-sized to large evergreen tree growing to 25–40 m (82-131 ft) tall, exceptionally to 65 m (213 ft) tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m (4 ft, 9 in).

Montana Plant-Life Association

Description
General: straight, spire-like evergreen tree up to 50 m. tall, the trunk seldom over 1 m. thick.

North American Silvics

Growth and Yield- Engelmann spruce is one of the largest of the high-mountain species. Under favorable conditions, average stand diameter will vary from 38.1 to 76.2 cm (15 to 30 in), and average dominant height from 14 to 40 m (45 to 130 ft), depending upon site quality and density (20). Individual trees may exceed 101.6 cm (40 in) in diameter and 49 m (160 ft) in height (60). Engelmann spruce is a long-lived tree, maturing in about 300 years. Dominant spruces are often 250 to 450 years old, and trees 500 to 600 years old are not uncommon (13).


Some Other species in North American Silvics

Colorado Blue Spruce

Growth and Yield- Blue spruce is apparently a long-lived tree, surviving up to 600 years or more. Diameter growth is slow; trees 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) in d.b.h. may be 125 to 135 years old; at 46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 in), they may be 275 to 350 years of age (84). The "1982 National Register of Big Trees" lists the largest blue spruce as 154.4 cm (60.8 in) in d.b.h. and 38.4 m (126 ft) tall, on the Gunnison National Forest, CO.

Ponderosa Pine

Growth and Yield- Ponderosa pine grows to impressive size. Stems 263 cm (103.5 in) in d.b.h. and 70.7 m (232 ft) in height have been recorded (13). Diameters at breast height of 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 in) and heights of 27.4 to 39.6 m (90 to 130 ft) are common throughout most of its range. Trees often reach ages of 300 to 600 years.

Douglas Fir

The interior variety of Douglas-fir does not attain the growth rates, dimensions, or age of the coastal variety. Site class for Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is usually IV or V (site index 24 to 37 m or 80 to 120 ft at age 100) when compared with the growth of this species in the Pacific Northwest (1,43). On low sites, growth is sometimes so slow that trees do not reach saw-log size before old age and decadence overtake them. Interior Douglas-fir reaches an average height of 30 to 37 m (100 to 120 ft) with a d.b.h. between 38 and 102 cm (15 and 40 in) in 200 to 300 years. On the best sites, dominant trees may attain a height of 49 m (160 ft) and a d.b.h. of 152 cm (60 in) (23). Diameter growth becomes extremely slow and height growth practically ceases after age 200. Interior Douglas-fir, however, appears capable of response to release by accelerated diameter growth at any size or age (35). The interior variety is not as long lived as the coastal variety and rarely lives more than 400 years, although more than 700 annual rings have been counted on stumps (23).

Red Spruce

Growth and Yield- Red spruce is a medium-size tree at maturity, reaching 30 to 61 cm (12 to 24 in) in d.b.h. and 18 to 23 m (60 to 75 ft) in height in the Northeast, and up to 35 m (115 ft) in the Appalachian Mountains. Its maximum age is about 400 years (22). The American Forestry Association lists a tree 133 cm (52.5 in) in d.b.h. and 33.5 m (110 ft) Eall in Great Smoky National Park in North Carolina as the largest living red spruce.


   Need I comment? Ball's in our court.

Bob

[Larry Tucei]

Bob,  Wooh hooh!  Exciting things ahead. The ages of Western trees are so different than their Eastern counterparts. The ages are unreal!  Larry

[jamesrobertsmith]

Well, I'm heading out there in just a few more weeks (we leave the second week of September--15th). We're going to see the aspen grove you suggested. And of course we'll all keep our eyes peeled for exceptional trees of any species.

[dbhguru]

Robert,

  On the Goulding Creek Trail, about 2.5 miles from the trailhead, there is supposed to be a quacking aspen about 10 feet in circumference. Monica and I didn't make it that far, but I've been assured by others that the aspens are really something.

Bob

[Don]

Did you get close enough to hear it quack?
: > }

[dbhguru]

Don,

 Excuses, excuses. Let's see.....  

   1. This is what happens when I try to cut back on coffee.

   2. It's really a new species that sounds like a duck when the leaves rustle.

   3. My computer made the mistake, not me.

   4. Actually, I did here it, and just spelled the name like the sound.

   5. I wanted to see who was reading my posts.

    etc., etc., etc.

Bob

[Don]

It's just so easy to let our fingers babble on...; > } I'm often as guilty!