Tomorrow is winter solstice and I would like to celebrate by sharing with you a redwood tree that I’ve been tending with fire mimicry for the past four years. All images were taken on the same date and at the same time of day. Enjoy!
Winter Solstice Redwood
20 12 2025Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Fire mimicry, Monterey/Carmel, Redwoods, Repeat photography
Eight years of fire mimicry on oaks and redwoods
13 03 2025
Eight years of tending these coast live oaks and coast redwoods with fire mimicry. (Note to self – widen frames of original photos to better capture future upward and outward canopy growth)
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Peninsula, Redwoods, Repeat photography, Sudden Oak Death
Redwoods, pines, and fire mimicry
28 05 2024
While the focus of my work is on oak trees, I have several recent examples of fire mimicry treatments improving the health of redwoods and pines. The first five photo sets are of coast redwoods after two years and seven years of treatments. Below the redwoods are photo sets of a Monterey pine after 12 years of treatments (every other year), and a bishop pine after three years of treatments. I’m pretty pleased with these results!
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Categories : Case studies, Peninsula, Pine health, Redwoods, Repeat photography
Los Altos oaks and redwoods after my 7 years of care
25 05 2024
Seven years ago I began fire mimicry treatments on four coast live oaks, as well as two redwood trees in Los Altos, CA. I reported on the progress of these trees back in 2020.and in 2018. For obvious reasons, the property owner has asked me to continue treating these trees, so they have received five treatments over the past seven years. These results tend to support my intuition that when trees have not responded to my treatments, it is likely because I did not do enough care, rather than having done too much.
And don’t miss the final photo set of this series showing the results with redwoods.
I look forward to seeing these trees outgrow the frames of my original photos (as is already starting to happen) in years to come!
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Peninsula, Redwoods, Repeat photography, Sudden Oak Death
Palo Alto oaks, pines, and redwoods thriving after fire mimicry
23 06 2022
Yesterday I checked on several coast live oaks, ponderosa pines, a coast redwood, and a southern magnolia in Palo Alto, CA that I’ve treated with fire mimicry in recent years. The work began at one site about 14 years ago and at the other site 6 years ago. The photos at the 14-year site were taken at different seasons (winter vs. summer), so they are not an optimal comparison. Also, there was considerable construction around the trees and some limb removal since the original photos were taken. Still, it appears that these trees are thriving after fire mimicry treatments. Enjoy!
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Peninsula, Redwoods, Repeat photography
Long-term recovery of a coast redwood tree following construction damage of roots
13 04 2022
I’m often asked whether trees can withstand root amputation by construction activities. Generally, I’ve found that if the trees are tended with fire mimicry beforehand, there is a better chance of their survival. Above is an example of a redwood tree in Los Altos, CA that was treated with fire mimicry before and after construction damage. While the redwood suffered some canopy loss after construction, it has recovered and is now thriving!
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Peninsula, Redwoods
Coast live oaks and coast redwood in Piedmont, CA respond to fire mimicry
25 05 2021
Yesterday I inspected and re-photographed several ailing coast live oaks and a coast redwood in Piedmont, CA that were treated with fire mimicry one year ago. The photos indicate that all of the trees show clear improvement in canopy density and lushness. Thank you for taking notice of, and sharing, these important results!
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Categories : Case studies, East Bay, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Redwoods, Sudden Oak Death
California’s big trees tell a story of overcrowding …
17 08 2020I recently went on a several week journey to further investigate the big trees of California. Within the past month I have visited Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Forest, Sierra National Forest, Redwood National Park, and various northern California state parks. Simply put, there is an overcrowding problem, but not of tourists.
Above is a giant sequoia surrounded by dozens of younger trees, all of which are competing for the same resources as this ancient tree, In previous centuries, these younger trees would have been removed by fires set by the local California natives.
Fallen giant sequoias from paludification, along with over competition.
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Categories : Climate change, Fire ecology, Native people, Redwoods
Fire mimicry results with Lebanese cedar, sycamore, redwood, and coast live oaks
7 05 2020
Several years ago I began fire mimicry treatments on some Lebanese cedar, sycamore, coast redwood, and coast live oak trees in Los Altos, CA. The before-and-after photos shown here indicate that the treatments were effective in improving the health of the trees.
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Peninsula, Redwoods, Repeat photography, Sudden Oak Death
Recovery of a coast redwood after construction damage
6 05 2020In 2011 I was approached by a land owner who wanted to do construction around the base of a coast redwood. About a quarter of the root system of the tree would have to be removed in the process. I advised fire mimicry treatment of the tree prior to excavation, and follow up treatments afterwards. I told him that the tree would likely show a decreased canopy following the root damage, but that with proper care it could recover. The owner agreed to my plan, so I treated the redwood before construction, and several years post construction. The repeat photo series below shows the progress of the recovery over that past 9 years. This is a fine example of the great resilience of redwoods!
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Peninsula, Redwoods, Repeat photography
Sudden Oak Life by Lee Klinger 
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